Monday, February 18, 2008

A Joyous Biker Wedding

On a cold Saturday in February, my friend and Christian biker, Mike, married the wife of his dreams. For both of them, this is an answer to prayer.

Mike grew up tough in a home with a father who was a drunk. Mike’s life turned into a biker lifestyle—drugs, drinking, hell raising; riding the hog to the limit, living life to its fullest just at the edge of Hell’s door. He married and had a family; the wife left him for another. He had cancer; he sat alone in his recliner tired, fed up, depressed. Before he fell asleep, he asked Jesus to save him. He woke up the next morning and for the first time in many years, was refreshed, relieved, and optimistic; freed of the burdens of his past sin. Mike was saved!

Brenda, his new wife, works at a law firm; she’s a godly, sophisticated, beautiful woman. This is her second marriage also. Mike has often asked, “What does she see in me?” His friends remind him it’s not so much that Mike’s attractive but it is Christ working in him and through him. It’s called a transformed life for both of them; Christ has transformed their lives. Only God can put together a tough old biker with a sophisticated lady and make it work. It will work because different from their first marriages, Christ is the foundation of this marriage. They view each other as an undeserved gift from God. I’d say that’s a good foundation. Those of us who are married should view each other as a gift from God.

Mike is a member of the motorcycle club “Bond Slaves for Jesus.” This is printed in large letters on the back of their vests. The name bond slave means “ones who are slaves to another.” In their case, they are bond slaves to Jesus; they are slaves by choice. They minister to other bikers or motorcycle clubs. The club was founded in Princeton, Minnesota and is nationwide and is also in foreign countries.

For my first biker wedding, I liked it. We traditionalists could learn a lot. Christ was the center of this service not Mike and Brenda. Crusty old bikers, wearing their leathers, sat next to well coiffure women, escorted by husbands who have done quite well in the business world but guess what, all this did not matter. We were all one this day; all one in the Lord.

Communion was held at the end of the service. The Chaplain for the motorcycle club told us communion was for all--old people, young people, crippled people, people of every tribe and nation. It is the Lord’s Supper. Each of us believers must examine our hearts. Bankers and bakers and candlestick makers, bikers in colors from Minnesota and other states and Canada, sang, laughed, smiled, hugged, and worshipped the Lord. It was a little bit of Heaven for this country boy and his wife.


As people went forward for communion, I was moved to tears. The words to the song “The King is Coming” rang in my head. “Happy faces line the hallway, those whose lives have been redeemedBroken homes He has mended, those from prison He has freedLittle children and the aged hand in hand stand all a-glowWho were crippled, broken, ruined, clad in garments white as snow”

The most marvelous thing about this wedding was that seven people were saved! Now, that’s my kind of wedding! Isn’t it interesting how Jesus works? On a cold February Saturday a biker and his beautiful wife were married, Christ was worshipped, seven people were called into God’s eternal kingdom, and all of us experienced a touch of Heaven. Come quickly, Jesus, come.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

This post touched my heart on a day where I felt kind of glum. Your story reminds me that Jesus works through all people and that our belief in him and having him in our hearts will bring happiness that material things of this world will never bring.

Thank you for your ministry