Man, who needed a purpose, a mission, to keep him alive, had one. He could be…God’s co-worker. -George Washington Carver
The most legendary of all missions, of course, was Jesus’. He came to earth in the form of a baby, grew up experiencing the same heartaches and pressures all human beings face, but He did not sin. And Scripture tells us that Jesus experienced every temptation any human being has ever faced. (See Hebrews 4:15.)
He had to feed a hungry staff, pay taxes, settle disagreements among His disciples, endure the death of His cousin, John the Baptist, and was betrayed by one of His disciples. He put heart and soul into His ministry, and yet even many of His own family did not recognize Him as the Messiah.
Jesus is our supreme example of mission behavior. He knew when to speak and when to be silent. He knew when to challenge and when to forgive. He knew when to rebuke and the right reasons for doing so.
He knew how to control His anger and how to be free from roots of bitterness that could have entangled Him. He knew how to recognize evil and defeat Satan’s attacks. Jesus faced what you are facing right now and He had a victorious mission. You can too!
“How?” you ask. “I mean, He was God and I’m not.”
Jesus walked and talked with His Father God, and you walk and talk with your Father God. And the power of the Holy Spirit anointed Him the same way He anoints us today: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor” (Luke 4:18).
Romans 8:11 says that the same Spirit who resurrected Jesus from the dead dwells in YOU! And Jesus told us in John 14:12 that we would do even greater works than He did, that the Father would send the Holy Spirit to be with us and help us (see John 14:16).
So you see, the same Holy Spirit who helped Jesus is in you and upon you to help you succeed in your mission. You can do it!
Excerpt permission granted by Albury Publishing
Carman Domenic Licciardello is an enigma in Christian music, often described as part evangelist, part Vegas Showman. His concerts were more like a rock and roll Billy Graham Crusade than a Christian music event. After all the singing, dancing, clapping, and preaching, crowds of people would stream down to the counseling area to accept Christ-many times as many as 5,000 in an evening.
Admission was usually free; a simple offering was taken, similar to 30,000 churches on Sunday mornings. And he filled the largest stadiums the world over. Carman held the record for the largest Christian concert ever in Dallas, Texas. But it even goes beyond that. Take the Mega Stadium acts that played the famed landmark such as Pink Floyd, U 2, Madonna, The Jackson Five, Paul McCartney, Garth Brooks, and even Metallic. As the newspapers noted, you'll see that the one-act that drew the highest attendance in Texas Stadium was Carman, with 71,132.
Carman (1956-2021) was a popular contemporary Christian singer and songwriter.
Born Carman Licciardello, he began recording under his first name and released his debut album in 1980. Carman began charting contemporary Christian hits in 1984 with "Sunday's on the Way," reaching No. 1 with "The Champion" (1986) and "Radically Saved" (1988). His other hit songs include "Lord of All," "Jesus Is the Light," and "Satan, Bite the Dust!" Carman reportedly holds the world record for the largest audience at a Christian concert. His popularity was at its height in the 1980s and early '90s, but he continued releasing albums for years, including his most recent release, 2014's "No Plan B." In 2018, he was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame.
