“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve, as do those without hope”

Attending the funeral last week of Fran Buckley reminded me, in the unavoidable emotions I experienced, of the unique Christian perspective on death. Fran, with her husband, R.T., served for more than 30 years as missionaries in Bangladesh. It was our privilege to work with these dedicated missionary colleagues and personal friends from Mississippi.

Earlier this spring Bobbye and I participated in the funerals of both Win and Laverne Applewhite, fellow missionaries from Indonesia who mentored and encouraged us when we arrived as novices. We joined Matt Bristol in grieving the passing of his wife Betty after a long struggle with cancer; after retiring from government service, the Bristols served in Central Asia and then both worked alongside us on our IMB staff for many years. All were an inspiration in their love for the Lord and devoted service to Him.

We grieve the loss of the earthly fellowship and privilege of visiting and sharing with these we had known so long, but in each situation their passing was a time of reflecting on immeasurable blessings and celebrating their lives. There were tears, but Fran’s funeral was punctuated with laughter as family and friends recalled her distinct personality and the joy she brought to everyone around her.

Our grief was offset by the confidence that God has prepared for this moment when our earthly pilgrimage is finished. He has prepared a glorified place for those who know and follow Him. He had provided complete healing for those who endured deteriorating health in their final years. He has clothed in immortality a new, restored body to those who became frail in body and mind in their latter years. What joy and comfort this brings as the assurance of eternal life and entering into the glorified presence of our Lord more than compensates for the grief of losing a temporary earthly relationship.

We, along with the Buckleys, Applewhites, Bristols and others have lived among people who have no hope. In fact, that is why these and multitudes of others give their lives to take the gospel around the world—so that those with no hope can find the assurance of eternal hope in Jesus Christ. We have witnessed the wailing and morning of those who have no assurance of life after death. In some cultures professional mourners are hired to enhance the expressions of grief.

When we lived in Thailand we were reminded of the futility of life without any concept of God and the belief that only endless reincarnations might one day bring enlightenment. Buddhist priests would encircle the casket of the deceased chanting, “Dead, never to arise; gone, never to return; asleep, never to awaken.” What grief!

Yes, we grieve when a friend or loved one is gone; we miss the communion and fellowship that meant so much to us over the years. But we don’t grieve as those without hope. Hope is not wishful thinking that we have the right theology but absolute assurance of a better life, an eternal life where there are no more tears, crying or pain. We balance our grief with rejoicing for the future we have in Christ.

I have always been amazed at the marketing and promotion needed to convince church members to attend an event or enroll in basic programs needed for their spiritual growth and the health of the church. Why do people have to be influenced and persuaded to do what should be normative for a follower of Jesus Christ? Such passivity probably reflects the low level of commitment on the part of the average church member, but does it also reflect on the shallowness of time-consuming activities in which participation itself is presumed to reveal spirituality?

Naively, I have always thought the innate value of programs and ministry should promote themselves without the need to berate and plead with members to attend. Unfortunately, missions falls into the same category. It is unrealistic to think members are going dip into savings to fund a mission trip, take their limited vacation time and endure the discomfort of spending a week in a remote third world country because of a promotional appeal hidden in the midst of a plethora of church announcements.

Missions motivation and involvement show whether or not one takes seriously being an obedient disciple of Jesus Christ. One should not have to be cajoled to have concern for a lost world; a few videos, missionary testimonies and reminders of the consequences of lostness should touch the heart of those who call Christ as Lord. Our hearts should be broken for what breaks the heart of God—people who reject Him and do not yet even know that He died for them.

Missions does not happen because people are put on a guilt trip, conscripted into service against their will or out of a sense of obligation because someone has got to do it. It cannot be just another program appeal which, unfortunately, is usually peripheral to everything else the church does. Passion is the only thing that will compel missions involvement—a passion that emerges from a love for God and desire for everyone to have an opportunity to know and worship Him.

Passion is what guides one’s decisions, energizes one’s behavior, prioritizes one’s activities and stimulates the willingness to sacrifice. I have a passion for my grandchildren. I can’t restrain talking about them and being with them every opportunity. There is a joy in both being with them and doing things for them. I sometimes have a passion for my favorite ball team and tend to get really excited when they pull out an unlikely win. Okay, so I also have a passion for butter pecan ice cream; put a bowl in front of me and it is irresistible!

So, what about the activity of God to advance His kingdom and impact eternity? Should that not elicit some excitement for the opportunity to be involved on mission with God? Should we not find the awesome privilege of taking the gospel to someone who has never heard as something that is irresistible? Could anything bring greater joy and fulfillment than obedience to what our Lord told us to do?

Pastors would like for church members to be motivated by a passion for worship, Bible study, discipleship, community service, filling church leadership needs and witnessing to the lost, and they should. All are good and should be the normal, default lifestyle of born-again Christians. But when we stand before God to give account for what we have done, I don’t think He is going to be impressed with the families we served, our attendance statistics and the beautiful facilities we provided with the Lord’s money when many never had a chance to know Jesus.

Pictured in academic regalia with college president, Dr. Lee Royce, I reminded the graduates of the challenges they face in a changing and complex world. In spite of attaining academic credentials, the key to success would be whether or not they seized the opportunity in a Christian educational environment to formulate foundational values that would keep them focused and aligned with God and His will.

Just two days earlier, while attending a board meeting and conferring with the staff of the Zwemer Center for Muslims Studies, I had the opportunity to speak in the final student chapel of the semester at Columbia International University. Pictured is undergraduate dean and Hebrew scholar, Dr. Bryan Beyer preparing  to blow his shofar as students were recognized for end-of-the-year awards. I will be returning to the campus to teach a summer intensive course in the College of Inter-Cultural Studies on Spiritual Warfare and Missions.

The following week was the periodic trip back to Richmond, Virginia to participate in the training of new missionary personnel currently in orientation. My time at the International Learning Center coincided with a conference for Baptist State Executive Directors being hosted by the IMB. It was an unexpected pleasure to see these leaders with whom we had been engaged during the years of leading the mission board and enjoy meals and brief visits.

I have been asked to add a day of teaching on “Vision and Values”–presenting to these missionaries an historical overview of where we have come from, the rationale for changes over the years and the vision and values that have determined the strategy and organization of the IMB. It is always a reminder to me of God’s providence and that I had the blessing of serving in a leadership role when God chose to work in unprecedented ways to accelerate and expand our global impact for Christ.

Upon returning home I filled a commitment to take one morning to teach 100 Mississippi College students in campus leadership roles selected to attend a week-long program of leadership training. Launching the presentation from the context of my own campus activities–many, many years ago–in which I learned personal discipline, multi-tasking, commitment to excellence and the necessity of prioritizing, I stressed these and other leadership skills were equipping for life. Leading and influencing others toward an organizational objective was short-lived fulfillment if it did not contribute to the empowerment and growth of others.

After an exhausting but gratifying week in three states, Bobbye and I were ready for a long, relaxing weekend at home while preparing to travel to Denver next week for a mentoring workshop co-sponsored by World Venture and Operation Mobilization. Being at home we were able to attend the funeral of missionary colleage Fran Buckley in Picayune, MS. Fran was a colleague who, with her husband R. T. served many years in Bangladesh.

Acts 4 tells of the arrest of Peter and John. When they were released they went and reported their harassment to the gathering of local believers who responded by praying. It is worthy to note the nature of their prayer in this situation of threats and persecution.

“And when they heard this, they lifted their voices to God with one accord and said, ‘O Lord, it is You who did make the heavens and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, who by the Holy Spirit, through the mouth of our father Daivd Thy servant did say, ‘“Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples devise futile things? The kings of earth took their stand, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against His Christ. For truly in this city there were gathered together against Thy holy servant Jesus, whom thous didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy purpose predestined to occur”’” (Acts 4:24-28).

They acknowledged God’s providence in all that was occurring. They affirmed their confidence in His sovereignty–that He made the heavens and earth and was in ultimate control of human events. They observed that an unlikely alliance between Herod and Pilate, Jews and Gentiles, had conspired to put Jesus to death; public opinion was raging against them and opposition to Christ and His kingdom was evident. But they went on to confess their conviction that nothing had occurred apart from God’s knowledge and contrary to His purpose.

The word “providence” comes from two Latin words: “video” which means to see, and the prefix “pro” which means to see beforehand. None of these events including the threats and harassment they were experiencing took God by surprise. Even the crucifixion of Jesus was in line with God’s purpose and plan to redeem a lost world.

We experience adversity and trials due to adverse circumstances but don’t encounter anything like the threats and dangers encountered by these early believers. We may even be ridiculed for our faith and our witness rejected. God is aware of what we are going through. Instead of being discouraged, disheartened and feeling forsaken we need to keep everything in the context of God’s providence, confident He has a plan and purpose for our blessing, welfare and growth and for His glory, even when all that is happening appears to be contrary to any positive consequences.

These believers in the early church did not pray that God would intervene and remove the suffering and take away the threats so they could safely proclaim the gospel. Confident that He knew the problem, they prayed, “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Thy bond-servants may speak Thy word with all confidence” (Acts 4:29).

Assured of God’s providence they prayed for boldness, courage, confidence and grace to continue to faithfully bear witness and proclaim the word of God regardless of the consequences and suffering it would entail. Praying in the context of God’s providence is not an appeal for God to change our circumstances but to use them for His purpose.

We know that society can’t legislate morality. We know government handouts and programs aren’t the answer. But how can we expect the world to be any different until it knows Jesus Christ. We have the solution, but it remains isolated from those who need it behind the doors of our church, hidden away in Sunday School class discussions and enjoyed exclusively by those who gather in our sanctuaries of worship.

We reason that people know where to find our church; the edifice is right on the main street with its towering steeple identifying its location. They are welcome to come anytime they feel compelled and want to find the answers to life’s problems. But we are reminded that is not the nature of a sinful world. “There is none righteous…there is none who seeks God” (Romans 3:9-10).

Just as our Lord came to seek and save the lost, He sends us into the highways and hedges to compel them to come in. Our ultimate disobedience and neglect has been to turn a “go task” into an arbitrary “come structure.” It is one thing to neglect the lost where we live, but quite another to fail to take the gospel to those who have never heard. After all, they will not be touched in the normal intercourse of our daily lives. There has to be an intentionality, a deliberate effort to go to where they are; it involves willingness to leave our comfortable lifestyle and invest the resources in order for those at the ends of the earth to have the opportunity to hear and respond to a message of life-saving hope.

If we don’t do it, who will? While we carry on our time-demanding programs and keep the church functioning, who is going to fulfill the mission and purpose for which God has called us as His people? We obviously think someone is going to do it for us. Perhaps we can send a token amount of our offerings and support a relative handful of missionaries to go on our behalf. Or, as we busy ourselves in local ministry, we expect our denominational structure to take care of everything beyond our own community.

I have talked with many pastors who explain why so much has to be invested in their local church needs. They rationalize that if there is not a strong local church base there will be no one to send and support the missionaries. But the reality is that missionaries are not being called out of such churches, and the support that’s is channeled to missions is but a pittance.

What if every church did only what your church does? What if every church gave no more than what your church gives to missions? What if no more missionaries are called out of other churches than are called out of your church? Would anything be done to reach a lost world? No church or believer is exempt. We are the people of God. The task has been relegated to us. If we don’t do it, no one will.

Maybe it has something to do with the diversion from study, writing, sermon preparation, travel and speaking; perhaps it relates to feeling connected with nature and the beauty of God’s vast diversity of flora or His intention that man work by the sweat of his brow. Nevertheless, we are experiencing joy and fulfillment in seeing plants mature and the grand design of our landscaping take shape.

This is our third spring, so shrubs are maturing and flower beds filling out. We planted trees and basic shrubs–hawthorns, boxwoods and nandina around the house when it was built almost ten years ago. But it was before moving in 2010 that we did final grading, mulching future flower gardens around the perimeter of the property and planted background shrubs. We were still sodding last summer and the yard still looked fairly sparse and barren.

I finally got my signature lawn decor–a dumped over barrel of petunias–in a new street-side flower bed, with dwarf roses amidst the junipers and purple muhly grass behind a pebble walkway. Caladiums are flourishing under the shade trees and roses are growing up the trellises built in front of air conditioning condensers.

The prize rose of the season was a large yellow bloom with subtle pink edges around the fringe of the petals. This was the first spring when the azaleas exploded with color throughout the yard. I’m not quite accustomed to this occurring in early March, and even  late February in Mississippi after the peak blooming was in April in Virginia. The white foliage of our crabapple, bradford pears and cherry trees have long faded and now first-time perennials are beginning to bloom. One of the greatest joys is the emerging of fragrant blossoms of gardenias planted just a few feet away from our front porch swing!

Bobbye is incredulous when I tell her we are almost to the “maintenance mode” of yard work. Every week requires the basic edging, weeding along the fence, mowing and remaining ever-vigilant to extract occasional stray weeds that persist in unwanted places, but she knows there will always be another project and the vision is unending.

One of the most recent projects is a long-desired herb garden just outside our garden room door. I was amazed at how tall the cilantro, mint and parsley quickly grew, but we discovered how delectable the flavoring of fresh herbs picked and crushed at the time of cooking compared with the bottled source from the grocery. Now the challenge is to learn what to do with our abundant supply of thyme, rosemary, basil and oregano! We are not quite sure which to use with which foods, but I did enjoy some tasty scrambled eggs with cilantro, oregano and thyme, just because they were available.

Feeding the 5,000 is one of the most prominent miracles in the Bible; it is the only miracle of Jesus recorded in all four Gospels. It reflects the compassion of Jesus for people in need and is an amazing demonstration of His power to meet our daily needs. It did have negative repercussions in the people missing the spiritual implications of Jesus as the Bread of Life and their wanting to make Him an earthly king that would fulfill their entitlement of food and material things.

Often missed in this familiar story is the nuance of an interaction between Jesus and His disciples. Late in the day they came to Jesus and told Jesus to send the people away to find food and lodging. Other accounts reveal Phillip as the spokesman, but it was obvious he expressed the consensus of their collaboration about the problem. They reminded Jesus that they were in a desert place, as if He might not be aware of that.

How atrocious that they would presume to instruct Jesus and tell Him what to do! In a lapse of sanity they thought perhaps Jesus didn’t realize where they were and the dilemma that created for the crowd of hungry followers. This is the Jesus that earlier in healing and forgiving the paralytic had revealed He knew even the thoughts of the Pharisees. Was there anything that the incarnate Son of Almighty God did not know?

Does this not reflect how we often pray? Finding ourselves in a dilemma, faced with a problem or need, we come to Jesus and tell Him about our situation and what He needs to do about it? Our supplications are how we perceive God should deal with the need–heal my sick child, deliver us from financial stress, restore a wayward son, give me a job, etc. We can be assured Jesus knows our need; He is the one that knows the hairs on our head and sees every sparrow that falls. And often what He wants to do about our situation may be other than what we see as the only solution.

God says in Isaiah 65:24, “Even before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear.” Yes, Jesus knows our need, He hears our prayer and He is faithful to respond. But sometimes His answer is not what we think He should do. His intervention in our problems is not an entitlement like providing bread to hungry people. He answers prayer from a larger perspective of what would most glorify God and be for our greater benefit than just meeting an immediate need.

Notice the retort of Jesus to Phillip’s suggestion: “You give them something to eat” (Luke  9:13). That was just as preposterous as the disciples’ solution and somewhat sarcastic. They didn’t have any money nor a place to buy food even if they did. John’s Gospel adds the parenthetical statement that Jesus knew what He was going to do, so why did He instruct the disciples to do something they could not do? When we come to Jesus we need to do so in humility, acknowledging our inadequacy. We spend a lot of futile time trying to work out our problems and solve the dilemmas we constantly face when we don’t have the ability or resources to do so. Not until we recognize our inadequacy do we bring them to Jesus and let Him do what only He can do.

Bettye and Dick have faithfully encouraged and supported us and our family over the years, helping our children adjust to furlough challenges, sending care packages to the field and taking responsibility for aging parents when we were away. They are known by everyone throughout Lincoln County for their servant heart, meeting whatever need arises in their church, repairing homes of the elderly, ministering to the grieving and serving their community. Their heart for the world is reflected in frequent mission trips to Honduras, the Ukraine and other places.

They have raised three beautiful, godly daughters. It was a blessing to gather with them, the in-laws, six grandchildren and one great grandchild, and hear each of them recall memories and tell stories of the influence and example that has shaped their lives and their walk with the Lord. Having been separated over the years, we have been so blessed to be assimilated back into such a precious family fellowship.

That same weekend we had he privilege of participating a family gathering of another kind–the Mississippi Missionary Parents semi-annual meeting at near-by Camp Garawya. The retreat is facilitated by the state WMU and is a valued time of sharing and support for families who have children and grandchildren overseas on the mission field. Bobbye is pictured leading the prayer calendar.

The next day the parents retreat shifted to a fellowship of former missionaries who served with the IMB. Each of us shared reflections and challenges from our tenure and transition to retirement with the 47 members attending this year, many of whom we served with in Southeast Asia. Most of the group then responded to an invitation to our home afterward for an extended time of fellowship.

Following my last class of the semester at Mississippi College we had the students from  my missions class over for a time of fellowship. Since this was an elective class, the 36 students enrolled were genuinely interested in missions which contributed to stimulating class discussions. Many of them have had mission experiences overseas or working in a new church plant and are looking forward to opportunities for summer ministry. A portion of them is shown enjoying fellowship in our backyard gazebo.

Our trip last week to William Carey University also included a side trip off Highway 49 toward Sumrall where we visited with my last surviving aunt in my daddy’s family. There were ten siblings in my Dad’s family, and Aunt Blanche was married to his baby brother, Z.T. Rankin. They served for many years as missionaries to Japan with BMS and have a daughter who continues to serve there with Pioneers. It was a delightful reunion as it has been several years since we have had contact and a chance to catch up with cousins from that branch of the family.

On Easter Sunday the focus of our Bible study group was on the account of the two men on the road to Emmaus. These, identified as Cleopas and his companion, were disciples of Jesus. Though not included among the twelve, they had been with Jesus, followed Him, seen His miracles, heard His teachings and believed in Him as the promised Messiah. Yet they did not recognize Him when Jesus came along and joined them on the road and in the conversation about the events in Jerusalem.

The Scripture indicates a passive action; they were prevented from recognizing Him, implying God had a purpose in obscuring Jesus’ identity. We also know that Satan, the god of this world, has the capacity to blind the eyes and harden one’s heart lest people see and understand the gospel and believe. While either or both may be a factor in their failure to recognize Jesus, they could have been so overcome by grief, and their perception that Jesus was dead was so strong, it prevented them from seeing this living, breathing sojourner as Jesus Himself.

I wonder how often Jesus is with us, but we are unaware of His presence. It is not unusual when one experiences grief in the death of a loved or some other tragedy they feel forsaken and alone, blind to the fact that Jesus is seeking to draw near to provide comfort and grace. The Bible teaches us that Jesus literally lives within us as the indwelling of the Holy Spirit when we receive Him as Savior by faith. But do we forget that reality and fail to recognize He is with us?

In times of disappointment and stress we are so focused on trying to work out our problems and deal with the issues of life we are unaware that He is with us to guide and empower us and provide our every need. Usually it is just our busyness that makes us blind to the presence of Jesus. Rushing from one meeting and responsibility to another, managing the children’s activities, meeting schedules, checking off our “to do” list, it never occurs to us that Jesus is with us.

I’ve discovered two keys to practicing the presence of Jesus. Giving priority to beginning each day with a quiet time of Bible study and prayer tends to focus our awareness the rest of the day that God is with us and sufficient for all our needs. Also praising Him in all things, takes our minds off of our circumstances and turns them to the Lord. He resides int he praises of His people. Becoming aware that He is present in the midst of our busyness and stress allows Him to take control of our emotions and attitude.

Finally, when did the two travelers recognize Jesus? Their eyes were opened when He broke the bread and blessed it–something they had seen Him do many times. They recognized it was Jesus who was with them when He did what was unique to Him. When will a lost world have their eyes opened to see Jesus? When they see Him in us, as the body of Christ living and doing what is unique to a follower of Christ. When they see a lifestyle of selfless care and concern, joy in spite of adversity and hardship, peace in the midst of grief and disappointment, they will see Jesus.

Reaching into unchurched areas of the U.S. and Canada, beyond what individual local churches could do, NAMB is seeking to penetrate the increasing lostness of our own country by planting a witness where Christ is not known. With a special emphasis on major urban areas and cross-cultural church planting among our growing multi-ethnic population, NAMB deserves not only generous financial support but endorsement of its new vision and priorities.

NAMB president, Dr. Kevin Ezell, and his visionary leadership staff around the country are boldly attempting to re-prioritize the focus of our domestic mission board. For years it has been a conduit of funding for state conventions; partnership agreements channeling their work through these and other entities have left little margin for initiative and resources to take the gospel to underserved and neglected areas. Meanwhile baptisms have continued to decline and church growth has stagnated outside the Bible belt.

It is understandable that there would be denominational leaders disagreeing with changes in strategy and priority; after all it means reductions in subsidies and elimination of effective programs and staff fulfilling significant roles. But we live in a changing world. We are losing the battle against humanism and secularism. It is not just unreached people groups overseas, but children are growing up in cities and communities in our own country never knowing about Jesus.

Collectively and cooperatively we can have the resources and resolve to make a difference, but not if the priority is to continue traditions and maintain the status quo. Why should NAMB’s strategy and resources be funneled to state programs in the Bible Belt that already receive the bulk of Cooperative Program funding and are where there is the  greatest concentration of established churches in the world.

Certainly there are still vast swatches of lostness, needs for ministry and areas new churches need to be planted everywhere, but should not churches in those states take more responsibility for the mission where they are located and free NAMB to represent us in areas that have a dearth of churches and  minuscule resources? No one likes to give up entitlements, but if we truly have a heart for reaching the lost everyone should be willing to make sacrifices in their own programs to get it done.

Having been in a leadership position that was a lightening rod for criticism, I appreciate the boldness of Dr. Ezell to finally take us where we need to go. The discipline to focus on priorities is never easy, because it is not a matter of what is right and wrong, but what has to been done to accomplish an objective. If we are to reach North America, churches have to be planted as a local, indigenous witness where there is none. We have got to move beyond self-interest and provincialism and support NAMB in its visionary new direction.