"He Is Risen!"

It has often been said that you don’t ever really appreciate what you have until it is taken away.  So true. 

That must have been how the disciples felt when they stood idly by and watched Jesus being arrested and ultimately crucified.  The very person that had been the motivating source of their hopes and dreams over the past three years had been suddenly and abruptly removed from their lives.  Their devastation was obvious.  The Bible records that they spent the next couple days cowering down in a dark room trying to deal with their overwhelming grief and trying to decide what they were to do next. (Mark 16:14; Luke 24:33-44; John 20:19-23)

“UP FROM THE GRAVE HE AROSE.”  He’s back.  Hallelujah!  And this time it is better than ever because now they get it.  All the pieces fit together perfectly now.  Finally they understand that His kingdom is “not of this world.”  It is all so clear now; eternal life, abundant life,  for God so loved the world, grace, peace, forgiveness, redemption, hope. 

From now on their choice is clear; live like He taught them to live and do what He commanded them to do.  From this point forward, there could be no turning back, no compromise and especially no doubting the truth.  Jesus was back!  And He promised that He would be with them ALWAYS. 

Amy Gail

Amy Gail Lethco

On November 22 a change took place in my life that I have been anticipating for years but had grossly underestimated its implications.  I became a grandfather!  (PAPA for short.)  Never could I have predicted the joy that Amy Gail Lethco could have brought into our lives.  Patti and I have talked many times about our role as grandparents and have tried to grasp the magnitude of this new relationship.  But now that she is here, our wildest expectations have been exceeded.  Grand-parenting is a wonderful idea.

First of all, let me say just how proud we have been of Jared and Lauren throughout this whole process.  Watching your children become parents themselves is really cool.  Knowing that they have a solid Christian foundation on which to build their growing family gives a sense of satisfaction that is beyond description.  We just know that they are going to be great parents and can’t wait to see what God is able to do with Amy through the loving support of her parents and family.

Then, I must point out that Amy is amazing!  I’m sure that you do not want to hear another big-mouthed braggart of a grandfather drone on about how his granddaughter is so great.  While I completely understand your concern, I must point out that in this case it is all TRUE.  At least, she is the most amazing granddaughter that we have ever had.

Finally, let me point out that through this new experience God has shown to me just how amazing and limitless His love truly is.  Think about it this way.  I love Amy with all my heart.  That’s right, all of it.  I can’t imagine loving her any more than I already do.  Yet, in order to love that much, I did not have to give up on loving anyone else.  God’s love is limitless and He allows us to love one another just as he has loved us.  The implications of this truth are staggering.  No matter how many people God brings into your life as family and friends there is always enough love to go around.  No one has to ration the love of God.  Pretty sweet. 

Thanks for the lesson Amy.  Welcome to the world.

See You Later George

This past Saturday I had the ominous task of standing by the casket of a good friend and sharing some thoughts intended to comfort his family and friends.  George T. Quinn was a lot of things to a lot of people; husband, father, grandfather, brother, co-worker, Christian brother.  But to me, George was a true friend.  True friendship is certainly a very precious gift.  Unfortunately, in our fast-paced, self-serving society many people fail to ever experience the depth of joy that comes from a lifelong friend.  While I have personally been blessed throughout my lifetime with deep friendships, it is still sad to lose one even though I know that one day we will be eternally reunited.

George taught me a lot during our many talks together and my life has been enriched by his encouragement and support.  Yet, as I stood beside him while he was ushered from this life into the next, God revealed to me the deepest joy of true Christian friendship: it is eternal.  The Bible says that “nothing can separate us from the love of God.”  (Rom. 8:38-39)  Similarly, when that kind of Godly love is shared between two friends, nothing can defeat it; not separation of space, not difficult circumstances, not social or cultural pressures, not even death itself.  It is eternal.

So in those last few moments I had no reason to say goodbye to my dear friend.  Rather, I simply whispered, “see you later George.”  Hallelujah. 

The Joshua Syndrome

I was thinking about coining a new phrase; The Joshua Syndrome.   (At least it is new to me.)  Do you remember Joshua of the Old Testament?  He grew up as a slave down in Egypt until the people of God were delivered at the hand of Moses.  He was then selected as one of the twelve spies to go into the promised land of Canaan to scout out the land that God had promised to give them.  Upon return, it was Joshua and Caleb who were the only two that believed God, and wanted to move forward and possess the land.  The other ten were afraid of the giants in the land and persuaded the people to flee into the wilderness.  For forty years Joshua was forced to live in a barren, dessert land even though he had personally seen the beautiful land that God had promised them.

Here we find the Joshua Syndrome.  I have often wondered if Joshua would have considered it a blessing or a curse to have been able to actually see the Promised Land.  He had seen first hand the “land flowing with milk and honey”; a vast fertile land that would certainly provide for a prosperous and blessed life for himself and his family.  As he wondered through the dry and barren dessert, did the memories of “what could have been” haunt him on a daily basis?  Would he have been better off to be like the multitude of others around him who had never actually seen the glory of the Lord and therefore had no idea of what they were missing?   Was his wilderness experience even more depressing than most because he had seen the other side?

Or, were his memories a blessing?  Did he privately rejoice that he had been given the privilege to see just how good God had intended life to be?   Truly, he had been blessed to see first hand what others would never see.  Imprinted on his heart was a clear and life changing picture of God’s intention for himself and his people.  Was he strengthened through the daily trials by the realization that God’s promise was eternal and one day his wilderness would, in fact, end?   

Sometimes I find myself right in the middle of the Joshua Syndrome.   Times when I have seen clearly the promised glory of the Lord but have been forced to wait in a wilderness because of circumstances beyond my control.  At times I have felt cursed and became discouraged because that waiting seemed long and difficult.  Other times, however, I have felt blessed by the sheer fact that God is not slack concerning His promises and in time, “faith will become sight.”

What do you think?  Is the Joshua Syndrome a blessing or a curse?

By the way, Joshua actually got to lead God’s people into the Promised Land after forty years of wilderness.  God is so good.

The Baobab Tree

One of the many images that I have bouncing around in my mind from our trip to Tanzania last month is that of the Boabab tree.  These enormous trees are truly something to behold and they not only caught my attention, but also stirred my imagination.  Baobab trees are huge; some standing as high as 90 feet with diameters of more than 30 feet.  They are not very aesthetic and certainly not beautiful as trees go, rather simple and clumpy.  As a matter of fact, local legend says that God was angered by the Boabab tree and thus planted them all upside down.  (It does look as though their roots are sticking up where their branches ought to be.)  However, they are magnificent to behold mainly because of their sheer size.

The Baobab trees that we saw in Tanzania did not grow in forests or even in groves with other Boababs.  Rather, they stood alone; usually high on a hill that overlooked a magnificent plain.  To me, they stood like sentinels standing alone to keep watch over the valleys below.  (I know I’m sounding a little “Lord of the Rings – ish” here but that’s just the way I saw them.)  They stood tall and strong, albeit alone, providing clear reference points for any man or beast that might walk through the valley below.

I do have a point here.  It dawned on me that Christianity is not very common or popular among the Massai of East Africa (or here in America for that matter).  Often times we as Christians, like the mighty Baobabs, are called to stand tall and strong as we watch over those that God has placed in our realm of influence.  Sometimes we find it to be a lonely place as we stand alone representing our Lord.  Our faith in Jesus Christ is not always accepted as popular or politically correct.  Yet, we are called to take a stand where others can clearly see the faith that we profess. Our stance in a lost and broken world can provide a clear reference point for others who seek to find their way to a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

God used the Baobab tree to challenge me as a Christian and a leader.  "Dear God, let me stand tall and strong even though I may find myself standing alone; all for Your glory."

Vision

“You’ll never leave where you are, until you decide where you’d rather be.”

                                                                                                Lewis Dunnington

Think about that quote for a minute.  What does it mean for your life?   Are you stuck in a rut that you would gladly get out of, if only you had some idea of where you want to go?  Think now of how it relates to the local church.  Many active Christians agree that the local church in the Western World is stuck in some sort of rut.  However, few have any idea of where it needs to be or how to get there.

This is where vision comes in.  The Bible teaches that “where there is no vision, the people perish.”  (Prov. 29:18)  It is high time that the church of Jesus Christ rise up, look around and decide where it is that we would rather be.  God is, without a doubt, revealing Himself and His will to this generation.  We should open our eyes and our hearts to His leadership as He shows us where He would have us to live and work.  Once we begin to see clearly where we would rather be, it will be easy for us to leave where we are.

So take some time over the next several days and weeks to look around.  Try to see clearly where it is you would rather be and then take some positive steps to get there.  I’ll be praying for you.

Luke's Summer Mission

I wanted to give everyone an update on Luke’s summer of mission work.  Patti and I have been getting some strange looks as people find out that he is going to spend a month in one of the most dangerous cities in the world.  Obviously, we are not thrilled by the prospects and Satan always uses fear as a weapon against God’s children.  Yet, we have taught our boys to trust in God and follow His will, no matter what.  When Luke told us of his vision for this summer, we were not about to say that it was too dangerous or too hard for God.  We cannot direct our sons to follow hard after God until He asks you to do something difficult.  Luke’s quiet confidence has been a powerful testimony to all of us as to the proper way to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.  Where he leads…follow.  Period.

Luke will be teaching an ESL class this summer as well as working with teens that are already a part of the faith.  After spending a month in the Middle East, he will fly to Tanzania and assist the Johnson’s in getting ready for our first teams which are scheduled to arrive in mid July.  He will return home with us at the end of July.

Please pray for Luke and us as we once again lay it all on the line and trust the mighty hand of God to do great and mighty things.  Also, as you think about Luke, pray that God would reveal to you the “hard thing” that He has called you to do.