Greeting From Vice President Jeff Keck

Praise the Lord, Azusa StreetRiders!

It is a great honor to be the newly appointed Vice President and with all humility, I will do my best to fulfill the current term of office with excellence.

As many of you know, I have been associated with Azusa StreetRiders since 2004. When I was living in San Diego, CA I had a desire to begin a new motorcycle ministry and sought Brother Beall’s advice. After talking with him I decided it would better for me to join Azusa StreetRiders instead of beginning a separate ministry and as they say, the rest is history. . .

ASR is blessed with our founders, Brother Fred and Sister Diane Beall, and our current Officers, Brothers Jeremiah Hayes and Travaris Mallory, and Sister Cynthie Zerbe. I am excited to serve alongside these spiritually dedicated Apostolic men and women as we are “Taking It To The Streets” in 2024.

Godspeed,
Pastor Jeff Keck

Invoices For Dues

Just a friendly reminder, invoices have been sent out. Please check your email inbox, along with spam or junk folders. If you have not received an invoice, please contact Sis Cynthie Zerbe. If you have received an invoice, please pay them as soon as possible. Thank you for supporting ASR and being a part of this ministry!

Cynthie Zerbe
International Treasurer
Azusa Streetriders International

Recovery Conference 2024

What is the Recovery Conference?

This conference is designed to equip those involved, or who desire to be involved, in the Recovery Ministry.

This is also an opportunity to network and connect with others involved in the Recovery Ministry for future collaboration.

Sessions will include: Understanding Addiction, Genesis Process Facilitator Training, Why Real Recovery is a Process, Creating a Safe Environment for Recovery, Whole Life Treatment Plan, M.A.P. – Mentoring and Accountability Plan, How to Help, Not Enable an Addict, Recognizing Your Role in the Recovery Process, Merging Recovery Ministry with the Church, A Recovering Addict’s Accountability, Networking with Other Recovery Ministries, Program Policies and Procedures, Substance Abuse Prevention, Recovery Management, Lifeline-community/Non-residential Recovery Program, Navigate – How to Facilitate Faith-Based Recovery Meeting, Recovery Tools Workshop, Preventing “Burnout” and Developing Long-Term Stability in Recovery Ministry, and more…..

For More Information Call: Les Cotton – 217-367-5433 Ext: 3

Register today!

Early Registration – Single Rate – $169

Registration includes: All sessions, printed handouts, dinner on Thursday, and lunch on Friday. Drinks and refreshments will be provided throughout the conference.

Early Registration – Group Rate- 3 Or More – $130

To qualify for the group rate, attendees must be from the same organization. Registration includes:  All sessions, printed handouts, dinner on Thursday, and lunch on Friday. Drinks and refreshments will be provided throughout the conference.

After March 30, 2024

Group Rate- 3 Or More – $150

To qualify for the group rate, attendees must be from the same organization. Registration includes: all sessions, printed handouts, dinner on Thursday, and lunch on Friday. Drinks and refreshments provided throughout the conference.

General Registration – Single Rate – $189

Registration includes: all sessions, printed handouts, dinner on Thursday, and lunch on Friday. Drinks and refreshments provided throughout the conference.

Conference Schedule:

Event Starts Thursday, May 2 @6:00pm and Concludes on Saturday, May 4 @1pm

Recommended Accommodations: 

Comfort Suites Urbana Champaign, University Area
2001 North Lincoln Ave
Urbana, IL 61801

Phone (217) 328-3500
Mention “Lifeline-connect” for discounted rate. 

 

Bind The Strong Man

Time is getting close for us to gather for the Annual Bind the Strong Man prayer session. This is a time for us to come together in corporate prayer to ready ourselves for the riding season. This year’s event will be held in four locations on March 1, 2024. All Locations will start at 7:00 PM. I encourage you to seek a location that is close to you to attend. You will be motivated, encouraged, and nourished to prepare for the riding season.

  1. New Life Church, 825 Bellaire St, Jacksonville TX 75766 Host Pastor Micah Jones
  2. Victory Life Church, 1502 Rose Ave. New Haven, IN 46774 Host Pastor Greg Fries
  3. New Life Church, 21789 Eastern Vally Rd., McCalla, AL 35111 Host Pastor Greg Brock
  4. Clendenin Pentecostal Church, 7602 Elk River Rd., Clendenin, WV 25045. Host Pastor Bill Monk:

     

 

Letter from the Pres.

 

Praise the Lord. Wow another Azusa StreetRiders year is in the books. The older I get the faster the days just slip away. I would say that 2023 was a very successful year for ASR. With a huge increase in membership. To a record of events. And the tremendous support in giving to motorcycles for missionaries. But we do though leave December on a sad note. With the passing of Lydia Diaz. She will truly be missed by all. With Lydia’s help in the beginning years of ASR. She has helped build ASR by doing so many things behind the scenes to keep ASR flowing. Please keep Extor and his family in prayer.
Moving forward into 2024. I am extremely excited for our ministry. Can’t wait to see what the Lord has for us. And to see what new doors will be opened for us. The theme for 2024 will be Taking It To The Streets. Looking forward to hearing about what each state chapters have set for the year. The key is being active. On another note what I have noticed. Is that there are quite a few facebook group chapter pages that are not active at all. I am not going to list them. You should know if your chapter page is active or not. For the ones that are not. I ask for the group admins to start to get active on those pages. We use facebook to communicate and get information out there.  All right March 1st kicks off our season with Bind The Strong Man. The locations are posted on both facebook group pages and on the web site. Last this board  would like to wish you all a very blessed New Year.

Michael Theodore (Theo)
International President

That I Might Know Him

Philippians 3:13-14
13 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, 14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

It’s that time, when people begin to look forward to a new year, and what it may bring. They will begin to make resolutions, plan their new diet, begin that exercise regimen,  or make a financial plan. These are all good things to endeavor for. However, many people will focus on their natural lives and what they need to do, but let the needs in their spiritual life suffer. In Philippians chapter 3, Paul was transparent in his writing, saying, to paraphrase, I know I haven’t made it yet, but this is my plan to make sure I do. Sometimes we tend to dwell on past failures and mistakes, and think that they define our future. And, if we continually dwell on them and give them that power in our lives, they very well may define our future. One of the enemy’s greatest weapons on a child of God, is using their past against them. He will bring up faults and failures in an attempt to derail your walk with God. I love the scripture in Micah 7:8; Rejoice not against me, o mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise: when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. If we want to walk in victory, make sure you don’t use your past as a place of residence, but only a point of reference for where God has brought you from. Paul would say in Philippians chapter 3 verse 10, “that I might know Him.” If this great man of God, Paul, could pen the words, “that I might know Him”, where does that leave me? My desire is for the year 2024 to be a year of my closest walk with God that I have ever had. I want to grow in God, to learn of Him, to seek after Him, to know Him! That is also my prayer and hope for every member of this Azusa Street Riders ministry. As we enter the new year, let’s leave everything that may hinder your relationship with Jesus Christ back in 2023, and step into 2024 with a made up mind, to grow our relationship with God to the point, that this ministry becomes an unstoppable, soul winning, hell shaking, force for the Kingdom of God! I wish each and every one of you a Happy New Year, and may the blessings of God rest upon you and your family.

Jeremiah Hayes
Vice President
Azusa Streetriders International

“17 INCHES”

 

From David Showalter

Written by college baseball coach Chris Sperry…

A quarter century ago, in Nashville, Tennessee, during the first week of January, 1996, more than 4,000 baseball coaches descended upon the Opryland Hotel for the 52nd annual ABCA’s convention.

While I waited in line to register with the hotel staff, I heard other more veteran coaches rumbling about the lineup of speakers scheduled to present during the weekend. One name kept resurfacing, always with the same sentiment — “John Scolinos is here? Oh, man, worth every penny of my airfare.”

Who is John Scolinos, I wondered. No matter; I was just happy to be there.

In 1996, Coach Scolinos was 78 years old and five years retired from a college coaching career that began in 1948. He shuffled to the stage to an impressive standing ovation, wearing dark polyester pants, a light blue shirt, and a string around his neck from which home plate hung — a full-sized, stark-white home plate.

Seriously, I wondered, who is this guy?

After speaking for twenty-five minutes, not once mentioning the prop hanging around his neck, Coach Scolinos appeared to notice the snickering among some of the coaches. Even those who knew Coach Scolinos had to wonder exactly where he was going with this, or if he had simply forgotten about home plate since he’d gotten on stage.

Then, finally …“You’re probably all wondering why I’m wearing home plate around my neck,” he said, his voice growing a bit angry… “I may be old, but I’m not crazy. The reason I stand before you today is to share with you baseball people what I’ve learned in my life, what I’ve learned about home plate in my 78 years.”

Several hands went up when Scolinos asked how many Little League coaches were in the room. “Do you know how wide home plate is in Little League?”

After a pause, someone offered, “Seventeen inches?”, more of a question than answer.

“That’s right,” he said. “How about in Babe Ruth’s day? Any Babe Ruth coaches in the house?”

Another long pause.

“Seventeen inches?” a guess from another reluctant coach.

“That’s right,” said Scolinos. “Now, how many high school coaches do we have in the room?”

Hundreds of hands shot up, as the pattern began to appear. “How wide is home plate in high school baseball?” “Seventeen inches,” they said, sounding more confident.

“You’re right!” Scolinos barked.

“And you college coaches, how wide is home plate in college?”

“Seventeen inches!” we said, in unison.

“Any Minor League coaches here? How wide is home plate in pro ball?”…………“Seventeen inches!”

“RIGHT! And in the Major Leagues, how wide home plate is in the Major Leagues?

“Seventeen inches!”

“SEV-EN-TEEN INCHES!” he confirmed, his voice bellowing off the walls.

“And what do they do with a Big League pitcher who can’t throw the ball over seventeen inches?” Pause. “They send him to Pocatello!” he hollered, drawing raucous laughter. “What they don’t do is this: they don’t say, ‘Ah, that’s okay, Jimmy. If you can’t hit a seventeen-inch target? We’ll make it eighteen inches or nineteen inches. We’ll make it twenty inches so you have a better chance of hitting it. If you can’t hit that, let us know so we can make it wider still, say twenty-five inches.’”

Pause. “Coaches… what do we do when your best player shows up late to

practice? or when our team rules forbid facial hair and a guy shows up unshaven? What if he gets caught drinking? Do we hold him accountable? Or do we change the rules to fit him? Do we widen home plate? ”

The chuckles gradually faded as four thousand coaches grew quiet, the fog lifting as the old coach’s message began to unfold. He turned the plate toward himself and, using a Sharpie, began to draw something. When he turned it toward the crowd, point up, a house was revealed, complete with a freshly drawn door and two windows. “This is the problem in our homes today. With our marriages, with the way we parent our kids. With our discipline.

We don’t teach accountability to our kids, and there is no consequence for failing to meet standards. We just widen the plate!”

Pause. Then, to the point at the top of the house he added a small American flag. “This is the problem in our schools today. The quality of our education is going downhill fast and teachers have been stripped of the tools they need to be successful, and to educate and discipline our young people. We are allowing others to widen home plate! Where is that getting us?”

Silence. He replaced the flag with a Cross. “And this is the problem in the Church, where powerful people in positions of authority have taken advantage of young children, only to have such an atrocity swept under the rug for years. Our church leaders are widening home plate for themselves! And we allow it.”

“And the same is true with our government. Our so-called representatives make rules for us that don’t apply to themselves. They take bribes from lobbyists and foreign countries. They no longer serve us. And we allow them to widen home plate! We see our country falling into a dark abyss while we just watch.”

I was amazed. At a baseball convention where I expected to learn something about curve balls and bunting and how to run better practices, I had learned something far more valuable.

From an old man with home plate strung around his neck, I had learned something about life, about myself, about my own weaknesses and about my responsibilities as a leader. I had to hold myself and others accountable to that which I knew to be right, lest our families, our faith, and our society continue down an undesirable path.

“If I am lucky,” Coach Scolinos concluded, “you will remember one thing from this old coach today. It is this: “If we fail to hold ourselves to a higher standard, a standard of what we know to be right; if we fail to hold our spouses and our children to the same standards, if we are unwilling or unable to provide a consequence when they do not meet the standard; and if our schools & churches & our government fail to hold themselves accountable to those they serve, there is but one thing to look forward to …”

With that, he held home plate in front of his chest, turned it around, and revealed its dark black backside, “…We have dark days ahead!.”

Note: Coach Scolinos died in 2009 at the age of 91, but not before touching the lives of hundreds of players and coaches, including mine. Meeting him at my first ABCA convention kept me returning year after year, looking for similar wisdom and inspiration from other coaches. He is the best clinic speaker the ABCA has ever known because he was so much more than a baseball coach. His message was clear: “Coaches, keep your players—no matter how good they are—your own children, your churches, your government, and most of all, keep yourself at seventeen inches.”

 

The following are my notes.

Jesus made a statement to His disciples one day. Matthew 24:35 MEV. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.

I’ve live for quite a few years now and in my time I’ve seen many changes. We didn’t have cell phones when I was a boy. Our phones had rotary dial on them and either sat on a desk or were attached to the wall.

Many of our cars didn’t have automatic transmissions, we had a clutch that had to be pushed while shifting the transmission. No automatic windows, no automatic seat adjustments, and the headlights had a switch on the floor that you pushed down to change from dim to bright or bright to dim. We didn’t have air conditioning in our cars because we didn’t even have it in our homes.

There were no interstates to drive on just mostly two lane highways with a speed limit of 55 mph.

My wife lived in many homes that had no running water and had an outhouse out back when you needed to go to the bathroom.

We didn’t travel by jet because there were no passenger jets.

Some refrigerators required a block of ice to cool everything inside.

Many homes raised their own food in a garden out back. Some folks were even lucky enough to have chickens so they would have fresh eggs to fry in the morning for breakfast.

Milk was delivered by a milkman who carried it to your front door.

We never locked our homes because our neighbors always kept an eye out for strangers who came into the neighborhood.

We didn’t have computers or any kind of electronic games. Our games were played outdoor with the kids in the neighborhood. Hide and go seek, kick the can, and red rover were a few of the games we played. Baseball, jump rope, hop scotch, and jacks are some more games we played.

Moms were mostly stay at home moms. They had meals to fix, dishes to clean, clothes to wash, the house to clean, groceries that needed picked up because meals were not fixed by opening a can or a box.

In many neighborhoods, if you got in trouble, the mom a block down would call your mom and tell what you did. Then mom would call you in the house and correct you followed by a spanking. Then when dad got home from work, you’d get another lecture and another spanking.

Teachers in school would stand misbehaving kids in a corner, and after class send them to the principals office for his choice of correction. Sometimes he would call your parents and you would get it from them when you got home.

Yep, things have changed through the years. Some for the good and some for the bad.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot, the books I used when I was in school, those are ancient history for kids today. They don’t use them anymore. But I have a book that has remained the same ever since it was written. It’s one book with different writers, but only one author. It was written over a time span of 1,500 – 1,600 years. That book is the Bible. Thank God it has never changed.

Don’t you hate playing a game where someone always changes the rules while you are playing? Anyone hear of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes? They played a game I call Calvin Ball where he and Hobbes change the rules in their own favor while playing.

God doesn’t change his rules. I’ve seen many churches change the rules in my life time. When I was a boy the majority of churches in those days, the pastor would preach that is was wrong to smoke, to cuss, and to drink alcohol. It was certainly wrong to live with someone you weren’t married to. Today, you hear very few church pastors preach about these things.

If we were to change the width of home plate from 17 inches from when I was a boy, and make them acceptable to people’s standards today, I wonder how wide it would be.

What the Apostles preached in the Bible that we needed to do to be saved has never changed. Remember, God’s word will never pass away. They preached that it was necessary to repent of our sins. They preached that it was necessary to be baptized in Jesus name for the removal of your sins. They preached that once you did those things, God would fill you with His spirit and He would speak through you in a language you’ve never spoken before. I’m happy to know, that God’s 17 inches has never changed.

Psalm 119:89. Forever, O Lord, Your word is established in heaven.

Anyone hear of climate change? Here’s what God has to say about that.

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remains, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night will not cease.

I read an article where scientist declare that time is becoming shorter. They say, we have lost an average of 3 milliseconds daily. Those lost seconds could severely alter computer systems we use on a daily basis, as most are set to interact with a 24-hour time period. Even a few seconds lost could be catastrophic. In contrast, the dinosaurs enjoyed slower days. Again God promised in the verse I just read that day and night will not cease. In fact, there are folks that know the exact time the sun will rise and set next year on any given day.

For your peace of mind, there are 31,557,600,000 milliseconds in a year.

We serve an unchanging God. He never changes.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.

David Showalter

 

 

Wise Men Worship

 

Wise Men Worship

Matthew 2:1-11 KJV

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem,

Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.

Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, enquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.

When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

10 When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.

12 And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

My pastor preached a message called “Wise Men Worship” a few weeks ago and it has stuck with me, and I want to try and convey what God has been dealing with me from his sermon.

We are now on the other side of Christmas, and many have made Christmas into different things but there is one thing that we need to be reminded about in this time that we celebrate, this time of the invisible God coming in flesh and that is worship.

We read in the text Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.

These men left everything they had and all their responsibilities to look for this baby to be born King of the Jews to worship him. This was no small task as some say it may have taken up to two years to travel to reach their destination to worship him.

Nowadays if we don’t receive an immediate response or receive our answer quickly, we start to try and figure things out ourselves. Think of this long journey that these men traveled, never giving up on the mission to worship the King of the Jews.

Why do we worship Jesus? Is it because of what he has done for you? Is it because you need something? Will you worship if you lose everything? Do you worship if you’re sick? What is your reason to worship the King?

Jesus is worthy of all worship even if He did nothing for you! Jesus is worthy of worship just because He is God!

We thank God that He came to this earth manifest in the flesh, because scripture tells us He is touched by the feelings of our infirmities. Because He came in that manger and in the flesh, He has experienced loneliness, betrayal, hurt, pain.

Hebrew 4:15-16 KJV

15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

We face many things in this life that depends on how we respond to the situation is what we get.

Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Scripture says to be anxious for nothing, That’s a commandment for the LORD!

You say but you don’t know what I’m going through…

Does it fall in the category of ANYTHING? Then scripture says be anxious for nothing!

But I have bills to pay, my fridge broke down, I’ve got this going on or that going on.

So, this is like telling someone to not be angry anymore, If I could stop being angry, I’d stop being angry. If I could stop being anxious I would.

But Paul didn’t stop at don’t be anxious but went on to say; but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Doesn’t matter what is going on! but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

Get in your prayer closet and with thanksgiving/worship let your request be made known to God! Yes, God already knows what you’re going through but He wants to hear it from you with thanksgiving! That you know where your help comes from! That you know who to worship! The posture of your prayer is crucial. Let your supplications be known unto Him but when you do it do it with an attitude of worship, an attitude of praise, with an attitude of thanksgiving!

Why do we do this? Because the rest of the scripture says, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

If we stop complaining and get into the presence of Jesus, the peace of God will come into your life! Why? Because He is the Prince of Peace, Prince of Shalom! The peace that doesn’t make any sense! He will guard your heart and mind through Christ Jesus!

Why do you worship? Let me tell you why I worship, because that baby that came in a manger is worthy of ALL my worship, He is worthy of ALL the worship! Before he ever does one thing in my life, He is worthy of praise and worship!

The wise men traveled for up to 2 years to find Him and when they get there, they offer the gift of gold (which is the gift given to kings), they understand that this little baby in the manger was the King of Kings and Lord of Lord’s.

They gave him frankincense (which is what priest used in temple worship), they understand that he was more than just a man, but the High Priest.

They gave him myrrh (which was something to take pain away and for embalming), which they might not have fully understood that Jesus was not only the King, not only the High Priest, but He was also the sacrifice.

They worshipped Him before He did one miracle, healing, feed 5,000.

I come to worship Him as King, as my High Priest, and as the sacrifice that took my sins away.

They came to worship Him not being empty handed but having gifts to offer. And after they worshipped Him, they got up and left a different way (after being warned of God in a dream).

This is what I know about worshippers, that when you come as a worshipper, you come and give God the praise of which He is worthy. It does not matter what you have been through, how long the journey has been, how tired you are, but when you get in the presence of Jesus, I promise you that you will leave differently than the way that you came!

My prayer today is that we all can worship Jesus the way He deserves worshipped!

REV. Thomas Whitmore   

ChaplinToledo Chapter

 

 

 

 

From The Desk Of The Treasurer

 

Well the end of 2023 is here. So looking forward to the New Year 2024 to see what the Lord has in store. I’m want to reach out and Give A Big Thank You to Everyone in ASR for your giving in this past year whether in finances, love, outreach, prayers, time. We Are Blessed Beyond Measure and A Chosen Group of People having a Burden for Souls and Our Great Missionaries. Looking forward to seeing NEW MEMBERS, NEW HIGHWAYS, NEW SOULS, NEW STREETS, NEW AVENUES, NEW ROADS, NEW FIELDS, NEW CHAPTERS. You name it. It can happen in Jesus Name. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to his will,he hearth us. With that being said I will be working on learning invoicing which means you will be hearing from me soon. I’m going to be starting in  Mid January so just a heads up. I will be emailing and sending 2024 invoice out. I look forward to hearing from you all.

Love to All,

Cynthie Zerbe

Intnational Treasurer