The Horizon of the Present

By Dr. Michael G. Loftis

75 years of opportunity: the past stands as history; the future appears as possibility; but the present is the only true reality. Wendell Kempton, our former president, often urged us to "grasp the greatness of the moment." Why?

The past becomes quickly distorted by our pride and limited perspective. The future can only be conjecture until it is forged into fact by the furnace of life experience.

Just as the 75th anniversary of ABWE provides us an opportunity to look back, so it also affords us an appropriate moment to look around at the present. We must ask ourselves what is happening now in the light of what was and what is to come. So as we look around at our world today, the question leaps at each of us, "What do I really see?"

From my limited perspective in the ABWE president's chair, my answer is, I see opportunity wrapped in peril." Never have we faced greater opportunity to spread the good news of the gospel. On the one hand, there is a greater audience than ever before as the world population clock ticks past 6 billion. Also with uncertainty about the future and the rise of random acts of terrorism, many people who never before considered they needed it are ready to hear good news. Finally, the risk of getting the gospel to all these needy and hurting people will continue to be high. But, Jesus never said it would be easy.

What is amazing is that this image of opportunity wrapped in peril is precisely the picture of missions painted by a first century missionary named Paul.

'Three times I was beaten with rods, Once I was stoned; three times / was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness besides the other things, what comes to me daily: my deep concern for all the churches" (2 Corinthians 11:25 28).

Allow this issue of the Message to bring you face to face with the reality of missions in the 21st century and pray for missionaries who are risking peril in order to seize the opportunity to reach people with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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