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I’m a shortcut guy. 

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I’m not a shortcut guy in the sense that I’m lazy, or at least that’s not how I see it anyway.

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I just like getting to places fast.

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Maybe it’s the man in me, I don’t know, but when there’s a clear destination, I want to be there NOW.  I don’t want to wait and I don’t want it to take very long to get there.  This is true in most areas of my life.

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It was certainly true when I became a Christian, and I think that has led to a lot of the frustrations I’ve encountered in my spiritual walk. 

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You see, I wasn’t content with being a new Christian.  I was 38 years old for crying out loud!  I’d missed out on too much time, so I felt like I needed to play some serious catch-up to get where I wanted to be.

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My destination, in case you were wondering was just a couple of ladder rungs below SuperChristian.  I wanted to be a walking wealth of Christian knowledge.  Not so I could compete on Christian Jeopardy one day, but because I truly wanted to be a great Christian man.

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But I wanted to be a great Christian right then and there.  I wanted what other people who had been walking with Christ for years and years had.  In essence, I wanted to be given a job that required years of experience, without having to actually rack up all the years of experience. 

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So being the shortcut man I am, I decided I needed to blow through The Bible so I could get all that Biblical knowledge in me as fast as I could.  So I cranked through Genesis and Exodus.  I got a little bogged down in Leviticus and Numbers but I kept the RPM high, got through it and before I knew it, I had finished The Bible.

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Did I understand it all?  Nope.  In fact I’m sure I would’ve bombed the multiple choice comprehension quiz had there been one afterwards.  Yeah, I jotted down some scripture that spoke to me but my destination was Revelation 22:21, so I didn’t stop at too many scenic rest stops to just take in the beauty.  And in doing so, I’m quite sure I missed a bunch of Grand Canyons, Niagara Falls, Old Faithful Geysers, the second largest ball of twine on earth which was only 4 short hours away, and so many other fantastic things.  And yes I did just throw Clark Griswold into a post about The Bible.

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Then, still not feeling any closer to my ultimate destination of SuperChristian, I started diving into Christian books, which was great because these I could actually understand better.  So I flew through books by Meyer, Warren, Graham, Lucado, Chan, Lewis, Ortberg etc…and without question, they helped me to grow.  For some reason scripture in their books seemed to jump out at me more.  Their books certainly got my gears turning but I still felt light years away from my destination.  

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And just recently it hit me.  I’ve been using these Christian books as a shortcut to try to get to where I want to be.  But the problem is, and I think all of the above mentioned authors would agree, these books will only get you so far.  You have to abide in God’s Word to truly become all that God made you to be.

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Jesus didn’t say if you abide in the words of others with a little bit of My Words sprinkled in, you are my disciples.  He said, “…If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” - John 8:31-32 NKJV
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Now I truly believe God uses Christian writers to help Christians grow, but if we rely more on them to bring us the word than God’s already written word, when we start using Christian books, Christian podcasts etc… in lieu of God’s Word, we will stumble, get frustrated, stunt our growth etc….

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We have to abide in God’s Word.

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Is The Bible an easy read?

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It is certainly not, but it is God’s Word for us and the more time you spend in it, the more you will learn and grow in Him.  

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I have come to learn that there are no shortcuts in Christian growth.  Oh from time to time, God may enroll you in some accelerated learning courses where growth comes fast and furious but your walk with Him is just that, a walk.  It‘s not a sprint, jog or skip.  It’s a walk, a slow and steady walk.  And you can’t circumvent God’s navigation either.  There are no shortcuts.

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None of us may ever achieve SuperChristian status here on earth but if we abide in God’s Word, we become His disciples indeed.  And we shall know the truth, and the truth shall make us free!

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So get in His word, then keep walking and abiding and see where God will take you!

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I love buffets.  They are the absolute best case food scenarios for picky eaters like me..

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Just a little background on me.  When it comes to food, I live by one simple rule: If it’s green, it doesn’t go in my mouth.  Actually, that was my original rule in my food bill of rights.  Since then, there have been several amendments to my food constitution.  Here’s a few: 

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Amendment #4 – If it’s a vegetable, other than corn or potatoes, it doesn’t go in my mouth. 

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Amendment #7 – When in doubt, don’t eat it because it’s probably vile. 

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If it sounds like these amendments were written by a child, well it’s because they were, but much like our country sticks to rules that were written 225 years ago, I stick to mine. 

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Is it a little ludicrous to follow rules written by a child?  Well, I have an amendment that addresses that.

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Amendment #17 – People may tell you, “Now that you’re an adult, your taste buds have changed.  Go ahead and give this green bean casserole a try.  I bet you’ll like it.”  These people aren’t looking out for your best interests.  Don’t be fooled by them and their evil intentions.  They might even try to tempt you by wrapping green beans in bacon.  Don’t take the bait.  You know how unpleasant green beans really are, wrapping them in bacon doesn’t change that.  It just ruins perfectly good bacon.  Ignore these people and their food promptings.

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Ridiculous?  Yeah probably but I can’t help it.  I am a very picky eater.

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So when it comes to buffets, I’m all, “Heck yes!”

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I grab my plate and head straight for the meat and starches.  I’ll have some of this fried fish, some corn nuggets, is that Salisbury steak? Oh you know I’m gonna have me some of that.  Let’s see, cornbread, macaroni and cheese, some more meat, a little more meat and some meat.  That’s me.  I head straight for the good stuff, giving the cabbage, cole slaw, beans of all types, peas, carrots, salads of all types, asparawhatevers etc….. a wide berth.  I ignore them all together.

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Buffets are great.  Pick the stuff you like, ignore the stuff you don’t.

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So not to try to punch you in the stomach now that you’re hungry but do you ever treat The Bible like a buffet?

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Okay, I’ll have some abundant life, some salvation, is that God’s Blessings? Oh you know I’m gonna have me some of that.  Let’s see, Holy Spirit, Christ’s Strength, some more of God’s Blessings etc…  Meanwhile steering your plate clear of the, being a blessing to others, loving your neighbors as yourselves, tithing, loving God more than anything, including your family. 

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Are you guilty?

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Man I am.

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And I bet I have plenty of company.  We live in a buffet world and let’s face it, we kind of dig the buffet world, but the abundant life God has for us can’t be found in the buffet world.

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As Christians you have to decide, are you going to take the plate God Himself dished up for you or are you going to try to pick and choose?  Buffet lovers a.k.a. World lovers, don’t like others dishing up their plates because chances are, especially for guys like me, there’s going to be some stuff on there that’s not overly appealing.  There might also be some stuff on there that you know you don’t like as well as some stuff that you don’t even know what it is.  

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The Bible is not a buffet though.  Oh you can lock onto and memorize bits and pieces of scripture that speaks to you but remember that scripture has a beginning and an end.  That scripture is just a small part of the whole enchilada, so to speak.

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In other words, it doesn’t work if you just try to get platefuls of only, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.” - James 1:5 – NLT because in that same scoop of James 1:5 is James 1:6-8 “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind.   Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord.  Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.”  You don’t get verse 5 without verse 6-8.  It’s a package deal, impossible to separate.  There is no “…Ask and He will give it to you” without the “…Be sure your faith is in God alone.”  The two go together like, ramma lamma lamma ka dinga da dinga dong.

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The Bible isn’t a buffet, it’s a heaping plateful of everything that you need.  Some of it, you would’ve gladly dished up yourself, some of it you’d never dream of putting on your plate but it all fits together perfectly.  And take heart in knowing who it was prepared by.  It wasn’t prepared by some hormonal teenager, who forgot to wash his hands and put on his hairnet.  It was prepared by God Himself.  The God that LOVES you.  The God who gave the ULTIMATE sacrifice for you.

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When it comes to The Bible we can’t treat it like a buffet.  We can’t just pick and choose and we can’t put our own amendments on it either.  We as Christians have to accept it as the plateful of everything that we need.  Yep, even the green stuff that doesn’t always look appetizing on the surface.  God knows us better than we know ourselves and He prepared this meal just for us.

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So dig in.

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First of all, Happy New Year!  I’m glad we all made it through 2011.  I know it was kind of touch and go there for awhile, especially around May 21st  ;-)

Second of all, I’d like to say how thankful I am for you, the reader.  The positive feedback, well wishes, correspondence etc..that I’ve received since I started the site last summer has been amazing. I’m truly blown away and humbled.

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THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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Thirdly, God has really put it on my heart to reach people like the guy I used to be – far from God with no intention of moving closer.  I also want to help others grow in Christ.  Now I’m no theologian, I’m just a new-ish Christian that likes to share but I think one of the coolest things about God is that He’ll use somebody like me to reach people. 

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Afterall, when Jesus started His ministry, He picked ordinary people to be His disciples.  There certainly wasn’t anything special about them, resume-wise, that would lead anybody to believe they’d have the impact they had.  In fact, most would say they were highly under-qualified.  Now please know that I’m not comparing myself to one of the disciples of Jesus, I’m just saying that you don’t have to go to seminary to play your part for God.  The same rings true for you as well.     

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Here’s the deal with me though, I am no social butterfly.  In fact many times I feel socially inept.  God certainly didn’t give me the spiritual gift of gab, but writing – I like it very much.  So UnlikelyChristian.com is me doing my small part to try to reach people in a way that I know how. 

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Fourth, I really appreciate all the sharing of my posts you’ve been doing via Facebook, Twitter etc…  I ask that you please continue to share them via social media when felt led to. You never know which one of your friends, family or tweeps might be secretly reading it.  That’s totally something I would’ve done when I was kicking the tires of Christianity.  I also ask that if you haven’t already, please consider becoming a follower of Unlikely Christian on Twitter or “Liking” my Facebook page.  I know some of you regular readers out there read our posts only through somebody else sharing it.

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And please know that I don’t want to have hundreds of “Likes” on Facebook so I can puff out my chest and do daily affirmations in the mirror every morning to feel good.  “Because I’m good enough, smart enough, have 300 “Likes” on Facebook and doggone on it, people like me.”  The reason is the same as above – exposure.  The fact that you “Like” it may spark curiosity in somebody who’s far from God and that spark of curiousity can quickly grow into a fire.  Remember, God uses people like us to reach others. 

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Fifthly, (is fifthly even a word?  Doesn’t really look right to me but I’m rolling with it) This is not about me.  This is all about God.  All glory goes to God.  He’s the reason I’m an Unlikely Christian.  He’s the reason I write, He’s my inspiration and believe it or not, more times than not, He directs my hands as I type.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve sat down to write, firm topic in mind, and I end up writing something completely different.  And the really cool thing about that, as if that wasn’t already cool enough, I end up learning and growing during the process. 

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And lastly.  Are you an Unlikely Christian?  Were you once far from God and then BOOM!?  Stories are powerful.  I’d like to eventually put a whole page of stories on here.  I’d love to have yours.  Even if you don’t think your story is anything special, God didn’t save you from drugs or keep you from suicide, it doesn’t mean your story isn’t brilliant.  Truth is, God didn’t save most people from those things.  Your story might closely mirror somebody else’s life who isn’t saved yet.  God will use your story to show them how it can all change.  So what’s your story? Send it my way - me@unlikelychristian.com    

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I’m really excited about 2012!  Excited to see where God leads me, how He uses me and I’m excited to share it with you.

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Happy New Year Everybody!  May this year be your best year ever!

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Sincerely,

Bill a.k.a. The Unlikely Christian. 

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Today God called for the Lefty.
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And now my life will never be the same!
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I believe there is a big difference between being a Christian and being a Christian.
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Yeah…..I’m not really following you there.
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Okay here’s an analogy I’ve heard a few times at our church – You can be A man or The man. Which one is better?

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Think about it.
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“Oh you’re A man!”
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or
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“Oh you’re THE man!”
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Trust me, it sounds way better when you’re saying it, especially if you substitute ‘DA’ for ‘The’ as in, “You DA man!”  The point is, it’s better to be DA man as opposed to A man.
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Anyway, it’s the same with being a Christian. You can be a Christian but not really be DA Christian, if you know what I mean.
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Take me for instance, I was saved prior to today. I said the prayer in a Home Depot parking lot 4 years ago.
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In essence, I’d joined the team but I wasn’t really a player yet.
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I was on the team but I didn’t think I was ready to play yet, so I purposely rode the pine or since it’s still football season, I turned my hat backwards and carried the clipboard.
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Seriously, I was a brand new Christian, just got called up from the minors, I wasn’t ready for everyday play. The team couldn’t depend on me yet. I still had too much to learn. So I studied the playbook, showed up to practice, and worked on my mechanics but I wasn’t really contributing much to the overall team. My spot on the roster certainly had no effect on the wins/loss column.  I was on the team but not really a player yet.

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The same could be said about the disciples.  Yeah they were followers of Jesus. In fact they followed Him everywhere He went.  They even performed miracles in His name but their game was still lacking, until BAM! The Game Changer - Pentecost – Acts 2 (The day the Holy Spirit came).
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Today I felt my game change. Today God gave me a wake up call or to stick with the sports analogy, He walked to the mound and called for the lefty. Which means He wants me in the game, NOW. Enough warming up in the bullpen, God just called me to the mound and handed me the ball.
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What happens next, in big league baseball, is the manager then walks back to the dugout, leaving the pitcher to succeed or fail on his own. God is not a big league baseball manager though. He’s our Heavenly Father and when He calls us, He’s not going to leave our side.
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Boom!
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He’s not going to throw the ball for me, but He’s been equipping me to do that already. He’s spent the last several years helping me with the command of my fastball and teaching me how to get a deeper bend in my curveball. He’s also increased my pitching arsenal to include the splitter, the 4 seam heater and a running fastball which will really come in handy in those lefty vs. lefty scenarios.

Today God called for the Lefty and I answered the call with a sprint to the mound.
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Then He handed me the ball and said, “You’re ready kid.”
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“Yes, I am!”
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Today God called for the lefty and my life will never be the same! – Batter up!

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Analogies aside, I feel like I just took the next step up in my walk with God.  Just in case you got lost in the whole baseball comparison.

Got baggage?

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“BRING IT!” - Jesus

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

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Jesus didn’t say,

“Come to me when you get your act together.”

“Come to me after you take care of that thing.”

“Come to me once you put all your affairs in order.”

“Come to me once you kick that addiction.”

“Come to me once you’re a little more presentable, have more to offer, etc….etc….”

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Jesus said,

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28 – NLT

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That includes you and whatever baggage you’re carrying around right now.

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Yeah, I know that’s not the way things typically work when it comes to relationships.

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Typically, most try to steer clear of baggage.

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Hey, guess what?

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Jesus is not typical.

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Got baggage?

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“Bring it and I will give you rest.” – Jesus

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Seriously, aren’t you tired of packing, unpacking and repacking all that junk and then lugging it around everywhere you go?   Maybe you’ve mustered up the strength to put it down a few times and actually walk away but next thing you know, you feel it’s weight on your back again.  That’s got to be getting old.  

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Aren’t you tired of hiding it and pretending you don’t have it?  Oh great, you fooled me.  Hey, congratulations on being baggage free.  What does that do for you?  Does that make your load lighter?

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Give it to God. 

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Drop it at His feet. 

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“Bring it and I will give you rest.” – Matthew 11:28

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I love what it says next, in The Message Translation, after you bring it to Him, He says, “…..Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” – Matthew 11:28-30 – The Message

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Rx: Bring your baggage to God and He will give you rest. 

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Repeat when necessary.

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Repeat?

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Yep.  Hey we’re humans.  Some humans come with strong baggage magnets built inside.  Then there’s some that just don’t want to give up their baggage that easily.  They’ll drop it off with God but then get right back in line at baggage claim.  And some don’t follow all the directions on the prescription bottle.  They stop at the “Bring it to Him” part and forget the “Keep company with Him and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

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Bring it to God, whatever it is that you’re lugging around, and He will give you rest.

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Word.