Over the last eleven years I have been privileged to serve initially as Treasurer and then for the last six as Chairman of CMA NSW. During this time I have seen members come and go, some areas blossom, and others fade, and I am constantly reminded of Ecclesiastes 3 – there is a season for everything, a time for everything . And whilst there are no constants in man’s world, one thing that has remained unchanged is God – Jesus Christ – The Holy Spirit. We, as an organisation and as individuals have had our ups and downs during these years, yes I’ve rubbed a few people up the wrong way and only just kept my hands off a few throats but His grace has covered all of this and His love and His hope have been at the forefront of our existence.
CMA is moving in a new direction, there is more cooperation between the states, no longer is it just an annual catch up but a cohesive national force working for good. We are also cooperating with CMA organisations across the world and reaping the benefits of this. Part of what I see in the international groups is the need to re-think the way we do things, be more flexible in our approach but more rigid in our fundamental beliefs.
In two weeks time a new committee will be elected, I pray that they will have your support and that you will ride with them and not just tag along on the journey. Be a participant and not a spectator. Some ten years ago I went searching for a verse CMA could use on stationery, on the website etc and found Psalm45:4 – for me it epitomises what each of us should do;
In your majesty, ride out to victory, defending truth, humility, and justice. Go forth to perform awe-inspiring deeds
There is also a verse from the Parable of the Banquet (Luke 14:15-24) which invites you to get out on your bike and achieve something for Christ;
Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’

One thing that no one can accuse me of is being graceful on the dance floor, my wife maintains I have three left feet!  But whilst I may not be graceful, I am grace filled and I am there by grace.

We all know the saying there but for the grace of God go I;

• I see someone who is unemployed – there but for the grace of God go I
• I see someone in an ambulance – there but for the grace of God go I
• I see someone struggling with issues – there but for the grace of God go I
• I see someone in a car instead of on a motorbike – there but for the grace of God go I

When we think of the hymn Amazing Grace it highlights how spoilt we are and how hard it is to amaze us, nowadays when we are lost we just consult the GPS, when we are blind we may be able to have eye surgery to reverse the situation – these things do not amaze us as we understand the theory behind them but amazing grace is something that defies human understanding and is an unexpected response to a circumstance created by man’s misadventures.

We cannot begin to comprehend the total burden of sin taken on by Christ to save us, we have trouble extending grace to someone who accidentally bumps into us let alone someone who has wilfully wronged us, and sin is a wilful choice.

We know the mnemonic God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense, but do we pause to concider that this was because Christ was Goaded, Ridiculed, Assaulted, Condemned, Executed – He suffered so you won’t.

And His grace is all we need;

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.

John 1:16-17

Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Romans 3:24

And all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:14

For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

2 Corinthians 12:9

But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.