Author: Jeremiah Hayes

Over the next couple of months, ASR will be transitioning to a brand new website with an estimated completion by the end of March. The new site will offer better security, as well as improved store integration. The current site will continue functioning normally until the launch of the new site.

According to statistics posted on the US Chamber of commerce website, in 2023, employers ended up adding 3.1 million jobs. A strong jobs market is good news, but many of those job openings are going unfilled because the U.S. does not have enough workers to fill them. Even though we have more Americans participating in the workforce today than before the pandemic, the overall share of the population participating in the labor force has dropped. If our labor force participation rate today was the same as it was in February of 2020, we would have more than two million more Americans in our workforce to help fill those open jobs.

In fact, the decline of Americans’ labor force participation is nothing new—fewer and fewer Americans have been participating in the labor force for decades, resulting in a smaller workforce that is expected to continue shrinking for years to come.

Right now, the labor force participation rate is 62.7%, down from 63.3% in February 2020 and 67.2% in January 2001.  Additionally, in May 2022, the U.S. Chamber surveyed unemployed workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic to gain more insight into what is keeping them from returning to work. Here are a few of the key findings.

Two-thirds (66%) of Americans who lost their full-time job during the pandemic say they are only somewhat active or not very active at all in searching for a new job.

About half (49%) are not willing to take jobs that do not offer the opportunity for remote work.

More than a quarter (26%) say it will never again be essential for them to return to work.

Nearly one in five have altered their livelihood, 17% have retired, 19% have transitioned to homemaker, and 14% are now working part-time.

Almost a quarter (24%) say government aid packages during the pandemic have incentivized them to not actively look for work.

Younger respondents, aged 25-34, are prioritizing personal growth over searching for a job right now; 36% say they’re more focused on acquiring new skills, education, or training before re-entering the job market.

I wonder, if God sometimes looks down on the people who are claiming to follow Him, who are attending church, maybe even calling themselves Christians. And says, no one wants to work anymore.

No doubt it is still on His mind. He said it to his disciples in Matthew chapter 9, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. If the statistics in the work force of the United States are any indication of the mindset and the willingness of people to get out and get a job, then I can’t imagine the decline in the modern day church.

Do you get excited when you see someone come in and get a blessing from the Lord that was headed down the road to a place called hell? Do you rejoice over someone being baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and filled with His Spirit? I know I do, I rejoice with them that rejoice. I love seeing a life made new, and sins washed away. I love seeing the joy of the Lord get all over somebody, and they shout and dance across the front of the church.

There are countless people across this country and world that are relying on a strong labor force in the Apostolic Movement. The fields are white unto harvest. Everywhere you look, there is someone ready to receive what God has for them.

Can you imagine what would happen to the food industry in the country, if half of the farmers suddenly stopped planting and harvesting. There would be a lot of hunger across this land. We take it for granted in this great country of ours, because we have plenty of everything we need.

But, if we could look out over this country through the eyes of the Savior, and see that the population is starving to death spiritually. Because, it’s not enough to attend church, or call ourselves a Christian.. There is a desperate need for people in the fields.

There are more than 25,000 web sites that list job openings. There are a few well-known sites like LinkedIn, Indeed and Monster.. All of these sites offer a place to upload a resume. Indeed describes what a resume is on their site.

A resume is a formal document that displays an individual’s professional background and relevant skills. Those interested in finding a new job write a resume. Hiring managers or recruiters usually collect resumes through an organization’s career website, a job search engine, a professional social media page or in person. Most resumes consist of work history, education, a professional summary and a list of skills.

Far too often, we discount ourselves, and the ability we have to be used by God, when all He is looking for is someone to be willing to be used by Him. He doesn’t need references or a list of accomplishments. He is just waiting on the words………..

Here am I, send me.

^{Proverbs 29:18}
Where there is no vision, the people perish……..

As we close out the year 2024, as in other years gone by, we often take a look back over the accomplishments in our personal lives. Perhaps we were promoted in our job, got a raise, was able to pay some things off, or simply had a great year over all.

But, when we shift our sight to what we’ve accomplished in the kingdom of God, how does it compare to the accomplishments in the natural? How did the year 2024 compare over 2023. How many people were touched by the Master because we did what we were called to do? How many people were brought into the kingdom, because we made ourselves available to the will of God?

I for one, have seen a tremendous shift in the past few years within ASR. There has been a dedicated focus for outreach in events all over the country. I am thankful to be a part of a ministry that has decided, that we are to be about the kingdom of God, and the Master’s business.

As we look forward into 2025, I believe there are greater things in store for this ministry. I believe there will be greater reports than we’ve ever seen. I believe there will be greater harvest than we’ve ever seen. I believe that miracles, signs, and wonders will become commonplace for Biker Sundays, and Biker Weekends.

So, goodbye 2024, hello 2025. Let’s hit the road, and win the lost to Jesus!

It was discussed, and decided at the 2024 National Business Meeting, to standardize the chapter election process. With the many changes that take place on the local level throughout the year, we felt that it was important to have local chapters meet in January of every year.

At this meeting, officers will be elected, and a chapter roster will be created.

Once this information is decided, the chapter president or secretary will submit a report to the state coordinator with the following.
The current list of officers
The current roster of the chapter

If you do not have a state coordinator in your area, you may submit the report to the board at asr.national@azusastreetriders.com.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

ASR disbursed a total of $37,534 on October 21, 2024. We were able to purchase a total of 23 motorcycles this year because of the sacrificial giving of our amazing membership. Your fundraising efforts will be felt across the world, as missionaries, national pastors, and local pastors fire up those engines, and head into the mission field with the soul saving Gospel of Jesus Christ. Each and every one who donated, organized, or helped in any capacity for M4M, now has a direct role in the global harvest of souls.

THANK YOU, to every member, every chapter, every church, and every event visitor, who made this offering possible!

It’s that time of year to begin planning your events for 2025. Many chapters have already begun planning for their upcoming events. If you want to have good attendance, make sure your events are on the calendar early in the year, even before riding season begins. This will help members plan which ones they are able to attend throughout the year. Also, when you begin planning, make sure to reference the event calendar on the website, and also any events listed on the Facebook groups, to try to prevent events from happening in the same state on the same day. There are times when it is necessary, but let’s try to avoid it if at all possible.

We’ve seen exciting growth in our events nationwide, and expect to see more this coming year! As you plan your events, keep outreach as the most important element. I believe the coming year will be one of unprecedented revival, in ASR, and in all of the Apostolic Movement! God is pouring out His Spirit, and I for one, want to be a part of the greatest revival this world has ever seen!

If you need help making an event on the Facebook groups, or need your event listed on the website, please email all details to me at jeremiah.hayes@azusastreetriders.com. 

By Sis. Cynthie Zerbe

As a lot of you know, I had an accident a month ago. I’m thanking God I survived and healing well. I learned several things. You don’t want to get close to the edge of the road, and if you know the speed limit, do it. If you happen to miss your exit, go to the next one or next turn around. All 3 of these was me. A lot of things can go through your head when this happens. When I seen the exit, I had already passed the speed sign for it and didn’t even seen it almost pasting the exit I enter it which put me on the edge of the road. To add to the exit, it was one of those donut exits. Seeing the edge drop off 6-8in  from the tarmac to side of road I just knew it was over with. And that is all I can remember. Hitting the ground, rolling over and seeing 5 volunteer firemen and husband standing around me. They asked me if I needed an ambulance and I said no. The firemen said, we had to move our bikes, so Brother Zerbe stood my bike up started it and I proceeded to drive my bike to a Burger King parking lot. I ended up going to get checked out, and I had 5 broken right side ribs and right clavicle broken in 3 places. Now that I have been told I’m official biker, the funny thing about it is when I had my first ride in a rain storm I was told the same thing, I’m an official biker. So now I’m asking myself what is it you truly have to go through to become a biker? And all I can think about, this is nothing compared to what Christ went through for US. I have had several people ask me, are you going to keep riding. My answer to them from me is, if Christ before me, who can be against me. I will make mistakes, but I’m not one to quit. I will arise and ride again in time.

By Sister Cynthie Zerbe

Jacqueline Gareau’s victory on April 21, 1980 would have been incredible just on its own merits. At the time, the 27-year-old Montrealer was by no means a professional athlete. She’d been an out-of-shape smoker until getting hooked on running six years earlier, and didn’t try a marathon until 1977. Gareau’s talent was undeniable from the start (she placed second in her first marathon), but in early 1980 she was still just training in her spare time while working at a hospital. When she made it to Boston for the first time that April, Gareau was taken so lightly that she wasn’t allowed to line up at the front with the elite runners, forcing her to zig-zag through the crowd to catch up.

So imagine everyone’s surprise — and Gareau’s joy — when she not only went toe-to-toe with the elites but pulled away from them and crossed the finish line in a record-breaking 2:34:28. Cinderella story! But then imagine her despair when she saw someone even more unknown than she was — some 27-year-old Cuban-American named Rosie Ruiz — being crowned with the laurel wreath for winning the women’s division.

A few of the top athletes immediately became suspicious when they went to talk to Ruiz and found that this person who had just shattered the Boston Marathon women’s record did not appear to be an actual runner. She didn’t have the body of one, didn’t dress like one, and didn’t even seem to know anything about the sport. Another red flag was that Ruiz didn’t appear all that tired for someone who had supposedly just run for two and half hours on an unseasonably warm day.

Eventually, Ruiz’s entire ruse was uncovered. As the other runners suspected, she was not one of them. She’d cheated her way to a Boston qualifying time by hopping on the subway during the 1979 New York City Marathon, where she “finished” 11th. In Boston, she managed to sneak her way onto the last mile of the course unnoticed a few minutes before Gareau got there. This was difficult but not impossible in an era when chip timing had yet to be introduced, the Boston Marathon attracted far smaller crowds, and fewer than 5,500 runners participated in the race (compared to 30,000 these days).

It took about a week for Ruiz’s Boston Marathon title to be handed to its rightful winner, and 25 years for Gareau to receive something else she deserved — the satisfaction of breaking the tape at the finish line in downtown Boston. Gareau was named the grand marshal of the 2005 race, where a pace car carried the 52-year-old to the end of the course and she ran the last 100m to finally get the first-place finish she’d earned a quarter century earlier.

Hebrews 12:1, says, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.

We are all striving for the prize. We are endeavoring to reach Heaven’s sweet shores some day. Some days, the road seems steep. Other days it seems easier. But, walking with the Lord every day is important.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, It’s not the destination, it’s the journey. I would counter that with, the destination is reliant upon the journey. There are no short cuts afforded, there is no substitution for running the race in full. We only make it to the finish line, by following the guidelines set forth in the inspired Word of God.

Ecclesiastes 9:11, states, “I returned, and saw under the sun, that the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, neither yet bread to the wise, nor yet riches to men of understanding, nor yet favour to men of skill; but time and chance happeneth to them all.”

We are not running a race to get to a natural finish line faster than the rest of our brothers and sisters.

We are striving to make it home, hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, step in step with each other, helping the collective body of Christ cross the finish line together.