January 2008 Print E-mail
I had an interesting conversation with a young man coming out of a worship service recently. He asked me what I thought about witnessing with our bodies. When I looked a little puzzled he explained that he was thinking about getting a tattoo with a picture of the cross and a heart combined with a verse of scripture. He wondered what I thought of that idea. I asked him if he had checked out the Bible on this topic. He assured me he had read the relevant scripture on tattoos and cutting from Leviticus 19:28.


After a pause I said that the kind of 'marks' on people that impress me are the ones Paul wrote about when he said, 'I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.' (Gal 6:17) When he took off his shirt everyone could see the results of the 39 lashes he received on 5 separate occasions, the prison floggings, and the times he was beaten with rods. All this for sharing the good news that a relationship with God was now possible through Jesus Christ. That's living life on mission for a price. He was someone who could not be stopped. His passion was to "know Christ and the power of his resurrection, the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow to attain to the resurrection from the dead." (Phil 3:10,11)

I've spent time with Christian survivors of torture in SE Asia, the Middle East and the former Soviet Union. They also bear on their bodies the 'marks of Jesus.' Mission comes with a price, and sometimes that price is physical. 
The world will try to make its mark on us. Are we willing for it to be more than ink?

Ministry Highlights

- In November 2006, 12 Khmu pastors were imprisoned for their faith. In May 2007, 9 were released. We're thankful that in December the remaining 3 Khmu pastors were released after more than one year of confinement. Thank you for praying!

- We're thankful for the many who came to Christ over the Christmas season through MBMSI teams who shared the gospel in church planting locations around the world.

Items for Prayer

- Pray for the participants of MBMSI's Winter TREK program. They will begin their two-month training on January 6, after which they will serve for 3.5 months alongside long-term missionaries in Japan and Peru.

- We have been richly blessed by our Board of Directors. They are a team of Spirit-filled servant-leaders passionate about seeing the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. Pray that the Board would continue to grow in unity and wisdom as they guide the work of MBMSI.


In His Service,
Randy Friesen

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