[RUDDICK REPORT] THE BRAND MARKS - Morris Ruddick

[RUDDICK REPORT] THE BRAND MARKS - Morris Ruddick Oct. 1, 2015 "From now on let no one trouble me, for I bear on my body the brand-marks of Jesus."Gal 6:17 The opportunity to assist our brethren in Vietnam has been a joy beyond words. As I was praying the first morning after arriving, the thought occurred to me: "We need one another, since no single group within the Body has all the answers. So the question arises: "Who then do we identify with?" Do we identify with those with pristine doctrinal answers? Or maybe our "identification" is with those whose efforts are demonstrating the most impressive numbers? No real fault could be found with either. Yet the answer I landed on underscores the deepest reason of why we continue to come to help these brethren in Vietnam. I want to identify with those whose bear the brand-marks of the Lord Jesus. It is aKingdom principle that within our weakness, His strength will be manifested. "Seeing that many boast according to the flesh....I say that we were too weak for that! I am more: in labors more abundant, beaten times without measure, in prisons more frequently, often in danger of death. .....Besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. If I must boast, I will boast in the things which concern my weaknesses." 2 Cor 11:23, 28, 30 Since early 2008, this is the 24th trip we have made to Vietnam. Just when it seems like the dust has settled, in terms of persecution, a week before our arrival our chief contact was raided. It was a gathering of leaders at which we have previously ministered. The authorities held and questioned our friend, along one of his pastors for a full day. They were bullied and threatened, but in failing to intimidate them, the authorities eventually released them. I'm reminded of the story of Peter who similarly was arrested for his faith and put in chains. During that time, the people prayed fervently and God sent his angel to deliver him. "Then the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shown in the prison and the chains fell off his hands." Acts 12:7 The Cost and Impact The stories of some of the Vietnamese Christian leaders we have worked with are nothing short of incredible. Their zeal and determination is extraordinary. So I have spent some quality time during this visit working with one of these leaders, capturing some of the amazing testimonies that have taken place in the post-1975 church in Vietnam. Through the courage and dedication of these brethren, their tenacity and their brand-marks, the spiritual climate of this nation has been changing. Illustrating this, one of the pastors we work with asked us to go with him and one of his members, a business leader, to the city of Cu Chi. This business leader had recently bought property to start a new business in that locale. Cu Chi is the site of several battles and extensive tunnel networks used by the Viet Cong. Since 1975 it has become a settlement for hard-core government officials. The pastor we went with told us about a time several years ago in that very area, when the authorities unsuccessfully chased him in an attempt to incarcerate him. He bears the brand marks of the Lord Jesus. However, he went on to share that over just the last ten years that the spiritual climate of Cu Chi has changed dramatically. When he reluctantly first accompanied this church member there, he was surprised to find former government officials eagerly asking him questions about the Lord. His plans already include starting a new congregation there. Expanding Our Reach We have spent many of our visits working with independent, underground networks of congregations. Yet we also have begun capturing the attention and working with many respected denominational groups. This trip has included special workshops for two denominational groups we haven't worked with before: the Presbyterians and the Assemblies of God. Our time with each was very special. The Presbyterians are especially meaningful to us as it was a business and spiritual leader from their group who almost seven years ago took us deep into the countryside over dirt roads to minister in an area where I served when I first came to Vietnam in 1966. We are also very close to a Vietnamese pastor in Denver who was sent out to oversee the Vietnamese Presbyterians in Denver. Before departing on this trip, we brought the Sunday message to this wonderful group of American-Vietnamese. Those attending our community development program from the AOG were members of the business community, many owning their own businesses. They were extremely attentive to the strategies I outlined for making the Lord their Senior Partner and developing community-building strategies for their businesses. I learned during the course of the seminar that some had even invited friends to attend. At the conclusion of this workshop, a man came up to me who was brimming with joy.  He told me how much he had enjoyed the workshop and....would it be possible for him to become a Christian? I was honored to lead him in a prayer committing his life to the Lord. The Unexpected One of the people we met a couple of years ago is a Vietnamese-American. His dad, a Vietnamese pastor, served as a chaplain prior to 1975. Our friend was raised to serve the Lord. He spent time as a US Marine infantryman in the Iraq war. He has since moved to Vietnam where he met his wife and now teaches at a local university. What has developed unexpectedly was that he gave his boss a synopsis of my "business school of values." His boss's response was very positive and we agreed to discuss the possibilities on our next trip. Orphans In addition to their own daughter, our Vietnamese-American friend is among those we know in Vietnam who have adopted and are raising a (previously) homeless orphan. Our friend who first took us to minister in my former operating area is a business owner called as a true modern-day Joseph. In addition to his own two children, he has adopted seven orphans. To watch the unselfish love with which he and his wife have given to the family they are raising has been inspiring. He also is a blessing to his rural home-town where he has given several scholarships to send young people from poorer families to attend high school and college. Carol has been working with a group of 36 orphan three hours north of our base. The children look forward, expectantly, to her arrival. On our last trip, items she had brought the children were lost when the latch on one of our bags malfunctioned. So on this trip she hand-carried the little toy trucks and cars for the boys and dolls for the girls. She indicated it was a time of great joy for them all. The Timothy Project The expectation of forward movement with the Timothy Project, an effort that mobilizes successful business people to work with the younger generation on establishing businesses God's way, experienced a temporary setback.  Nevertheless, we have contacted others who share this same vision of Vietnamese helping Vietnamese who are eager, ready and prepared to move forward. We believe the initial traction will be restored and hope to see movement forward when we return in late January. Emerging Focus Those who bear the brand marks of the Lord Jesus are ones who have passed a threshold in the natural. Their dedication has unveiled important dimensions of God's heart. That always involves Israel and the fulfillment of the promises made long ago to Abraham. God's heart for Israel will provide the keys to unlock key emerging agendas. In this regard, the importance of the marketplace cannot be overstated. Our collaborations with the Vietnamese have involved those who have traversed the fire and emerged without the smell of smoke, who fully grasp what God is doing in the marketplace and who deeply yearn to be connected to Israel. In a forum a matter of days ago, we began discussing a summit that would address a pressing question involving the emerging Josephs: "Where do we put our funds in terms of what the future holds and in terms of maximizing the return for both Israel and the Kingdom." There is a move underway being orchestrated by the Holy Spirit that is converging these priorities of God's heart and we would ask for your prayers in terms of discerning and acting on our part in it. Luke 15:22 tells about Silas and Judas who, being prophets, went about encouraging and strengthening the brethren. That describes a very key aspect of our mantle. We've been "sent" to Vietnam not to establish ourselves, but rather to play a role in strengthening and developing timely strategies for those who have been prepared and are at the forefront of God's heart and agendas. Our focus targets the faithful persecuted who have embraced God's heart for the marketplace and Israel. In so doing, we serve as deployment mobilizers and trainers who equip these brethren with strategies to release God's presence to change the spiritual climate and prepare in establishing the alliances to fulfill their mandates. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers and making these efforts possible.

Morris Ruddick Global Initiative Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org Global Initiatives is a 501 (c) 3 tax-exempt ministry

Love For His People Editor's Note: We support the ministry of Morris and Carol monthly for their work in Vietnam, and Israel. We encourage you to do the same!

Please visit his website (info just above) for further info.

Shalom,

Steve & Laurie Martin

Founders

Love For His People, Inc.