Author: Pastor Jeff Keck

As we spiritedly make our way back to the highways, byways, and black ribbon canyon roads, allow me to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of staying clear-eyed and focused whether you’re on two or three wheels.

Every May, there is a national effort to bring greater awareness to the driving public of our small, fast, and often unseen bikes. I have always found the old adage to be true: “Ride like you are invisible.” Because much of the time, we are!

Here are nine quick tips to keep in mind while riding:

1. We bikers have the same rights to the road as any other motorist. You have the right to the entire lane, so position yourself in the left half of the lane. If you are in the number one lane on a divided highway/freeway, position yourself near the divided white line to possess the entire lane and remain visible.

2. When passing a semi-truck, bus, camper, or other large vehicles, remember, if you cannot see the driver in the driver side mirror, THEY CANNOT SEE YOU.

3. I’m not your mama. . . but consider wearing a DOT compliant helmet when riding. Studies indicate that helmets are estimated to be 37% effective in preventing fatal injuries to riders and 41% effective for passengers.

4. Equip your bike with proper lighting and wear reflective gear when possible as this will heighten your visibility.

5. Be aware of your road conditions. This is especially true in the springtime or after heavy rains. Loose gravel and sand accumulates at stop signs and canyon corners. I knew a CHP motor officer who was highly embarrassed when he laid his bike down on a rain slick white painted traffic arrow, oops! Painted stop lines and directional indicators are not your friends.

6. Keep a safe following distance and ride staggered (approx. two bike lengths) on group rides. This is especially important when following semi-truck; a blowout can change your world in a heartbeat.

7. Check the weather and do not ride beyond your skill. Wet and slippery conditions are even more dangerous for bikers because we are exposed to all the elements. Play it safe and wait it out before hitting the road on icy or flooded roads.

8. Make sure you and your bike are in good working order: tire pressure, oil, battery, and top off your tank. This also means that you are properly licensed, have motorcycle insurance, and are physically road ready. If you haven’t ridden in a while, it would be a great idea to take a refresher riders course and avail yourself of he many instructional videos on YouTube, including “MotoJitsu,” “Ride Like a Pro,” and “Be The Boss Of Your Motorcycle.”

9. Keep your wits about you and don’t ride distracted or angry. It is never worth the risk of injuring yourself or someone else.

These are just a few safety tips to consider while scootin’ down the road and remember: Love Like Jesus, Preach Like Paul, and Ride Like Jehu!

On February 19, 2025, a ASR bylaws committee convened at the behest of the members following the Annual Azusa StreetRiders business meeting 2024. This group met to systemize the current ASR Bylaws and bring our current legal language up to date to protect our organization and clearly state our mission as a non-profit motorcycle ministry.

We were graciously hosted by Pastor Hattabaugh of The Pentecostals of Cooper City, FL. The meeting was attended by Fred Beall, Ron Thwing, Howard Ketron, Julie McGhghy, National Secretary, and chairman Jeff Keck, National Vice President.

Over two and a half days, the committee revised the language of our bylaws, addressed unnecessary liabilities, clarified membership requirements, further defined organizational jurisdiction, governance, fees, and chapter authority.

By the end of the meeting, we addressed questions concerning particular articles of our Bylaws that were raised at the 2024 ASR annual meeting. The committee will be meeting again via Zoom in April to codify updates, corrections, and changes so they are ready to be presented to the 2025 Resolution Committee.

Many thanks to the Bylaws Committee members for their time, effort, and for providing their own travel expenses. This was a successful endeavor and we look forward to next steps.

We are The Apostolic Motorcycle Ministry of Jesus Christ.  But what exactly does it mean to BE APOSTOLIC?

Acts 2:42 states, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

The first thing we see is the phrase “continued steadfastly” προσκαρτεροῦντες proskarterountes (pros-kar-ter-eh’-o) means to be earnest towards something, to persevere and be constantly diligent.

Likewise, the persona is one of — attending to someone, remaining by their side, and not leaving or forsaking them.

The expression here denotes that they earnestly continued to live out the Apostles teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and in prayers. and did not forsake their specific and detailed instructions.

There are Four Pillars of the Apostolic Church established in Acts 2:42:

THE APOSTLE’S DOCTRINE

One sure evidence of conversion is a desire to be instructed in the teachings (doctrines) of the Scripture and a willingness to act on the preaching of the gospel.

Simon Peter’s exegetical argument and exegesis of the Psalms and Prophets demonstrates how Jesus is superior to David, and that Jesus’ death was part of God’s plan for mankind’s salvation.

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:”
(Acts 2:14)

“And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 2:40-41

FELLOWSHIP

Koinonia is the Greek word translated “fellowship” in the New Testament and is an extremely important concept. It means, “sharing in common.”

Having said that is can also be translated: Participation, partnership, and sharing.

“For it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution (koinōnia) for the poor saints which are at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them verily; and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.” (Romans 15:26-27)

Bradley Chance from Holman’s Bible Dictionary writes: Though it is not translated “fellowship” in English versions, Paul actually used the term koinonia to denote the financial contribution which he was collecting from Gentile believers to take to Jerusalem for the relief of the saints who lived there.

BREAKING BREAD

Food is important to God. Paul made this clear in his preaching in when he said, “Nevertheless He (God) left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. (Acts 14:17)

Breaking bread together can be the first step toward building relationships and creating community. A sign of sharing When Jesus multiplied bread to feed the crowd, bread became a sign of sharing.

A reminder of Christ’s sacrifice breaking bread together can be a reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and a time to give thanks for redemption and new life.

PRAYERS

“And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” (ACTS 6:1-4)

Michael Green, in his highly rivered book, Evangelism in the Early Church, wrote this concerning the first century Church and prayer: “People did not merely here the Gospel: they saw it in action, and were moved to respond.”

Furthermore, Mr. Green goes on to write this about the Church today: “By far the fastest growing Christian communion in the world is the Pentecostal. They have some weaknesses, to be sure, but they expect to see God at work among them. They expect to see healing. They experience God speaking through them in prophetic clarity that is hard to decry.

And they find that when they come against spiritual forces which hold men and women in bondage, these are cast out by God’s Spirit and the result is a new liberation, indeed what the New Testament calls a new creation. It has long been fashionable for us to dismiss these gifts as unnecessary or unattainable today. We would be unwise to do so. They are part of God’s equipping of his Church for evangelism.”

Prayer should be our first response not our last resort. The first century Church was all about prayer.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” (ACTS 13:1-3)

Let us continue steadfastly as disciple makers in these four Apostolic pillars.

                      Love Like Jesus – Preach Like Paul – Ride Like Jehu

One of the greatest experiences of my many years of riding with the Azusa StreetRiders is the comradery. It is my opinion that the comradery we experience comes from our spiritual unity. I am of the opinion that unity is at the core of spiritual success. Simply stated, being unified means being together as one for One.

The spiritual power of unity cannot be overstated. I like what F.B. Meyer said when describing what unity produces: “lowliness in the presence of another’s excellence; meekness in suffering injury; long-suffering under provocation; forbearance toward the trying mistakes and failures of others.”

However, this does not happen without great effort and diligence. In his writings to the believers at Corinth notice how the Apostle Paul flexes his muscles when writing about unity:

“I appeal to you, dear brothers and sisters, by the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ, to live in harmony with each other. Let there be no divisions in the church. Rather, be of one mind, united in thought and purpose. (1 Corinthians 1:10 nlt)

The phrase “live in harmony” has its connection in musical vernacular, meaning the combination of simultaneously sounded musical notes to produce chords and chord progressions creating a pleasing effect.

Each of us when sounded are different notes, yet when we work together under the master’s careful guidance, He creates a symphonic effect all around us. Each of us have diverse qualities and abilities and when we bring these together in thought and purpose the kingdom of God is multiplied.

When we bring our individual gifts and resources together it is not only notice by others, it is celebrated. The synergistic effect of our unity is incomparable in the world of motorcycles and M/C culture. May Christ continue to bring us together more and more as we see His coming approaches.

I leave you with a final challenge from the Apostle Paul that I want to put to practice in my daily walk. “Endeavoring (with diligent effort) to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:3)

!Vaya con Dios!

Jeff Keck,
ASR Vice President

As we are eagerly looking forward to the Azusa StreetRiders National Rally, it brings to mind the necessity of good road trip preparation. There are a lot of scenarios that can play out, from weather or road hazards to unforeseen mechanical issues. And while we do not know exactly what will happen, we can take steps to mitigate many road trip issues.

One of the greatest tools we possess is experience. Even if you do not have a lot of experience of your own, there are those among us who do. Wise travelers will avail themselves to the collective knowledge of experienced bikers with a few trips and a lot of miles under their belts. YouTube is a great resource for various ideas and styles of road trips from camping to hotels.

Here are 10 things which can help make traveling on your scooter more enjoyable:

1. Commit to the trip: It seems quite obvious, but the first thing one must do is to commit to the trip. Don’t allow double-mindedness and second guessing to derail you from a wonderful road trip experience. The easiest way to take last minute pressures off is by making succinct travel plans. “Commit your way unto the LORD; trust also in Him; and He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5)
2. Plan your route:  Plan your route and daily riding miles that matches your (or your group’s) riding style, preferences, and road stamina. This is arguably the most important step to an enjoyable road trip. Add a buffer of approximately 2 hours a day to your mapped ride time. Riding long distances on a bike is much different than an automobile. Two lanes and scenic routes take much longer than freeways because of lower riding speeds and more frequent photo opportunities.
3. Maintenance:  Perform a complete maintenance on your bike before you leave, including making sure you have good rubber on your tires. Be aware of maintenance items tasks that may need to be done at a certain mileage intervals, and take care of them in advance.
4. Have a tool kit:  Bring a set of necessary wrenches (tool roll SAE/Metric), sockets, tire pressure gauge, tire inflator or mini-compressor, screwdrivers: flat/Phillips long/short handles and shaft, multiple tip sizes—magnetic tips are a bonus, hex keys, torque wrench. Even just some generic hardware, tape, and zip ties can save the day in many situations.
5. Proper riding gear:  Bring comfortable all-weather safety gear, including a helmet, gloves, quality rain gear, earplugs/coms, proper boots, wind resistant jacket for cold night riding, sun and nighttime riding glasses, and some may even consider chaps.
6. Take breaks:  Take frequent breaks. I find it best to use fuel stops for breaks every 1.5 or 2 hours to avoid discomfort and fatigue, which can lead to accidents.
7. Hydration is essential:  People often get dehydrated when riding all day in the sun and wind. A good cup of coffee is great in the morning and afternoon, but nothing replaces water as your primary source of hydration. This will make you feel more alert and alleviate cramping muscles.
8. Packing:  Pack light and only bring essential items, using fabrics that roll up small. Don’t overload your bike to where it is off balance or catch too much unnecessary wind.
9. Accommodation:  Plan your accommodation ahead of time, making reservations for hotels, hostels, or campsites along your route.
10. Prayer:  Yes, this is the first thing that we should do, but we also want to continue to cover our trip in meaningful times of prayer. While on the road, be mindful and sensitive to your ministries and gifts. After all, Jesus told us to GO!
    Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to everyone. This is an amazing opportunity to reach our world. “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

Furthermore, by being prayerful, you facilitate the working of the Holy Spirit in your life and ministry to everyone you meet on the road.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believes. . .” (Romans 1:16)

Godspeed!