What has God got to do with motorbikes?

Many people regard God as irrelevant or old fashioned. Their impression of Church is probably based on the odd funeral, wedding or christening and their encounters with Christians more likely to be "Little old Emily Bishop types".

If we sideline God or reject Him as irrelevant based on such a limited examination of who He is then we do ourselves an incredible disservice. (Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater!!).

To accept the existance of God may well be the beginning of wisdom. Many people, if asked, would say that they believe in God but many will mean "a god". In very many cases the god they describe will be a Santa Claus or Fairy God mother type of character tailor made to their own viewpoint and preferences. How would you feel if your friends never took time to get to know you? If they assumed they knew everything about you because they met you once and got angry with you when you didn't live up to their expectations.

To know God we must read what He said about himself and that can only be found in the Bible. Even Christian books and speakers, whilst often helpful, will only give an impression of God. To know God you must go to the source.

God is Love and the Bible is the story of a love lost.

The story of a God who created mankind to enjoy His creation and enjoy Him but who was rejected by His creation. Ever since Eden God has been straining towards us seeking to draw us back to Himself. He sees his precious creation destroying itself (or being destroyed), in pain and suffering, hurting, lonely, lost, confused, sick and He longs to help us.

Many people focus on the God who Judges, the God who sends people to Hell and when you read the Bible there is clearly a judgement involved. To reject God in life means to reject Him for eternity but Gods repeated desire throughout all of time and throughout the entire Bible is for us to willingly come to Him now as our Father and accept the love which He offers.

I recently heard love and punishment described as the two sides of the same coin - that is way too deep for me to explain now but there does seem to be something in that.

Who deserves to be punished?

Consider all of the crimes and atrocities which occur throughout the world - who would you punish and how would you punish them?
Would you punish a murderer?
Would you punish someone who murdered to defend their family or their country?
Would you take up arms in defence of your family or something which you held dear?

At what point then does punishment become inappropriate?

If God, who sees all things and knows the heart of man, can't judge fairly then who can?
If prior to judgement God offers mercy and a way to avoid punishment, can He be called unfair?
If God withholds punishment time and time again whilst giving the offender time to "change their ways" (repent) is He still unfair?
If rather than punish us God punished Himself (in Jesus) is He still unfair?

At what point do we accept that we have messed up - messed the world up and accept that we can not fix things ourselves?

We can not "work" or "claw" our way back to God. God knew this but could not accept us whilst we were still "unclean" with sin. The story of Jesus birth and crucifixion are well know to most people but most have little idea of why that has any meaning for them. How does the death of a man in a gruesome manner some 2000 years ago really have any meaning today. The fact is that it wasn't just a man nor was he "killed". In coming to earth Jesus (God as a human being) lived among us, experienced life as we know it with all its ups and downs and hardships yet did so as the perfect son of God. Having led a sinless life He gave up his life to pay the "sin debt" which the human race (you and I) owed. His perfect life and self sacrifice allows us to be "made clean", forgiven and accepted by God. If we accept what Jesus did for us then God no longer sees our sin (our wrong doings and failings) but sees Jesus, His beautiful son. Our sins are removed and are no longer counted against us because, just as in a court of law, the punishment has been handed down and the penalty has been served, but served by Jesus on our behalf.

When you get to the end of your rope, when you run out of answers, when you have had enough and feel you can't go on, when you are sick of trying to fix things yourself - That's where God is. That's where Jesus is.

You can't sum God up in a few lines - so I won't try.

God is huge - beyond understanding in many ways yet He wants us to know Him and be known by Him.

Please talk to us if you would like to know more or to receive a free "biker bible". There is so much to learn, so much to experience in God.

Forget about old, cold church buildings and little old ladies with big hats. Forget about the trendy "Super Churches" trying to be cool and reconnect.
Forget about annoying Christians or Nerds.

You do not have to become any of these people or join any of these organisations to know God. God will accept you just as you are if you are willing to place your hand in His and start following Him wherever he leads. His Holy Spirit will guide and direct you as you seek to know Him with all of your heart, as you learn to trust Him with all that you possess and have and are. As you start to get to know Him through his word to us - the Bible.

God is real.

God is relevant.

God is the most important decision you will ever make.

Don't delay.

John Grant