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