Men @ Midweek

i got high this week…..

2009-11-06T07:37:00.001-08:00

scary.

well in my old life it would be.

this high was something different. it was a God thing. in fact, i am still high.

i stood before a group of men, some ive known for a while, some i had just met.

i was running late. one of the old guys, a fellow NY’er that is in florida and retired came up to me in a panic…. they cant find the coffee. LOL

“brother frankie, can you find it, we like your coffee better anyway…”

i found the coffee and made it with a paper towel filter..

another guy, a mexican that cant speak spanish came over… “i knew you would be here..brother frankie.. you are wearing another silly hat.. did you know italians stole our language? i told him its not his cause he cant even speak spanish.. now we might have stole their woman..”

i walked around and shook about 20 sets of hands, each set belonging to someone that was glad to see me. each set of hands had a mouth connected to the same body that said “brother frankie” with a smile and a twinkle in their eye.

“hey, brother frankie”, are we going to the lake on saturday?” “yes ray, you are serving communion….” another smile..

a new guy came over and said, “hey brother frankie, i prayed for you this week. AND I TAKE THAT SERIOUS< I PRAY WHEN I SAY I PRAYED!!”

i paused and thought, who am i that you are mindful of me. almost started crying but i choked it back.

then this new guy, a short man who rides a bicycle and wears the ugliest clogs (yeah clogs)said,

”can i ask you something BROTHER FRANKIE? “

of course you can..

“why do all the people around here, the men, the park people, all of them… why do they call you brother frankie?

i stopped and thought.

i am looking in this mans beautiful eyes, he had a smile that could melt a bikers heart. sheesh.. his smile reminded me of my sons when he was 3 years old and believed in santa..

i answered that they just do. i dont know.

i suppose they love me.

“can i call you brother frankie? can i call you that like the rest of them?” still excited.. oh man this guy.. i am seeing peter in him.. or john, the one Jesus loved…

yeah brother, i love you too, of course you can call me brother frankie..

id like that.

with that i went to the mens room and had a little cry. i actually got on my knees in the mens room stall and cried out to my God, my Lord Jesus that i was loved.

that i was no longer brother trouble as my old pastor and church had called me.

i was loved

i was sober

i was loved.

praise you my God, it is you they love and see in me.

i went back to these men that gather at midweek.

i broke bread with them. larry gave me the signal it was time to speak.

i had as funny lil sermonette to share, the holy spirit spoke to me and changed that.

i looked the men in the eye, the ones that loved me and called me BROTHER FRANKIE…

and confessed my sin..

i shared that i had sinned against the body of Christ and i wanted to repent..

(i had offended someone with foul language and arrogance…)

ii spoke about the healing that comes with serving them, serving God in Christ Jesus.

i preached the best sermon of my life..

i spoke to them with the voice of a prophet,

i spoke to them as a sinner saved by Grace.

i felt God inside me,

like never before,

this broken vessel,

was no longer broken.

i was restored,

I WAS HIGH!!!!

and it was the best high i have ever had.

You are loved

Brother Frankie

A biker for Christ

(this is a duplicate post from my other blog)

where are our acts of disciples'?

2009-11-02T16:24:00.001-08:00

i stumbled on this and figured it just might be relevant considering the spiritual growth of our band of merry men and the upcoming conference.

you are loved

Brother Frankie

the person speaking is

Arthur Katz:

in his book Ben Israel: Odyssey of a Modern Jew, Katz describes encounter after encounter with Christians who defied the stereotype he held, and, after reading a portion of the New Testament, added:

The law said that the woman must be stoned. Yet Jesus had been teaching forgiveness, and earlier in the Book had actually said, "God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." Jesus was trapped.

... What would I say in Jesus' place? I searched my mind, exhausting my resources of logic and reason and finally conceded there was no answer. Fully expecting the worst, I reopened the book and read on. I found Jesus bending over, poking His finger in the dirt.

... And then came His answer, "Let him who is without sin cast the first stone." I gasped. A sword had been plunged deep into my own being. It was numbing and shocking, yet thrilling, because the answer was so utterly perfect. It defied cerebral examination. It cut across every major issue I had ever anguished upon in my life. Truth. Justice. Righteousness. Integrity. I knew that what I had read transcended human knowledge and comprehension. It had to be divine.''

personal inventory

2009-09-09T23:55:00.001-07:00

I recently was asked by Brother Larry to give a two week talk about my use of a personal inventory in my recovery and walk with the Lord. I was honored.

you see, i do an inventory every night of my life. yup, unless i pass out on the couch that is, i make it a point to go over all the folks i might have sinned against, including myself, then try to make amends to the best of my ability and ask for forgiveness.

I talked about the dozens of people we cross paths with from the time we get up, till the time we go to bed, and the hundreds of ways we can sin against them.

I then explained over the course of two weeks how by inventorying our sins, confessing and making amends, we can wake up guilt free with no anger of bitterness in our life. It keeps me sober. It keeps me grounded as a man of God.

Tonight after Men@midweek, Brother Larry and I went out for a cup of coffee and talked a little about what was on our hearts. He shared with me that he is hurt when he feels i am not listening when he talks to me.

Yup. Im Guilty. I do this to everyone i know. Mostly to those I care about the most. MY wife, my kids, my best friends.

I do not know why. I am working that out. I am conscious of it as it is happening then i loose it and do it some more. I am getting help as well as reading as much as i can on the subject.

It is sin. I need to change.

I cannot do it alone.

Without saying “yeah but”….

i take responsibility and will, with the help of my friends, loved ones, and the Holy Spirit will over come this sin.

I figured it is time to demonstrate to my brothers at Men@Midweek how a normal apology should be and what it involves..

This is a copy of the letter i sent my dear friend after i got home tonight. i truly hope he does not mind. if he does, i will write another letter… LOL :)

_____________________________________________________

Brother Larry,

I wanted to call you and say this but you are probably in bed. So…I shall type away..

I Just wanted to affirm to you that I am aware of my problem with listening and not allowing you to finish an entire thought or topic. There really is no excuse for it. I am being selfish and sin against you when I do it.

I am aware of it and am looking for ways to improve my listening skills. I really do care what you have to say, what your family life is like, and well, just about anything on your heart. I love you.

I know that this must really hurt you. There must be times you don’t even want to say anything at all because I seem not to care. That must really hurt. I am sorry. I do not want to hurt you or make you feel unloved or cared about. Please forgive me.

If there is any way I can make this up to you and show you I am serious please don’t hesitate to let me know. I WILL LISTEN.

I have started to re read a book called “listening is an act of love”, and another titled “The art of Christian listening” to help me focus and stop being selfish in my listening or sharing habits. I cannot promise that I will improve over night. I can promise that I will give it 100% effort and ask you to feel free to gently let me know when I seem to be unaware that my listening skills are lacking. I will not get angry, I promise. Even if I seem hurt, I would appreciate you being honest with me. It probably is not so much hurt as embarrassment anyway. It is embarrassing to fall short in areas concerning people you care about.

So on that note, when can we get together so I may practice this skill I strive to master? I always make it a priority in my daily life to spend time with you. I really enjoy your company and have gained so much wisdom by our many hours spent together. I also really enjoy hearing about Mary, Gary, and Shari, even if her name is spelled wrong. You are gifted by the Lord with a wonderful wife and kids, so much so I enjoy you sharing their lives, your concerns for them, and even a bit of fathers boasting. So let’s get some ice cream, coffee or fresca… go down to the lake and set a spell and tell me what's on your heart.. Id love to listen…

Your Friend and Brother

Frankie

A sinner save byGrace

Lyle B Schmeiser, Disabled American Veterans Chaplain

2009-08-05T12:54:00.001-07:00

I have asked a dear friend, a man that is like a dad to me here in Florida to write a lil something about our gathering lake side.

This past Saturday we shared Gods Love, we shared Communion, we shared our time…

Lyle thank you for taking the time to be a part of this ministry..

you are loved..

DAV Chaplain Lyle pictured here with one of my (adopted) “sons” Comrade Robin A. Feldman…!!!

Lyle Schmeiser, United States Navy, Korean War (era)

Disabled Veteran. Comrade Robin Feldman United

States Air Force Disabled Veteran….Both GATOR fans!!!

THE DUCKS….where’d ALLL the ducks go?!!!

When the Men at Midweek gathered at Starke Lake in Ocoee FL. July 18 2009 there were leventy seven hundred ducks and other water/flying fowl gathered there as well. Today August 1, 2009 there was only two ‘ol ducks out there. We not only missed the ducks and other birds but we also……..HEY, youse guys that do not attend these Saturday morning Lakeside gatherings…you are really MISSING!!! Missing in more ways than one!!! First you have the pavilion, super nice facilities that the City of Ocoee built for the enjoyment of whomever chooses to use these nice IMPRESSIVE gazebo type structures in front of Starke Lake on Starke Lake Circle, Ocoee Florida USA. You are missing the shady trees, the brisk fresh breeze (clean fresh air) that always seems to prevail out there….the breeze gently blowing off that vast body of water. But most of all you are missing the AWESOME Comradeship, Fellowship

Discipleship at these SPECIAL gatherings!!! I am afraid some of you guys, to “coin a golfer’s phrase”, are “laying up” on these FINE Saturday mornings while a few of us are out there….with our spouses….enjoying God’s creation…and each other!!!

Communion

God, our Father wants, wishes for, covets, inhabits our praises, our time spent with Him!!! And He ALWAYS meets us out there or wherever we choose to worship Him…… Truly I say to you, what ever you shall bind on the earth will have already been bound in heaven: and what ever you shall loose on the earth will have already been loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, that if two of you on earth shall agree concerning any matter that they wish to request, it shall be done for them by My Father, Who is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there, am I in the midst of them. Matthew 18:18,19 & 20 (A New English Translation)

God created us to fellowship with Him, to communicate with Him to have communion with Him. And God said “Let Us make man in our image, after our likeness” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female. Genesis 1: 26a & 27 (NET)

And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” Genesis 3:8a & 9 (NET) (For those of you whom would like to get a glimpse into what that means, of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day…..Please log onto my website http://www.theroadsign.blogspot.com/ and read my account of THE GARDEN, My Mother’s Garden…!!!)

God’s love for us is unconditional, is abundantly above any thing we can ask or even think!!! For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes** in Him may not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 (NET)

(** The Greek present tense translation of that word means, “everyone who continually believes in Him” Such belief is a continuous deep, life-long, inner conviction faith accompanied by

loving obedience to God the Father and Jesus Christ, rather than a mere mental or verbal acknowledgement of Jesus Christ.)

But God commends His own love to us because, when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8

All Scripture taken from: The Holy Bible in its Original Order. A New English Translation.

God Bless America and God Bless ALLLL the Men At Midweek and everyone else that reads these truths written by;

Lyle B Schmeiser, Disabled American Veterans Chaplain

a break from isolating, and Hebrews…

2009-07-26T12:33:00.001-07:00

as you folks know, my passion is Christ.

yup, that sandal footed dirty toed guy.

he wandered around with no place to lay His head. (homeless?)

He had a cousin who was a biker i think, (well, he looked like one)

his name was John. John the Baptist. (not southern or affiliated)

just a baptist, used as a verb, not a noun.

anyway, as Jesus wandered around, He met folks needs.

by feeding

by healing

by touching

by caring

by forgiving

by, well by just being Jesus!!!!

anyway, before Jesus went to do what He was sent to do,

(and HE was sent, sent by His Father, to die for me and for you)

there was John. john was called,

(yes, called… many are called, called by the Father..)

called to prepare the way, to preach repentance.

to preach change.

john told the folks that one was coming that we should take note of,

that he (john) would decrease so

The ONE who was coming would increase..

anyway, i have been called,

not unlike John..

to prepare some folks for The ONE who is coming again.

but these folks,

the ones who do not have a home or a place to lay their head.

these folks are hungry. very hungry. i try to feed them.

i feed them with what i have, what is shared, what i find.

i then feed them the Word of the ONE who is coming again,

(remember, father called me..)

i try to prepare them so they will not miss HIM.

its hard for them to hear me over the growl of their stomachs.

or the cry of their hungry child.

I have some friends that will let me borrow some words from them.

Here are some things you can do so I can do what i am called to do.

how to help feed the homeless…

Here are some simple things to make a difference

1.Pack an extra sandwich in your lunch and give it to someone on the street. This is the most personal way to feed them. Homeless people enjoy the nurturing that comes from homemade food just as much as anyone.

2.Order extra food at lunch or dinner and ask that the waitress wrap it up. Make sure you've got extra eating utensils; then give the meal to the first homeless person you see. While not as personal as offering homeless people homemade food, it's a nourishing hot meal that will quiet hunger pangs for a few hours.

3.Find out where there are food pantries, food banks and soup kitchens. The Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program has a list of organizations who feed the homeless.

4.Locate the organizations, churches and agencies that provide food for the homeless and type these on sheets of paper to distribute to homeless people.

5.Donate non-perishables to food pantries and food banks. Make an effort to buy some every week and make a trip with your children so they understand that not everyone has a full refrigerator.

6.Give money to local pantries and organizations such as America's Second Harvest, which partners with businesses to feed homeless people.

7.Give your time to organizations that feed the homeless. Pick up food donations if you've got access to a car. Make meals if you like to cook.

Serve the food if you like to interact with people.

we do this the first and third saturday at starke lake ocoee.

8:30am (im there way b4 that)

i do this as much as i can. (at 10 pm weeknights lately)

send me an email, a shout, or show up wed nights and ask..

brotherFrankie@bellsouth.net

remember,

YOU ARE SO DANG LOVED!!!

Brother Frankie

A Biker for Christ

Soon And Very Soon ,We Are Going To See The King!

2009-07-07T22:43:00.001-07:00

as everything else this week. my blog has been hijacked by the king of pop..

i wanted to post about isolation. brother larry has been leading an a great series on how dangerous it is to christians. then i thought about the death of micheal jackson, and the self imposed isolation he lived with.

how sad.

it was dangerous.

it was fatal.

it killed him.

he had no peace. he looked for it in all the wrong places.

inappropriate sex, drugs, music, playlands, money.

we all do it. he was extreme. my son got on the band wagon.

he liked mike.

you see, my son posted on his facebook wall. rest in peace micheal.

i stopped in my tracks. i pondered. its something i do. i commented on his wall this. “

cody, i really do not believe that he is in a place of peace. i do not think he is resting. i pray that he called upon the Name above all names, that last second of life even, for our God is merciful.
Matthew 7:23 (NKJV)
23 (NKJV) And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'
... Read More
Luke 16:24 (MSG)
24 (MSG) He called out, 'Father Abraham, mercy! Have mercy! Send Lazarus to dip his finger in water to cool my tongue. I'm in agony in this fire.'
i am sad. i always am when someone passes that may not have accepted truth.”

this opened up a can of worms you might say. i had a great response from many people, young and old. some were saying shame on me for judging, some were calling me a hater. one even sent me a private message reminding me that i am an addict !!! talk about hating.

i responded with scripture.

according to the Bible, its a choice we make while we are still alive. God keeps His Word. He cannot lie, it is impossible.
John 3:18 (MSG)
18 (MSG) Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person's failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.

no responses. they must be thinking. Word of God never returns void. Never. Then i see it clicking. i see truth cutting through the crap (yeah thats what it is, almost used another word but larry would hit me) through the crap we are fed by the media, by so called ministers. Like sharpton, rev run, jessie jackson… they lie.

Michael Jackson's golden coffin was wheeled onto the stage at the Staples Centre in Los Angeles as a choir sang Soon And Very Soon (We Are Going To See The King).

how appropriate that song is.

Let it be known, sometime this past week or so..

The king of pop,

must now bow down to the KING OF KINGS

Jesus Christ !!!!

You are Loved

Brother Frankie

A Biker for Christ

Open Letter to Pastor Tim, First Baptist Winter Garden Florida….

2009-06-08T12:27:00.001-07:00

I have been thinking.

Thinking hard about how grateful I am to the folks who make up this band of brothers we call Men@Midweek.

What has caught my attention is how First Baptist lets “outsiders” gather in their house. Now do not misunderstand me, I know Who’s House it is. But, there are some gate keepers ya know… photo by Claudia M Montano

So, this is what the Lord has laid upon my heart..

Dear Pastor Tim Grosshans,

A few weeks ago, (the week before your 100 day mark) , I attended a service at First Baptist Wintergarden. The church itself is not new to me. I have been on the grounds as well as joined many events or happenings there as you folks celebrate the risen King,

This note is a note of thanks. A note of gratitude. You see, I have been a Christian, or follower of Jesus for close to twenty years and I have the scars to prove it. I want to tell you what First Baptist has done for me.

There is a long story as to just how I came back to a group called Men@Midweek that meets in your basement living room. But that is for another day. What I do want to share now is how I fell in Love with the Word of God all over again because of them.

I came back to this group of misfits, (from all walks of life) about two years ago, give or take a few months. What a bunch of Jesus guys. What a demonstration of Gods Love. What a joy it is to dig into Gods Word, week after week, month after month with these guys. In this band of brothers I see elders, deacons, pastors, plumbers, blue collar workers, alcoholics, addicts, the saintly, the not so saintly, white collar workers; well you name it they are there. But what really gets my attention is that they all do not attend First Baptist. Isn’t that breaking the rules? I guess not at First Baptist it isn’t.

Because you folks had a vision. Because you folks know that there are Jesus followers that just might not go to your Church, I am alive today. I am back to serving God instead of drinking or drugging myself to death. I did not leave my wife, but learned to love her as Christ loves me. I learned to be a dad to my kids all over again. I take in foster kids as well as adults again. Because of First Baptist Wintergarden and their commitment to the Body of Christ. Their commitment to serving the community regardless of where they go to church, or even if they go on Sunday morning.

Gary, Al, and Scott are just a few of your members that loved me because Christ loved me. They loved me the way Jesus does, unconditionally. Brother Larry spent untold hours praying for me, leading me on the right path. Always using the Word of God to show me that Rock we run into on this path we travel.

Pastor, I know that you are just getting settled in. Just passing the hundred day mark. (congrats) But from the bottom of my heart I thank you and the congregation of First Baptist for their commitment to our Lord. Their commitment to demonstrating His Love without holding back. I am alive today because of them. Please continue this legacy of service. As my teens say, I GOT YOUR BACK!!! Anything I can do for you from prayer to cleaning toilets, just ask.

As a show of gratitude I would like to offer my services in cleaning the sanctuary carpets as well as the Basement living room carpets. It is but a small gesture of gratitude.

Humbly,

in His Service

Brother Frankie

A Biker for Christ

I was just being…

2009-06-07T11:05:00.001-07:00

Ive been lazy….

Ive been pre-occupied…

Well,

ive just been..

don’t rush me, im looking for a word here…

now let me see..

oh yeah, I have been real busy being “ME”…

now normally, that would not affect most folks..

normally, that would not even affect me,

but you see, this blog,

or thing that I write, does not have my name on it..

so as the story goes, it should not reflect me, but the name it bears.

please forgive me faithful followers and readers for not keeping up to date. I would like to say it will never, ever happen again,

but ..

(sigh)

it probably will. So please don’t get angry with this not so perfect brother in the Lord.

Im working on an actual post.

It may be up tonight,

maybe in the morning. But there will be one even if it is just pics.

Remember,

You are Loved,

Brother Frankie

Saturday 04.18.09 (men@starke lake, ocoee, florida)

2009-04-24T15:32:00.001-07:00

who: any man, any age

what: free breakfast & fellowship

when: 1st & 3rd saturday of the month. 8:30 AM

it’s been a month since our last time here.

four entire weeks. it felt like a year.

there were men standing alone,

im glad we came back,

there is a need

for the Word of God

to be shared,

John 6:27 (MSG)
^{27 (MSG)}"Don't waste your energy striving for perishable food like that. Work for the food that sticks with you, food that nourishes your lasting life, food the Son of Man provides. He and what he does are guaranteed by God the Father to last."

we shared our meal,

we shared a song form our heart

we shared our friendship,

we shared our joy,

we shared our faith and the Word of God.

we shared the name above all names,

JESUS Christ!

we bowed our heads,

and asked the Lord for help,

There is nothing more to say,

this last picture says it all.

Remember,

You are Loved,

Brother Frankie

A Biker for Christ.

Wednesday 4.08.09 Rest is our Hope

2009-04-11T02:53:00.001-07:00

I have not posted these past two weeks for the following reasons

we watched a short clip done by Rob Belle two weeks ago.
I skipped last week to attend a youth meeting with my boys.
I am a procrastinator, its one of the few things I am great at.

Wow, i could use a rest..

i am frazzled,

………………………..discombobulated if you will,

and maybe a little bit crazy right now….

I don't know about you, but I need rest. I need it physically, i need it emotionally,

well,

lets just say that we all agree, rest is needed for all of us.

__________________________________________________

Quick Review

Brother Larry did his normal artwork and note taking on the chalk board (yes it is the one paul used when he wrote to timothy, its that old).

What accompanies salvation? What does this look like in a man professing Christ as His Lord?

humility

prayer

fruits of the spirit

new mind

works

kindness, love, peace, patience ………

this is just a partial list, the men just kept giving more and more. It seems that they are living with these character enhancements of being a follower of Jesus. This just gives me goose bumps. What a privilege to sit in the same room with these guys.

But what is the thing we should be doing?

we should be moving forward, maturing in our faith.. moving towards our hope..

Hebrews 6:12 (MSG)
^{12 (MSG)}Don't drag your feet. Be like those who stay the course with committed faith and then get everything promised to them.

So we know the direction, but what is our hope?

this had a few of us looking back a few chapters. Studying scripture always involves looking in front of, and looking after a verse that asks a question. Mike found the answer quick. This guy is good, he must be reading a bit on his lunch break at work.

REST IS OUR HOPE

This is important…

did you hear me?

This is very, very, important…..

ya really need to engrave this on your heart.

Our God has been planning this since the creation.

Read this scripture. Memorize it!

It is a truth that gives life…

Hebrews 4:1-11 (MSG)
^{1 (MSG)}For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified.
²We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith.
³If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." God made that vow, even though he'd finished his part before the foundation of the world.
⁴Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,"
⁵but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest."
⁶So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient.
⁷God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear...
⁸And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today."
⁹The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people.
¹⁰God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God.
¹¹So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.

Chew on that my brothers..

God is setting the clock to today,

everyday,

waiting for you to enter into his rest.

stay tuned for part two.. (what is hope on a rope?)

Remember,

You are Loved,

Brother Frankie

A Biker for Christ.

Saturday 03.21.09 (starke lake, ocoee, florida)

2009-03-25T21:59:00.001-07:00

i know that saturday is not quite midweek, but i dont know where brother larry and i are going with this. so i am posting it here.

just about 2 years ago i was in really bad shape spiritually, emotionally, and physically. i was working a 12 step program. i was committed to spending some time in solitude with my Lord Jesus.. i needed a place to be alone that did not cost me anything to sit there.

i found bill breeze park located on the banks of starke lake to be just what i wanted, needed, and prayed that i could spend some time with God there.

i started going about 4 days a week for about two hours per day. i would bring a cup of coffee, a book or two, and a snack. as the year progressed i started noticing some of the less fortunate in my community were there just as much as me. in the beginning we would just nod our heads and acknowledge each other. this went on for about a year. my life was getting back on track.

i rode my motorcycle most days and usually looked the part.

grubby.

as a biker for Christ, i started keeping canned raviolio’s and ramon soup in my saddle bags and a bunch of bibles to hand out when i made my ministry rounds. i began leaving a few cans on the tables when i left hoping the local folks that needed would take them.

it was not long until i developed a friendship with a few of these folks.

ya know, just coffee and chit chat.

sharing what the Lord had done for me,

well, just, ….

just being friends.

i started asking God what He wanted me to do. i felt strongly that starke lake, or bill breeze park would be used by God. i just did not know how.

or where i fit in to the whole thing.

the city of ocoee closed my park. i could not believe it. it turned out they were doing a complete renovation, but i lost my hang out.

lost contact with my new friends who chose to live outdoors.

i went back to starbucks for several months. (i sure missed the park)

the park eventually reopened and it was beautiful. loads of upgrades. i again began to hang out in my secret spot.

now with better tables and benches. (praise God)

my old friends were no longer around but i hung around just the same. (they will return)

i eventually shared with brother larry about my little piece of God’s property and how i have been keeping it to my self. larry joined me for some God time at the park.

i shared my love for this place and explained that God had put a vision that i did not understand on my heart.

brother larry felt it too.

he was excited about all the amenities that seemed to be put there just for us.

larry immediately planned a men's breakfast/prayer/fellowship that month with me. its great to have a dear friend that shares a God given vision. i was so stoked for this.

TODAY>>> 3.21.2009>>>> saturday morning @ 7:30 am

while i set up coffee, a microwave to heat the sausage and egg frittata we would be sharing for breakfast, brother larry was pulling up. (ask him about the bread story).

it was a cool morning, beautiful, perfect, a gift from God.

we were soon joined by the following brothers from the midweek group.

scott (~~redsox fan~~), frank (scots father in law), harmon (minister), ray (my homeboy), bill (91 years old life long missionary),

chaplain lyle (so old he was @ the last supper), larry, and myself.

the guys helped a man named dan unload his canoe and offered a cup of coffee.

we sang hymns with brother harmon and worshipped the King of Kings.

on the way to get more water i was stopped by a guy in a truck that asked what we were up too, i told him just some guys getting together to talk about Jesus, pray a little, and eat some grub.

i invited him over. his name was gary and he shared a meal with us as well as stayed for the message.

brother harmon shared a great message with us, we were truly blessed.

a few teens from ocoee high school (go knights) walked up and asked what we were up to. we told them just talking about Jesus and invited them to eat and stay a bit. ya know what? they stayed. their names were josh and robert.

after some praying and some more food, a second pot of coffee, brother larry asked me to share the plan of salvation in a short Gospel Message.

I did,

then we all prayed, committing our lives to the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

What a miracle to see some friends, old and young, strangers, old and young, break bread and worship our Lord in a public park.

did i mention how respectful josh and robert were? id love to see them again..

here are some pics of us enjoying the fellowship..

brother bob & scott

brother frank (the old one)

chaplain lyle giving back rubs

Lord,

I thank thee for the blessing we received from you.

I thank thee for the men that stood together that morning.

I thank thee for Your Word that was shared.

I thank you for the food we ate.

I thank thee for Brother Larry, a man on the mark.

I thank thee for the folks we met.

most of all,

I thank thee for your precious Son Jesus,

who died for me while I was still a sinner.

I thank thee that I am forgiven for my sins,

and when you look at me I am wearing robes of white

because of the atoning Blood that was shed for me

on Calvary.

IN JESUS NAME>

AMEN!!!!!

Thanks for stopping by, the next breakfast is April 18th @ 8:30.

All are welcome.

Remember,

You are Loved,

Brother Frankie

A Biker for Christ.

Wednesday 3/18/2009 If it were possible to skip a verse, with Chaplain Lyle sitting there...

2009-03-23T15:59:00.001-07:00

What a hoot we had last Wednesday night at our little gathering. After a quick "are you saved" presentation

of the Gospel by yours truly and some time on our knees in prayer before the thrown of Grace, Chaplain Lyle took the pulpit by storm. Let me start from the beginning.....

I took Chaplain Lyle out for coffee at a local coffee shop on Wednesday morning. Brother Larry showed up and we started talking about where we were in the book of Hebrew's, Old Chaplain Lyle was a little bit burned about Brother Larry skipping a few verses in the previous weeks study.( Hebrews 6:4-8) Of course I know that Larry had a reason and a plan behind his method of teaching and was guided by the Holy Spirit in his choice, but it sure did not sit well with a few of the guy's, including Lyle. Larry suggested that Lyle teach it that evening. Lyle got a lil bug eyed, but he accepted the challenge.

Chaplain Lyle started his talk with an opening prayer using the words from an old song called

(Gimme That) Old Time Religion

". I could definitely a roaring thunder in the power and emotion in his voice while Lyle prayed those words.

Lyle stressed the following points..

2 Corinthians 6:16-17 ^{17 (NKJV)}Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you."

Be sure your brain is engaged before your mouth is in gear.

There is most probably adversity in skipping a verse or two. :)

That we need to submit and make strong our dependence on God

are we really that stupid? Turn from sin and repent...

Now this was by far not all of what the old man had to say, but one of his points is he is all grown up and he wanted to hear the Gospel straight forward, complete, and without skipping.(i know Larry was coming back to the skipped verses but was led by the Lord to do what he did)

Chaplain Lyle did show his trust in Brother Larry as a teacher by cheerfully turning the pulpit over to him, after sternly instructing him to TEACH the skipped verses regardless of different opinions.

We laughed, we joked, we poked fun at each other. Then Larry got down to business.

He preached the Gospel as it is presented in Hebrews 6:4-8.

Hebrews 6:4-8 (NKJV) ^{4 (NKJV)}For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, ⁶if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame. ⁷For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; ⁸but if it bears thorns and briars, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned. I am not a gifted writer but I will do my best to put down what I received from Brother Larry's teaching.(please forgive me if I do not nail it as Larry presented it.) Link to Larry's teaching

There are three ways to look at these verses..

hypothetical, as in what if...

christian to turn away and loose salvation

they were never saved, were religious but rejected salvation.

The first we threw out, it does not apply to us. The second was explained was a belief system taught by some denominations. The point was stressed that this was not necessarily correct though.. The Third "they were never saved, were religious but rejected salvation" this is a biblical key and truth. Simply put I took this as some people do all the religious things. They read the Bible, go to church, live good and moral lives, but never actually have a relationship with Christ. It is a matter of the heart. These people that appear to be religious have nothing to fall away from. They were never saved. . Brother Harmon shared that it was a matter of attitude and not behavior .

So are we going to follow God or not? How do we know where we are?

Are you saved? How do we answer this. Well here are some questions that might let the Holy Spirit talk to your heart..

Do you deliberately keep going into sin, or repeating tha same sin over and over? Are the fruits of the spirit evident in your life consistently? (Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) (love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.)

Do you see the works of the flesh evident in your life and you are un repentant or not turning from it? here are some examples.. Adultery, fornication, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, envy, murder, drunkenness, lusts, heresies, not loving fellow believers or causing them to stumble, un disciplined prayer life, and the list goes on...

Here are some other questions you might want to chew on this week.

Two kinds of land production vividly portray the reason to go on to maturity (Hebrews 6:7-8). How does each characterize your life?

According to Hebrews 6:4-6, Why is it absolutely essential to develop Christian maturity? What are the consequences of falling by the wayside (so to speak)?

Thank you my brothers,

Till Wednesday night,

be blessed and remember

you are loved.

Brother Frankie A Biker for Christ

Repentance (Wednesday 06/11/09)

2009-03-17T21:19:00.001-07:00

Last Wednesday Brother Larry spoke about repentance. The main point is confession is only part of repentance. Remorse and turning from the confessed sin must follow. Some of the men in the group shared areas of their life that were sinful and confessed. Some of us asked for help in cleaning up these areas and turning from our sin.
Our time together was one of love and peace. We ended our study with a prayer as always. But this week we were truly blessed when one of our brothers sang a hymn of worship to the Lord. His voice and attitude of worship brought a tear to my eye as we knelt before the throne of God. Its an honor to worship the Lord with the men of Men@Midweek. They are real men who love Jesus.
Below is a link to study helps from Brother Larry as well as my testimony of the fruits produced by sharing with the group of brothers. Please feel free to comment or add a response. If you are from the group let us know you are out there!

Larry's teaching on Repentance

Brother Larry,

Thanks for sharing concerning your dad and forgiveness. As I sit here thinking about confession and repentance the word reconciliation comes to mind. Isn’t that what this confession thing is really about? I looked back to Romans to see what the Word says..

Romans 5:10 (NKJV)
^{10 (NKJV)}For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Reconciliation is the act of settling or restoring differences. Usually reconciliation means the restoring of a relationship. It is a settling or resolving of differences between friends, family, or us and our God.

When I confessed last week to my brothers in the group that I felt my cigarette smoking has become a hindrance to ministry, in my relationship with my brothers in Christ, as well as my relationship with the Lord. I was looking for reconciliation. I confessed what had now become sin in my life (cigarette addiction) and promised to work on overcoming this addiction. To end it and be accountable for it.

There were three things on my mind at the time. Three areas I was looking to be fixed through repentance.

They are things that were broken due to my sin.

Relational I needed to bring a broken relationship into harmony. The relationship was with the Body of Christ, the men at the meeting or the brethren, and last but certainly not least, people that love me.

Because there was now intentional sin in my life, it could fester like an infected wound in my relationships. It had created a wall that could prevent fellowship with these people. If left untreated it would infect some of the people Christ loves and cause them harm.

Personal I longed to be at peace with my circumstances, or simply, with myself.

I no longer felt at peace. I was now unclean. I could no longer speak truth to others. I could no longer minister with an infection of sin in my life. I felt like the man in the bible that had to announce he had leprosy and yell, “Unclean, unclean” as he approached others. I was in shame.

Spiritual I was no longer at harmony with God. What was once something enjoyable (smoking) was now filth because it had become an idol and an addiction in my life. It was never sin to me before. Truthfully, I had never felt guilty in the past. Now in the light of Gods Word and the Holy Spirits gentle prompting, I was no longer in harmony with my Lord.

By publicly confessing my sin, asking for forgiveness, and asking for help where I am weak, I received reconciliation and healing in my life. I was also able to go to my elders at the church I attend to re affirm my weakness and ask to be held accountable. I could no longer hide or justify my sin so it no longer had power over my life. In other words, I showed a repentant heart and looked to change. Praise God.

As you quoted from John Macarthur, “Repentance is not merely being ashamed or sorry over sin, although genuine repentance always involves an element of remorse. It is a redirection of the human will, a purposeful decision to forsake all unrighteousness and pursue righteousness instead” (MacArthur, p.163)

I am now perusing righteousness over unrighteousness. In doing so I have received forgiveness, restoration, and reconciliation.

There is a surprising thing that’s happening in my walk with Christ this week. After my confession and meditating on the Lord this week, I am seeing other areas in my life that need to be taken care of. I have found anger in my heart that is un-confessed and is slowly turning into bitterness. I see glimpses of self righteousness. I see areas that I am arrogant when I should be patient. I see slothfulness in my life. I see lusts that I convince myself are harmless. I see flesh. When I see flesh I realize that I still have a lot of things I need to repent or turn away from. I need to die every day and let Christ restore me daily.

Thanks Brothers….

I love you all.

Brother Frankie.