My Identity Is in Christ, Not AIM

Being part of AIM is such a great experience. You get to know some of the greatest people, learn about the Bible, learn how to preach, are lifted up spiritually, etc.
These are great things, and all of those are godly things. But after being in Lubbock, and living under certain "rules" or "standards,” some AIMers forget why they came in the first place. When they are back at home or on the mission field at times, they forget the main reason they came. Maybe it’s not that they forget, because they know they are there to bring the Gospel to the lost and encourage the church, but they lose the heart behind it. They start doing things because it's “required by AIM," and not because that's what they want to do for God. It’s sad you know, because we are not sent to do "what AIM requires," but by the faith we have, to do what is good in the Lord's sight.

In John 14:12, it says, “Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

The word used here as believe in the Greek translates, 'to have confidence, conviction and trust.’ So it isn't just knowing that He is our Savior, but trusting in Him and having confidence that He is our Savior. We need to remember that we don't earn our salvation through missions or programs, like AIM, but that God gave it to us by grace and by a true faith in Him. All He wants from us is to have faith and plant the seed. He didn’t say that you have to go and baptize people or have tons of bible studies to be saved. He is the one that saves and is going to make the seeds grow.

In Colossians 2:10 it says, ”Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

When we think about what Jesus did on the cross, it’s clear where we want our lives to go. It’s clear that we want our lives to be identified in Jesus Christ. We often trade that identity for another one, like AIM for example. So remember, AIM is just a program; a tool that God uses to gain souls for His kingdom. Never give up, and fix your eyes on Christ, the one that ultimately saves.

Evelyn Galvan (AIM, Scotland '09)

Influence

As Christians and disciples of Jesus we are given two very important identities; salt and light. With these two identities Jesus gives us the charge to be examples to this world. In Titus 2:7-8 it states, “In all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” Our example and influence is not about how other Christians view us but about how the non-Christians view us.

Gandhi famously said, “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.” How we act can affect people’s view of Jesus Christ. Some might be on the edge of belief but see Christians who act no differently from the people who do not claim Christ and decide that Jesus isn’t for them based on their behavior. People who don’t believe constantly use Christians’ hypocritical behavior as their grievance against Jesus. We have to remember that we are called to be salt and light. We are called to influence those around us so that they can be influenced by the love of God.

- Ryan Jarboe (Aim, Italy '09)

Bad Things Happen

In a fallen world, sin is reality. Bad things happen. Earthquakes, war, cancer and car crashes… And we want to know why. We need a reason, an explanation, closure. Why 9/11? Why Japan? It just doesn’t seem right. Yet somehow in the midst of all the pain, the suffering, and the strife, God’s glory illuminates our darkest night. It’s then that our eyes focus and we can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel; the radiant light of Jesus Christ. I have to wonder, how could the worst of things happen to the best of men? And yet, in the shame of the cross, salvation stands… “By his wounds we are healed.” – Isaiah 53:5

Why do bad things happen to good people? I wonder if maybe it's all in the glory of God. Or maybe it’s the bad that serves for the greater good… Maybe we’ll never fully understand, and maybe that’s okay. All I know is that God is good all the time. The rest is in perspective.

“This happened so that the work of God might be displayed…” - John 9:3

“And we know that in all things God works for the good…” – Romans 8:28

If You Live By The Cheeseburger

Someone smart once said, "If you live by the sword, you die by the sword." In a sentence, this sums up life in a nutshell really. Whatever you focus on in life is what ultimately results in your demise. For some people that is "the sword." They live by violence and they die by violence. Others live for food (like the cheeseburger) and they die from greasy, cholesterol filled hearts that can't pump enough blood through their diseased arteries. (Now that's descriptive!) Believe me, if you live by the cheeseburger, you will die by the cheeseburger.

Most people who really despise AIM may have put way too much stock in it to begin with. Missionaries who hate foreigners probably had too high an expectation of the people. Teenagers who loathe their youth ministers may have held those same men in a position that they could never have reached. If you live by the sword, you die by the sword. We all have to live by something. We all have to find passion somewhere. In our jobs, our education, our experiences, our loved ones... We need something to be focused on. The catch is whatever we focus on is what will ultimately kill us. If you live by AIM, you die by AIM.

Might I suggest living for Jesus? After all, he is the only thing/one in this world who demonstrated an ability to conquer death. We all need something to be passionate about. Be passionate about Jesus. If you live by Jesus you will never die, because he is the resurrection and the life.

- Chris Johnson (Aim Alum, Scotland '95)

What Jesus Taught Me About Mission Work

Take a look at Matthew 26:39. What emotions do you hear from Jesus? I hear fear. Jesus prays to God to save him from his impending crucifixion if at all possible. Jesus has already predicted his death and now he is at the point when he has to commit and he is afraid. Then he says that God’s will is the deciding factor. In verse 42 Jesus prays, “My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, your will be done.” With that phrase Jesus gives all of himself to God’s plan for our redemption despite his human fears.

At this moment in Jesus’ ministry I learned about my own mission work. Jesus taught me that fear in the face of my work is fine, but I still have to be a man who conforms to the will of God. There are times when I am scared that what I am doing will not work. God has plans and as long as you have faith and follow God, you are on the right track. My prayer in times of fear is that God continues to use me for His will even when I am scared.

- Ryan Jarboe (Aim, Italy ‘09)

Sometimes It Takes Failure

Have you ever heard someone tell you, "Today is a good day for me to fail!" Chances are you haven't and chances are you won't. Who on God's green earth would want to fail? The answer is quite simple… No one.

We can't change our past, but we can strive to change our future. When we fail, God gives us a choice to stay down and out or rise again. "For the righteous fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity." Proverbs 24:16. God tells us, "My grace is enough!" He wants us to stand after we fall. Sometimes when we fail, its God telling us we weren't on the right path to begin with. By His grace, God will change that, even if it’s through our failures. Remember what Joseph tells his brother in Gen 50:20, "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to save many lives." Strive to do good, but when you fail, remember God's grace and rise again. Don't stay defeated, learn and press on towards the goal.

-James Hagler (Aim, Scotland '09)

This Is All Preparation for The Future

                So something strange happened to me the other day. Well, I say strange but it sure didn’t seem that way at the time. Until I was talking with good friend of mine and he asked me if I thought it was a coincidence that we were talking at that very moment over that specific subject. My answer of course was no. I personally don’t believe in things like luck or coincidence no matter how important the matter (ex: running into a friend or finding $10 in your jacket pocket). I believe there is only God and the mysterious (or not so mysterious) ways and people through whom/which He works to make everything according to His perfect will. 

                The “strange” thing that happened that I mentioned really wasn’t that strange. Through a series of circumstances my finances happened to be a little lower this month than the norm. So, when my friends decided to head to the movies I decided to not. I could have easily headed back home from where we were but I decided in going to a friend’s (an elder in the church) house nearby and visit. This man is quite wise. And, it happened that we eventually sat in his living room talking and ended up on the subject of our work here in León. And, as I mentioned earlier, he asked me the question over coincidence. This made me think back as to what happened throughout my day, week, month, and last years that have lead up to the very conversation we were having in his living room. 

                Now you might be thinking that this was a little deep. But, think back in your life and where you are now and what you are doing and think about all of the events that lead up to it. A lot of things had to come through for you to be where you are and I guarantee you that it can’t be a dead, lifeless, thing like luck, but a very alive and loving God. This is your story, and it is very unique to you and you alone. You cannot have the same story as another. Trust me too that you don’t want to. God is constantly preparing you for what you are about to encounter in the next 5 minutes or the next 5 years. So this AIM program, the death of a loved one, or the spare cash you found in your jacket pocket is all preparation for your unique story and future. And, in the end, He is preparing you to be more like Christ, because He loves you that much. Just as an old friend once told me, “Your whole life has lead up to this one moment.” So stay in the path of God and don’t rely on your own plans like is says in James 4:13, because we are “a mist that appears for a little while then vanishes.” (James 4:14 NIV) But we are to trust in the Lord's will.

“I am telling you your story…. I tell no one any story but his own.” –Aslan, The Horse and His Boy, The Chronicles of Narnia.

- Nick Flesher (Aim, Mexico 09)











(read more of Nick's blog articles here)

Trust God Even When It Hurts

Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your paths."

You may think that your hurting is pointless, that giants you face are unconquerable, but no one ever stood on the mountain of God without first climbing it. God loves you and he wants the absolute best for you, he knows us, he understands us, and he wants us to trust him even when it hurts! Because as he says in Isaiah 55:8 "My ways are not your ways and my thoughts are not your thoughts." God tells us 'not to lean on our understanding', because we can't see the big picture! So when we don't trust God, we always are settling for less, even when we think that this is the best that life has to offer. Which is why he also says to 'acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight'. Acknowledge, that he is the Almighty God who loves you, trust he will do what he promises and he will guide you, he will straighten your paths! I know this because I have experienced this, I had and still have to trust God even when it hurts, even when I think I have a better way.

I grew-up a military brat, moving from state-state all my life. I grew-up without many friends, overtime I would make a few just to leave them. Most nights I'd be crying and praying to God for us not to move again so I could stay and make friends (which was difficult for me).

Do you know what God's answer was? We moved…twice…I felt I had been stabbed in the heart, it was horrible. However God had something better than I could have ever imagined. God's answer to me that night, wasn't a "no" but rather, "wait". God knows what he's doing and he knows the best way of going about it also. Right now, I'd say God is answering that prayer. Not he has answered it, but he is answering it. My dad retired and God lifted me from my despair. I met friends, good friends. But just when I thought, it couldn't get better than this, God sent me to AIM and I had met people I now can call brothers and sisters. God led me through my pain through my hurt and he's not through with me yet! He has a beautiful plan for me and its far greater than anything that I can imagine, he just wants me to trust him. Which is exactly what he wants you to do also. Trust God even when it hurts.

James Hagler (AIM, Scotland 09)

Blind

Nothing is going according to plan…
Israel is tired and irritable.
Moses is unsure and insecure.
The only thing working out is Pharaoh’s consistent and solid, “No” echoing throughout all of Egypt.

And it’s in this moment that Moses asks a simple question… “Why did you ever send me?” He can’t help but wonder, “Why me, God?” “Why here?” “Why like this?” “Why?” Moses might have been intimidated, he might not have been eloquent, and he may not have wanted to play the role… But he fit the part perfectly. Moses was taken away as a baby, but grew up as a Prince of Egypt. He killed a man and ran, but along the way found a family and learned to lead by tending a flock of sheep. His whole life God had been preparing him for this moment. God was bringing His chosen nation out of Egypt. He was taking another step towards the salvation of His people, and He was using Moses to do it… But Moses was blind. He couldn’t see who God had made him to be. The very thing Moses questioned the most, was the very thing he was created for… And still he couldn’t see.

But, maybe you don’t have to see. Maybe the unseen is what becomes the most clearly seen in the end. All I know is that God is at work in, through, and all around me… Maybe it’s just that I can’t see it.

Moriah Thomason (Aim, South Africa 09)

Animaimers Meet Taco-Man

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God Helps, Even At My Breaking Point

Every Christian knows that God will always help. It is one of those things that I was taught in Bible school and tell others when they are facing trials. Do I really believe that it is true? It is easy to say God is helping his people when I am comfortable or when I get what I want. It is also easy to say God has abandoned me when I feel alone, useless, or to the point of burnout. Is God at my side when I feel like I cannot move forward in my work, when things are moving backwards, and I am ready to throw in the towel? It is hard for me to say, but God is helping me even when I am at the breaking point.

Take a look at God and the Israelites. When leading them into the Promise Land, God was with them step by step. In Exodus 23 God begins to tell the Israelites of their guardian angel. God tells them that He will destroy nations and continually bless His nation. Then in verse 29 He puts a time table on the fulfillment of His short term plan. God states the it will take more than a year because He does not want the land to be desolate and the wild animals to kill the Israelites. In verse 30 God puts His plan into simple words, “little by little.” I have no doubt that God could solve all problems in seconds but He knows the supreme benefits of “little by little.” When God tells the people this they have already been through so much and are still waiting for the final victory. What if when I feel burnout God knows that He cannot just give me the victory because of the negative repercussions? What if God actually knows what is best for me? I forget sometimes that God is omniscient and my mind can only understand so much. God has historically and infallibly held to His promises and His help is part of the Christian promise. God is with me through every hard time even when I cannot see the next step on my journey of faith.

Ryan Jarboe (Aim, Italy 09)