On Death and Dying

Laymond 'Bo' Loyd
1939-2011

My friend, Bo Loyd, passed away last Friday, September 2 and the funeral was yesterday, September 6 at Faith Bible Church in Edmond.  Bo had been battling cancer for over two years but his soul is now present with his Savior, Jesus Christ.  Is it an oxymoron to say 'nice funeral'?  Only if you have not been redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  The scriptures say in 2 Cor 5:6-10  Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord —  for we walk by faith, not by sight —  we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

Bo loved Christ, the local assembly of believers at Faith Bible Church, and his family.  He also liked golf and enjoyed playing it with his grandson.  Bo and I were partners a few years back for the summer in the Kickingbird Men's Senior Golf Association.  Neither of us were very good but we had a great time.  Bo and I also were table-mates for the first go-round of The Men's Fraternity study at FBC.  It was a bonding time for us as well as the times that Bo attended the Romans Bible Study at the Kahne's house.  Bo loved the Bible and loved to discuss theology.  Two of his favorite Bible expositors were R. C. Sproul and John MacArthur.  Both of them have a great grasp of Biblical truth and although they have some differences, listening to them is most profitable.

The tumor in Bo's brain kept him from communicating much during the last two-three weeks of his life here below.  I remember one visit to Mercy Hospital where upon leaving I told Bo that I would see him in a day or two.  He mouthed very softly, 'I hope so'.  Those were the last words that Bo spoke to me.  A couple of days later, I stopped by his room one morning and he was alone.  I think he opened his eyes briefly and sort of nodded.  I asked if he would like for me to read some scriptures and he nodded.  I read Psalm 139 and said a short prayer but his eyes were closed the whole time.  I told him good-bye and patted him on the head and said that I would see him later, either here or on the other side.

 As someone has said, "1 out of 1 die".  The following scriptures speak of this.
Gen 2:16-17 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
1 Cor 15:21-22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.  For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Rom 14:7-8 For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; 8 for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

Bo was very courageous throughout his many ailments.  I took him for a follow-up visit due to eye surgery back in May or so.  We were setting in the drive-thru at Fazoli's on the way back home when Bo said "I think this brain tumor will be affecting my mortality".  I detected no fear or bitterness, only faith and grace.  He was an inspiration to me.  Joann, his wife of fifty years, is also suffering from a rare lung disease and has also inspired me by her faith and strength and trust in the Lord.  Please pray for and reach out to Joann in the days ahead.  I'm sure it will be a tough adjustment.  I love them both very much but God loves them even more.

I will miss Bo but I have the assurance of seeing him again because of the redemption of Jesus Christ.  Is he your Savior?  If not, I would love to tell you what you must do to inherit eternal life.  My cell # is 405-209-6813.

John 1:12-13 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.