Like a dog that returns to its vomit is a fool who repeats his folly

I`m a stubborn man that has learned nearly everything the hard way. My question to this Proverb is…why! Why does a dog return to its vomit? Why do we, as conveyed in this Proverb, return to our wicked ways, our addictions, or our folly?

As I analyzed this question in my mind, it hit me that a dog does this by natural instinct. He doesn’t return to his vomit because he`s addicted or knows the difference, he does so because his instinct tells him “Hey…go eat that vomit.” I know this is gross but stick with me here. As I thought about this fact, I realized that we have a natural instinct to sin. I believe this is why Paul says, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24).

So many times, I have wondered why Paul said such a thing. I have also heard many Christians try to analyze this scripture. I`m no theologian but I believe he was making the case that we have no way out of this natural instinct to return to our vomit except through Jesus Christ.

Last night I was wondering back toward a pile of vomit (figuratively) and I could not stop myself. I was very curious to find out some news about a past occurrence in my life (one that Christ has freed me from). If I had followed the scriptures and “leaned not to my own understanding,” the Holy Spirit would have quickened me and I would have seen myself returning to the folly of my past. Instead, I wondered forward into the past.

I got some much-needed answers to some old questions. You would think that it was a good thing, right? Actually, I came home feeling like I needed a shower. I was filled with fear, anger, more questions, and a desire to speak to some people that are not good for me. Somewhere deep inside of me is this unexplainable need to set things right with people that don’t care and never will.

In the midst of this experience, a friend I saw last night asked an important question to another person we were talking with. He asked him, “Should we ever ask forgiveness from people in our past like, say, a drug dealer that we ripped off…or someone of that nature in our past?” I remembered asking a dear friend of mine the same question about old playmates and playgrounds that I hung out in before Christ saved me. He said, “that`s like going into a den of thieves and asking them to forgive you for stealing.”

It was then I realized that I had made a mistake ever trying to reach back into the past—back to people in my past—that will never understand my new walk with Christ; nor will they forgive and forget my real, or supposed, past mistakes; and even if they do, it probably won`t be in the way I would like it to be done. I will be in Gods way, and in His time.

The answer is simple. God`s ways are truly simple if we study His word. The answer to this dilemma—the answer Paul spoke of—the way we can keep ourselves from returning to our folly: “trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not to thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct thy paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

The point is that my understanding of life, situations in life, and the answers to life do not have the omnipotent vantage point of the creator of all things: All Mighty God. I will never see what He sees, know what He knows, or think as He thinks; however, through Christ, I have access to the Father of Lights. I have the ability to seek His ways, to ask for His advice and counsel. Jesus said, “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone?” (Mathew 7:9). In a previous verse (Mathew 7:7) He says, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

This proves that we can be set free from this body of death, from returning to our folly, and from slavery to our past sins and mistakes if we walk in the spirit and not in the flesh: meaning, we must stay in prayer and lean not on our own understanding. I share these things as a follower of Christ in the hope that my own experiences can help my brothers and sisters as we run to finish the race. God bless. SWB

Photo credit: https://www.etsy.com/listing/102893346/praying-biker

Voices from the Heart: Why Jesus?

Why would anyone want to submit him or herself to a religion that, for all practical purposes, seems so dogmatic, hypocritical, stringent, and condescending (or judgmental)? Why believe in the “fantastical” story of creationism, and the resurrection of Jesus in the New Testament? How can a supposedly loving God allow for so much pain in this world? The questions go on and on—believe me—I know from my own experience.

Read the full story and more at: http://www.wattpad.com/32644438-voices-from-the-heart-a-collection-of-short

Looking back on the past

 “But his wife, from behind him, looked back, and she became a pillar of salt” (Genesis 19:26).

The enemy loves to make us look back—don`t look back!

I was riding home yesterday from a great Thanksgiving dinner. I was relaxed. My women by my side. We were laughing and discussing the memories of our Thanksgiving Day. We thought of our grandchildren, our kids (her step kids), and all that God has done in our lives. In comes the enemy.

As we turned into our subdivision, I noticed a car in front of us. I soon realized it was an old club brother of mine. I saw his colors. I saw his face. In a mere moment, all the joy left my thoughts and I went down memory lane. This particular club member was a high-ranking officer that was directly involved in my banishment from the club. It`s been almost two years now since that day. These men have no idea how much my life has changed. When I see them, I can tell they still see the old man—they have no clue.

The truth is that I wish this brother and I could shake hands, trade old laughs, and forget the past; however, that is not the way of that world.

About a year ago, I sent a letter to the International officers of my old club. I prostrated myself in an apologetic letter with the hope that we could all just move along and forget the past. I received no response.  I later found out that the letter was read in front of over 100 officers of the club and used as propaganda against me.

Fast forward. I sat there in my car and watched as this ex-brother of mine turned down the next street (his sister lives in my subdivision). My wife looked at me and said something brilliant that I know came from the Holy Spirit. She said, “Lot`s wife turned to salt when she looked back at Sodom and Gomorrah. We should never look back.” Wow—this was exactly what I needed to hear.

Over the last two years I have thought about writing emails, sending letters, writing instant messages on Facebook—and in some cases I have—and her statement made me ask myself, why? Why would I walk into a den of thieves and ask them to forgive me for stealing? I asked God to search my heart and my motives. He revealed to me that it was my ego, my reputation, my desire to be liked, and my longing for acceptance. Jesus is the only acceptance that we need in this world.

I would love to give these old brothers a hug and forgive and forget; however, that will never happen.  God took me from that world for a reason. As a former regional officer, it was quite unique how I was kicked out and banished—it had never been done before. I knew ex-members of high rank that were forced into retirement to save face with the club and the general full patch population. I knew guys who had done far worse things than I was accused of, and they were not banished. This was proof that God—not the club—threw me out that day. It was his will and his answer to my prayer the prior week. I was saved on May 20^th of 2012. As I knelt before the alter that morning I said to God, “Lord, take anything from me that stands in the way of my relationship to you.” On May 27^th—the very next weekend—I was kicked out of the club and banished without charges, or a trial by the officers and full patches of my chapter. God answered my prayer. He did it His way, not mine.

After seeing this ex-brother, I came home and prayed that God would forever release me from the desire to look back at that life. I`m a child of the one true King. I`m in college finishing my BA in English/ creative writing and publication. I`m currently working on four separate manuscripts for future books I intend to publish. I have a wonderful wife, family, and church. I`m riding in a motorcycle ministry filled with ex-clubbers who now serve Jesus. Why would I ever need to look back at Sodom and Gomorrah?  

WP

Feelings of defeat

These are some hard times for many Americans. It`s easy to wake up each morning and feel discouraged and afraid. I know because I too fight these feelings, all the time. I have always been a “grab your bootstraps” kind of guy, but the straps are broken. That is true unless I view everything through Christ. Oh how quaint that statement sounds…it sounds cliché, but it`s really the only true answer to life in this world.

I was a self-made man for most of my life. I owned several successful businesses and made a lot of money. I remember a time when anything I wanted, materially, I could have. The problem in my life was that I didn`t have Jesus. No matter how much money I made. No matter how many girlfriends I had. No matter how many or what kind of motorcycles I had—I was never happy. I had money, I had power, I had women, I had homes, I had cars and trucks—I had it all—and it never filled the hole inside.

I was a tuff guy. I was a second degree black belt and a certified Karate instructor. Because I grew up without a father, I loved to fight to prove my manhood. I loved to “punk out” other men. I got off on making other men tremble in my presence. As a boss in a motorcycle club, I had the power to do just that—but it was all useless garbage compared to Christ.

I say all these things to bring everything to one main point. No matter what you`re going through the positive aspect is Christ. See, I lost all of the things I listed above—all of them. At the time I lost all my money, I was mad as hell. I remember a guy threatening to report me to the authorities because I said I was headed to D.C. with a 50 cal. to set things right. I had gone back to college and was working on an English degree and I wrote political columns for the Examiner; however, all it ever brought me was anger. Recently my pastor said, “Maybe God placed President Obama in office!” Nothing I did or pursued in life satisfied my hunger—a hunger I could not explain or even understand. It was a hunger for God.

The truth for me (and maybe for some of you as well) is that in losing everything I found everything—I found Christ. With my massive ego and all my connections, in my former life, I would have never needed Christ until it was too late.

On a Saturday night in May of 2012 a club brother (one that won`t even speak to me today) said, “Brother, let`s go up to that church and pray tomorrow.” That man will never truly know what he did for me in making that suggestion. I owe him a great debt of gratitude that he will never know. I would have never gone to church. I would have never humbled myself. He claimed to be a Christian and so he thought we should pray for the answers to a problem we were having within the club at that time. Oh how the Lord works in ways we cannot see or comprehend.

That next morning I was saved. For the first time I truly met Jesus. I had a supernatural experience and my life was changed. By the next weekend I was out of my club. None of the former brothers I had would even look at me. So now, I had not only lost everything materially in my life,—but suddenly—I had lost all my friends, brothers, mentors, and my belief system. I feel chill bumps as I write this. The week this all went down I felt like I was in a total identity crisis. I felt so alone and lost. This was in spite of my experience at the foot of the cross one week earlier. This—my brothers and sisters—is the beauty of our Father in Heaven; this is where we get to truly see his version of mercy and grace. What many that I used to ride with would see as a total loss was in fact my rebirth into a new and wonderful life with Jesus. I hold no judgment or resentment toward them. That`s not my point. My point is that as a boss in the club, when I threw someone out, I always felt like, “Man, I would hate to be them.” In my case, I`m sure my old brothers and sisters thought the same, and still do; however, it was the best thing that could have happened to me, and only God knew that.

God the father knew that the only way he could ever reach me was if I lost everything—everything! He is the only true and wise King. His wisdom cannot be seen by the world, or by fools. This reminds me of when Jesus asked the disciples who they thought that he was. Peter answered, “The Christ…the Son of God.” Jesus replied, “This has not been revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven.” Meaning, spiritual truths cannot be explained with words—they must be experienced firsthand.

I think of the example of Paul. He was a man who was respected, had money, was educated, had standing in the world, and was pure according to the Laws of God; however, he stated later that he counted `ALL’ things a loss compared to Christ. I know exactly what he meant. We are never defeated my brothers and sisters. Even in death itself, in this world, we win.

I have one final point I would like to make that also puts everything in proper perspective. Compared to so many others who have followed Jesus, we here in America have it made. We have never known the kind of suffering our brothers and sisters in other nations, past and present, have suffered. I thank God for his mercy and grace. WP

The unanswered questions we pose to our God

This post is an excursion into a topic that is more about Jesus and our faith than motorcycles. I hope you enjoy it. WP

I am a huge fan, and follower, of Ravi Zacharias the world renowned Christian Apologist. If you have not heard of Ravi, I suggest you take a moment to find a few of his videos on YouTube—he is a brilliant man who loves Jesus and obviously has Gods favor on his work. Dr. Zacharias has argued apologetics with some of the most famous atheists and agnostics in the world to include Stephen Hawking.

In a recent Q&A event at Princeton University Dr. Zacharias was joined by Vince Vitale (I`m not very familiar with Vince; however, he made for an interesting partner with Ravi) to advance apologetic arguments. It was a brilliant and exciting discussion of the empirical and existential reasons why our faith, our Jesus, our beliefs are the only true beliefs in this world.

In one of the questions from the audience (which was based on `If there is a God, why is there evil in this world’) Vince Vitale made a very simple yet superb argument for the questions in this life that are, or may remain, unknown to us as humans—and why.

He used a very simple metaphor: He basically stated that his dog trusted him and followed his every command. He went on to say that when he takes his dog to the vet and the vet determines that the dog needs a shot; he does not try to explain the shot to the dog.  He stated that the dog was not the same kind of being as he is and therefore cannot—no matter how hard he tries to explain it to the dog—understand why he has to get a long needle and a prick to feel better. The dog simply endures the pain and trusts his master. The dog will never understand at the same level of his master why the shot is good for him—he only feels the pain and is forced, or decides rather, to trust. I found this simple explanation to be vivid and luminous—yet powerful.

There have been many times in my own life I have questioned things that seem impossible to understand, that seem to make no sense what-so-ever, that seem needless or mindless; moreover, these questions at times strained my faith and belief in the existence of a God.

I can only say that pure experience evidenced by  supernatural or unexplainable events in my life were partially responsible for my personal faith; however, for those that may not have had these types of experiences—I hope the above metaphor can bring some light to the questions of “the unexplained.”

I will post the YouTube video below for your personal further review of this topic in more detail. God bless. WP