chainlink Spring 2008.qxd - Christian Motorcyclists Association UK

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:08 Page 3What’s in the Spring 2008 ChainlinkTheCopdock show,Ipswich Suffolk.Another great day out, good weather,good company and good food. Here wehave Eccles and Mike from the Norfolkbranch and, with all the news aboutobesity,Mike looks like he has a spare tyre.Page 2 Names of Executive and National OfficersPage 3 IndexPage 4/5 CMA UK President, by Mike FittonPage 6 Hi, It’s me again by Emma Angel-JonesPage 7 An Encouraging Word, by Rev. Bob Bogart, West MidlandsPage 8/10 XCEL Men’s conference Nov 2007, by Rob Oakes North East BranchPage 11 Ladies of CMA Conference 2007 by Jackie Russell New Forrest BranchPage 12 CMA Ladies by Jackie Russell & Sandy Angel-Jones-FittonPage 13 Testimony from Hollybush 2007, by John Livermore - West Mids BranchPage 14 President and the Executive team.Page 15 Notes from the Editor, by Ken HardyPage 16 Youthbike letter.Page 17 In Memory of RobPage 18/20 Grapevine Event 2007, by Dave Finan Lincs & East Yorks BranchPage 21/23 From around the branches.Page 24 National rally. Are you going?Page 25 Major Events List, 2008.Page 26/27 BMF 2008Page 28/29 EMC Rally 2008 Winning Europe for Christ.Page 30/36 From around the branches.Page 37 Fasttrack, Fast Friday and Prayer, by Pete and Jen CranePage 38 A little personal information. by Jackie RussellPage 39 Where to find a CMA branch.Page 40/49 From around the branches.Page 50/51 ‘Hear Ye’, ‘Hear Ye’ Merchandising, by Andy & NaomiPage 52/54 From around the branches.Page 55 Caption competition for the oldiesPage 56/64 From around the branches.Page 65/66 Some of our sponsors.Page 67 A message and a prayer, by Mike Fitton3

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:08 Page 4President’s EncouragementBy the time youread this we willbe well on ourway into 2008and straightaway my heartcries out "Do wewant this year tobe the same aslast year or dowe want thisyear to be a newmove of Godupon theministry of CMA; a move of His Spiritin power, bringing the lost to the footof the cross that they might findforgiveness and life?" I know which Iwant.Last week I went along to a meeting,led by a missionary from Tanzaniaand his friend Silas, who is aTanzanian Pastor. I have to admit Ididn't really want to go as I feltexhausted and had already been outnumerous times in the past weeks.The temptation to sit by the fire athome and relax was very appealing,but I went.I initially felt frustrated that they didn'tuse a visual presentation, but then asSilas began to share about what Godis doing in Tanzania, my heart startedto listen to Jesus speaking to me. Yousee it would have been so easy forme to miss what God has to saybecause I wanted to be elsewhereand the method used to communicatewasn't the way I would have done it…The point was,Silas sharedthat in two yearsthey had planted89 churches inthe area wherethey lived; someof thosechurches hads e v e nmembers,others manymore. But whatwas the mainturning point for them? Yes prayerand fasting.I say 'Yes, prayer and fasting',because I am sure we all expectedthat to be the crux… but if the truth beknown we don't always live like weknow it and certainly don't use prayerand fasting to its full Godlyadvantage. Silas' team would go to avillage and two people would beallocated the job of prayer and fastingand they would position themselvesunderneath the staging where thepreaching would take place for twodays. They literally prayed and fastedunderneath the platform. Silaspreached on a platform of prayer….Wow. The results were incredible.Many were convicted of sin andturned to God for salvation, leavingbehind lives of tribal spirit worshipand witchdoctors. They were set freeto serve Jesus.Dear friends, in a book we readrecently, by Pastor Jim Cymbala4

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:08 Page 5(Fresh Wind Fresh Fire), he sharedthe story of how Brooklyn TabernacleNew York was changed from a small,rather ineffective church, to a churchon fire for God and touching lives forthe Gospel in their area.The difference was that they prayedand fasted and waited on God tomove. The change was radical, butthrough prayer and fasting theyneeded a radical change.If we do not strive to seek God afresheach day, never mind each year, andrely on His Spirit to convict and leadthe lost into truth, then we are missingthe point by a long way. Pleaseengage with God through our prayerinitiatives; pray as you attend rallies(don't stand around with nothing todo, pray), pray at churches, pray atbiker coffee shops, bike shops, forbikers, with bikers, offer to pray forthem, don't wait for them to ask you.Be led by the Holy Spirit, rely on theHoly Spirit, the results will show.Actually they will show whether we dopray or not.As you pray, remember a lady I sent abiker bible to recently. She and herboyfriend were pagans; he died in aroad accident just after Christmas.During his pagan funeral, she wentthrough a ceremony to marry him indeath. One girl we met, who hadbeen a witness to the marriage, hasbeen terrified ever since; she couldn'tstand to be alone. We know theanswer - they need Jesus, He setsthe captives free and breaks thechains of oppression. He is just aprayer away.It has been apparent that numerouspeople in CMA have suffered terribleloss, ill health or crisis in their livesduring the past year, particularly Fredand Fran in recent weeks and Dotand Jim; our hearts go out to you all.We need to cover everyone in prayereach day, particularly our children.In closing. check this out, it's anawesome place to pray from.Ephesians Ch1 v18-23"I pray also that the eyes of your heartmay be enlightened, in order that youmay know the hope to which he hascalled you, the riches of his gloriousinheritance in the saints, and hisincomparably great power for us whobelieve. That power is like theworking of his mighty strength, whichhe exerted in Christ when he raisedhim from the dead and seated him athis right hand in the heavenly realms,far above all rule and authority, powerand dominion, and every title that canbe given, not only in the present agebut also in the one to come. And Godplaced all things under his feet andappointed Him to be head overeverything for the church, which is Hisbody, the fullness of Him who fillseverything in every way." Ride safelyand ride with Jesus.5

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:08 Page 6Hi, It’s me again by Emma Angel-Jones(From left to right are My Nana, Dan, Tiffany, Granddad, Me, Mom and Mike,coffee stop at Scotch Corner Services, yummy bacon sandwiches!!)Recently I have been on a ride out withCMA. I was a bit apprehensive at first, notwanting to be all achy etc but it ended upbeing a really good ride. I was pillion withPaul Wedgwood our North East branchChairman and had a really good time.It was especially good as threegenerations of my family managed to jointhe ride out so it turned out to be familygathering. My Nana and Grandad were ontheir 1500cc Honda Goldwing Trike, mysister Tiffany and her fiancé Dan were ontheir Honda Fire blade, and Mom andMike were on the tractor a.k.a the Harley.We rode up around the Yorkshire Dalesmoors, up Wensleydale and over theButter Tubs Pass to Swaledale, whichwas stunning and so pretty we all forgotabout the cold and the fog! Of course wehad to stop off and have extremelyhealthy fish and chips with the extra peasand curry sauce, I regretted it on the wayhome, feeling a tad bit ill!I really had an amazing time talking tonew people and Mike and I wereprivileged to talk to two Harley owners inHawes market town and one of themcame with his wife to our branches NECBike Show Trip, which is amazing that thefellowship reached them in that way.It must have been a sight seeing bikerswith white crosses trawling through littlequiet streets in the small villages, wereally enjoyed it!I had so much fun on the ride out andcan't wait till March so they can start againand really hope to see some more of youon them!Hope you all had a lovely Christmas andNew Year and hope that the year ahead isa good one for you all!6

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:08 Page 7An Encouraging Wordby Rev. Bob Bogart, West Mid’s. BranchWhen Adam was 130 years old, his sonSeth was born, and Seth was the veryimage of his father. After the birth ofSeth, Adam lived another 800 years, andhe had other sons and daughters. Hedied at the age of 930. Genesis 5:3-5The word this issue is Eternity!According to my humble calculations,and in reference to Genesis chapter 5, atthe very least Adam lived to see hisgreat, great, great, great, great, greatgrandchildren. This estimate takes us upto the birth of Lamech, the son ofMethuselah, who is recorded as havingthe longest life listed in the Bible.Lamech was the 6th great grandchild ofAdam.I began to think, if I were 930 years old atthe time of this writing I would have beenborn just 12 years after the Battle ofHastings in 1066; the Norman invasionof England. I would have been 18 yearsold when Oxford University was founded.I could have been in the first graduatingclass. That's a thought. I would havebeen 137 years old when the MagnaCarta was signed in 1215. I would haveseen Westminster Abbey built and theEnglish/Scottish border defined. I wouldhave only been 236 years young whenRobert the Bruce was on his rampage. Iwould have been a mere 359 years oldwhen the Hundred Years War betweenEngland and France ended. Just aspring chicken!I would have been less than middle agedwhen the War of the Roses (Lancashireand York) began. In fact, I would havebeen middle aged in the Middle Ages.Cool, huh? I would have lived throughthe time of the Tudors, Henry VIII,Francis Drake's circumnavigation of theworld, and Queen Elizabeth, the 1st thatis! I would have seen the Civil Wars ofEngland, the plagues and the great fireof London. Living in England I wouldhave seen the great British Empire onthe rise and sea power like the world hadnever seen before. Since we, asAmerican's, live in England, I would haveseen the American Revolution from anentirely different perspective. I wouldhave survived Victorian Britain and theChurchill war years. Oh yes, I wouldhave seen Queen Elizabeth, the 2ndtake the throne as well.Nine hundred and thirty years is quite achunk of time when we put it in suchperspective. What Adam must have seenin his lifetime we can only imagine?Now, if a day with the Lord is as athousand years, what do you thinketernity will be like? I don't want to missthat!7

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:08 Page 9The evening carried on like that, withme asking guys if they had anything todo with bikes and if they wanted tobecome prayer partners with the CMA.By the end of the night, we had eightsigned up for follow-ups from up anddown the country.Then it was time to head for bed, afterwhat felt like a long day. I was stayingwith Jim and Dot, who had been verykind in offering to provide me a bed, sowe set off in convoy into the wilds ofHuddersfield, to Jim's house andsupper with Dot in front of the telly.The following day, after a good sleepand a lovely breakfast (thanks Dot!),Jim and I headed back to theConference for 9.30am. We parkedour bikes in the CMA and bikersparking area and headed into therecreation room to find the rest of ourguys. The day went on with more menarriving for the conference, withworship and speaking from PaulScanlon of the ALC and Rick Godwinfrom Eagles Nest Church in Texas (achurch of about 46,000 members Iunderstand!). During the intervals andrecreation times, the guys from theCMA continued to provide a presence,show our crosses and talk about theBiker Bibles. The DVD continued toplay and the atmosphere was great.More signatures were obtained andwe even got some sponsorship for theBiker Bibles.Lunch came and went, with us beingprovided with free teas, coffees andsandwiches as we had been classedas volunteers for the duration of theconference.During the afternoon, after the thirdworship session had ended, there wasmore free-time. Various games andcompetitions were provided by ALC.Strength tests, rope climbing, tug-ofwar,sumo wrestling, arm wrestling,Scalextric and of course the variousstalls for books, videos, DVD's andother resources.9

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 12CMA Ladiesby Jackie Russell & Sandy Angel-Jones-FittonLADIES OF CMA CONFERENCE27th to 29th June 2008Sandy Julia JackieIn preparation for the CMA LadiesConference 27 - 29th June 2008, Ithought it would be good to bring youup to date with what is happening sofar.God has called Chris Clifton ontopastures anew and she is now verybusy with activities that involve herdarling daughter, Becky, as well asother child ministries. A job, I am sure,the Lord is mightily blessing her in.Therefore, she won't be helpingorganise the conference or speaking,but she has booked her place toattend. I do so miss her, but God isalways gracious and has blessed uswith a wonderful co-worker in JackieRussell, who is already enthusiastic,busy and geared to go! We also hopeto have a few others on board whensome difficulties that prevent themhelping have passed.The theme for this year's conferenceis building upon last year and isentitled "Through the Fire". Theformat will be similar to last year, withworkshops and hands on experience,however, there will be a few changes,which we are sure will be a blessing.We are currently praying about aspeaker and the content of theworkshops, and are sure that the Lordwill have it all in hand.The worship team will be, NaomiHogan's two sisters, Lydia and Juliaand Nhellie Naomi's Filipino sister.Julia who has just passed her CBT,Praise the Lord! As you can see in the12

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 13picture, she looks great sat on herbike, and especially pleased - we aretoo! Well-done Julia. We will pray foryour continued blessing and safety.Do you know anyone you canencourage to come to theconference? If so, don't hesitate, it isnot too late at this stage and wewould love to welcome them with youin June.In preparation for the weekend, Iwonder if it would be possible for youto keep a simple diary of what youryear has entailed and just where yousee God in all that has gone on?Don't worry about finer details; justthe bare bones would suffice.Until then, both Jackie and I lookforward to seeing you there and wewould ask that you pray that the Lordcontinues to bless us with what Hewants.Testimony from Hollybush 2007By John Livemore - West Midlands BranchWhat an excellent rally it was, goodgreetings, good fellowship, goodbikes, and all in spite of the weather,which on sunday morning turned intoMUD, glorious mud.We had packed our trailer tent, readyfor the ‘off’ after the ‘lump hammercommunion’I came in early to reserve two seats inthe barn church. Shortly my wifecame, sat down and said “I cannotfind the car and house keysanywhere”. I had a set but hersincluded the expensive master key. Atthis my wife fled off to the very muddyfield in a vain search. It would havetaken archaeology to find them there.Just then sitting in the meeting, theLook at this lovely field, it ended up as one mud bath.Lord spoke to me in a slightly hurtvoice, “I can see one hair of yourhead, can I not also see the keys?,You will take them back with you”. Mywife returned a few minutes laterempty handed. Then she started toget the camera out of its case to filmthe meeting, and suddenly the lostkeys fell through her fingers, just as ifshe had been given them.God did see the keys, we did takethem back with us. So after a goodmeeting, and after most of us werepulled off the very muddy field bytractor, we returned to Birminghamdouble rejoicing and praising the Lordfor His goodness.13

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 14President and the 2007/8 Executive TeamMike Fitton (President)Debbie JonesJason BeeRob Urand(Aje) Alan JohnstonTed Russell14

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 15Note from the EditorThe deadline for the Summer 2008 edition is1st June 2008Publication dates are:- April - August - DecemberIts 2008. My, how time fly’s by Ken HardyWell yes! also we are all ageing real fast. I have decided togive up the secretary role here in Norfolk. My reasoning is ihave done it for several years and there are much youngerpeople about, with more ideas, more energy, and a lot ofpassion for Jesus. With 3 new people on board at Norwich,I am sure we will do more exciting outreach work and go tonew places and meet more people. I am still on for theChainlink, for the forseable future. I love reading all yourcontributions, many several times and then again when I get the magazineback from the printers.I also need time to relax and do other things. So am travelling around a lotin 2008, including the EMC in Holland. I have already booked as have quitea few others. www.Networknorwich.co.uk is also growing, check it out.Norfolk’s 3 leaders have already started to draw up a list of events, placeswe have been to before and new locations where the CMA have beenasked to go. Also Holy Joe’s might be a real possibility this year.So what are you doing? Where are you in your walk with the Lord? Haveyou got time to tell others? Then write it down and let’s put some articleshere for the Summer edition. Long, short, fat or wide, we canaccommodate, I am sure, plus a nice range of photos to go along with yourmug shot, so we can put a face to the author.I was pleased with the letter from Youthbike chairman, Tony Nightingale(see next page) in response to the last chainlink issue pages, 16/17.Articles for the Chainlink are most welcome. P LEASE REMEMBER.Allnames, addresses and pictures, especially of children, must have permission tobe published. If I get them, I am assuming you have done just that, so the senderneeds to be responsible for all information sent. If in doubt, run it past thePresident or the Exec. committee. PLEASE read thefollowing. All pictures must be separate from any document ie, sendthem as 300dpi or higher in tiff or jpg, either on e-mails or CD by post. For allphotos sent, give an accompanying description of them on a thumbnail picturepage, so I can relate them to specific events, then they can go on downloads asa picture montage. All photos sent will be returned. Do not send pictures takenon mobiles unless they are 300dpi +15

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chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 17In Memory of RobWe want to thank everyone for every act of love andkindness that has been shown to us since Rob wentmissing. You have been so sensitive to our needs,not to overwhelm us but to ensure that we have hadall the love and support we could need. This meansso much to us in our grieving. I would like especiallyto thank Keith for all his work liaising with us and forco-ordinating things for us so willingly, and Kate forkeeping our needs in your prayers.God is taking us on a difficult path, but so far He hasled us very gently. There is a whole account to shareanother time of how, over the past year He has beenpreparing us. Even now our times of quiet with Himare so personal and real. Today I had a backache aswell as the ache of missing Robert. After some time in prayerand reading, both pains had been soothed. I don't know if thebeauty and tranquility of these times will last, or if it is just forthis time when we need Him so much. All I know is that so farGod is healing us, giving His peace and the grace to pray forall involved in Robert's death. It is a great comfort to us thatRob knew Jesus and is with him now.Robert was a gift from God and we loved him. He gave somuch to us; his love, acceptance, his love of life, his interestin practical things and much more. Reading his tributes weare finding out about other great qualities we didn't know of.He knew what it was to struggle, but he had the strength toovercome.He showed great commitment with his studies. He hadstarted off having some difficulty learning - understandable,given the unsettled background he had, but he appliedhimself and got good grades in his GCSEs. Out of 30 people who started studying AdvancedAerospace Engineering he was one of only 12 still on the course.We will never forget his love of biking either; we had some great times as some of you know.Thank you so much to all of you who made the motorcycle escort for Rob's last run. It wasmagnificent. Please pray for those at his funeral who don't know our Saviour.God bless you, with all our love, Fred and Frances Gill. (Bedford Branch)17

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 18Grapevine Event 2007By Trev the Rev, (AKA Dave Finan), Lincs and East Yorks Branch(And God said " I needsomeone to do it andguess what you are thatsomeone!"In 2004, I attended theGrapevine Churchestogether event at theLincolnshire Showground,along with our churchgroup: BeverleyCommunity Church. Forthose of you not familiarwith the event, it has nowbeen running for nearly 20years and was set up by Stuart andIrene Bell from a Lincoln-basedchurch (at the call of God), who wenton to set up Ground level network,which sponsors and supports missionin the UK and abroad.My first impression was that it was agreat event; lots of families, greatteaching and worship and lots to dofor everyone, over a full Bank Holidayweekend in August.As I was taking my son to his youthgroup meeting I saw a white cross ona black leather jacket and God spokedirectly to me and said " Bringmotorcycles to this event". Myresponse was to act like Jonah andwanted to run away. "Why me God?I'm not equipped to do this"; “I don'teven own a motorcycle anymore”.In 1989, I had joined the CMA as astudent. Back then, I rode a HondaCB750F2, which was my pride andjoy. My membership wasfor one year only and Iattended Hollybush andthought what a greatorganization. Havingridden around Europe in1988/89, and needing acar for my job as aChildrens Services SocialWorker, I knew my days ona bike could be limited. In1991, I prepared formarriage, got my firstmortgage and the bike, atGod’s request went on a missionwithout me to Constantinople, butthat's another story!I ignored God’s call to me untilGrapevine, August 2005, Once againI attended with my family and theevent was even better than the yearbefore. Once again I saw a whitecross on a black leather Jacket. I toldGod that I was ready for the call, andHe confirmed with me that He wantedto see motorcycles at Grapevine. Iapproached the CMA member, gotdetails of the CMA and, within amonth, I had re-joined CMA after agap of 16 years; 16 years in which Ihad not owned a motorcycle, onlyoccasionally riding a friend’s bike.I put my trust in God and said "WellLord, I need a bike and I trust in youto provide." Within a short time,December 2005, I got an unexpectedtax back cheque for £300.18

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 19Ian Stewart from East Midlands and Trev the Rev (AKA Dave Finan)Lincs and East Yorks Branchso I said to God “if you want me tobuy a bike please give me aconfirmation or a sign etc”.My brother in law, who is a mechanic,phoned me in January 2006 and saidhe had a friend who wanted to sell aKawasaki GPZ 550, 1985 model,taxed and tested, with only 50K onthe clock. I asked the price and wastold (you guessed it) £300 for cash.So, having re-joined the CMA andbeing back in the saddle so to speak,I re-learned how to ride anddiscovered that God equips andprovides all we need. I thendetermined to attend every CMAactivity that I could, still feeling God’scall to bring motorcycles to theGrapevine event.19Through 2006 and into 2007 Ideveloped close links with theLincolnshire and East YorkshireBranch. In 2007, forming East Ridingof Yorkshire Twig.In Prayer, and anticipation, wanting tosee Gods plan come into fruition, Ibegan to put together ideas forbringing motorcycles to Grapevine2007.So many things happened in early2007 I took the plunge andapproached the CMA Executive witha request that they fund the stand, asthe cost was beyond our twig and, atthe time, Branch capacity. There waswhat seemed a long delay of severalmonths, during which time Godprovided me with a Honda Blackbird

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 20as a gift, But that is another story.I continued in faith and confirmed thestand with the Grapevine organizers.Around 6 weeks before the event, theExecutive agreed to fund the cost ofthe stand, things moved quickly andoffers of support for the stand wereconfirmed with other Branches. Weset up the display board and hadroom for one motorcycle on the stand.I had plenty of Biker Bibles, (or so Ithought); around 60, and informationsheets laminated, and my 7 year oldson also drew a picture of a bike ashis contribution. I prayed that thestand would bear fruit and provide adouble return financially to CMA. Iwas anxious, and just wanted toleave it to someone else right up tothe opening evening. However, Godhad other ideas.My wife was concerned as I was alsostewarding over the weekend. Wehad only a few confirmations ofpeople willing to man the stand and Iwas concerned that there may betimes during the 4 days that we wouldhave to close. However, God hadother ideas. My thanks go to IanStewart (East Mids) and Eccles(Norfolk) for their contribution, alongwith Russell and Margaret Boyce(Lincs) and others who made thisstand happen.We set out a contact list and,over the4 days of the event, we made asignificant number of contacts withpotential new members andChurches up and down the countryinterested in us visiting etc.The interest in the stand wassignificant for all ages andbackgrounds. In total, we made over£400 in donations and thanks go to allthose who took part. And yes, youguessed it, we doubled the moneygiven by the Executive.The message of my story is, if Godasks you to do something in Hisservice, "Do It" He will equip youabove and beyond what you thoughtpossible, but it does take faith, timeand sacrifice, working in partnershipwith others.The downside was my wife andchildren rarely saw me all weekend.The upside was I had a chance toshare my faith and talk motorcyclesall weekend.Do something in your locality in 2008to raise funds for "Biker Bibles", nomatter how big or small.PS I am still preparing for Grapevine‘08.Anyone willing to help please contactme. It promises to be a greatweekend 22nd-26th August 2008.daveandlouisefinan@tiscali.co.ukYoutube - have you been on Youtube? Well some of you who went to the 2007 EMCrally are on there. How many can you find? Look at:-http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=EMC+Rally+2007&search=Searchor go to Youtube and key search emc rally 2007. There are 5 streams, plus loads ofothers relating to the CMA and the EMC, plus AlbaniaIf you’er not booked up for the 2008 EMC then do it today.20

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 21Wonderful Christmas Service 2007by Ade, South East London Branch & North East London TwigSouth EastLondon and NorthWest Londonbranches wareinvited to take partin the Christmasservice at theACE Café,December 2007.Though there wasvery thick fog andthe weather beingso bad, Dave,Steph, Andy, Philand I turned up.We had a greattime. We tookpart in the servicewith members ofthe 59 club andFather Scott from the 59 clubconducted the service. Phil and Davebrought biker bibles to the Ace Caféand almost all of them were taken bybikers that came to attend theservice. A lady commented that thebible was too beautiful to be givenaway free. She thought it was forsale, until Phil mentioned to her that itwas free.We sang Christmas songs and hadreadings from the bible. I read alsoand sang a solo. After singing thefirst verse going on the second verseI had to stop and start all over againand said to everyone I was a bitnervous, but it all went well in the end.There were spelling mistakes in someof the Christmassongs, but Mark,the Director of theAce café, kindlypointed this outand joked aboutnot checking thespellings. We hadvery warm anddelicious mincepies.Mark asked ifCMA SE and NWwould like toorganise nextyear's Christmasservice, alongwith Father Scott,who is a priestand also amember of the 59 club. This is goodnews, as CMA will be able to dooutreach to other bikers through this.We have been told that by Septembernext year they will get in touch withus, so that we can organise this eventtogether. We believe the Lord ismoving us forward in the LondonBranch to reach other bikers throughthis.We also asked whether we couldhave a stand / table at Southend forthe big event, where upwards of5,000 bikers do the run from the Acecafé to Southend. Mark, the owner,said that if we contact him in the newyear, something could be arranged.Praise God for this open door.21

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 22Mid summer last year whiletaking a well earned restworking on the latestproject (renovation) bike inthe garage I started to thinkof what to do that wasdifferent for the comingyear. Having no t manyideas as to how to proceed,I decided to ask the boss.So sat on the garage floorsurrounded by oil, grease, bike bitsand tools I prayed.Nothing happened but this is notunusual as I felt I had to wait my turn.Later that evening while checking upon the going's on in my online bikeclub www.zephyr-zone.com an oldermember mentioned something aboutdoing a charity event at some point.This rang my bell big time. Back in themid eighties on a wet may day bankholiday when Chernobyl blew its topmy best mate and I did an end to endfor a local hospital radio station.This I mentioned to the zone andseven brave idiots put forward theirnames so the seed was sown as Ihad been there done that I got theorganisers job. The route I alreadyhad timings, fuel stops etc all sorted Ithen set about sorting out a charity tosupport this really stumped me andthe zone members, no one couldmake up their minds. With so manygood causes to choose from I wasstumped. We all decided to sit on thisfor a few months.An Old Mans DreamBy Rob Harlow Stafford BranchTwo doors down from mygarage in my block are anold couple who seeminseparable every time theysee me the old gent isalways coming up to speakabout bikes and ask afterthe latest project and howit's coming along. His wife isalways cheerful and enjoysa laugh and joke. They live at theback of the garages and keep an eyeon mine for me as it may be a goodfew weeks between visits due to workcommitments and varied roster’s.Well weeks go by and we finallyagree on a cancer charity but whichone? I lost my grandmother to cancershortly after Gill and I were marriedback in 2003. one bright Novemberday I'm up in the garage in myfavourite position surrounded by tools( it's a man thing according to Gill) Ihear a small cough behind me andturn to see a visibly shaken andcrying old man. I asked him what wasup he explained that six or so weeksearlier he had taken his wife to thedoctors as she was unwell. Thedoctor had sent her straight tohospital for tests. Ten or so days laterthey had to go back for the resultsand were given the news that she hadterminal cancer. I was too quick toask how they were coping before hehad chance to say his wife hadpassed away a fortnight later. Ioffered to pray for him which22

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 23he refused as he said he was not abeliever but I prayed anyway as youdo.Next week sees me back in thegarage I have the zephyr 750 parkedoutside in the sun and my waistcoatdraped over the topbox. The old guycomes over and again looks in aterrible state, he honestly looked likehe hadn't slept all night. I never hadchance to say a word, before hestated. I had a dream last night, I keptseeing a cross on a bike andsomeone kept telling me to see theguy with the bike. He said he had noidea what was happening until heopened the curtains that morning tosee my cross on the back of mywaistcoat covering the back of thebike.I was stunned, all I could say was"mate I think the boss wants us totalk. It sounds like you just had a Godmoment" we started to talk bikes andthings and I eventually mentioned theend to end run he requested that I doit for cancer research UK as this wasthe shop in Erdington (area ofBirmingham) that she always visited.When I stated what charity we weredoing the run for everyone agreed itwas a splendid choiceWe have set up a web site for onlinedonationsatwww.justgiving.com/cmarob this sitewill except donations in any currencyfrom anywhere in the world. The runis taking part over the weekend of theladies of CMA conference. I wouldask all readers to pray for this eventand for anyone who wishes to join inor support us to contact me by e-mailbig.hammy@blueyonder.co.ukIf CMA members and their churcheswould like to donate via our website(which would include Gift Aid) askingthem to take up a collection on behalfof our charity to help us reach ourtarget of £5000 or hopefully godwilling to smash it.The members of Stafford branch whowent on the Christmas eve run toBridgenorth met Steve "Greaseball"from the zone he is the only rider attime of writing this in late Januarywho has backed up his promise tojoin and is helping raise funds.As with all branches, do help your brothers and sisters at other branches to spread theword of the Lord, look at the events locally and nationally and be involved."Your food stamps will be stopped effective March 1992 because we received notice that youpassed away. May God bless you. You may reapply if there is a change in your circumstances."Department of Social Services, Greenville, South Carolina23

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 24National Rally 2008. Are you going?

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 25Major CMA National Events List, 2008Always check out the web site www.bike.org.uk under events, for eventsthroughout the UK. Look at the whole of the UK. The major events where theCMA have a presence also need your support. Go, you will love it; give it a try.Get to a ‘NABD’ rally or the ‘Farmyard’. What about ‘Stormin the Castle’? orthe ‘HJ at Bristol’? - GO FOR IT, SUPPORT YOUR CMA.April National AGM at Kingshurst Evangelical Church, corner of Cooks Lane and Forth Drive,Kingshurst, Birmingham B37 6NP.May 16-18 BMF PeterboroughMay ‘Run for the Son’ CMA fund raising runMay NABD RallyMay 17th HJ’s Show BristolMay Builth Wells Rally with the CMA StandJune 27th to the 29th, CMA Ladies Conference at Hayes Conference CentreJune National Event, Farmyard Party MAG Yorkshire. HOLY JOE’S and MARSHALLINGLOOKJuly Hogwash in GuernseyJuly ‘Rave in the Nave’ at Ely CathedralJuly 17th to the 20th National Rally at Hollybush, Thirsk, North Yorkshire YO7 4DHAugust NATIONAL EVENT P/Indian 11th Rally. HOLY JOE’S KentAugust 1st-3rd EMC rally 2008 / Sevenum, Netherlands. site is open from 30th July - 4thAugust It's near a village called Sevenum in the south east of the Netherlands.August ‘Stormin' the Castle’ in the Castle HOLY JOE’S Hexham, Barnard Castle.October Leaders’ weekendOctober NABD RallyOctober Xcel Mens’ ConferenceOctober (1st Sunday) Copdock Ipswich MC show.To find up-to-date information ofevents, look at www.bike.org.uk25

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 26For those of you concernedAbout BMF 08Please read the article elsewhereBefore it gets too lateBMF 08 16-18th Mayby Bedford BranchIf you have something to includeThen what you could do nextIs send it in to 07851260336No need to call, just textThe weekend is 16/18 in the month ofMaySo book the date upWith your spouseTo make sure you can playThere is no MEMBA rallyOn this very dateBut as before they will allowCamping, just outside the gateYou may well know by nowLes Jones is taking a restAfter ten years of running our marqueeA job he did with zestSo Bedford have been askedTo step into the gapWe'll try to do our bestWithout getting in a flapThe planning team's been meetingWith several intense sessionsLooking at the best ideasTo make some good impressionsOther means of contactCan be used in the normal wayJust send an e-mail with ideasTo keef.sanders@tiscali.co.ukWe'd like to make a duty rosterBefore we get to the marqueeSo if you know you'll be there nowPlease send your info through to mePlease don't wait till laterAssuming we know you always goMuch better tell us now so thatWe include you as we plan the showSo thanks to all who've offeredTo help us sort it outIf you've not heard from anyone soonGive us another shoutAnd lastly, but of course not leastTo add one final layerPlease offer up the whole weekendIn regular times of prayerJust some of the crew at the BMF26

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 27Bedford Branch puts on'Ancient & Modern'BMF 17-18th May 2008East of England ShowgroundPeterboroughWritten By Geoff Dodgsonsent in by Keith Sanders - Bedford BranchBy the time you read this, the BMF, is just weeks away and Bedford branch has been working outto build on past success at one of the CMA's biggest showcases of the year.Each year more than 80,000 bikers make their way to Peterborough in search of thrills andbargains. What came as a surprise at Bedford Branches AGM was to discover how many of ourmembers joined CMA after visiting the BMF. So, for 2008 our aim has been to create a stand thatis sufficiently interesting to get people to step inside and meet the team.Well our presence will literally be bigger than ever. The pre-erected marquee will be 50% bigger.And, it will have floor covering.Providing the first part of our theme will be three very interesting bikes, kindly loaned by membersof the Vintage Motorcycle Club. And the modern, we hope, will be a new racing bike that's "a bitspecial." Alongside these very special machines will be member's bikes on showBut we won't just sit back and wait for the world to come to us. On Saturday evening we will hosta bar-b-que and invite exhibitors, those who have enquired during the day and of course CMAmembers. For those who want the big sounds and big bands, that's in the new exhibition hall. Whatwe will provide is an oasis of tranquillity to chill out after a long day.Our main aim is to create an opportunity to speak with stand visitors and, where appropriate, talkabout our faith.What all this means is that while we will welcome any CMA member, we will not have space forvisitors' bikes - so bear that in mind when planning your visit.We have drawn up a duty rota, after contacting past helpers. If you wish to come along and help ,please phone Sue Penfold on 01480 404211 so that we can include you in our plans.The CMA venue is intended to be an inviting stand that will encourage bikers to visit and explorewhat CMA can offer them. We also want to provide a vibrant meeting point for CMA members.However, if you join us please be aware of the need to host visitors. Make sure that they havesomewhere to sit, some refreshment - and above all someone to talk to. If it gets a bit crowdedplease be prepared to make way for them.Whether you can join us in Peterborough or not, please pray that the Lord will support the team inour important outreach work and enable us to spread his Word to even more bikers this summer.27

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 28EMC-Rally 2008Winning Europe forChrist. HollandAugust 1st-3rd EMC rally 2008Sevenum, Netherlands. Site is open from 30th July - 4th AugustIt's near a village called Sevenum in the south east of the Netherlands.30th Anniversary in the USAAll welcome; Families, fun and games. Its a biker rally - go for it!

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 29Come join our table and feast with us

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 30A fine time with the armyby Russell Boyce - Lincs and East Yorks BranchEarlier this month we wentand gave a talk to the armycadets locally. I initiallyspoke to the c/o and foundhe was a keen biker. I wasespecially keen that wefound folk to speak whowere familiar with theparticular stresses ofservice life. However youlook at it, the service lifeleaves its stamp on you for a varietyof reasons!We managed to get several of ustogether on the night, with folk fromSheffield, Sleaford and Kippax allmaking the trip; and me five minutesdown the road! The kids loved thebikes assembled outside.We spoke about faith and also aboutsafety and first aid and got a reallypositive response. The kids asked for12 bibles on the night and then we gota request for a further 20 as well assafe riding stickers.As was pointed out by the c/o, thekids were between 13 and 18, a timewhen we face a lot of lifechanges and choices and itis important to get goodguidance at that time. It wasalso pointed out that a fairpercentage would bejoining up and, in very littletime, could be in serioussituations.It is so easy to get down thewrong path and spend whatseems like forever getting back whenyou realise the mistakes you havemade. We all know we have God'sforgiveness and help, but these arenot always easy concepts to exciteand stimulate youth when they faceso may other challenges.All in all, a very positive response,and well worth the effort. Thanks to allinvolved, it was much appreciated bythe kids the c/o and myself.By the way, watch out! I am nowplanning to have a go at getting us inwith the main Kirton in LindseyBarracks.http://www.bike.org.uk/cma/norfolk.php look under events.If your want to see a wide range of pictures, plus a video plus other stuffthen look at the above site.orits at www.bike.org.uk then branches then Norfolk then links, if you haveany you wish to add so people get a broader picture of what the CMA isall about do let me knowEditor30

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 31A Community Remembering,November 2007, by Russell Boyce - Lincs and East YorksMargaret and I attended a service ofremembrance at St Bernadette'sCatholic Church in Scunthorpe, tocomemmerate those who had died onthe roads or been injured, either bycar or motorcycle.I must admit to finding it intenselymoving, not least of all when theyasked those who had been affectedto come and light a candle and put aname on the board at the front of thechurch. I was shaken to discover that60-70% of the church had left theirpews. You simply don't alwaysregister how many people areaffected every year by thehappenings on our roads, and itmakes you so much more aware ofhow fortunate you are to still be aliveand in one piece!After the service, we were asked togo to the church hall forrefreshments. It was an opportunity towitness to several of the police chiefspresent and the other emergencystaff. It was also an opportunity to talkwith the clergy about the particularproblems of dealing with suddenlybereaved families, and to make themaware of the role we might play.One thing that also stuck in my mindwas one member of the ministry, whowas quite bitter, and patently made itclear she was upset with bikersattending a service. It turned out herson had injured himself when outriding. Listening deeper, revealed thatit was inexperience and going too faston a wet road with leaves that hadbeen the problem. One of the lessonswe all have to learn is that life itself isa risk. We can reduce some of themby prayer and by experience andcareful riding, but we cannot totallyeliminate them.One thing that did come to light wasthe value of 'First On the Scene'courses and how they can helpreduce fatalities. Food for thought.Most of us know someone who hasbeen affected in some way. In mycase, I was fortunate, in that whensomeone, years ago, shot across mypath from a side road, I ended up ontheir roof but with no injuries. I alsohad a child run in front of the car andinjured them. Even though the policetold me that I was well within the limitand had patently done everything toavoid them, it took months before Iwould drive again, indeed I nearlygave up altogether. It is times like thiswe need to remember it is not just thefamily themselves involved, butothers around the incident.I would ask that at this time of year weremember all these people in ourprayers. The service is likely to be aregular event in our area, so if anyonewants details for a similar event, letme know.31

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 32Alternative Testimonyby Wendy Peek Merseyside BranchI love hearing thetestimonies of otherCMA members. OurGod is so inventivein the many waysthat He speaks toindividuals andchallenges us to getto know Him better.Our story is themost effective waywe have of communicating Jesus toother people.It occurred to me that the majority ofCMA have been bikers for manyyears, so I hope this little alternativetestimony will amuse you.When I was 5 or 6 years old my uncle,on leave from the merchant navy,used to run me to school on the frontof his motorbike. I didn't realise howimportant this was until much later inlife. My parents never introduced meto any bikers. In fact, my mother washorrified when, at the age of 14, Iused to leap up on a chair everymorning to see over our hedge andwatch a lad from down the road ridepast on his motorbike. She was alsoconcerned when I talked about thebikers who came to our small chapelyouth club. Contact was notencouraged.At university, I bought a Honda 50. Itwas a cheap and convenient way ofgetting around and served me well foralmost a year. After it got written off ina minor accident, Ibought a car andwas lost tomotorcycling formany years. Withoutrealising what I wasdoing, I had driftedoff into theconventional world.In December 1995, Iwas at a streetmarket near Cairns in Australia.There were a group of bikers, offeringlifts back to the city for a small fee. Iwas so drawn to them, but didn't havethe nerve to speak to them. It naggedaway at my mind and, two days later,I phoned up and booked a two hourpillion ride on a Harley. It wassensational. We went up a coast roadby the ocean, with palm trees andbeaches, and came back via anarrow, steep, hilly road with lots oftwists and turns. Biking was trying toget me back. I tried to follow this upwhen I got back to the UK, but Icouldn't find anyone to give me pillionrides on a regular basis, so I left it asa wonderful holiday memory.2001 was a significant year. A bikerfriend at work invited me to theopening party for a new Harleydealership. At about the same time, Iwas chatting on line to a biker inArizona, who told me about CMA. Hesuggested I look at the CMA UKwebsite. As I looked at the website32

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 33I knew that I had to become a biker.My first step was to take my CBT.Then I made my commitment, I wentout and bought a 125, then phonedMerseyside CMA to ask if they wouldaccept a complete novice.What a great group of people! I foundit a real struggle to reach teststandard. Merseyside branchincluded me, rode with me,encouraged me, saw me crying infrustration, and got me to the NationalRally on a 125. God bless them all fortheir patience and love. I finallypassed my test in 2004 at the age of51. And so that's how I became abiker! It still isn't easy, but hopefully Iwill continue to improve as I spendmore time biking.I thank God that I am a Christian, butI also thank Him that He drew meback to the biking world.33

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 34A Tattooed Christain Bikerby Aje (Alan Johnston) Somerset & North Devon TwigWhen I started gettingtattooed I was not aChristian. I asked thetattooist to help medesign something thatrepresented my life andduring the following 15years this personbecame like a brother tome and whilstbrainstorming we cameup with more and moreelaborate pictures to tell parts of mylife story.We would also need a place to endmy life story because, although it wasongoing, I would not have enoughskin. So using the Eric Clapton song"Standing at a Crossroad" he drew abiker on a bike of bones at acrossroads. I did not know then thatthis would represent searching for myfaith 10 years down the line.Now I have given my life to Christ Ifind that many of the images haverelevance in my searching, in factmany seem to have cried it out sinceday one e.g. "My Guardian Angel,watching over my life story"The balance of Good and Evil, this isa major theme as is the search forknowledge"A church in ruins except for an intactstained glass window with Jesus onthe crossThe list goes on and on.The tattooist, who went to college tostudy theology with the intention ofbecoming a priest butwho abandoned hisstudies when he couldnot handle, amongstother things, that theWord was written byman (as man is sinful),has had his life effectedby the piece.On New Years Eve in1995 we sat in the backof a pub in Kent, veryworse for wear trying to work out alegend for the tattoo, and came upwith the following, "Be I Pawn orKnight, in God I trust, let the gamecommence". Meaning whether youare the lowest of the low or theQueen's favored, if you trust in God,the first move is always yours. (InChess or in Life) When I became aChristian in 2002 I had this legendadded in the form of a scroll acrossthe bottom of the piece along with aCeltic knot-work cross, symbolic ofmy past life with the Celtic WarriorsBrotherhood and my new relationshipwith the Lord.However as a tattooed biker who hasfound salvation in Jesus Ioccasionally hear the following fromother Christians: "I think what you aredoing is self mutilation and you willnever get into heaven. It tells you inthe Bible it is forbidden!"It will not come as a surprise to saythat I actually do read the Bible and itno more says "don't get tattoos"34

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 35than it says any number of othercultural concepts such as "spare therod, spoil the child". Under Christiantheology, body modifications are likewords, they're tools, they can be usedto bring glory to God and help live agood life, or they can do the opposite.There are many parts of the Bible thatmention piercing in passing since itwas relatively normal in Biblical times,but the only passage that seems toeven vaguely ban body modification,tattoos* in this case, is of courseLeviticus 19:28, which reads:"Ye shall not make any cuttings inyour flesh for the dead, nor print anymarks upon you: I am the Lord."(KJV) 1"I forbid you to cut and tattoo yourselfas a way of worshipping the dead."(CEV)Leviticus is a book of laws telling theJews of the time how to lead theirlives. As such, the laws break downinto three general types, firstly lawsregarding morality; secondly lawsregarding health and including foodpreparation and thirdly laws todifferentiate the Jews from thepagans, which includes bans oncertain rituals, haircuts and so on.Jesus replaces these laws. Thatdoesn't mean that immorality issuddenly OK but it does give amodern Christian much morepersonal freedom in terms of thingslike the way they trim their beard, thefood they eat and the way theychoose to decorate their bodies,because we are to be judged by ourfaith, rather than compliance tospecific rules. "Therefore weconclude that a man is justified byfaith without the deeds of the law."-Romans 3:28This is explained perhaps moreclearly in Galatians 3:23-24, whichtells how Jesus replaced the oldcovenant with a new one:"But before faith came, we were keptunder the law, shut up unto the faithwhich should afterwards be revealed.Wherefore the law was ourschoolmaster to bring us unto Christ,that we might be justified by faith. Butafter that faith is come, we are nolonger under a schoolmaster."The value of something like a tattooor piercing as good in one's lifeversus its involvement in sin is verymuch determined by the way it'sbeing used, just the same as wordsare used for good and for harm.Tattoos can be right, or they can bewrong. A Christian certainly can't goout and get a tattoo or other body35

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 36modification if it leads to sin, or standsfor sin, but modification is acceptableif it helps the person lead a righteouslife.So what we see in the Old Testamentis at best one highly vague ban on aspecialized form of cutting, and it thengoes on to describe body piercing atlength as normal, and even goes sofar as to encourage some extremebody modification when done for thesake of God. The New Testamentcontains one clear and overwhelmingmessage: Love."This is my commandment, that youlove one another, just as I have lovedyou. Greater love has no one thanthis, that one lay down his life for hisfriends. You are my friends, if you dowhat I command you." John 15: 12-14I believe if you want to be a goodperson with tattoos, God will still loveyou. The Christian who tells youotherwise isn't hearing the messagefor some reason and may need yourhelp far more than you need theirs.I am not saying go out and find agood tattooist, what I am saying is,don't inhale so sharply when you seemine. Remember you should neverjudge a book by it's cover.1 You should note that the originalHebrew text reads "k'thoveth qa'aqa",or "writing that is stuck in", usuallyused to refer to a form of modificationclosest to ink rubbing, a paganfunerary rite at the time, very differentfrom modern tattooing.A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, 'And whyis it necessary to be quiet in church?' One bright little girl replied, 'Because people are sleeping.'A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argueover who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. 'IfJesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.'Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, 'Ryan, you be Jesus!'STUPIDA new teacher was trying to make use of her psychology courses. She started her class by saying,"Everyone who thinks they're stupid, stand up!"After a few seconds, Little Davie stood up. The teacher said, "Do you think you're stupid, LittleDavie ?""No, ma'am, but I hate to see you standing there all by yourself!"Keeping in touch with your fellow Christianbrothers and sisters,look at this web site of Ian and Sue Paxtonhttp://www.paxo.me.uk/carbs.htmlwww.jars.org.ukwww.paxo.me.ukSkype: ian_paxo0040 751 12136236

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 37‘Prayer’In December last year Kate mentionedthat she and Simon could really do with a'sabbatical' from FastTrack. I'm not toosure if she was fishing, but after theconversation I couldn't seem to get it outof my mind. I came up with what I thoughtwere valid reasons/excuses as to why Icouldn't do it. I was after all studying or atmy placement for a lot of the time, I wasdoing other things for the branch and sothe list went on. God wasn't listening tomy lame excuses and it became clear thatI was to 'volunteer'. So here I am. I havetaken over for non-specified time! Theemail address is as before.Jen Crane.-------------------------------------------------------As soon as we heard of Jim Gough'saccident, and details of his injuriesemerged I really felt that serious prayerwas going to be the only way forward. Iremembered some years ago a nationalday of prayer and fasting had deliveredLorraine Bays from cancer. I felt sure thiswas the right thing to do, so I committedmyself to it. I then decided to try andencourage other E-Mids members to joinme. As I wrote an e-mail to them, Ipictured myself standing on a river bankwatching a man struggling in the water.He clearly needed my help but I wastrying to decide whether to save him or goto a café and have a meal while lettinghim drown.This image stayed with me and motivatedme after the initial time of prayer andfasting to continue on my own, everyFriday until Jim is restored to full health,so every Friday since his accident I have,all through Christmas and the New Yearwhether at home or at work. Each time Ihave been blessed with news of furtherimprovement in Jim's condition. It hasalso been a chance to witness at work aswe used to have a McDonalds breakfaston a Friday and now I don't, so at leastonce a week I get asked how Jim is andhave the opportunity to tell my colleaguesabout my Christian life.This experience has reinforced myfeelings about how powerful a tool prayerand fasting is and how many serioussituations have happened recently inCMA. We seem to be under attack and Iam sure it is because we are on thethreshold of something great.Then one morning after reading my UCBnotes a thought popped into my head."FAST FRIDAY". A group of committedCMA members pray and fast on mattersof life, death and salvation.I am looking for a group of people tocommit themselves to this long-term, topray and fast on matters such as Jim'ssituation, Fred and Fran Gill's situation,for specific people known to CMAmembers who are on the verge ofcommitting their lives to the Lord and foroutreach events coming up at theweekend.As far as I am concerned fasting for thiscan mean anything from 24hrs withoutfood, no food during daylight hours orabstaining from a particular food. Forexample, a bacon sandwich you have attea break, cream cakes you share atwork. So please do not feel this is only forthose who can go for long periods withoutfood.Jen and I would co-ordinate this bysending an e- mail every Thursday night.This would also continue after Fast Trackitself is handed back to Kate and Simon.If you wish to be part of this exiting newinitiative please e-mail us atpjcrane@ntlworld.comPete Crane‘Fast Friday’37

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 38A little personal informationThis month it’s from Jackie Russell ofthe New Forrest Branch. Do you knowJackie? No? Well I am sure she wouldbe very happy for you to chat to her.Why not phone your brothers andsisters in Christ from time to time.Who am I?What a question!!! I am so many things, a wife, step-mother, sister, orphan,friend, cousin, niece, auntie, part-time employee, and part-time pensioner. Iam also a dog owner (twice), a car driver, a motorbike rider and a walker. Sodoes what I do make me who I am?Of course not, although society tells us that we are only important through ourachievements or actions. How many times have you met someone new whoasks 'and what do you do?' It seems to be the defining aspect of peoples selfworth and identity.Me? I'd love to have the courage to answer that question by saying 'Me? Iworship the one and only living God, who made all things and died the deaththat was mine, what about you?' One day!In the meantime I shall remain the wife of Ted. I hopefully will stay living in theNew Forest, in Hampshire for as long as God wants us here.I shall continue to be active in our local church, Bransgore Community Church,lead one of the small groups with Ted, and be an active part of the CMA NewForest Branch. I will sell my 1989 Harley Sportster (any takers?) and buy anew one, I will ride more this year and let someone else look after the dogs,and I will continue to work as and when I am asked to, currently about threedays a month.I will continue to work with Ted renovating our bungalow and keeping ourgarden under control, and I will enjoy the life that God has blessed me with. Iwill continue to give thanks to God for everything he has done for me, and forthe immeasurable love he has for me.Other than that, I don't know who I am really, do you?38

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 39Where to find a CMA BranchScotlandForth and TayRest of ScotlandScottish BordersMidlandsEast MidlandsWest MidlandsStaffordBedfordNorfolkNorthern IrelandNorthern IrelandIsle of ManIsle of ManNorth EastWest YorkshireLincs. & East Yorks.(East Yorks Twig)North EastNorth East DerbyshireNorth WestMerseysideNorth CheshireLakes N' Lancs.South WestBristolGloucesterDevon & CornwallSomerset & North Devon (twig)WalesNorth & West WalesSouth WalesSouth EastKentMost of Essex& South Suffolk(North East London Twig)’South East LondonSouth West LondonSurrey and SussexNew ForestThames ValleyCMA Internationalis established in thefollowing countriesArgentinaAustraliaCanadaGermanyHungaryIrelandMexicoNamibiaNetherlandsNew ZealandPhilippinesPolandPortugalSouth AfricaUnited Arab EmiratesUnited KingdomUSA39

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 40Biker Bibles - Biker Funeralsby Keith Sanders, Bedford BranchI returned from the lastLeaders meeting,enthused to make somedisplay stands for BikerBibles, after seeing onemade by Pidd.However, as usual,good intention soonturned to inaction asother, more pressingneeds claimed myattention. Then oneMonday evening I readin our local paper that the funeral of alocal biker was to take place thefollowing Friday and that his bikerfriends were encouraged toaccompany the hearse to the funeralon their bikes.What an opportunity to distributesome copies of the Biker Bible Ithought, and what a pity that I couldhardly invite myself to a stranger’sfuneral to do it. However, as I thoughtabout it, I realised that the funeraldirector’s family were, years ago,members of a youth club we wereinvolved in, and that, on occasions,when the hearse passes by, we stillexchange a (subdued) cheery wave.Furthermore, most of the ministers inthe town are our friends anyway, so Ihad no reason for further delay.First thing was to make a display.Obviously there was no time for themdf version, displayed in Piddschurch, but a folding cardboardmagazine holder proved to be exactlythe right width to holdBiker Bibles. Next, someCMA leaflets were cutand glued to the sidesand some self adhesiveletters/numbers, impulsebought from Lidl a fewweeks before, added thefinal touch. The displayheld about 25 Bibles andan off cut of plastic sheetmaterial, rammed into theback, allowed for somesmall tracts to be held on with elasticbands.A quick phone call and a lunch timevisit to our funeral director friendswere positively received and, inaddition to the display, I left them withtwo Biker Bibles for their own usewhen dealing with biker funerals inthe future. Apparently they deal onaverage with two per year.To safeguard CMA's reputation, Imade sure that they would ask thefamily and presiding minister forpermission, before placing the displayin church.The church warden later told us thatthe minister had announced at thebeginning of the service that freeBiker Bibles were available at theback of church. All the Bibles weretaken, together with a lot of theleaflets, and we have had a furtherrequest for a Biker Bible from a localbiker, which we think must have comeas a direct result of the funeral40

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 41Bedford Branch are now embarking on a ventureto visit local funeral directors, give them copies ofthe Biker Bible for use in their visits, together withthe offer of supplying a display of Bibles for anybiker funerals that they may have in the future.If anybody would like to do this in their ownlocation and would like a copy of the introductoryletter we are using, please e-mail tokeef.sanders@tiscali.co.ukIf you’re a Funeral Directorand you would like to bepart of this idea please getin contact with keithsee also www.bike.org.ukfor a wide range ofinformationHave you seen one? a 1925, 350cc Bradshaw poweredCedos previously owned by a director of Cedos.Have you got a classic machine you want to tell usabout? The CMA are hoping to have this at the BMF soplease visit our stand for refreshments.We acknowledge picture courtesy of VMCC41

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 42All change, all changeby John Pritchard - East Midlands BranchAs the train comes to ahalt at a busy stationplatform, the loudspeakers are announcing“this is Newtown, allchange, all change forNew direction and Newplace” as the passengersdisembark with theirluggage, family andfriends.Then walking along the platform you read thetimetable, which gives platform directionsand information on train arrivals, departuresand connections.With time to spare before your next trainconnection, a visit to the refreshment roomsis made, to have a sit down, rest and relaxwith family and friends to talk about whatmay happen on the next part of the journey.Time passes and you can get a bit frustrated,waiting for the train to arrive, and start tothink will I find a place to sit? Will I reach mydestination with no delays?Then you remember that YOU HAVE ATICKET, with details of where you are going,with a seat number.Well, as a Christian, your life can be filledwith many changes that can be quite achallenge; suddenly being in a place youhave not visited before, with differentsurroundings and experiences that aresuddenly far removed from your previousdaily routine, which you have known for sucha long time.Before you allow panic to take a grip of you,can I suggest that you take a look at a fewthings?Did you hear the quiet voice of the HolySpirit, saying all change, all change, or was ityour own imagination playing tricks with yourmind?Have you recently picked up and read in yourbible your instructions and directions, whichconfirm the thought(s) and feelings that youare to make anychanges?Has time been wiselyspent in being still beforeFather God, to allow thefull refreshing of God’sword, with the water ofthe Holy Spirit to fully beabsorbed and renew yourmind, spirit and body?Have you chatted withmembers of your Christian family about whatyou feel and about the future?Have you been given special words ofencouragement or advice, which just fits inso well with what you have read and feel inyour spirit?Have you considered that you may havecompleted the tasks which were given to youa while ago, and now it is time to changeBe careful!Try not to be too hasty, and go dashing off inany direction, so becoming lost andexhausted. Simply wait for the Holy Spirit toguide you, and it could be a little while beforeyou are given the prompt to move.Then, with a total peace of mind, havingeverything you need, you can move withconfidence to face those changes in yourChristian life.So, I wish that “God be with you”. Have asafe, enjoyable, and exciting journey.Oh, I must go, I have a train to catch!42

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 43Bristol Branch 5-7th September 2008by Nick Ruskin - Bristol BranchBristol Branch has, for the past fewyears, had an opportunity of anoutreach and fellowship weekend,including camping, on a small farm inMawgan Porth, which is approx 5-6miles north of Newquay and which isliterally 10 minutes walk from thebeach. Incidentally, the beach is cleanand a good place for families, which ofcourse are most welcome to comealong.Our hosts, Val & Pete Sterling, keep asection of one of their fields cow free fora few days, prior to our arrival, so wecan camp comfortably and without'smell'.Typically, the weekend consists ofFriday pm arrive and set up camp.Saturday am/pm ride out, usuallyguided by Pete.In the evening, they provide a BBQ andinvite neighbours, friends and localbikers with a wonderful opportunity foroutreach and fellowship.Sunday am we're invited to take anactive part in their praise and worshipat the Methodist chapel in St Mawgan.Then pack up and off home.They also provide 'Portaloos', whichare always immaculate and theyprovide a fresh water supply.They do all this out of their own fundsand resources and are happy tocontinue to do so.This event takes place on the 1stweekend in September, after the mainharvest has been undertaken. Thisyear, 2008, it will be Friday 5th Sept -Sunday 7th Sept.It would be wonderful if others, eitherindividuals or whole branches, couldjoin us, to encourage this event to growin size and witness.If interested call me on0117 9783057, or e-mailnick.geraldine@blueyonder.co.uk43

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 44From Jerusalem to Jerichoby Ray (Treebeard) Knapman, Kent BranchFrom Jerusalem to Jericho the dusty roadwound,A long lonely road, unprotected by anytown.A single man travelled there, no guards athis side;He was attacked by thieves, and left thereto die.A Pharisee and a Sadducee saw him lyingthere,But they passed by, on the other side, asif they didn't care.A Samaritan, hated by Jews, stopped togive him aid,Bound his wounds, and at an inn, thedoctor's bill he paid."I must go on" the helper said, "I'vebusiness to attendBut I'll be back and will repay any extrathat you spend."Who was the victim's neighbour? Whoshowed himself a friend?Who had the character of Christ, onwhom we can depend?Every man's our neighbour, every manwho needsTo have an ear to listen, when his poorheart bleeds.Some times we need not do much, justlend a helping hand,And show the love that Jesus showedthroughout this barren land.Hard men the Romans were, cruel, darkand vicious;Full of hatred for the Jews, and very, veryofficious.To have one given over for whipping wasdelicious,They could indulge themselves and be sodamned malicious.The lash, the fist, the boot and moreWere used upon the rich and poor,They did it to "uphold the law"And relished in the blood and gore.A beating first and then the whip and thenanother beating,A crown of thorns upon His head, andthen the lot repeating.They then sat down and had a meal, thepleasant day completing.The kicks they got, the satisfaction, utterlyfleeting.The lash, the fist, the boot and moreWere used upon the rich and poor,They did it to "uphold the law"And relished in the blood and gore.They broke His bones and split His skin,and bruised Him all to hell,They called Him names, they used abuse,and spit on Him as well.They nailed Him up, and stole His clothesand when the darkness fellThey cried in fear, they cried in shame,they cried out like a bell.The lash, the fist, the boot and moreWere used upon the rich and poor,They did it to "uphold the law"And relished in the blood and gore.44

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 45Inspirational Scraps of PaperWritten by Wendy Peek - Merseyside BranchIf you meetP a u lMcDonald ata rally orCMA event,ask himabout thepieces ofscrap paperhe carries inhis pocket.Paul became a Christian nearlyseven years ago and is now part ofMerseyside and North Cheshirebranches. He found his early biblestudy a time of getting to know God,but likens it to reading a book ornewspaper, superficial. About a yearlater he asked God to give him moreunderstanding during his bible studytimes, and since then he feels thatGod has really shown him His truthand ways of living in God's will.Through his daily study andmeditating, Paul often senses Godgiving him inspirational wisdom. Hewrites down all the short phrases andverses that inspire him, usually onwhatever scrap of paper is at hand.He now has a house full of scrappaper, and usually a pocket full ofwhat God has put on his heart mostrecently.He has chosen the following to sharewith the rest of CMA.The object is not just to know thebook of the Lord. The object is also toknow the Lord of the book.When Jesus said 'Take up your crossand follow me', He is talking aboutdiscipline, endurance, persistence,patience and self denial.The heart of the human problem isthe problem of the human heart.The 4 C'sCAUSE For God so loved the worldCOST That he gave His onlybegotten SonCONDITION That whoever believesin himCONSEQUENCE Should not perishbut have everlasting life.When you want what God wants, forthe same reason He wants it, thenyou become unstoppable.ALL WORD NO SPIRITyou dry upALL SPIRIT NO WORDyou blow upTHE TWO TOGETHERyou grow upThere is no rut so deep you can'tleave itThere is no dream so lost you can'treceive itThere is no pain so great you can'tendure itThere is no sin so bad God can'tremove itPROOF: Matthew 11 vv 28-30Paul loves to share his scraps of paperwith anyone, so don't be shy, feel freeto have a chat with him.45

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 46Of Bacon and Exhaust fumesby Mike Pout - Bristol BranchIt was on a bright,October morning, that 5members of CMA Bristolrode into the car park ofSt Paul's church, tworoads back from theseafront at Weston-Super-Mare. We'darrived around 10.30,before the end of themore traditional service,to have some set up timebefore the 11.00 service.The church was wellappointed, but the most attractivething was definitely a waft of cookingbacon coming from the hall. Wehopefully shuffled in, but none as yetwas on offer.Soon enough the church doorsopened and we went in to be greetedby my old friend Andrew, dressed incolourful vestments. I'd shared ahouse with him almost 20 years ago,then he'd gone to London to teach,but come back to Weston, first as acurate, then was promoted to vicarearlier in the year.As had been arranged, we rolled acouple of bikes in through the churchdoors and up onto display stands;Alan's Vulcan to the left of thecommunion rail, my new (well to me)BMW on the right. During the fewremaining minutes before the start ofthe service, we looked around thebright (you can't beat sun throughstained glass), moderninterior, noting the tablesand chairs round theedges, and a familiarsmell. As well as tea andcoffee, all-comers to theservice were beingwelcomed with baconrolls, which were beingproduced on anindustrial scale.At 11.00-ish, Andrew,now dressed in a checkshirt, welcomedeveryone, and put on my leatherwaistcoat to show off to thecongregation. He kicked the serviceoff by showing the CMA DVD on thebig screen. After some worship(modern in style, led by a young chapcalled Rob), Andrew interviewed Alanabout his faith and the work of CMA toa mostly rapt audience - things weregoing really well.I should point out that it was Andrew'sidea to actually rev up the bikes, notmine. Whilst I could have beenslightly more restrained, only havingowned the bike for 3 days, I can atleast claim ignorance of the impactthat leaving a K-series on it's sidestand for a period would have. As itwas, the air turned a quite fetchingshade of grey and the children wentout for Sunday school, coughingcheerily. Still, it makes a change fromincense.46

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 47Into his talk on Ecclesiastes, Paddywho has pastoral responsibilitieswithin St Paul's, the speakermanaged to weave in the true story ofa boy named Norvin Knucklehead, amore dubious one about whathappened when Arthur Davidson gotto heaven, and a clear gospelpresentation.After this, Rob, Enice and myselfgave quick-fire testimonies, and aftersome more worship, Andrew wrappedthe service up, encouraging everyoneto come and talk to us. And boy theydid. I lost count of how many peoplewe spoke to, but we handed outseveral business cards and leafletsand around a dozen bibles.Overall it was a really successfulservice both for St Paul's and for CMABristol. I made sure we offered whatwe could - bikes, bibles, DVD,presentation and testimonies - but itwas very much St Paul's people whoput it together. We all offered what wehad, and everyone was blessed -sounds a bit like a parable.Poem by Ray Knapman Kent BranchWhat sort of man was Judas, betrayer of the Lord?Was he as bad as they make out or easily misled?Did he sell our Saviour out, or do the will of God?Thirty thousand questions running round my head.How would the story have turned out if he’d had noprice?Would jesus still have died, or would He have survived?Had Judas not betrayed Him, The prophets would have lied:All the questions bugging me, no answer has arrived.Could salvation still be ours without the traitors kiss?Would Death still be victorious and hold the final key?Would God have found some other way to give us a way out?Still no answers come to mind for the likes of you and me.Judas was a traitor, of that there is no doubt,But his treachery cleared a path for us to Paradise.I’ll only know the truth of this wisdom in Gods presence ICan ask our Lord the reason He put up with his lies.COLD CREAMLittle Davie watched, fascinated, as his mother smoothed cold cream on her face."Why do you do that, mommy?" he asked. "To make myself beautiful," said his mother, who thenbegan removing the cream with a tissue. "What's the matter?" asked Little Davie . "Giving up?"47

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 48Rest of Scotland Branch run by Robert StuartSeptember, the last run ofthe season, was wellattended, with folksmeeting up at LivingstonServices for fuel and aquick coffee. Those fastestoff the mark also managedto sneak a quick donutbefore nine bikes madetheir way to Kelso and,although the day wasovercast, the roads were dry and itwasn't too cold.The run down to Kelso can be madea number of ways, but the route tookus along the M8 (is this the mostboring road on the planet?), round theEdinburgh bypass and down toDalkeith on the A68. From there wemade our way down that road andthen the A6089 to Kelso. There mustbe more speed cameras on that shortpiece of road than any other locally,but they weren't a problem aseverybody on the run showed greatdiscipline and restraint. The sceneryon the run was great and the run overSoutra Head, past the wind farm, wasspectacular. Scottish Borders sceneryis quite unique to other parts ofScotland and well worth a visit if youare travelling north.Lunch was taken at the "Under theSun" café in Kelso, where we met upwith Chris, Charles, Steve, Heatherand Kevin of the Kelso Branch. As mywife commented, it was a good longlunch and that made for a good run.I've noticed that if I want her to enjoya run, there must be plentyof coffee stops planned!Good fellowship wasenjoyed as well as thefood, with no-one in a rushto leave. Talk of runs andmatters-Christian, we letthe other diners know thatwe were from the CMA asdid a few t-shirts andsweatshirts. On Sundaysthe café also doubles up as a church,or should that be the other wayaround, so we were among friends.With talk of summer holidays pastand plans for the future, first bikesand MotoGP, it was great to catch upwith each other.The run back for most folks was viaPeebles and from there the groupwould split up and take favourite runshome. Others went home via Selkirkand Moffat. The weather remainedgood no matter what the route,making for a great day out. DavidHunter was due to meet a possiblenew member at Peebles for anothercoffee and two visitors joined us.They are always very welcome andit's great to see how many Christianbikers there are out there. Some ofthe branch's own members couldn'tmake it out, due to othercommitments such as work and theywere missed by all. It's not possible tomake it to every event and we mustbe conscious of that fact.God has been good to the branch thisyear,48

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 49with some new contacts made andold friendships strengthened.Everybody has got home from runssafely and our attendance at bikeshows has grown. There have beena few social evenings at the localcurry house and Chinese restaurant,where some visitors have been withus and it's been great to have themalong. Our sponsored run for MissionAviation Fellowship was anothergreat run created by George Plumband we had a good time with the folksin church at Hawick that weekend.Our branch meetings, have hadmixed numbers attending, but as oneseason draws to a close and theevenings begin to lengthen, we canlook back and say that God has beengood to us. His provision for Hispeople is never-ending and His lovefor us is always on display.As we look back over the times whenHe has brought new folks into ourcircle, did we interact with them aswell as we might have? or did wemiss a God-given opportunity? Didwe serve Him as well as we couldhave? or did we drive someone awayfrom the Kingdom, rather than helpthem along the way? We know andserve a great and awesome God, butHe's not solely our property and wedo well to remember that. He is theGod of all, so let's take everyopportunity to spread the word andlove of God and then let Him trulymake the difference.Who is going to go in 2008? Speak to your branch today,or chat to Trev the Rev. Dave Finan. Co-ordinator, East Yorks Twig.To sponsor this magazine, or just one page, please e-mail theeditor. This magazine is distributed all over the world, but is alsoon the web at www.bike.org.uk and we get many visitors to theCMA UK web site.Biker Bible - It’s here, and it’s free.It’s available whenever you see us at the manyrallies and biker events throughout the UKThe best book in town. Read it,live it, tell others about it.Want to know more?look at www.bike.org.uk49

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 50A note from us at Merchandise :A huge THANK YOU for your continued support. We had a stormingsuccess at the National Rally and it is all thanks to you!We unveiled some new lines at the National Rally and are about to unveilsome more!There is a new logo out, available on T-shirts £10 (Black or White) orSweatshirts £17.50 (Black or Burgundy)Christian Motorcyclists’ AssociationA trolley coin keyring (same size as a pound coin - can fit in trolleys at thesupermarket or lockers in the gym) £1.50And the insulated camping mug - the perfect addition to your campingcollection - These sold extremely well at the National Rally and were seendotted around the Stormin' the Castle (MAG Rally) in early September soare already in use! These are going for a fantastic £5 each!

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 51Now for our latest additions:We have added some Sterling Silver Jewellery to our collection(some of which are pictured here)And… Finally we have managed to source some fabric patches(these were handmade, machine-stitched, but not computer generated- so show true craftsmanship)These are available at £3.50 each.They will go fast, so get in quick!Caps and beanies back in stock, with some extra colours and designsavailable.For more information, please visit the merchandise site atwww.bike.org.uk/cma/merchandise/ or email us atmerchandise@bike.org.uk

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 52Sorry can’t make it-Adapted by Jon Barber, SAS BranchSorry, can't make thatday; got family over.Philip, however, appearedat Azotus and travelledabout, preaching thegospel in all the townsuntil he reachedCaesarea. Acts 8:40Many times have weheard brothers orsisters say they cannotparticipate in an event,a service, run oractivity for God,because of the time itwill take away fromtheir job or family. God has calledeach of us to His mission and to begood stewards of our time and ourresources. It is just as important tolearn how to say yes as it is to say no,and we must be faithful to our lovedones and employers if we do not havefreedom to take time away. However,many times I sense that brothersjustify a lack of obedience under theguise of this stewardship.Philip was one of the firstbusinessmen, who was given acommission to preach the gospel. Hewas in the city of Samaria preachingwhen many miracles began to takeplace and the crowds came to seewhat was happening. Then, in themidst of this great move of God, theangel of God spoke to Philip and toldhim to leave Samaria and go to adesert road that led from Jerusalemto Gaza. Imagine how Philip musthave questioned the logic of thisdecision when he wasseeing such results inSamaria. But Philip wasobedient to the angel.Along the road, he metan Ethiopian eunuchwho wanted to have theScriptures explained tohim. Philip explainedthe Scriptures to theEthiopian, who was thetreasurer of Ethiopia,under Queen Candace,and led him to the Lord,then baptized him in anearby lake. A few moments later,Philip was supernaturally transportedmany miles northwest of his locationto Azotus, where he preached Christalong the way toward his finaldestination of Caesarea.So often we think that if we give ourtime outside our work or home life,these will suffer. God redeemed thetime for Philip by supernaturallytransporting him to the next place hewas to be. God always blesses thosewho serve Him. He can redeem losttime for those who willingly give ofthemselves for His purposes. Do notfall into the trap of believing that Godcannot redeem the time you give forHim. If He calls you to give outsideyour normal daily life, be assured Hecan make up that time. I have heardcountless examples of believers whoexperienced God's supernaturalfinancial provision for time given forthe sake of the gospel, through52

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 53unexpected business or unusualincome that resulted after they madethe commitment to take time awayfrom their work for service to God.God desires that we respond asPhilip did, in order to be used by Himin the life of another person. Listen tothe voice of the Holy Spirit so that youcan go and speak when He says goand speak. Do not fear theconsequences of what that mightmean if it requires leaving your workinterests or home life for a time. Godwill make it up. He always takes careof those who are obedient. He ismore concerned about obediencethan the bottom line.Excerpted with permission from thebook TGIF Today God Is First by OsHillman. Copyright 2003. Reprinted bypermission. For free daily emailsubscription to TGIF (Today God IsFirst), visit www.TodayGodIsFirst.comor www.MarketplaceLeaders.org"Where is God?Two brothers are terrible trouble makers. They are always breaking things,stealing things, lying, and making all kinds of general trouble. The parentshave tried everything to get the boys to change, to no avail. Finally, out ofoptions, they ask their pastor if he can help. He says he will talk to the boys,but only one at a time. The parents drop off the youngest and go home,promising to return to get him soon. The boy sits in a chair across from thepastor's desk and they just look at each other. Finally, the Pastor says, "Whereis God?" The boy just sits there and doesn't answer. The pastor begins to lookstern and loudly says, "Where is God?" The little boy shifts in his seat, but stilldoesn't answer. The pastor is starting to get angry at the boy's refusal toconverse and practically shouts "Where is God?" To the pastor's surprise, thelittle boy jumps up out of his chair and runs out of the office. The boy leavesthe church and runs all the way home, up the stairs and into his brother's room.He shuts the door and pants, "We're in BIG TROUBLE. God's missing andthey think we did it!"Keep safe in the Lord,GaynorAfter the christening of his baby brother in church, Jason sobbed all the way home, inthe back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally,the boy replied, 'That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home,and I wanted to stay with you guys.'53

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 54Strong Measures-Adapted by Jon Barber, SAS BranchWhen Saul heard theirwords, the Spirit of Godcame upon him in power,and he burned withanger.1 Samuel 11:6 -John 17:23Saul had just beencrowned as the newking of Israel. His firstbattle was upon him,and he had to bring anew nation together tofight the Ammonites.The Spirit of God fell onSaul and resulted inrighteous anger againstGod's enemies. God led him to sendan unusual "direct-mail" package toall the regions where the people lived.He cut up pieces of oxen and sent thepieces throughout Israel, with awarning-"Join the army or your oxenwill be as these!"Sometimes God uses strongmeasures to accomplish Hispurposes. In this case, fear andintimidation were used to motivate thearmy of God to be asone. God must havefelt this is what wasneeded to drive thisarmy to become aunified force.God knows the onlyway to achievesuccess is if the army isone. A house dividedcannot stand. What willit take to unify yourC.M.A.?, your church,and your family to beone? Unless you areone, you cannot win the battles youwill face. Ask God to make you andthose you walk with one in missionand one in spirit.Excerpted with permission from thebook TGIF (Today God Is First) by OsHillman. Copyright 2003. Reprintedby permission. For free daily emailsubscription to TGIF Today God IsFirst, visit www.TodayGodIsFirst.comor www.MarketplaceLeaders.org"Hi all from Ken at Norwich. Just to remind you of the eventsgoing on this year. To miss them is ok, but to go to them isawesome. Many will be at the EMC Rally this year in Holland.Its easy to get to, and the dates are already mentioned inChainlink. Then there is the CMA National at Hollybush, theBMF at Peterborough, The Farmyard, ‘Stormin the Castle’. Ifyou need help, contact your branch Chairman, also availableon www.bike.org.uk or contact me. I will assist with as muchhelp and information as possible 01603 495277.There are many events around the country, many close toyou. Ask for more details. You do not have to be a Christianor a member of the CMA; come and join other bikers.54

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 55Competition 7These are parts of bikes, list them to win the prize of Wishful thinkingReplies to The Editor e-mail/phone or post to theP.O.Box number as listed in this magazine, also alldetails on webWant to make a comment as well? (or two?)And win that prize of ‘wishful thinking’Winners will be published in the next issue.What have you got planned for 2008? What about 2009 even?Let us have some stories of what you did in 2007The CMA National dates we have are on page 25, so start planning your yearfor holidays and extra days off. Bring the family to the National, bring yourfriends from your church, bring your mates, let’s make it the biggest yet.Also look at the other branch events. Go and be part of their team as welleven for only part of the weekend. Lets be working togetherThe answers of the eyeswere:-Sue Paxton,Mike Fitton,Johnny Hallas,AJ,Jason Bee,Bob Bogart,Iam Paxton,Debbie,Ted Russell.The caption competition 6Hi everyone.And we have a winner.it’s well we had no entrie to this oneso:-No one has won that prize of wishful thinking.55

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 56A non-believing friend ofmine recently commentedthat he thinks I amobsessed.He observed my bike keyringwith the "I love Jesus"words, my car key-ringwith its metal cross andCMA metal disc, mybiking leather waistcoatwith its big white cross onthe back and variousbadges, with thoughtprovoking Christian andJesus references. My PCscreensaver "Jesus is the answer",my signet ring with a cross in whitegold going around it, a painting in mylounge of a white cross on fire withthe world exploding from it, the CMAfish on my bike, car, and a stickerfrom my local church.Hmmm, obsession? Well, it looks likethat from his eyes.But, then I spoke to him about love. Ifyou love someone or something, thenyou have photo's of them. Photo's ofObsession or love?by Stephen Gilder - MESS Branchyour wife/husband,children, parents, otherfamily members. In yourwallet, on your key ring, onthe mantelpiece, pictureframes on your walls, onyour desk at the office.There are reminders ofthings and people that youlove all over the place.So then it is the same withJesus.Jesus loved me first, andso I have learnt to loveHim. He came to earth totell everyone the Good News thateveryone who believes in Him will notperish but have eternal life (John3:16). He died for my sins, so that Icould be forgiven for my humanfailings. He rose from the grave sothat I can be alive in Him and lookforward to eternal life with him.I love Jesus and I'm proud of it! Thatis why references, icons and mentionof His name abound around me.A father was at the beach with his children, when the four-year-old son ran up to him,grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore, where a seagull lay dead in the sand.'Daddy, what happened to him?' the son asked. 'He died and went to Heaven,' the Dadreplied. The boy thought a moment and then said, 'Did God throw him back down?'(On September 17, 1994, Alabama's Heather Whitestone was selected as MissAmerica 1995.) Question: If you could live forever, would you and why?Answer: "I would not live forever, because we should not live forever, because if wewere supposed to live forever, then we would live forever, but we cannot live forever,which is why I would not live forever,"Miss Alabama in the 1994 Miss USA contest56

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 57Emmerson’s-Sponsored Runby Anna, MESS BranchA sponsored Run, by my24yr old son Emmerson,was done to raise moneytowards the publishing ofthe Biker Bibles. It wasdone in the Spring.He raised over £200.00.It stemmed from MikeFitton's letter, challengingmembers to raise funds.I had been praying foryears for God's intervention inprompting Emmerson to come offcannabis after he had been on itsince aged 16. Last November 2006,I had a real passionate time with Godabout it as Emmerson had beendesiring to quit, but didn't know howhe was going to cope after so long onit. two days later, Em came to me andsaid “Mum, I'm going to quit atChristmas”. He spoke sodeterminedly and positively. He toldme he had felt a real positiveness afew days before (the time I hadprayed so passionately about it)Just after New Year, Em camebounding in bright, looking cleareyed, and I could see, as he told me,he had been off it for over a week.The impact on those that knew him57was great, as they knewhow long he had been onit, Those on drugsthemselves began to thinkthat if Em could do it, andkeep off it, then there wasa chance for them too. Sothey became hopeful,encouraged, and somehave been able to quitalso. Emmerson knew ofthe challenge as I'd spoken to him ofit. As Emmerson was running everymorning, I suggested would he like toraise some funds for the CMA? Hewas keen to help for the Biker Bibles.Emmerson ran from his home inStowmarket, through the town andalong the Needham Road toNeedham Lake in Needham MarketIt was 10 miles round trip.Emmerson with hisrescue greyhound,Boycee"Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't helpbut cry. I mean I'd love to be skinny like that, but not with all those flies and death andstuff." Mariah Carey"Smoking kills. If you're killed, you've lost a very important part of your life,"Brooke Shields, during an interview to become Spokesperson for federal anti-smokingcampaign.

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 58I have alwaysbeen interested inbikes; ever since Iwent to ascrambling matchat HadleighCastle, in about1973, and fell inlove with a NortonCommando,parked in the car park. However,after my elder brother broke his legriding a Honda175 into a parked car,a motorbike was out of the questionuntil I left home. After leaving schoolwith only a few qualifications, I spentyears drifting aimlessly from job tojob, getting more and more resentfuland depressed and drinking toomuch. I day dreamed about travellinground the world and owning a BMW,but actually did very little and ownednothing.I eventually ended up as anunemployed, graduate Engineer inSheffield and by 1992, no longer ableto run my car, I bought a Honda C90from a friend. I was working part-timein a pub, opposite the Wilson CarlisleCollege of Evangelism, and some ofthe staff used to come in for a Fridaylunchtime drink. At that time a familyfriend had a brain tumour and I wasstruggling to understand howsomeone so inherently good could beterminally ill. For the first time I wasbeginning to think, or moreaccurately, hope that there was moreto life than just death and taxes. TheLook to Jesus by SallyChurch Armypeople exudedgood vibes and Ifelt drawn to them.They seemed tohave somethingthat I wanted. I gotchatting and theysuggested that Iattend my localCofE church and so I started to goalong. I was also, at this time, amember of Barnsley Bikers' Club andused to ride pillion on their ride outs.On the 3rd Sunday, that I had beenattending church, I was riding backfrom Lincoln, on the back of anFJ600, when the car we wereovertaking at 80mph decided toovertake the car in front. It missed usby inches. When I got to church thatevening, the first hymn was FatherHear the Prayer We Offer, which wasthe first hymn that we had sung that Iactually recognised. I was happilysinging away when the words of thelast but one verse leapt out of thepage at me and smacked me rightbetween the eyes. "throughendeavour, failure, danger, Father, bethou at our side".It wasn't so much of a ‘road toDamascus’ experience, as a roadfrom Lincoln experience. I feltoverwhelmed by a sense of "Howcould I have been so wrong?" andspent the rest of the service in a stateof shock. I had been so certain thatthere was no God.58

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 59My favourite verse in the Bible is "Thelight came into the world and thedarkness compreheded it not". All thewhile my mind was slammed shut,Jesus couldn't enter, but once Iopened my mind, he could and did. Iwas Christened and confirmed on 8thMay 1994. I became an enthusiasticmember of church and managed toget a local engineering job. However,although I believed in Jesus, I didn'tparticularly feel that he believed inme. I somehow felt that He lovedeveryone on the planet, except me. Iwas still very self sufficient andinsecure and when I was bullied atmy new job, my drink intakeincreased. I worked very hard tocontrol my drinking and led agenerally very healthy lifestyle, butthe amount of effort it took to keep allthe plates spinning was physicallyand mentally exhausting. Obviously, Inever once resorted to prayer. Afterall, why pray when you can worry!Then, at church on 12th April 1997, Itold a friend that I had decided to stopdrinking. She laughed and said, "Whydon't you just cut down?" At thatpoint, it hit me like a steam train that Ihad been cutting down for fifteenyears. I had exactly the sameoverwhelming feeling of "How could Ihave been so wrong?" I had been soconvinced that I had been in controlof my drinking. I now realised that theeffort I was putting in wasunsustainable and that my life wouldfall apart if I carried on drinking. Thatwas my 2nd ‘road to Damascus’experience. For the first time, I askedthe vicar for prayer and the sense ofrelief was unbelievable. A hugeweight was lifted off my shoulders.That evening I contacted AA and Ihaven't had a drink since.59

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 60AA is a spiritual programme ofrecovery, which asks us to believe ina higher power. It doesn't insist onwhat or who that higher power is, butit is obviously based on Christianity,and the fact that it makes nodemands of people, shows just whatan amazingly gracious God our Godis. He just reaches out to help people;in my case, however pig headed andstubborn they are! By following the 12step programme and strengtheningmy relationship with Jesus, my lifehas been transformed. I have gaineda level of confidence andassertiveness that has not onlyenabled me to leave that old job, butget promoted in my new one. I havecoped with things that I couldn'tpossibly have coped with before and Ihave now travelled all over the world.I have owned several bikes andcurrently ride a BMW F650GS. Iembrace challenges instead of hidingfrom them. I also feel that now my lifehas a purpose. I used to want to havea big impressive calling, and befamous like Billy Graham, but it waswhile talking quietly to a drinkingalcoholic, who had come into ourchurch, that I realised that simply notdrinking and sharing my experience,strength and hope with others, wasmy calling, and that it involved beinganonymous. Even at the time Ithought that was ironic!Last year, at the national rally ofanother bike club to which I belong, Iwas publicly humiliated by thegirlfriend of the rally organiser. I foundit incredibly distressing.That afternoon, a friend said thathowever awful the experience was,something good would come of it.That evening, when I was explainingto another friend that the personwho'd bullied me was a pagan, theysaid, "Isn't there a Christian bike clubyou can join?" I remembered back tomy Barnsley biker days and theYorkshire Pudding Rally and couldremember seeing the Jesus one-waysign on someone's jacket. Thatevening, I looked for the CMA, on theinternet, and found that yes there wasa branch close to me.I have been a member, nearly a yearnow and I really love it. It is wonderfulto be with people who care about me,and who share the same fellowship.Everyone at the branch has beenreally welcoming, friendly andsupportive. I gave my testimony at thenational leaders’ meeting and haveattended a number of events,including helping with some out reachwork at Matlock Bath, going toOlivers’ Mount and going to theNational Rally. I also like to wear mywhite cross or CMA sweatshirt atother non-CMA events. I met anotherCMA member at the BMW annualrally and chatted to a stall holder, whosaid he always enjoyed visiting HolyJoe's when he attended rallies.My friend was right. That experiencelast year was awful, but gooddefinitely did come out of it, becauseI found the CMA. God really doeswork in mysterious ways, Hiswonders to perform.60

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 61Who is Jesus? sent in by Jason - Norfolk BranchWho is Jesus?In chemistry, He turned water towine.In biology, He was born without thenormal conception.In physics, He disproved the law ofgravity when He ascended intoheaven.In economics, He disproved the lawof diminishing returns, by feeding5000 men with two fishes and 5loaves of bread.In medicine, He cured the sick andthe blind, without administering asingle dose of drugs.In history, He is the beginning andthe end.In government, He said that he shallbe called Wonderful Counselor,Prince of Peace.In religion, He said no one comes tothe Father except through him.So... Who is He? He is Jesus! Joinme and let's celebrate Him. He isworthy. The eyes beholding thismessage shall not behold evil, thehand that will send this message toeverybody shall not labor in vain, andthe mouth saying amen to this prayershall smile forever. Remain in Godand seek His face always. Amen!In God I've found everything! TheGreatest Man in History.Jesus had no servants,yet they called Him Master.Had no degree,yet they called Him Teacher.Had no medicines,yet they called Him Healer.He had no army,yet kings feared Him.He won no military battles,yet He conquered the world.He committed no crime,yet they crucified Him.He was buried in a tomb,yet He lives today.I feel honoured to serve such aLeader who loves us! His name isJESUSIf you ignore Jesus, just rememberthat Jesus said... "If you deny mebefore man, I will deny you before myFather in Heaven”. JESUS."HEY, WITH GOD ALL THINGS AREPOSSIBLE." .61

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 62Ride for MAF by David Hunter - Rest of Scotland BranchOn Friday 17thAugust 07,eight membersof the Rest ofScotlandBranch, plusChris from theB o r d e r sBranch, met inthe carpark atthe Christianradio station‘Revival FM',immediately opposite CumbernauldAirport, to start our annual sponsoredride; this year in aid of MissionAviation Fellowship (MAF). RevivalFM gave us a good send-off, with aninterview on their live 10amprogramme, during which we wereable to tell listeners both a little aboutthe work of MAF and also theoutreach work that we, as Christianbikers, are involved in. We then setoff on our route across the KincardineBridge to Perth, where we werejoined for part of the day by Jon Tileyand his wife from the West MidlandsBranch of CMA, who were holidayingin Scotland. Later on, another four ofour own members, who could notmake the 10am start, due to workcommitments, joined up with us.During the course of Friday andSaturday we travelled past sometwelve airfields, spread over adistance of approximately 400 miles,finishing in Hawick in the ScottishBorders. On the Sunday morning weattended the morning service at thechurch in Hawick where CharlesFinnie, one of the Scottish BordersBranch is minister.The morning of Friday 17th August,after a rather hazy start first thing, itturned into a glorious day, leading usto believe that summer had arrived atlast! The ride from Cumbernauld overthe Kincardine Bridge and to Perth,then to Coupar Angus andBlairgowrie was beautiful. One smalldownside was the wasp that flew inthough the open visor of my helmet inCoupar Angus and stung me justbelow my right eye. A couple of hoursof pain followed, but fortunately therewasn't any swelling, and my visionwasn't affected in any way. Doesanyone have the slightest idea whatuseful function wasps perform? As wetravelled further North to Braemar,Ballater and Aboyne, the ride goteven better, coupled with glorious,majestic scenery and lots of otherbikers to talk with during the icecreamstop at Aboyne, afterdescending through Glenshee. Weparted company with our W.Midsfriends at Aboyne, as they had tomake their way back across to theirholiday venue in the West, nearAviemore. At least you managed tosee some of Scotland in the sun folks,as I don't think there was much overthe rest of your two weeks. Ourjourney then took us across to theEast coast and from there down toMontrose and on to our evening62

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 63stop at Dundee. An excellent Indianmeal that evening in Broughty Ferrywent down a treat, made even betterby some friendly and talkative staff.Another 'God-appointment' met us atthe B&B, where several of us stayedin Broughty Ferry, a semi-retiredbiker, rebuilding an old British bike,who gratefully accepted a 'Biker Bible'in a modern English translation (withtestimonies from bikers at the frontand rear inside pages), before we leftthe next morning. "This is in languageI can understand" was his commentupon opening it. Praise the Lord forthese opportunities.Summer was, unfortunately, short thisyear as we all know, and Saturdaymorning dawned wet and miserableas we gathered in the Tesco carparkin Dundee to set off. The raincontinued throughout the day,slackening to a steady drizzle on afew occasions, but maintaining aheavy downpour throughout most ofthe day. Our last airfield of the ridewas the Air Museum at East Fortune,where most of us kept our helmets onbecause of the rain, although at thispoint it almost stopped for a fewminutes. By this time we just wantedto finish the ride safely, as everyonewas getting tired with riding for solong in heavy rain, and so we pushedoff to the finish at Hawick, wherebikes were parked up and wet gearremoved. Oh the joy of hot baths andshowers after a day spent in thepouring rain! Those of us who werestaying at a Christian Guesthouse, acouple of miles outside Hawick, couldnot bear the thought of getting backon our bikes that evening, to go forsomething to eat, so a taxi was calledto take us into the town and bring usback again later. Four wheels dohave their uses sometimes, and thetaxi driver was also friendly andinterested in what we were doing.Sunday morning brought more rain,but not so heavy this time, so the rideback into Hawick to attend churchwas not the ordeal that Saturday'sride had been. Charles was waiting towelcome us to his church, with hisBMW bike parked outside, and wethoroughly enjoyed taking part in theservice and mingling with members ofthe congregation over tea andbiscuits afterwards. As the last oneaway from the church, due to myhabit of chatting with people, Idebated which route to take home,and having decided to take the safer,straighter route, due to the still wetroads and light rain, promptly set offon the more scenic (on a sunny day)route. By mid-day the rain hadstopped and the roads were dryingup, and then I discovered why I hadset-off on the route that I did notintend to take. As I reached theBorder town of Peebles, I saw atearoom/coffee-shop on the outskirtsof the town that I have never noticedbefore during my several visits toPeebles, and stopped there. It turnedout that the owner was also a biker,and not only a biker, but a Triumphowner like me. I first noticed himwhen he went outside to look at mybike, then he came inside63

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 64and chatted, coming back a couple oftimes and then coming outside withme to see me off. (Maybe he wantedto make sure I was going!) After wechatted some more, he gratefullyaccepted a Biker Bible from me, andthen I knew for sure why I had takenthe road that I had not intended totake because of the weatherconditions! This will certainly be astopping point during future visits toPeebles though. As we travel throughlife, the Lord often has ‘Godappointments’ for us, and He will doHis bit in setting up the time and theplace. All we have to do is co-operatewith His leading, which unfortunatelywe often get wrong.Despite the weather over the secondday of our sponsored event, wethoroughly enjoyed this year'ssponsored run, from which we hopeto raise the sum of approximately£2,500, towards the work of MAF.Thanks also to Revival FM forallowing us to take part in their life10am broadcast on the Fridaymorning, before setting off on theride. Hopefully this will have givensome of the listeners a better idea ofthe work of MAF, as well as of CMA.Rest of Scotland Branch - Sponsored Ride 2008At our recent Branch AGM we decided to hold this year’s sponsored ride in aidof the Scottish Bible Society. Our first ever sponsored ride, some 18 years ago,was for the then National Bible Society of Scotland, and over the followingyears we have held several sponsored events for them. This year’s project isa first for the Scottish Bible Society, as it involves purchasing and usingmotorcycles to distribute scriptures to people in remote areas of the Congo.The Democratic Republic of Congo has recently emerged from a five-year civilwar which has claimed the lives of an estimated three million people, either asa direct result of the fighting or through disease and malnutrition. In many ofthe remote areas the people have no Bibles, and what roads and tracks existare in poor condition and unusable to four-wheel vehicles. The Bible Societiesof Scotland and Denmark have joined together to raise £9,000 to buymotorcycles for this project, and the Scottish Bible Society has also pledged toraise another £7,000 to provide Scriptures for the needy, and special Scripturebooklets to help in the control of HIV/aids.Our sponsored run will be on Sat/Mon 6th/8th Sept, with our stand at theGrampian Motorcycle Convention on the Sunday. We hope to raise asubstantial part of the finance required by the Scottish Bible Society forthis project, spreading the Word of God by motorcycle. The details of therun are still to be worked out, but if you are interested in learning moreabout the project or joining us, please get in touch with me on 01563521503 or by email at david-hunter@talktalk.net.64

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 65No matter where you are in the biking world, no matter what you ride, or even if youdo not ride, come and join us at our many meetings, rallies, ride outs, church visitsetc. Whatever your interests are, I am sure the CMA have the place for you, includingfellowship, friendship and most of all FUN. Also meet us at Holy Joe’s Cafe, at bikingevents around the country. Also look at www.bike.org.uk for more information.Some of our SponsorsCMA UK Web sitewww.bike.org.uk e-mail us at cma-admin@bike.org.ukTel: 0800 0154479CMA UK PO BOX 8155, Loughborough, LE11 9ARAlso available forWestern Europe &London StreetMapThe Map that lasts!12 miles to 1 inchUK & N. IrelandThe maps are published by Roy O’Hara, a member of the CMA.Profit from sales are going to CMA National funds. Members alsoget a good discount. Phone 0800 0154479 and leave message.65

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 66We’re here to help...Iain Grimes and Neil John are the founders of theBMF Biker Legal Line. Both Iain and Neil are solicitorsat Ward Gethin, one of the largest firms in East Anglia,which is dedicated to serving the needs of bikers andtheir families. Ward Gethin has departments dealingwith many areas of law, including personal injuryclaims, civil and commercial disputes, house sales andpurchases, family law, wills and IHT planning.Kings Lynn01553 6600338-12Tuesday MarketPlace,Kings Lynn,NorfolkPE30 1JTFor friendly and efficient advice, from one biker toanother, call either Iain or Neil in the first instanceon 01553 660033.WardGethinSolicitorswww.wardgethin.co.uk

chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 67A message from Mike Fitton, President (UK) CMASandy, Emmaand MikeIn this edition of Chainlink you have readpersonal stories from people in CMA whoare experiencing a day to day relationshipwith Jesus Christ. Do you experience thesame thing?The bible clearly states that God loves usso much that He has done everythingnecessary to establish that relationshipand deal with the wrong things in ourlives.John Ch3 V16 says "God so loved theworld (that's you and me) that He sent HisSon Jesus (to take the punishment for thesins of the world by dying on the Cross),that whoever believes in Him (His deathand resurrection), will have everlastinglife”. (we will have a relationship with Himevery second of every day and be certainof a place in Heaven when we die).A friend told me once "Every time aChristian Biker told me that, I wanted it tobe true!" It is. You and I can have arelationship with God. Now that's GoodNews!Another verse from the bible, whichhelped me a great deal is Romans Ch5v8 “God demonstrates his own love for usin this: While we were still sinners, Christdied for us”. In other words, God didn'twait for us to become perfect, His lovereached out to us. He promises to forgiveus if we honestly apologise for the thingswe have done, whatever they are. 1JohnCh1 v9 “If we confess our sins, He isfaithful and just and will forgive us our sinsand purify us from all unrighteousness”.A young man who had made a terriblemess of his life once said, "If only I couldstart all over again, if only I could be bornagain and start over!" Well I had news forhim, you can. Jesus gives us a new start,and clears away all the mess of the pastand gives us a sure and certain future.If God existed, would you want to knowHim? Of course you would; it would beridiculous to say no!The CMA Members have found new lifethrough Jesus Christ (read Acts 3:15).There will have been a starting point tothis. God knows your heart. If you call outto Jesus Christ, He will hear you. You canask Jesus into your life today if you wish.God will hear your prayers. If you havenever prayed before, try the one below:Lord Jesus, You died on the cross sothat my sins could be forgiven. I wantYou to come into my life and be Lord.Please forgive all the wrong things Ihave done, wash me clean and fill mewith Your Spirit. Amen.----------------------------------------------------If you have prayed this prayer for the firsttime and meant it from the heart, welldone.You may not feel any different at first, butit will be a good idea to tell the person whogave you this magazine. With God's helpyou need to find a good church that canoffer you the support, understanding andfriendship you need. You are now part ofGod's family.We want to support you and send yousome teaching materials that will be veryuseful. You’re now part of God’s familyand a Brother or Sister inChrist.Contact:-CMA UK PO BOX 8155 LoughboroughLE11 9ARFree Phone 0800 015447967

Tel:0800 0154479chainlink Spring 2008.qxd 06/03/2008 15:09 Page 68See page 24, CMA National Rally, July 17th to 20th 2008at Hollybush, Thirsk, North Yorkshiree-mail: cma-admin@bike.org.uk Web www.bike.org.uk