Resolution or Resolve?

Every year, people around the world make New Year’s resolutions to reach their goals, improve their health, and better their lives. Many people are successful at keeping their resolutions, while many others fail. In fact, statistics show that only 9-12% of people who make New Years resolutions are successful in keeping them. They are resolving that next year will be the year they finish that diet, the year that they finish that project, or that they finally do what they’ve been putting off for so long, when, in reality, their resolutions often make it no further than January before they are forgotten or pushed aside. Sadly, there are often things in our walk with God that share the same fate as those resolutions. Are there things that we set out to do in the kingdom of God, but somewhere along the way, they were pushed aside for other things that take precedence? What would my statistic be? Did I do everything I could to witness to the lost, or did I relax a little and not pursue my purpose and calling? Did I place the things of God in high priority, or did the cares of life overshadow them? Did I come to the house of God to worship with everything I had to offer, or did I come out of habit or routine? Did I look at that vile sinner in disgust and condemnation, or did my heart break at the fact that they were lost?

A RESOLUTION is defined as a decision to do or not do something.

RESOLVE is defined as firm determination to do something.

As we enter the year 2023, let us be prayerfully mindful of the day in which we live, and the soon coming of Jesus Christ. We have no time to waste on resolutions that may fail, but we need a burning resolve down in our hearts to grab onto the heart of Jesus, and go after those that He shed His blood for.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ ‭

Jeremiah Hayes                                                          Vice President                                                           Azusa Streetriders International

Recalculating

Proverbs 16:9 AMP
A man’s mind plans his way as he journeys through life, but the Lord directs his steps and establishes them.

No doubt we’ve all been there at some point. That vacation trip to the beach, a trip into the mountains, or with Theo at Rolling Thunder in DC, when the navigation comes on with that timeless message,…. recalculating. One such memory in my mind is after a Saturday ride at a Biker Weekend, I was voted to lead our group back to the hotel to freshen up for the evening events. I pulled up Google Maps, plugged in the address of the hotel, and off we went. It was a beautiful afternoon, and the scenery was awesome. Slowly, the gentle, twisting roads gave way to one lane roads. The one lane roads then gave way to gravel, country roads. Soon we were passing farmers on tractors, who gave us some strange looks as the procession of motorcycles passed by. Eventually, we came to an intersection, another paved road, and finally our hotel. In that moment in time, I planned my way, but Google Maps directed my steps. In this life, we are guilty at times of planning our every step, to the point that we leave no room for guidance. We plan our every move, dot every i, cross every T, and leave no availability for God to say, no my child, it won’t be the fastest route today, but I am adding some stops along the way. Sometimes we have to come to a point, where we say, God, if you want to recalculate my life, I am Yours. If You want to make some adjustments to the way I’m walking, then have Your way in me. If You want to put me on a different path than the one I’m walking, lead me to that Rock that’s higher than I! How many times have we resisted the turning of the Spirit in our walk with God, and that still small voice in our ear, recalculating, recalculating, recalculating? If we look to the Word, we find evidence that sometimes God wants to take us somewhere, but use the scenic route to get there. The children of Israel made it out of Egypt, but they had to cross the Red Sea. Joseph made it to the palace, but there was a pit and a prison along the way. Daniel was made to prosper in the kingdom of Darius, but there was a layover in the lions den. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were promoted in the kingdom, but there was a fiery trial they had to endure first. I don’t pretend to know every detail of God’s plan, but I do know He has a plan for each and every one of you. He knows the end from the beginning. He has a purpose and a calling on your life, and just because the detour seems to be a setback, it may be just what God has ordained to get you to where you need to be. Let’s put our feet on the highway pegs, unmute the still small voice, and see where God takes this ministry.
Ephesians 4:1-4 KJV I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called. with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling.

Jeremiah Hayes
Vice President
Azusa Streetriders International

3rd Annual Biker Weekend, Clendenin, WV

If you would ask several different people how to measure success, you would no doubt get several different answers. With each event, comes the desire for everything to go smoothly, everyone to have a good time, to enjoy riding, and have good fellowship and church. However, everything we deem important for success, dims in comparison to how God views it. This year, we had some great fellowship, some awesome riding, and good times. We had some breakdowns on our ride, and I began to be concerned with making sure everyone was having a good time. It was in that moment, God reminded me, it’s not about the ride, it’s about souls. To see a young lady give her heart to God during Biker Sunday service made everything fade in the distance, as we rejoiced with her. Sometimes we have to be reminded, although there is good times when we ride with our brothers and sisters, we do what we do for the harvest of souls. Looking forward to what God is going to do in this ministry!

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all the ASR members that went to the hospital Friday evening to pray for mom, the staff, the patients, and Bro Beall. God met with us there, and I am believing the report of the Lord!

I want to give special thanks and honor to Bro Randy Hennigan, for bringing an anointed Word from the Lord.

It was an honor to become a chapter during our Biker Weekend. I want to welcome our new members of the Appalachian Chapter.
Kathy Roat, Roger & Wanda White, Hubie & Andrea Harper, Delbert & Tina Hayes, Bill & Chere Monk

God Bless,
Jeremiah Hayes (Bullfrog)

 

Be A Billboard For Jesus

We are a representation of someone or something as we perform our everyday tasks in this world. I have no doubt that my brothers and sisters of ASR represent Jesus very well to this world as we go about our everyday lives, and for that I thank you. I for one, in the spirit of being transparent, have struggled with road rage at times. Once I joined ASR, and began wearing the Name of Jesus Christ on my backpatch, came a new level of responsibility and self awareness of my actions while representing ASR and Jesus Christ. It has helped me to overcome that issue in my life. I take the opportunity as much as possible to wear my ASR shirts even when I am not on the bike, so I can have that door opening wherever I may be. One such occurrence happened recently, not to me, but to my sister and brother in law. They had traveled to Washington DC on business for my sister’s job, and had went downtown to sightsee. They both purchased support shirts at the 2019 National Rally, and were wearing them on that trip. While they were traveling on the subway, a Vietnam veteran noticed their shirts, came over and struck up a conversation with them. The name Azusa had grabbed his attention, and he explained to them how he had attended school in Azusa, California. He loved the motorcycle design on the front and the “Jesus Information” on the back. Had it not been for those support shirts, it would possibly have been just another subway ride. One planteth, one watereth, and God gives the increase! As we approach the year 2020, let’s be a “Billboard For Jesus”, and use every method and opportunity available to us to advance the Kingdom of God!

God Bless You

Bro Jeremiah Hayes

2nd Annual Biker Weekend, Clendenin Pentecostal Church

Greetings and Praise the Lord from Wild, Wonderful, West Virginia. I want to start by giving God the praise, honor, and glory for the favor He has given us with our local motorcycle community. Let me just say, I am far from being an expert event planner, or anything close to it.  However, I would like to share a couple of things we did this year that may be helpful to other areas. We posted our event on local and statewide Facebook motorcycles groups, and also created a sponsored ad for our church’s Facebook page, where you can choose a radius of distance around the church, pay a small fee, and actually target Facebook users that have interest in motorcycles. It gives a broader reach than is possible with only handing out flyers, although there is no substitute for pounding the pavement. At our 2nd Annual Biker Weekend at Clendenin Pentecostal Church, we increased from 8 bikes last year on our ride, to 19 bikes this year. We had a mixed group of riders on our ride, ranging from CMA members, former club members, and weekend warriors. A good time was had by all, and we want to personally thank all of the ASR members that supported our event, and showed forth Christian love, not by title, but by example. The staff at our host hotel also complimented the ASR members that were staying there for being the example of a true Christian. We also want to give honor to Bro Anthony Todd Storey, for bringing the Word of God for our Biker Sunday service. One thing we did different this year, was to combine our Saturday evening after the ride, into a full community outreach event. Everyone was invited to this event, which included an outdoor gospel sing, free food, and door prizes, some biker specific, others for the community. One young lady from the community that attended the outreach on Saturday evening, returned for the Biker Sunday service, where she repented. She returned to church the following Wednesday, where she received the baptism of the Holy Ghost! Praise God! I am also excited to announce, that a coworker of mine that was invited, but did not attend our outreach event, agreed to a Bible Study on the Thursday following the event, and has committed to coming to church this Sunday! The harvest truly is plenteous! Please continue to hold us up in prayer as we endeavor to be a light of hope in a dark and dreary land, and we will also be in prayer for all of you. To echo the words of our associate pastor, let the revival continue!

God Bless,
Bro Jeremiah Hayes