At Thompson Speedway last weekend, and they started the
season off with an interesting twist, best appearing car in each division
competing. It is always great to see the new cars when the season starts,
but looks aren’t everything. It is what is in your heart that matters.
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The beginning of the race season is always interesting, new cars,
new teams, new graphic schemes, everyone likes to roll out their best
looking piece to get things going. But they say beauty is only skin deep,
you’ll see who came to race when they drop the green flag.
We all have seen it, a great looking car that runs at the tail of
the field. I don’t know if they put too much time and effort in making it
look pretty that they forgot about the setup or they just don’t want to get
it scratched up? Either way, that is not why you build a race car. You build
a race car to race and win.
The same can be said for people, there are those of us who look the
part, dress the right way, look and smell good, but when it is time to help
people through the challenges of life they shrink into the background. That
is one of the most difficult challenges we face, are we willing to step up
to the plate and help someone when they need it.
You hear it many times, “call if I can help” but does it really
mean that? For some it does, we know the folks we can count on at 2am to
come and help us. We know the ones that will walk along side when we need
someone to lean on. Those are the folks that understand what it means to
love unconditionally.
Jesus showed that love to us in that when we didn’t deserve it He
died for us. Now for a good man someone might dare to die, but for a sinner?
We find out our true character when we run the race of life. We find out who
the folks we can count on are when we are faced with situations that
overwhelm us.
I spoke at Chapel about the sheep and the goats. The passage is
found in Matthew’s Gospel, 25:31- 46;
"The Son of Man will come in all his glory. All the
angels will come with him.
Then he will sit on his throne in the glory of heaven. All the nations will
be gathered in front of him.
He will separate the people into two groups. He will be like a shepherd who
separates the sheep from the goats.
He will put the sheep to his right and the goats to his left.
“Then the King will speak to those on his right. He will say, 'My Father has
blessed you.
Come and take what is yours. It is the kingdom prepared for you since the
world was created.
I was hungry. And you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty. And you gave
me something to drink.
I was a stranger. And you invited me in. I needed clothes. And you gave them
to me. I was sick.
And you took care of me. I was in prison. And you came to visit me.'
"Then the people who have done what is right will answer him.
'Lord,' they will ask, 'when did we see you hungry and feed you?
When did we see you thirsty and give you something to drink?
When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in?
When did we see you needing clothes and give them to you?
When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'What I'm about to tell you is true.
Anything you did for one of the least important of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.'
"Then he will say to those on his left, 'You are cursed! Go away from me
into the fire that burns forever.
It has been prepared for the devil and his angels. I was hungry. But you
gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty.
But you gave me nothing to drink. I was a stranger. But you did not invite
me in. I needed clothes.
But you did not give me any. I was sick and in prison. But you did not take
care of me.'
"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty and not
help you?
When did we see you as a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison
and not help you?'
"He will reply, 'What I'm about to tell you is true.
Anything you didn't do for one of the least important of these, you didn't
do for me.'
"Then they will go away to be punished forever.
But those who have done what is right will receive eternal life."
Funny thing about goats, they leave a
trail of destruction. They devour anything and everything. If left alone,
nothing is safe. It is a reminder to us that there are only two choices,
only two options. No matter how good we think we are we just may be a goat.
There are only two true motives in this world, we can be motivated
to please ourselves or we can be motivated to do what is right in the eyes
of God. We only have the motive to please God if the Holy Spirit is present
in our heart. It matters what is in our heart.
Many people do good things and help others but with the wrong
motives. Take a look around and see how many are motivated to do good
because of the recognition they receive; because of the compliments they
get. We all enjoy praise from others, but if that is our only motive for
doing something our heart is in the wrong place.
With the new season we have the opportunity to start things again;
we can choose a different path. Maybe we need to recondition our heart to be
in tune with Gods. Maybe it is time we let Him have control over the choices
we make.
Christ made a choice that cost him his life, not for the honor of
men, but out of obedience to God. My hope and prayer is that we are willing
to do the same. When the day comes and we stand before God will we be sheep
or goats? What is in our heart?
THOUGHTS
FROM THE ROAD
BOSTON STRONG - It has been a
difficult week, another week with our attention fixed on tragic events, this
time in Boston . As we reflect on the these events I am saddened by the
coldness of someone’s heart that they could look someone in the eye and drop
a bomb at their feet, all the while with the intent of killing them. One of
the victims gave police the description of the man that dropped a backpack
at his feet and left.
Another difficult picture to digest was a photo of the white hatted
man placing his backpack on the ground a few feet from the eight year old
boy that lost his life. How difficult to comprehend that a young man, still
a teenager, could be so cold and callus.
As I replay the images in my head and listen to the story I am
struck by the resolve, the heroism, the willingness to step into harms way
for a stranger. I am reminded of the verse from John’s Gospel;
John 15:10; Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for
his friends.
Innocent lives have been taken in the name of terror, with the
intent of intimidating us to cower down to wishes of another. That won’t
happen, especially in Boston .
Boston is where it all started, the birthplace of this great
nation, it was there that we said enough is enough and the revolution began.
Maybe we are ready to fight again for what we hold near and dear to out
hearts, God and County.
I encourage you not to let this deter you from speaking out,
putting God back in first place in your lives and leading this country back
to honor God again.
RACING AT MAD DOG - Spring has not been to kind to the thermometer
and Saturday night there was a real concern that the number of cars for the
feature would be higher that the temperature on the thermometer at feature
time.
Bobby, Scott and Vinetta were there to minister to the teams and Bobby
shared this report;
The second race for the Valenti Modified Racing Series is in the
books. The weather report had the temperatures being in the high 20's by
nights end and there were 27 Mods registered for the opening night for
Monadnock Speedway. The question remained, which one would be higher at
nights end?
Based on the temperatures the fan base was looking good. But by the
nights end every fan was doing the "Mad Dog shuffle" trying to stay warm.
During the heat races the #28 of Doug Jarvis, one of the favorites to win
tonight, put an end to that with a very hard hit coming out of turn 4. With
the amount of damage to the car that ended any attempt to collect his first
win for the 2013 season.
When you have cold temperatures it is difficult to keep the heat in the
tires for the Mods and that makes for a slippery race. The drivers held it
together until lap #52, after the yellow made its appearance it would return
many times. During the yellows there was always a large group of cars coming
into the pits to make corrections on their setup. One car #85 Mechalides
finally got the right setup making a great charge to the front and taking a
3rd place finish.
The #25 of Pennink took home the checkers. As soon as the VMRS took the
checkers it was the fans turning up the heat of their own making their way
to their cars. The next race for the VMRS is at Thompson Speedway, see you
there.
DOUBLE HEADER WEEK - With the K&N running in Richmond on Thursday
night and the Whelen Modified Tour at Stafford for the Sizzler on the
weekend it will be a busy travel week for us. Please keep us in your
thoughts and prayers as we serve the racing community.
Until next time, be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals
and apparel. See them at the Show Your Faith Apparel Store at
http://www.rwjm.com/store. Send us your prayer and counseling needs no matter
what part of our racing family you are in, or give us a call. Remember that
God loves you, we love you and
Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing. GOD BLESS.
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Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord
make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace."
May God always Bless you, everyday in everyway. Rev. Don
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