I’m not a fan of Jesus

   As a youth I attended a revival-week event at the First Baptist Church of Trussville in Alabama.  That night they showed the movie A Thief in the Night.  It was a Christian end-time’s film released in 1973.  The Reverend Eddie White was presiding over the post movie message.  He explained that I was a sinner and needed a savior or I would spend eternity in hell.  He followed this promise with an invitation to accept Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.  While the choir sang Just as I am, I went forward, prayed for forgiveness and asked Jesus to be my savior.  Thus began my walk as a Christian.

    Over the following 30 plus years I have desired to grow as an earnest and sincere follower of Jesus.  I have often lost my way and fallen prey to worldly temptations and selfish interest, but circumstance and the conviction of the Holy Spirit always lead me to my knees for repentance.  There are many places or times that I could point to as evidence of God’s grace, protection or lessons but there are none more profound than my wife Lisa.  If you know her for anything more than a passing encounter, then there is no explanation needed.

    Around the time I turned 40 things started to change.  I now believe that Jesus used a series of reminders to help me understand who is really in control and what He expects of me.  These reminders came as series of illnesses, misdiagnosed with a chronic disease without a cure and finally on March 11, 2010 while traveling on American Airlines flight 1035, the pilot made an announcement that resulted in 20 minutes of preparation for a potentially problematic landing.

    Now when you are raised Baptist, more often than not, conversion to Christianity is closed on John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” and sold hard on assurance of salvation.  So I had on occasions considered how I would face death and believed if time allowed, I would grab a couple of people nearby with the last-minute sinners’ prayer on my way out.  So with 20 minutes until we reach Albuquerque, I should have immediately jumped up, grabbed the mic and lead those on the plane through that prayer.  Instead I was frozen by fear and regret.

    Over the next year I began to pray and search for why I didn’t have the “assurance of my salvation” that I understood came with my sinner’s prayer.  The Lord dropped before me a number of interesting conversations, studies and life encounters over the next year but my tipping point came on April 17th, 2011.   I was packing to leave for a business trip when I noticed a small booklet from Zonderman on the table mixed in with all the other day’s mail.  I turned it over to read, “not a fan.”  I asked my wife Lisa what it was and she shrugged while saying that she thought it was something for me.  I dropped it into my bag for the trip.  The booklet turned out to be a promotional piece containing the prologue and first chapter of Kyle Idleman’s soon to be released book, Not a Fan.   Mr. Idleman said that a fan is an enthusiastic admirer.  And that it was clear that throughout various references to scripture that Jesus never seemed too interested in fans.  I began to realize that I was a fan… “I was close enough to Jesus to get the benefits but not so close to require sacrifice?  He was looking for followers.  Not just any follower though, but a completely, committed, follower.”

The book pointed out that in Mathew 7:21-23 that the Lord says, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.  Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'  Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Then on Easter Sunday, our pastor referenced the B.C. Comic strip below.