Preparing for 2015

In the mountains with our family, all 15 of our immediate family members are here and we see God's Thumb print on us. Reflection time this morning due to family out skiing and our choice to not ski until this afternoon (the spirit is willing but the flesh.....). 

This trip is one of those special blessings due to Christian Heritage Church and Great Plains Conference giving us the money to take our family on a vacation. There are no words to express my family's deep appreciation. There have been tons of giggles and memories made. 

As 2015 comes into focus, there are a few things that are glaring on the radar and I want to share four of them with you! 

#1 - Our ideas of Miracles. Let's look at some things:

• In a recent blog the idea of cleansing of sin came along with the blind seeing, the deaf hearing and the lame walking. This will be more necessary than ever in the coming year. 
• Miracles must be acknowledged and God given the praise for them. Every birth of a child both spiritual and natural births are not to be taken lightly. By simplifying new-birth to a prayer recited and no real time to focus on repentance and conversion, we have put spiritual births into the hands of the one leading the prayer. The natural birth of a baby is put into the hands of a doctor and we fail to acknowledge God's involvement in the process many times. 
• Miracles will come with a price tag! Mother Mary had the distinct honor of carrying the Savior of the World but had to walk in shame, disgrace and rejection. She called out to the Lord, but He appeared to be silent. He did not reveal His Son to the multitudes, not even the immediate family with the exception of a few. What about Joseph and his embarrassment? How many of his 'friends' believed his wife conceived by the Holy Spirit? Are you prepared for the miracles to separate you? 

#2 - Our concept of God must be defined by Scripture, not culture, not religion, not our assumptions and not what 'we caught' when we were 'taught'. 

• God is a holy God, yes, but a just God also. 
• The mandates of scripture in our deeds and lifestyles are meaningless without a fear of God. Fear must not control us, however, fear must keep us on the straight and narrow. 
• Our living must be a true reflection of His Kingdom, not a set of religious rules. 

#3 - Our willingness to follow Christ must include an understanding that He allows or orchestrates pain in our life. 

• Jesus was born in a hostile world, 
• Genocide followed his birth, how much blood ran due to His birth. 
• Why didn't the Father simply take Herod off the throne?
• We are going to experience more and more hostility in this 'post-Christian' society we live in. 
• We must stop our giving the enemy all the credit. God is in control and has a major plan. 
• We must stop focusing our frustration and pain because God does NOT fix everything. 
• Embrace the 'refiner's' fire! It is hot but it purifies. 
• Yield to the 'potter's wheel' - It is painful but He is preparing you for His plan. 

#4 - Lastly, we must take our 'purpose' in life seriously. 

• If God truly has a plan for our life (which I believe He does), we must accept it whole heartedly. 
• Recognize materialism, earthly wealth and worldly status may not be the key to Kingdom success. 
• Currently, the study of poverty, poor people in scripture has me fascinated. Not looking at it through the eyes of our American culture; religion or political views but Biblical. 
• Look at the church in Smyrna, Revelations 2
• ....this is the message from the one who is the First and Last, who was dead but is now alive: 9. "I know about your suffering and your poverty - but you are rich!

Let us rejoice in the years we have experienced but let us not lose heart, if it does not remain the same. Let us prepare to face more with the Joy - Peace and Fulness of His grace. 

Let us be prepared to live a life that SHINES with the Hope of the Gospel. 

Let our attitude be as Christ.... 

Even in intense pain, may people be able to draw from us spiritually. Hanging on the cross with His back beaten, nails in his hands and feet, crown of thrones on His head and experiencing total rejection, a lost man saw a 'HOPE' in Him and cried out to be included in His Kingdom. He was not seeing a Kingdom of ease, abundance, deliverance, etc. but a Kingdom of Eternal Hope! 

Blessings

Gary and Carolyn

Christmas M25 Style

CHRISTMAS MISSION:M25 STYLE

Christmas eve morning brings Biker Sunday / Toys For Tots to a conclusion. On September 28, 2014 thousands of people lined up to bring toys for Biker Sunday / Toys For Tots! An incredible sight to see, rough and tough looking people carrying dolls, little trucks and even dressed like Santa Claus. On December 24, 2014, 60-75 people gathered in a chilly fellowship hall, broke into teams and grabbed the toys for over 170 children. Keith Burd, Ministry Co-ordinator for Hard CORE Motorcycle Ministry and his family head this event. They work and plan, get the routes divided, work with the Marines or in the past couple of years, the Navy, connect the givers with the receivers of these toys. The toys are all bagged when we arrive and ready for delivery, due to Keith working with volunteers to separate a trailer loaded with toys into separate bags with a name on it. 

This year there was a complete line of brand-new sparkling bicycles plus bags of toys everywhere. Matt Lawlis is holding one of the bicycles to be given away. 

A family from Kansas join us when they heard of this great event. 

A couple and friends of Christian Heritage Church dressed the part and was a delightful touch.

Carolyn and I were among those who braved the weather to be 'Santa on a Harley'. There have been Mom's share how they told their children, listen close, I hear that Santa is going to be riding a motorcycle this year! The temperatures were soaring all the way up to 36 degrees by the time we finished. 

CHC (Christian Heritage Church) is unique in many ways, not saying all others are wrong by any means, but what sets this church apart is her rolling up sleeves and doing the work MO (Method of Operations). While many churches in this great land were promoting their services, Christmas eve, Christmas Morning. They had spent a lot of money and time drawing people to their house to worship this Child born to us, the Savior of the world. There were other churches taking offerings and using promotional methods to purchase gifts for children, some of the most popular are those who have parents incarcerated.

Jesus states in Matthew 25 that when we for the overlooked and neglected or 'least of these', we were touching Him. This day, we were going to touch at least 170 people who represent Jesus! These little guys were 'Jesus' needing some love!

As we rode down gravel, dirt and some very nicely paved roads, visited houses from poor run down homes to a very nice apartment in a very nice neighborhood (a single mom), the idea of 'Unto You is Born a Child'.... Please indulge my thoughts:

Christ Engaged us on this day

"Unto" - He "came" to us! This is huge, He did not stay in a safe, warm, comfortable, exalted place and draw us. He came to a rough carpenter, a young virgin girl. He 'came' in humble style, a manger was His bed. 

He made us feel worthy, who otherwise felt unworthy. He made us feel important, meeting our self-esteem need.  

As we rode, my prayer, Lord allow our simple touch of these children and parents feel they are worth our time, our mis-comfort and love. We are not asking them come to us, stand in line with other 'poor folks' and then we will give them something. They are worth our going to them. 

Christ Elevated us

"A Savior is born" - now we have a hope and a future. This is not about a life of ease and abundance but a life of eternal hope. He states over and over that He had come to establish a Kingdom, it is one not built by hands, it is one that is eternal. A Kingdom where there will be no more tears, sickness, pain, etc. They like us missed it, they struggled trying to figure how a child was going to destroy Rome and re-establish Israel. 

My prayer today was Lord, you gave the people a 'taste' of your Kingdom while you were here on earth and then entrusted the Holy Spirit to reveal who You are and what Your Kingdom is about. 

Lord, please let the 'taste' of your love that we are giving, draw these people to a place where the Holy Spirit can reveal the true You and Your Divine Kingdom to them.  Lord let this act of unselfish love of so many people be seed in some people's lives and water in other people's lives and may the Holy Spirit bring the increase! 

The above picture is the team we were blessed to be with, Bishop of Great Plains Conference Scott Hampton and family, our son-in-law Jim Reilly and daughter Sasha Reilly and family and Carolyn and I. Not pictured was Mike Woolsey.

 

 

Honoring a True USA Hero

On November 1, 2014, at 7 am, Bo Pearson, Danny Stewart, Stephen Walker, Carolyn Burd and I (pictured below around a broken trike along with Johnny Joey Jones) left in sub-freezing temperatures headed to San Antonio, TX - ON A MISSION! Well over 500 miles later we checked into a nice warm motel, anxious for the next day.

John Barker of Eagles Up organization had requested we attend the Boot Campaign Ride and interview Johnny Joey Jones, a double amputee for the possibility of building him a trike in 2015. A mission the five us were incredibly honored to do and one we took very serious.

An appointment was made for early Sunday morning to meet this hero of our nation at the Boot Ride. There are no words to express our instant admiration for such a quality young man. He stood erect on his two prosthesis and poured out his passion to assist the wounded warriors in our country. He stated without any hesitation, 'I would really appreciate a trike built for me, however, there is an immediate need, a brother who also walks on two prosthesis, due to an IED in Afghanistan, needs his trike rebuilt. My first mission is to help others and this is very important. It blew a hole in the piston the other day while I was riding it'.

Seeing we were there to interview and not commit for Eagles Up, Mission:M25 committed to picking up the trike and rebuilding the engine for him. Boot Campaign committed to cover the cost of the parts to rebuild the motor.

The only missing step was getting the trike from Austin, TX to Amarillo, TX. When the local leaders and mechanic of LeFleurs Transportation, Mike Carlisle, Craig Lawlis and Jeff Kestner (seen below standing behind Johnny Joey Jones) heard of our dilemma, they immediately responded. They met with Johnny Joey Jones and the pickup was made.

This is where a gifted and talented mechanic comes on the scene. Bo and Debbie Pearson, High Expectations Motor Works, in Amarillo TX took the task of rebuilding the engine. The engine had to be disassembled (pictured below), flushed out, diagnosed why the piston come apart and reassembled. Bo's 40 plus years of working on Harley Davidson's engines performed a masterful job of rebuilding the engine. (second picture below is Bo, Debbie and myself after the work was completed) The engine made music at the twist of a key!

Now the special moment when the owner, Dustin Johns' arrival to take his newly rebuilt trike home. On the morning of December 18, 2014, Dustin arrived with a trailer in tow to pick it up. The statement was made, 'we fell in love with this quality young man immediately'. Pictured below is Jeff Kestner; Pastor and Texas Pointman for M25 Kevin McBride and Bo Pearson, Mechanic and National Biker Missionary for the IPHC, with Dustin setting on his newly rebuilt ride.

Mission:M25 looks for ways to honor our true heroes for the church. We want to let the veteran know the church really is thankful for our Freedom of Religion, and of course, other Freedoms as well. We know the price of Freedom is not cheap, take a look, these two young men had their life altered forever due to this war on terrorism. The church is very thankful but falls short many times of telling those who will newer come to our services. This is where Mission:M25 comes in.

Thanks to all, Eagles Up, Boot Campaign, LeFleur's Transportation, High Expectations Motor Works for allowing Mission:M25 to be involved in honoring Dustin Johns by rebuilding his trike to bring him a little enjoyment!

Gary Burd, National Mission:M25 Director

Love THE Key

RADICAL, RISKY, VIOLENT LOVE

1 Cor. 8: 1.....Yes, we know that “we all have knowledge” about this issue. But while knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church. 2 Anyone who claims to know all the answers doesn’t really know very much. 3 But the person who loves God is the one whom God recognizes.

I would assume we all go through the same process in this journey of Christian living. We become Christians, see men and women of faith quote the sacred text, are challenged as children to memorize the scriptures and sit in amazement as teachers and preachers open the understanding of the Bible to us. We determine and are very intentional about following this path. We do all we can with our abilities (not all of us are equipped the same) to grasp this same level of 'spirituality'. We want to be a light to a dark world and it seems 'knowledge' is the answer. 

Still, no real light from our life! So we summarize it is a lack of spirituality due to sin in our life and the fact we are 'unholy'. So we set out to achieve HOLINESS.  Can you remember all the different ideas of what Holiness meant to different people? 

• Some people in my past thought it was not drinking coca-cola from a bottle, because we are to 'shun the very appearance of evil'. You drink alcohol out of bottles. 
• Some thought it was the clean vocabulary, not even saying 'shoot' because it was so close to s.....
• Some thought it was cutting my hair, taking off my 'hip hugger' jeans, once I was even asked to leave a banquet at church because I wore white shoes without socks :)

Isn't it humorous what man, the carnal church does to bring us to being a light. In the past 15 years the scripture that has driven Mission:M25 is Matthew 5:14-16, where Jesus states to be a light we do good deeds so that the Lord may be glorified. So here we go, doing good deeds! We work hard at Being A Light Not A Mouth (BALNAM). 

Here again we stumble onto another human effort to bring a hope filled God to a hopeless society. 

The text quoted above gives us all the answer we need, LOVE. If we learn all the text in the entire Bible and quote it from end to end, get all of this evil world from our life (impossible) and give our bodies to be burned and have not LOVE, it means nothing. 

One of my mentors would say to me, 'Love is a verb' it is to be lived. So true but so many people act on 'love' but it is a mask of resentment, anger, bitterness and an expression of past rejection. Love is given simply as a product of something inside. Pastor Kevin McBride spoke last Sunday that we were to have a 'river of living water flowing from us to those around us'. Have you noticed it is free flowing? Have you noticed people that seem to just ooze the love when you are around them? Have you noticed people feel comfortable being who they are, no false pretenses, no coverups for their behavior, when they feel true love coming from within side you? 

Let us not get 'puffed up' because we know, become holier than thou because we have conquered some sins in our life or become exalted because we are servants. 

May the Lord of the Harvest cause us to be a vessel for 'living water' to flow from as we walk through life, wherever we are, doing whatever we do! 

May our life flow in such portions that people 

• receive that river of living, loving water. 
• Then, the love will flush out the evil inside their life 
• and create room to 'know more' and a natural process of serving others by doing good deeds will be done with pure motives! 

Entitlement and Christmas

Santa's Workshop @ CORK

Christian Heritage Church

December 10, 2014

 Christmas is about 'giving' but that nature does not come naturally. Pastor Kevin McBride stated while receiving the offering on Sunday morning, December 7, that giving was in God's nature. The carnal nature is selfishness. No need to teach a child to be stingy, to horde, to hit, scream or cry (or all of the afore mentioned) when another child takes it's toy, it all comes naturally. Recently watching the movie, 'Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee', a young educated Native American states there is no word for 'own the land' in any of their languages. Interesting what greedy and self-centered Christians that came to this land 'taught' them.  The early church sold their lands and gave their goods and they had all things in common. The new Kingdom of God was trying to address the issue that had became so important, possessions are not the gauge for success in the Kingdom.

We talk about 'entitlement' in this country a great deal and yet we continue to promote and use it in this culture. Mother Teresa states that during Thanksgiving and Christmas many of the benevolent ministries or businesses thrive due to people easing their guilt by 'giving to the poor'. They live in their fancy homes, drive their luxury cars, dress in their latest name brand suit and then come 'down' to 'give back' and it makes them feel they are not all that bad. Is this all bad, absolutely not, it is a time to share the wealth to a degree. The problem is it is only driving our problem deeper if not balanced.

CORK, the children's ministry at Christian Heritage Church several years ago under the inspired idea of Dustie Vibbard, Children's Minister for years at CHC, brought to the table an idea that has addressed the issue. The church gathers items of toys, clothing, etc and sets up tables. The children are brought in by buses or they walk to the church. Awaiting them is the usual hot meal but this Wednesday they will not have a kid's service, they will 'GO SHOPPING'! The idea is for them to learn the art of giving. While they do not have the money to purchase the gift, we at least give them the opportunity to think about giving and then to 'shop' for their siblings and parents.

There are tables awaiting them manned with men and women, teenagers ready with wrapping paper, tape and assistance to prepare the gift to take home and hopefully put under a tree waiting the big day of opening gifts. They leave with a huge plastic bag of gifts to be given. 

Oh, we make sure they have their gifts also! On Christmas Eve morning there will be close to 50 people get together and divide toys out and go in four teams to deliver the toys. One of the best times in the year to ride our motorcycles to lead a group. Parents have told their children, 'listen for a motorcycle (Harley Davidson's make a lot of noise), I believe Santa Claus is riding one this year'. 

May God help the church to be instrumental in 'teaching' our young to give in many ways! May we break the bondage of entitlement and look for it in every crevice of our own hearts. 

Thanks Dustie Vibbard for the consistent teaching on giving you have provide for many years at our house! 

Temple Fascination

Have you ever driven around town and taken in the beauty of the churches of our day? Some of the most massive and impressive buildings across the skyline are temples dedicated to our Lord, the Messiah. They are built in the name of the Kingdom as a place to worship our Lord. 

They pale in comparison to the Temple in Jerusalem during the times of our Lord. It was over 500 years old, newly restored, was magnificent and could be considered one of the wonders of the world. 

Herod had taken eighty-four years to remodel it. Not because he 'loved our God' or believed in the Kingdom of God but to appease the Jews and keep the under his control (I challenge you to think on that). 

Let's read the story of Jesus and His disciples' experience on a day after visiting the temple in Mark 13

1 As Jesus was leaving the Temple that day, one of his disciples said, “Teacher, look at these magnificent buildings! Look at the impressive stones in the walls.” 2 Jesus replied, “Yes, look at these great buildings. But they will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

Reading this story recently my heart began to feel a little of Jesus' heart. Can you imagine being the Messiah in this story? They are walking 'with' God and are fascinated by a building. 

The temple had them in awe and yet the One the building was built for was walking with them. The Messiah, the King, the Lord of Lords was speaking to them. Yet a building had them in a breathless state. 

The enormity of the rocks in the walls had captivated their attention when the Chief Cornerstone was standing beside them. They had heard Jesus speak of Himself being the 'Chief Cornerstone' in Mark 12:10, and yet they still did not grasp the truth. 

The strength and longevity of the massive stones crumble under the comparison of the Alpha and Omega. Jesus is reading their thoughts (oh He still reads our thoughts) and pain hits His heart. They think these massive stones will stand forever and I know for a fact in less than ten years this will all come down. 

A deep burden in my spirit, a deep pain in my walk with the King, the Messiah, we have evolved into the same place of those attending the temple during his walk for the most part in this country. We are overtaken with our buildings, some not so magnificent because they are so 'outdated'. So we spend money to keep up with our culture, to appease our people, to draw the 'unchurched'. When in fact, our buildings only draw those that are 'shopping' for ANOTHER church because the one they were attending did not 'meet their needs'. 

Buildings are necessary to make a place for believers to join to worship the King and to disciple His people. The building just must not be the focus, the main thing. The King must still receive the attention. 

The Kingdom of God is within us, desires us to be in awe of His love and His work in our life. The Messiah, during this season of the year more than any other time, should grab our attention. 

Finally, we must not spend so much money on the 'building' that we have no resources to fulfill the mandate of serving those outside the fold. Oh how many countless times have I sat with a pastor or leader who would love to feed the homeless, help those coming out of prison, give assistance to struggling addicts, provide a home for the rejected because she made a mistake and has a gift from the Lord in her womb, help a little child with clothes that is living in poverty, due to the deep debt they carry on the 'building' built for the Lord. Jesus stated when you do it to those ignored or overlooked, the least of these, you do it to Me. 

How much is the church spending on the building 'for' the Lord verses spending resources on the Lord in the ditches? 

BALNAM - Showing our Thankfulness

Thanksgiving @ Falcon Children's Home

Carolyn and I had the distinct joy of participating in the Harvest Train, Falcon, NC. Harvest Train is a tradition reaching out to hurting, abandoned, abused and troubled children in our world. International Pentecostal Holiness Church (IPHC) people from Florida to Maryland joined in this opportunity to bring money and commodities to take care of approximately eighty children. The unofficial estimated total of over $300,000 was raised to express our Christian love to those not as fortunate.

A firetruck led the way with the President of Falcon Children's Home (FCH), Joey Leggett, joined by presiding Bishop, Dr. Doug Beacham led cars, vans, a little passenger train and 25 motorcycles. Young men, trouble children from a military style disciple home twenty miles away marched in front of us, true to form. As we proceeded from the Fire Department, we passed slowly in front of children of all ages awaiting the blessings of candy that was to be given from our vehicles. Most took the time to place the candy in their 'pillow cases' being held out, while anxious face was aglow and the smile wide. The tender, 'thank you' was such a special moment.

We stopped in the parking lot of three new buildings designed to hold those precious little ladies that now has a blessing from the Lord in her womb. These young ladies also greeted us with a smile and held out a bag. Precious girls not sure how the church world will view them, knowing their transgression of sexual purity was very obvious by the change of her body. What a joy to see a church that loved and did not condemn! A church that does not embrace the sin but loves the transgressor. A church willing to place her resources to express love, not mere words.

The service included a video and words of thanksgiving for the newly dedicated school. This state of art school is for grades 6-12 and is open to not only the children in the home and the girls during and after their pregnancy but to the community.

Mission:M25 was blessed to lead the motorcycles, positioned toward the front of the parade. But this was not all, Harvest Train took another step toward their expression of love for the 'unwanted' child by including an appeal to support these new houses for the one still in the womb and one for young ladies and their newborn babies. Pastor Mark Richardson, M25 Pointman for Cornerstone Conference joined me as we roared into the Tabernacle on our Harley Davidson motorcycles from two opposing entries. A near capacity crowd of approximately 3000 was stunned, Mr. Leggett pretended to be surprised as the two bikes stopped in front-center of the stage. When the microphone was handed to me, I briefed the crowd of M25's mission, reaching out to the overlooked and ignored listed in Matthew 25 and then challenged the people to pray, yes, but become visible with our dis-approval of legalized abortion in our nation. However, the job is not done by only praying and going to Washington DC to march but help must be offered, such as our Royal Home alternative to abortion. There was a video played and then Pastor Richardson presented checks to total $1570 toward the support of the home.

As the motorcycles rumbled during their departure, the microphone was handed to Bishop Beacham who spoke of his leading a stand in Washington DC on January 22, 2015. This will be during the annual "March for Life" in our nations capital. M25 will be leading a group of motorcycles to join him on January 21, departing Falcon, NC. The motorcycles will be carrying a banner with all the church's, organizations, individuals names on it, called, "50 For Life". The minimum of $50 is requested to place your name on the banner. The proceeds will go to support the Royal Home, alternative to abortion!

The service concluded with a program, "There Is A Way Out", put on by the children and staff of FCH that moved the house. The final song was sung by a little boy (6-8 years old) dressed in a dark blue suit with a red handkerchief hanging from his front pocket. His powerful voice rung in the sanctuary which had the crowd standing, crying and shouting.

After dismissal, a meal was served of East Coast Barbecue, chicken tenders, potato salad, cole slaw, hush puppies and deserts.

If at all possible this event should be on your list to attend if you can possibly make it. If not, you need to visit the website and view this great ministry and consider donating to either the Royal Home or Falcon Children's Home.

Boot Campaign

Boot Campaign 

Bo Pearson, Danny Stewart and Stephen Walker (Sgt Rock) joined Carolyn and I on an incredible ride on Nov. 1, 2014. We rode 521 miles one way to stand with our wounded warriors. When we pulled out of our garage it was 36 degrees and the wind was blowing about 25 mph, right in our face. These are the days you know if you are committed or if it is just fun, if you have a conviction this is what you are to do or is this convenience. Carolyn was all set with her electric clothes on and then we plugged it in and as life runs, it blew up. We rode the first 120 miles just bundled up. She was the only one with all electric gear on. The culprit ---- a small fuse could not carry the current! 

We arrived at the Harley Dealer's at 8:30 am on Sunday morning, November 2,  hoping that our contacts will be made. We are there supposedly to meet with a young man who lost both legs above the knees for an effort spurn out of Run For The Wall called Eagles Up, www.eaglesup.us - three of our heroes and dear friends had asked us to go. We were to assess the potential of connecting with Boot Campaign and look at building this young man a bike in the future. This was an honor and an assignment we did not take lightly. 

Short meeting, but plans to meet later, and we did meet. Johnny Joey Jones is a very impressive young man. It hurt to see such a fine young man, big smile stand there without his legs. He began by telling Boot Campaign's mission, bring awareness of our heroes needs and sacrifice and support charities helping our wounded warriors coming home. He then quickly turned to his mission to connect with us. The words flowed without any hesitation as he spoke of his first priority is helping others. There was a contract that placed him on a trike coming out with the celebrities on the 40 minute ride of the day. A fellow soldier who had last both legs in Afghanistan had loaned him a trike setup for double amputees. However, the motor had blown a piston! Pictured below. 

We were there to access the need to build a bike and could not commit the other organization. HOWEVER, we were there to represent the church first and foremost. This Sunday morning, standing on a Harley parking lot, rock and roll music blaring in the background, it was an opportunity for the church. I began to share the reason Mission:M25 serves our military, represent the church outside the walls of the building. As the unction of the Holy Spirit blew up inside of me, just as if I were standing in a pulpit that morning, these words came out, 'Please allow us to partner with Boot Campaign to repair your brother's trike'. The smile was worth any cost!!! 

Then the parade began (having ridden 521 miles the day before we opted to 'watch'). After the bikes all left the parking lot we proceeded to the rally point, John T Floores Country Store (do not be fooled, it was a huge bar with an outdoor stage!). We found a place inside the bar to drink ice tea and visit with great friends, Joseph and Lynda Spellman aka Master Chief and wife.

A trip, cold in the beginning, full of unknowns, unsure of opportunities became a huge opportunity for Mission:M25 to one more time become a 'witness' of the church's thanks for our Freedom of Religion! If this opportunity comes to fruition we will be followed during the 're-build' on their website. This will broadcast our mission of THANKING THE VETERAN for our FREEDOM OF RELIGION!

Fearless

FEARLESS

Is it a dream? 

Can it be achieved? 

What about ISIS? Ebola? Big government?

In my devotion this morning the subject came up of courage not being the same as fearlessness. 

Courage:

• Can be worked up
• As John Wayne stated: "it is getting in the saddle, even when you are scared". 
• Courage can be lived out while being scared to death. 

Fearlessness

• Free from man's approval
• Free from death or peril
• A life full of peace

1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.

• Living free of fear of man and his approval
• Living free of fear of peril or death because HIs love for us abounds. 

Yet there is this scripture:

Ecclesiastes 12:13, That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty.

We seem to have preached freedom from fear with the words, respect and revere. Yes, the Hebrew word can be translated like this, however, our country needs a good dose of 'fear' of God. Fear Him enough that we keep His commandments. We seem to be overrun with the attitude that we can do as we please and still have His blessings on our life. People go and party when facing surgery and then ask for Him to be with them during the surgery and bring peace and healing. Really? 

People have been astonished when I speak of my fear. They think there is an absence of any fear in my life. The Holy Spirit has given the ability to muster courage but fear is still present at times. 

When Matthew 25:41-46 became non-negotiable, became a command, Holy Spirit courage was found to get outside the comfort zone. In the beginning fear of bars, bikers, prisons, homeless people, etc made me want to hit the 'return to four walls button'. There were all kinds of justifications, 1) People inside need a pastor; 2) the demands of administration were heavy; 3) we must help people walk in sanctification; 4) what if death is lurking around the corner and there is so much yet to be done; but at the end of the day, it the driving force was fear of life 'out there'.

Then there came a second round of fear: the fear of the church. Oh the paralysis that is standing at the door when the message is counter 'church'. This fear is probably the worse of all. the fear of those you love, those you respect, those you admire, those you wanted to 'be like'. The fear of family, what will they think? The fear of people misunderstanding your motive (He is trying to make a name for himself). 

Is fear still present: ABSOLUTELY! 

Does the Holy Spirit still have to inspire courage - A RESOUNDING YES! 

Love has not been perfected yet in my life but I am trying to achieve it. 

Is it possible that a little of the fear of man still remain to keep me in check? Could it be that it keeps me humble? Could it be the reminder of my reliance upon Him? 

Whatever the situation, paralyzing fear must face Holy Spirit courage in my life and my Fear of God must keep me willing and obedient! 

Biker Sunday / Toys For Tots

BIKER SUNDAY - A SECULAR EVENT HELD ENDING AT CHURCH

We began with a 'normal' church service - several hundred were present, many of the regulars did not come but there were so many from around the country. Some of them, it is the 'few' times they attend a church service. 

The service included great worship and then the dedication of a baby. Our hope and our future is in the hands of our children. It was a great honor to be included in the dedication of Wyatt Bunn. 

The service included an anointing of Ayden Reilly, my oldest grandson, as the gatekeeper for his generation of our immediate family. There will be a full blog written on this but let me say now, I chose this setting due to the size and attendees of the service. We must find ways to validate our children and grandchildren. 

I was allowed to speak, the first time in 15 years of Biker Sunday. It was never my intention as Lead Pastor to be the 'show'. It sickens me when Christian leaders do all the 'photo' ops and try to steal the show. Up until last year, I had never spoke on the stage during a Biker Sunday. 

The message was on Hoka Hey, a good day to die. Yes, it was built around the ride of my lifetime but it had such a great message to build on. 

1. The Apostle Paul stated in 1 Corinthians 15:31 that he put his life to risk daily. We Western Christians use grey matter, we use our wisdom and common sense. I sure am glad our Lord did not follow this path or the first century Christians. For that matter, many of my forefathers did not use common sense, leaving good paying jobs, uprooting their families, doing with little pay, etc. so that the Kingdom could be advanced.

2. Honor (do you honor God enough to be obedient to the basics),

3. Respect (has He 'earned' a place in your life where you submit to His call and will, including taking a risk) 

4. Integrity (It will be misunderstood but under the excitement of the moment, the statement rolled off my lips, 'I would rather be around cussing Christians than lying preachers'. What is to be misunderstood, both should not happen, however, I stand by my statement.)

5. Compassion (Spoke of violent love, love that heals the sick or serves the weak found in Matt.14. Jesus was 'moved' by 'compassion' - His insides twisted up to the point he did something. Now, I cannot 'make a miracle' happen but serving the weak is an absolute decision we make). 

 The there was the parade, approximately 1500 bikes joined us from Skooters Bar to Christian Heritage church.

Then there was the bike games - wow - I have so much fun. My wife and my daughter played a game a piece with me - AND WE WON! 

The band, Cadillac Ranch, got the crowd moving. Always ending with "Born To Be Wild". They entertained the crowd as we transitioned to the last big event! 

A day of 'gifts' for the participates, 1800 tee shirts with Biker Sunday on them, literally thousands of sandwiches, chips and drinks and to end the day a Harley Davidson. A father and son won this years bike, the jubilation was inspiring as they jumped and hugged each other. 

Why would more churches not do such an event? There was so much alcohol on the property. There were vest that had 'bad' words (I mean really bad). There was no 'real sermon', no Christian music, no 'altar' call. 

1. They don't understand secular event at a church. They want to be in control all the time. We receive so much support from businesses, television and radio stations all because it is Toys for Tots! 

2. They don't understand Jesus, this is where He would have been. I believe with all my heart that He hung around the hurting for a cause. You find Him with the adulterous (of course, go and sin no more), the demonized, the poor and yes, He even hung with drunks so much they accused Him of being a 'winebibber' or drunk! 

3. They don't understand service, they are still wanting to be served. Jesus came to serve, not be served. The modern church wants to be served, come to us, sit down, keep quiet, give your money and don't complain! Are bad things said about CHC? ABSOLUTELY - but always we must consider the source! 

What was there? A lot of hurting people who just needed someone to live hope in front of them, listen to their pains and offer the love. One young man could not wait, can you pray for me he asked, 'the suicide thoughts are pounding in my head'. Oh, we had time! Yes, love and hope confronted this evil thing called suicide! 

Christian Heritage Church, Hard Core MM, Mission:M25 - keep it up! You are setting a very high bar  - a bar that our Lord established over 2000 years ago! Never let the ugly of religious or critical people knock you down - and if you do get down - get back up and DO IT AGAIN. 

Looking forward to Biker Sunday 2015 

The God of Miracles

Assignment: Read the book of Acts for our prayer retreat.

My silent cry: Lord, let me see something different from the reading than what I been seeing. Lord, why can't I read things that are light, fun, lifting, rather than things that deal with Warfare. Everything I put my hands to, things read by others they want to shout and rejoice, adds fuel to my heart, WE ARE AT WAR! Please understand, I am not referring to ISIS type of war (exclusively) but Spiritual War. We must be taken to our knees, 2 Chronicles 7:13, so that we can experience 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Hungry for the Miraculous God to show up is lurking in many of our souls. Where is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? Where is the Holy Spirit that 'healed many' in the book of Acts? Where is the power of God that could heal a nation from Ebola?

Reading "Forty Days With The Holy Spirit", day 32, the author says: If the Holy Spirit were to return to the church at that level of power—as I myself expect will come one day—we can expect this sort of thing to happen again.

Thought immediately: God, when will you return the power of Peter and John at the temple, 'silver and gold have I none but take up your bed and walk'.

Is God waiting for a people that will not do a seven point teaching on how to get that power? Is He looking for a people that will simply say, 'It is not by our power or godliness that this happens'?

Is God waiting for a people that will trust Him first instead of last?

Are we living in a time when He has withheld them from the American church because of our abuse?

Is this the first level of 2 Chronicles 7:13 - a drought of miracles, come on, real miracles? Not those we see orchestrated that people 'lose' because of a lack of faith?

Then the thought of Acts 5 flooded my thoughts: Peter, flowing under the same faucet of power that caused a lame man to walk, confronted a man and woman filled with greed, deceit and lies with their sin and they died on the scene. Wow, did you read that list, GREED, DECEIT, LIES. The church world is full of those sins. "Ministries" are built on them. People in the pew have come to expect it from the leadership and leaders have become tolerant of those in the pew.

We must inject here: The church has made greed not only acceptable but a promise of the Bible. God wants you to have...... Jesus came to earth to make you happy...... COME ON - REALLY? While the harvest field is ripe unto harvest, while the world is positioned for the NEED of a Savior, we believe He is concerned about our bellies, possessions, etc?

Integrity - what a novel idea. I will never take for the 8,178 miles we (Gene Adee and myself) rode with those four virtues from the "Loop of Life" from the Lakota Indians, Honor - Respect - Integrity - Compassion.

Are we ready for the miracles of God?

Are we ready for the pain the Holy Spirit will bring - as well as the healing, the deliverances, the joy.

Gary

Boy / Man

Childish?

My wife Carolyn has traveled many motorcycle miles with me and had to 'endure' guys just hanging out. How many times have she stated, 'you are a bunch of overgrown kids', all the while smiling or laughing herself. She enjoys the joy of the moment, the giggles, the humor, the silliness, as most women do.

Men are wired so that in most of them, there are a few grumpy ole guys, have a little guy inside. He likes to express himself, he loves to be silly and sometimes he even likes a little adventure that get's him in trouble.

It would appear to me that there are two phases, 1) The boy overrides the man and 2) the man overrides the boy. This can take years to take place, depending on training, environment and a man's choice of close friends.

A sad part of all of it, if they start using drugs, at that point they stop maturing. When and if they sober up, they have to start from that point of growth. This can be very challenging for the man and those around him. Patience is in high demand, due to they don't want to be treated like a 'boy' in a man's body. It is humiliating for the man side and more times than not, they will not stay the course.

The things that a man must conquer to put away the childish behavior, 1 Corinthians 13:11,

• Fear -  I have been told the only fear we are born with is that of falling. All the rest of our fears are learned, sometimes by over-fearful parents or care-takers. 
• Despair - this is an enemy that many think is special to them. Oh the people that say, 'but you don't understand my situation'. This enemy attacks the very core of our Christian walk, Jesus is our hope. If we understand who He is and what He can do and most importantly where we are headed, there will never be a day of despair. The only person responsible for our hope filled journey is us. The enemy must be stopped, way to many young people are ending their life because they have no hope. 
• Entitlement - this enemy should be 'phased' out of our life during our teen years. Two reasons that seem to jump out of society if you are observing: 
• Many feel they are 'entitled' to a fun filled, happy, whatever I want life, when they are raised by parents who do whatever they have to do to make it happen, get mad when life treats them unfair and 'fixes it', never makes them stand up on their own or overall, treats them like little kids way to long. 
• There are others raised by parents who live on entitlements. The only environment they know is to have things given to them, for whatever reason. Being the National Director of Mission:M25, many think we are about handouts, actually we believe in hand"ups". Where our home base has fed close to a million meals to the homeless, 85% of them get day work. We provide a breakfast and a sack lunch for their day. 

Wow, this blog appears to be written by the 'ole man' side, rather than the 'boy' side that likes it short. 

Lord, hear our prayer today, give this nation, culture and CHURCH, men who think and behave like men, not little boys who never grow up. We do not need anymore 50 year olds behaving like a Freshman in high school. 

Lord, teach our men how to let the little boy out to play ever once in a while. My Father, Lloyd Burd, now 84 years old, said a few years ago, 'do what you enjoy and you will live a longer, happier life'. Dad, I am trying. 

Gary

The Quit

This picture was taken on July 31, 2014, (actually August 1), 1:20 am - 8,178 miles from Key West, FL. We had ridden 1124 miles that day on 3.5 hours of sleep. Exhausted, yet so excited! We did it, Gene Adee and I had accomplished the finish line in Homer, AK.

However, there was little brushes with quit, but setting in Prince George, BC, the quits had really come over me. When I looked at the map given out to all of the riders, there was 2069 more miles to go, across the Yukon (oh the stories I had heard). It was getting real old gearing up with warm clothes, rain gear, sleeping on the ground, eating out of gasoline stations and most of all, going slow.

I realized there is still a seed of quit inside all of humanity. From all Carolyn and I have gone through, it appeared there was no quit in us anymore. Decades of sticking to it, decades of going through it, decades of betrayal and not getting bitter, decades of disappointments and yet never losing hope. It would appear the quits were long gone.

Here the quit came, on a 'bucket list' trip, the quits show up. A trip that many would love to attempt, love to have the opportunity to ride, the beauty seen and the beauty that awaited us. Oh, the stories of the wilderness that lie before us, and yes, it was that and more.

Jesus had the quits in the Garden of Gethsemane, the Son of God, a part of Trinity, and He had the quits. Oh, it was obviously a greater trial, an absolutely greater purpose but at the foundation, a quit was still there.

Yes, the Father sent an angel to encourage Him. He found the inner strength to carry on. Where would we be if He had quit? Where would the world be?

Setting at the Harley Davidson dealership in Prince George, the inner strength came when I said, 'I am going to finish this course'. The words were never heard by anyone but the inner man started to rise up. Gene Adee arrived, we ate a free hamburger and mounted our iron horses and rode toward the vast wilderness that lie before us, at speed limit.

You say, that is a silly comparison. Well, you are right. However, there are two things that most seem to look past.

One, there was no angel that visited me but the Holy Spirit lives within. We all can reach inward, in the face of a vicious trial, through the deepest and loneliest valley, in the violent storms and find the strength we need in His power (assuming you have received from the Lord this blessing).

Secondly, it is a firm conviction of mine that when you start quitting, it becomes easier to quit the next time. Oh how many people have we witnessed on our journey that have opened the door to quit and cannot get the door shut. What would the fruit of that simple 'quit' produce in this season of my life?

Whatever you are going through today - DON'T QUIT! Look for the Holy Spirit's grace to continue on.

Gary Burd aka Shepherd

Grace - Grace, Never Again - Never Again

We have shouted the words, NEVER AGAIN, NEVER AGAIN, in five different rallies. Ottawa, CA  (on Parliament Hill); Dallas, TX (in front of the Cotton Bowl); Wytheville, VA (in the park on the main drag through town); Atlanta, GA (downtown at Centennial Park) and Boca Raton, FL (in front of box car from WWII)!

It came to me in Atlanta, on the way to the park, that we were following a lead of the Holy Spirit, as instructed in Zechariah 4:6-7.

They had to not rely on their abilities:
1) They could not depend on their might, collective strength, the power of armies, human efforts, etc.
2) Personal ability, mental and physical strength of individuals was not going to be enough.
3) It was by the Spirit of the Lord that this was going to be done.

Yet, they had to do their part, they had to yell, Grace, Grace! This is amazingly foolish. Looking at the task before them, they were to yell grace?

It sprung up within me, we must trust that however 'ineffective' this little pledge by the sometimes small crowds seem, if we do our little part, travel the miles, spend the money, wear our bodies down, the Holy Spirit will override our 'collective' and "individual' ability and fill in the weaknesses with His power! As we yelled, NEVER AGAIN - NEVER AGAIN, it is my belief that the Holy Spirit was moving things in behalf of the Jewish people in the Heavens above us. What will be accomplished? Who knows, maybe we will never know until we see a 'archived' video in heaven of the work that was done. Jeremiah never seen one convert, do you think eternity reveals it?

What is it you are facing that you have gathered your friends, church family, physical family to help you with that it does not seem to help? What battle are you facing that you cannot seem to conquer in face of all of your mental and physical abilities?

Well, listen to that still small voice inside of you, the Holy Spirit, and then obey. It does not matter how small or great the command is and DO IT! Learn to be obedient at the Master's command and watch the enemies of your life began to fall, the walls come down and the battles be won!

Never Again in the rearview mirror

Dessert tonight - the cake was good but the decorations were special

It is 1938 again, and we are all Jews.

The Coptics in Egypt : they are Jews
The Yazidis in Iraq: they are Jews
The Christians in Syria: they are Jews. (Once it was the Christians that demanded of the Jews, "convert or die". Now, centuries later, they are the Jews!)

The Holocaust was met with incredulity and disbelief, then an unwillingness to interfere in internal affairs, then a fear of making things even worse. And so, as the war-weary civilized world stood by with little more than feeble rationalizations, the Jews of Europe were condemned to extermination. "Never Again", the Jews said. "Never Again," the world echoed.

But "again" came to the Cambodians, and to the Bosnians and to the Sudanese. And now "again" has come to the Middle East.

Once again we have an enemy to whom we have responded only with incredulity and disbelief. Once again we have not fathomed the depth of its depravity, the extent of its evil. We have not recognized that its rules are not ours, that it's values are not ours, that it's very definition of good and evil is diametrically opposed to ours. Where we find evil in massacres of civilians they find glory. Where we find evil in genocide they find exultation. Where we find evil in decapitation they find holiness and religious purity. Where they do find evil is in freedom of thought and religious tolerance and human dignity. This is truly a clash of civilizations, in which there is no reconciliation, no middle ground, no compromise. Either we will win or they will win.

Now I understand how the Holocaust happened - how it was allowed to happen. There were simply too many risks, too many reasons not to get involved. As Martin Niemoller might say today, 'They came for the Coptics and I didn't speak up because I was not a Coptic. They came for the Yazidis and I did not speak up because I was not a Yazidi. They came for the Christians, and I did not speak up because I was not that kind of Christian! And then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak up.

Well, we of the west are now targets, but, unlike the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, we are not helpless; we are actually quite strong. We have the strength to defeat this new evil. But strength and will are very different things. We could have stopped Nazism before the entire world was engulfed in war. WE could have, but we did nothing

It is 1938 again,
Golf anyone?

Speech delivered by emcee Joyce Kaufman. I wanted to print the complete speech.  (The lady in the middle, a prominent radio talk show host in Florida.)

Tonight setting at a fantastic meal served in the local organizer's home. There was much debate on who we would have as a leader in the USA White House. There was much passionate debate, gay marriages, abortions, national debt, Anti-Semitism, racial issues, etc. They would say, our change will not be done through the election, but then debate passionately again about who to vote for. When they looked at me and asked, "would you vote for... a conservative that is for abortion...." and I stated I would stay home, it was quiet for a moment. Then much conversation was about people who would not vote was allowing the liberals to win.

Never have I been political, nor desire to be. However, the resolve is even deeper in my heart. We must step up and do something or there will be no one to stand for us, when it all comes down. There have been people who have stated History does not have to repeat itself. Well, that is correct, it does not but it will.

It is my firm conviction, very deep conviction, this world will come apart. The USA will collapse under the weight of our own mess. We MUST find ways to light a candle, rather than curse the darkness (become visible and active instead of setting around complaining). Mission:M25 is not huge in numbers, Never Again was not well attended, Christians were too busy doing church, Jewish Rabbi's tried to keep Jewish people from coming because Christians were there. BUT WE STOOD! WE STOOD TOGETHER! WE STOOD IN DOWNTOWN ATLANTA, ON THE MAIN HIGHWAY IN WYTHEVILLE AND IN A PROMINENT NEIGHBORHOOD IN BOCA RATON! 

Never have there been big numbers of Jews, big numbers of supporters but God always honors His chosen people and the people that stand with them! 

Christians were too busy, things were too risky and the cost too high during the Holocaust. We are there again..... now we ARE the target of much of the sacrifice around the world. We all are comfortable while the Jihadist are gaining ground. 

I was taken back as Howard said, 'Gary, there were not people, Christians like you during the Holocaust'. As humble as our efforts may be, it is my belief the Jewish community knows there are some who are not afraid! 

WE ARE PLANNING ANOTHER 'NEVER AGAIN' FOR 2015! WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED - DEFEATED OR DISCOURAGED.