Rumblings

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. 

 

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.

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.

 

 

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

General Conference is finally here, and we are excited to have an exhibit for ASR! We are looking forward to what God is going to do in this conference, and the impact it will have on the Azusa StreetRiders ministry. If you are at conference, wear your vest, and stop by booth 812! Hope to see you there!

Thank you to each chapter, church, and member who, through your dedication and commitment to fundraising for Motorcycles For Missionaries, has made it possible to meet every request from the mission field this year for motorcycles. You now have a direct part in a global harvest of souls! How marvelous it is to think of those people, who will hear the soul-saving Gospel of Jesus Christ because a member of ASR sacrificially gave to Motorcycles for Missionaries, and put wheels on the Gospel.

My family and I had the privilege of visiting Azusa Street and Bonnie Brae house on our trip to General Conference. How inspiring it was to visit these locations, knowing the revival and outpouring of the Holy Ghost that happened there. If you ever have the opportunity to visit, it is an unforgettable experience.