Great Expectations?

So as I sit here today working on the new series for our students and the thought about expectations has come to mind. How many of us have some sort of expectations for our lives? our spouses? our ministries? As I was thinking out loud I couldn't help but think of how many times we put expectations on Jesus. Jesus didn't come to satisfy the peoples need of a liberator or political revolutionary but He came according to His agenda, His terms. The point I am trying to make here is that we all have put expectations on Jesus. We expect Jesus to do this for us or for Jesus to give us what WE need. The problem with this is the fact that what WE need and what He offers is totally different. Jesus didn't come to fulfill the expectations of the people at Passover but came to deliver the people from sin. You can see in Mark 11:1-11 they yell and plead saying "Hosanna! Hosanna!" which means "deliver us, save us NOW." You see the people wanted a ruler, dictator to overthrow the Roman government so THEY could have what they wanted. Jesus had other plans. Jesus wanted to deliver hope and grace and humility and love. Why is it that we can so easily put expectations on who Jesus is supposed to be? I think the answer is this: WE want to be God! This is the phrase that has stuck in my mind "Life is no longer about who WE think Jesus is; it's about who HE actually is." How about you? Have you put unrealistic expectations on Jesus? Do you have Jesus in your back pocket only to be seen when you need something from Him? What if this Resurrection Day (easter) we could let go of our expectations in life and stop limiting what God can do with us? Am I willing to accept Jesus into my life on His terms and not my own? It's sad that if God doesn't do something for us then we have nothing to do with Him. But we forget that Jesus shed His blood for our sins and conquered death so that we may experience true love by His grace and His act of humility that gives all man hope! Just thought you would like something to ponder this season......

You got served!

Have you ever given up your time not expecting anything in return? I am talking about those minutes that turn into hours that seem to pass by without notice? Why is it that we worry about the time issue when it comes to serving others than just doing it? The reason being is we are a selfish people that are lazy. What would happen if more people served one another and forgot about time? I love that today I got to serve among our students at a local school that some of them went to when they were in Middle School. It was a great opportunity to show the love of Christ and show that we don't want to stand for complacency. I don't want our students to grow up without understanding that "faith without actions is dead." This is such a critical aspect of our lives, especially if we say we have Christ as our Saviour King. The opportunity to serve with our students was priceless and was summed up when one of our students asked what time it was and his response was "wow, it seems like it has only been like an hour!" The issue of time was not on his mind, serving was. If we had the lens of serving one another instead of self-gratification, there is no telling how many people we could impact!

It comes and goes....

This whole aspect of prayer is one that really baffles me sometimes. There are days where it seems like "Is God listening?" and then there are days where "God reveals." I have always been the type of guy that has relied heavily on my faith because well, where else would I find meaning and purpose for my life other than in the hands of the "Great I Am?" 

The whole premise of "unanswered prayer" has really bugged me lately. Not in the sense that I am angry at God, no, but the fact that many of us today blame the Creator because He doesn't answer in a timely fashion to fix our puny needs. (I say puny because our needs don't compare to what God has for us in the long run) But I am finding that through prayer, even though my prayers don't get answered as soon as I speak the request, I gain a sense of unity when I speak to the Father. I wonder what would happen if we, who say we are "born-again evangelicals", would stop asking God to meet our needs all the time and ask Him what it is we could be doing for His Kingdom? I mean Jesus said it best when he said "not my will but your will be done." I mean could we utter those words with a sincere heart? This is something that I want to know more and more. Even though my prayers are important, it is more important to know that my prayers and my purpose is aligned with His will for my life. 

The idea of God not answering prayer is rubbish. I think that it is a slap in the face. The problem as I see it is we are asking for things outside His will for our lives. For me God has always provided, in ways that I could only say "Wow, I didn't see that coming." It was in those moments that I knew God was with me and that He was more than real. To be honest I don't think that we will see that "light" at the end of the tunnel until that glorious day when Christ calls us home! But until then, we must avert our eyes and hearts to the Maker because if we are to find any comfort and peace in this crazy world, it has to come from Him. Stop praying for non-sense and pray for God's will......hope you are offended!

Aaron

Starting aFresh

So, since the blogging revolution has taking its toll on society I thought what the heck, I will join the chatter that everyone craves. This blog will be short and sweet just because I can make it that way and also I am tired. So, this is the introductory entry and we will just have to see where it goes from here......stay tuned if you will but you might be in for a treat when it comes to the creative, thought- provoking and sometimes non-sense that a Student Pastor thinks about........hope you enjoy...laters!