Pioneer Bible Translators October 2016 Prayer Partner Letter

The Prayer Partner Letter is a publication of Pioneer Bible Translators

July 2016

John Mark Willits serves as a Scripture Impact Evangelist in West Africa. He recently wrote about an amazing experience he had. He titled his article THE EMPTY GRAVE.

The empty grave that he had seen with his own eyes—I had heard this important old leader’s testimony a number of times before. This was the third time that it was in front of a crowd. It was Friday.

Eight days before, I was at the weekly market in the larger village near us, when I saw three religious leaders sitting over in the shade “talking shop.” They each represented three different communities. They each lead the prayers in three different prayer houses where they also preach to their congregations every Friday. In particular, I recognized one of them, teacher Jacob…. Ever since I first met him he seemed to be open to the Scriptures, and he and his village were on my list of villages to visit in order to make a formal presentation of the translated Scriptures. The purpose of these formal presentations is not just to get the word out to new villages regarding the now-available Scriptures, but also to seek the public endorsement by the religious and community leaders which, in turn, will open the way for others who are interested to seek out the translated Scriptures for themselves.

On that particular market day, I had not come intending to stay the whole morning selling Scripture as I often do (we only ask a very nominal amount for Scripture portions to place value on them and to ensure that they are used and taken care of). I had purchased the few items on my list, and now I needed to get back home. However, seeing teacher Jacob and the other two religious leaders talking at the edge of the market place gave me pause. I set my groceries in the car and pulled out some samples of Scripture. I walked over to the three men, and after exchanging customary greetings, I began to speak to them of the Scriptures we had translated showing them the samples I had brought. I had no need to ask for an invitation from teacher Jacob. He beat me to it, asking if I could come to his village on a Friday, to present the translated Scriptures to his community after prayers. There was no doubt in my mind that this was an appointment that the Lord had set up.

When the Friday came, I didn’t go alone. Not only was my neighbor with me, but out of respect we had stopped along the way to greet an important old leader named Jonah to let him know we were going to his native village. He quickly decided he would come with us.

As I sat on my mat outside the prayer house, I could hear the preaching inside. The usual admonitions to be more religious, to work harder at fulfilling more ritual requirements that would be credited to one’s account before God, and to not forget that impending death and judgement are just around the corner for everyone. I also heard a couple of references to Biblical stories and characters. Though the accounts were incomplete and inaccurate, I again marveled at the presence of these bridges for the Good News of the Scriptures to reach these people of this culture and religion. As the people inside sought God’s favor and forgiveness through their prayer ritual and recitation, I knelt on my own prayer mat and prayed for their hearts to be opened to the Truth and Good News of God’s Word. I prayed for God to make a way for them to know the saving and transforming power of Jesus.

After their service was over, everyone gathered just outside under some shade trees at the usual town meeting place. I was introduced and given the floor. I gave my usual presentation of the Scriptures, speaking of God’s provision through His Word for our deepest needs to know Him and to know The Way we can be reconciled to Him. I kept getting interrupted by people trying to give me money to buy Scripture portions, anticipating that I might run out before they got their copy. My friend started taking orders as I assured them there was enough for all who were interested. I ended my talk by presenting the religious and community leaders with a gift for the whole village: a box containing multiple copies of all our Scripture publications.

My presentation over, I was honored with a traditional symbolic gift of cola nuts and money, and then different men took the floor. Some spoke of what they had already learned from reading portions of the translated Scriptures. Some spoke of the need for greater learning. Some spoke of how severely the younger generation is drifting away from God into an increasingly immoral lifestyle. Many complimentary things were said about us, how we live, and how we interact in the community.

And then Jonah, the old leader that had come with us spoke up. I had been somewhat unsure as to whether it would be a good idea to bring him. Officially retired from his colorful life in regional politics, he still wields a lot of power in both political and religious circles, and is used to being the center of attention wherever he goes. This was his native village, and he was a favored son of it. He shared about some of the Old Testament stories he had recently read for himself. He shared how when the most important religious leader of the nation, a personal friend, had come to visit him and saw his copy of the Old Testament, he had wanted it for himself, and of course, Jonah had been obliged to give it to him. Then he began to tell the story of his pilgrimage to the capital of the major world religion practiced here. Not many here have the means or opportunity to make this international pilgrimage in their lifetime, and so those that carry the title indicating that they have made the pilgrimage have special clout. He told of how through his connections he had been granted a special visit to one of the holiest sites of this major world religion—the grave site of their most important prophet. He described the scene in vivid detail, and how next to this most important burial site are three others. The remains of other important figures in the history of this major world religion are buried in two of these burial sites, but the last one is empty. When Jonah saw the empty grave site, he asked his guide about it, to which his guide answered, “It is reserved for Jesus. When he returns and dies that is where he will be buried.”

You see, the major world religion practiced here, while agreeing with us on many of the facts about Jesus, such as his birth from a virgin, his many miracles, and even his sinless life, denies his death. According to the most widely held view of this religion, Jesus was taken up into heaven without dying. He will, however, return at the end times, rule on earth for forty years, after which he will die and be buried.

At this point you might think that Jonah had brought up this story to somehow discredit me as a follower of Christ along with the Holy Books that I had brought. Quite to the contrary, he said to the crowd, “John Mark and his family who live here among us and have brought us these Holy Books, they are different from others we have seen before who falsely call themselves Christians. No, they are true followers of Jesus. The Jesus that they worship is alive. I know this because I have stood at his grave site, and have seen with my own eyes that it is empty!”

Old Jonah is right about this: the Jesus we worship is very much alive. There has never been any grave designated to him that could hold him or was not empty. This is precisely what keeps us going. As we work to get the Scriptures out among this people group, there are many days we long for the spiritual harvest to come quicker. We believe God’s promise that His Word will not fail to have His intended impact, and yet there are so many days when the sight of full mature fruit seems very far off indeed. It is in those moments that the Holy Spirit reminds us, or in this case God used Old Jonah to remind me, “The Jesus that you worship, is alive.” Yes, He is! Alive and working, and we are just to keep following His lead.

Thank God for how He is at work in opening the way for John Mark to share the Scripture with many people of the major world religion in West Africa.

Thank God for the bridges that are available through the holy book of this major world religion that mentions various Biblical persons to whom John Mark can refer when discussing Biblical truth.

Thank God also that this religion’s tradition about the empty grave can be used to teach the truth that Jesus has already died and risen from the dead so the penalty for a person’s sins has been paid in full if he or she accepts Him as their Savior and Lord.