Excess Baggage

There is not much worse than carrying too much baggage on a long trip. I have learned that the hard way.

Beyond the natural baggage that slows us down and encumbers us as we go, is the junk we pick up along the way that impedes the flow of the Spirit in our lives.

Sometimes as we go the garbage of the world just sort of attaches itself to us like a parasite from a foreign land. Before we know it, we are moving slower and feel sluggish everywhere we go. I am for shedding the excess baggage!

Spiritually we need to continue to return to our "first love". For me this challenge is to remember the pure heart that caused me to run when I first started the race. I want to have a singular focus on Jesus with a desire to simply be God's man!

"Lay aside the weight that so easily besets you' says the writer of Hebrews. I am in agreement with this wise Jewish sage, and plan to be a man after God's heart in love and purity today. How about you?

Mark

Budapest and Yemen

Sometimes we get the Word of the Lord before we have any understanding. This happened to the apostle Paul when he saw in a vision a man from Macedonia saying, "come help us".

The call to help is initiated from the heart of God who helps all people. A simple study of the Bible reveals that He is a very present help, in times of trouble, as well as the Helper of all those who trust in Him.

Last year the Lord visited me in a dream and spoke two words to me, "Budapest and Yemen". Naturally thinking, neither place had much meaning to me, but I knew that the Lord was preparing me for something so I began to seek Him about this. You see, in the same way Jesus spoke to my heart thirty years before about Africa. On a Kentucky hillside the Lord said, "prepare to go to Africa". I prepared, and years later, I made the first of many African trips.

The purpose of all this is simply to ask you to pray with me about Budapest and Yemen. We move in to the purposes of God through humility, prayer, and fasting. I want and need prayer support. Thanks for reading my little article and praying today. By praying we help each other!

Mark Van Deman

Africa

Several weeks ago the Lord began to visit me about Africa. I seem destined to return to the place I love.

After receiving my passport back from the renewal service and having someone offer to help pay for my ticket, I had a deepening sense that this trip was once again ordained of the Lord. It is nice to go, knowing that God is sending.

Once again we will be working on the Mozambique border of KwaZulu Natal in the upper corner of South Africa. Our base of ministry is solidly established there, so we can go expecting great things as always from the Lord Jesus.

At the core of the rationale for going is the sustaining of relationships. After all, ministry is primarily about relationships. We have Zulu friends that we work with who have established many churches. We help as we can. Sometimes we help with leadership training, sometimes with building materials, sometimes with well digging equiptment, but always with love.encouragment, and the Word of God.

As I prepare to leave in a few weeks, I am thankful for friends that pray for us and help support this faith ministry as we go. We need each other, which is why I am going. At the same time, I am mindful that we only go as we are sent by the Lord and those who stand with us in this ministry. Thanks again for your prayers and support.

Blessings,
Mark Van Deman

Victory in Rio

This weekend we participated in a wonderful missions conference in Rio Wisconsin. The high points were many, but it is always exciting when the saints grasp their opportunity to touch the nations.

We saw presentations by Missions X International about water purification systems that used electrically charged plates to change undrinkable water into drinkable water. We saw a manually operated lathe that with a simple foot pump could be used to make wood tools and furniture where electrical power was limited. We also saw the plans for a proposed school for girls in the Ivory Coast where young women desperately need help. In each case, we saw the opportunity for God to work.

Now the amazing thing is that God who gives creative ideas and plans calls on us to work with him. He supplies the ideas, and we go to work by faith.

There is nothing more satisfying than working in the harvest fields with Jesus. Isn't it time to find your place in Him and get busy today?

Mark Van Deman
www.markvandeman.com

Getting Ready

Getting ready is one of the biggest parts of any journey. I am convinced that when we are ready, things happen.

I have been with some friends and we have been talking about the role of preparation in our lives. Our conclusion after several days of discussion, is that things happen for the person who is ready.

One example of this is that I have never met a person who took an overseas mission trip without a passport. When people tell me they want to go to missions, the first question I ask them is about their passport status. When people are serious about world travel, they get the passport and begin to make preparations.

Perhaps you have been thinking about taking a mission trip or some other step of faith. Let me encourage you to get ready by taking the first step of preparation. I have found that the next step becomes obvious and easier when we have done first things first. When we are prepared, we will be amazed at the opportunities that show up.

If we are really going to go, now is the time to get ready!

Mark

Carriers

Mail is delivered by carriers and giant naval ships carry troops to far away places, while missionaries carry the good news of God's love.

Sometimes mistakenly we think that the outward things like a uniform or a vehicle make the carrier effective, but the important thing is in the efficiency of getting the message to the recipients.

The message we carry always needs to be intact and true to the condition in which it was sent. Hopefully it is delivered in a timely manner. We understand that the effectiveness of the message is tied directly to the trustworthiness of the carrier.

God is looking for people that He can entrust with His message. He is looking for carriers of the Christ. He is looking for those who are true to His word in the delivery of the message as well as the way they carry His presence. His carriers need to be people of integrity so the message is not confusing. Ultimately, the message is almost always embodied in the messenger.

The next time we want to go to the mission field, let us remember that lives not only depend on the message we carry, lives depend on the way we present and carry Him!

Mark Van Deman

Well the price of oil is still up and down, so the question is, what does it matter if we follow Jesus?

Now if we are following Jesus, the price of oil is truly somewhat irrelevant. The only thing that really matters is that we are following the One who has an endless supply of oil.

Actually, Jesus the Christ is the "Oiled One". This Messiah Jesus could be seen as the one who is smeared or anointed with oil. That is what the word "Christ" actually means. Makes some sense that the one who is anointed would grant us the same anointing, that is the lubrication from heaven. Hence, the Christ anoints the Christians, who are anointed with the sweet oil of his presence.

My perception of the mission field is that we need more anointed travelers. We need more folks who have more of the stuff that makes Him the Christ. More of Christ, more of the anointing, less of us, less of me. The trips get sweeter when He flows out of us, makes us smell sweet, and changes lives as we go and serve while we carry His anointing.

My tip for the month to my mission minded friends is: ask, seek, and believe for the anointing!

Mark Van Deman