When considering motorcycles, the first thing I would say is, "Boy, you have to have a lot of faith, be prayed up, and love Jesus before you even get on a motorcycle!" (I say that so that my wife can read that statement.) I do really love motorcycles and would love to ride off into the sunset on one. During my pastorate, I felt I should not ride because I had to be careful that kids might use me as an excuse — "Come on, Mom, even Bro. Bobby rides a motorcycle!" What on earth would I do if one of them had an accident because of my example? But that's just me.
Check out the following testimony from Charlie Cox, the vice president for programs with the Florida Baptist Children's Homes, and you'll see how the Lord is using Christian bikers to reach people with the Gospel.
Hi, I'm Charlie and my wife is Wanda, and this is just a couple of testimonies from Sturgis, South Dakota. We are from Florida and you'd think we could get enough motorcycles in Daytona and not have to go so far. But when you (both of us) ride a motorcycle, there is something about Sturgis — a small place jammed packed with motorcycles and lost people!
Buddy Newsome, the Faith Riders' National Director, invited us to take part in their annual ministry to the bikers. What a blessing to be able to share my testimony over forty times during the two days. Even though only twenty-eight people made professions of faith, all of them were a humbling and a growing opportunity for me. Actual lives and families were changed.
Dawn (48) and Jimmy (52) were one of the couples that I had an opportunity to share with. Both asked Christ to come into their hearts and be their Lord and Savior. Immediately after praying, Dawn told me she had told Jimmy that morning that she felt something special was going to happen that day. She had seen three different billboards on their trip to Sturgis that mentioned something about Jesus and she couldn't figure out why it was on her mind so much, since she had never thought about Jesus before.
Jimmy shared that Dawn had been recently diagnosed with cancer and now they knew God would be there with them. Here was a couple coming to Sturgis, perhaps thinking this might be their last trip, and praise the Lord, they found Jesus! What an incredible divine appointment, and God used me just because I was willing to be available.
A family of four from outside of Rapid City came into the tent we set up during these rallies: the mother Niki (51), daughter Nicole(23), biker son-in-law Alister (26), and son Nate (14), who had a pit bull on a leash. This whole group was dressed in a way that suggested they were from a lower income bracket. But praise God, the ground is always level at the foot of the cross. All four prayed and asked Christ into their hearts. The son-in-law had tears streaming down his face as he told me how happy he was that he and Nicole had made this commitment together since Nicole was three months pregnant with their first child. Nicole hugged my neck as she thanked us for sharing Christ with her entire family. The mom, Niki, told me she was going to take charge and make sure they all connected with a church in their community.
It's always a great thing to watch as the Lord works His plan in the lives of the most unexpected people in some of the most unexpected places. We have to be ready to share His plan of salvation because we may be the ones He wants to use. As motorcycle lovers, it's such a blessing to use our hobby for the Lord. At motorcycle rallies, we immediately have something in common with the people and the conversation can quickly be turned toward the Lord.
The Lord is using the Faith Riders' Ministry to win, not hundreds, but thousands to the Lord!! God bless each and every one of them.
