From the Editor
Behind You the Whole Way!
By Andrea Johnson
Uncle Willy had just warned my husband, Denny, and me that although the hike up the mountain we were on was safe, there was one section of the trail that went over a ridge with drop-offs on both sides. It was his kind way of saying, “Don’t let your kids run pell-mell up the path!” He had noticed our youngest’s tendency to leap without looking. Nonetheless, he assured us that the waterfall at the top of the trail was worth the climb.
Uncle Willy’s calm nature and gentle spirit endeared him to nearly everyone he met. In his 60s, he was tall and fit and appreciated the outdoors. Even though he struggled a bit with asthma, he still loved to hike. Although those of us in Iowa missed him dearly, his home in Montana with his dear, close-knit family fit him perfectly.
My husband, Denny, and I had been looking forward to this trip to enjoy nature and family in this beautiful part of the country. Even though Denny had never met Uncle Willy before, he immediately clicked with him, as did our four kids, who ranged from around seven years of age to fourteen.
However, our son Caleb overheard Uncle Willy’s word of caution. Around eight years of age, Caleb concluded the climb was dangerous and determined he was not going further up the mountain. Neither Denny nor I wanted to stay back with him, and there was no way we could leave him by himself, so we did what most parents would do. We tried coaxing him; we tried ordering him. Although I love the fact that Caleb cannot easily be talked into doing something he thinks is unwise, at that moment we were flummoxed.
Then Uncle Willy offered, “Would it be ok if I talked to Caleb for a minute?”
“Sure,” we both said, not knowing what he could possibly say to convince a child whom he had met just the day before. I mean, we were his parents and our persuasive powers had failed miserably.
Wrapping an arm around Caleb’s shoulder, Uncle Willy led him to the side of the trail where they could talk privately. A few seconds later, Caleb happily scrambled up to the trail without hesitation, Uncle Willy calmly in step right behind him. Denny and I just stared at each other.
Later, I asked Uncle Willy what he had said to convince our son. He said, “I just told him that I would really hate for him to miss out on this hike, that I would like him to come with us, and that I would be right behind him the whole way.”
Caleb knew Uncle Willy had climbed the trail hundreds of times and wisely perceived he was someone who could be trusted. We were so glad he did! The scene at the top was magical – the clear, cool water rushing around silky, smooth stones on its headlong tumble over the edge of the cliff to the stream below. And guess what? Caleb is now grown and reminds me so much of my uncle!
The whole scenario reminds me of the Lord’s instruction to Joshua:
“Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go”
(Joshua 1:9, NLT)
God had promised to give the Israelites land for their home. He promised He would guide them to that home, but He didn’t promise to transport them instantly. Just as Uncle Willy didn’t carry Caleb up the trail, the Israelites had to do their part. They had to physically make the trek, fight the battles, and clear the land. The Lord didn’t promise the journey would be easy. If it would have been easy, He would not have had to caution them against letting fear and discouragement win.
Not all the Israelites took possession of their land. In Joshua 14:14-16, we note that the descendants of Joseph complained to Joshua that they didn’t have enough land for the many people the Lord had blessed them with. Joshua responded wisely, basically saying, “If you are a great people, then go and get the land for yourself; fully occupy what the Lord has given you.”
They had been allotted enough land, but they were afraid to go in and possess it. They were fearful of the Canaanites and their “iron chariots.” Maybe they had thought that God would instantly make all their obstacles vanish before their eyes and carry them to their new home. Thus their complaint: “They are too strong for us.” They were right. The Canaanites were too strong for them, but not too strong for God. Had they forgotten who their God was?
Have you felt God has given you a promise? Have you ever felt discouraged or afraid that promise would not come to fruition? Don’t give up. God is with you, and He will not fail you. Keep pressing on until you see your promise fulfilled!
About the Author
Andrea Johnson, a credentialed Open Bible minister, is the managing editor of the Message of the Open Bible. A graduate of Open Bible College with a major in theology/missions, she has edited and co-edited several books, including Servants of the Spirit: Portraits of Pentecostal Pioneers, We Believe: Core Truths for Christian Living, and We Believe for Kids! Her goal is to reveal Christ to those who are searching for Him. In her spare time you will most likely find Andrea enjoying time with family and friends or hiking. She and her husband, Dennis, are blessed with four children, three of whom are married, and eight grandchildren.
When I was in first grade, I attended William Carey Academy, a small private school in Pasadena, California, that primarily served the children of missionaries who were on home assignment. The school was on the campus of the U.S. Center for World Mission, a collaborative mission base, which meant that I got to learn alongside students and be taught by teachers who had traveled the world. One specific perk of this season was learning Spanish. My teacher was a missionary to Guatemala who had a passion for the language and the Guatemalan people.
While most of my Spanish has left me, my love for Hispanic nations, culture, and people has not. One of the most fun parts of my job as Message editor has been working with teammates like Mindy Khanthavixay (Mexican-American), Areli Estrada (originally from Mexico), and Ximena Urra (originally from Chile) all of whom are fluent in Spanish. Without these women, it would have not been possible to launch our fully translated Spanish issues of Message of the Open Bible. As our current issue of the magazine is being released in tandem with Hispanic Heritage month (September 15 – October 15), we would be remiss not to honor our many Hispanic coworkers, pastors, and ministry partners within Open Bible. We would not be who we are without you!
Open Bible is currently active in eighteen Spanish-speaking countries and has 556 churches within these countries. Our Hispanic Ministries within the states is also flourishing with twenty-eight churches across the nation, many of which are leading the charge in church multiplication. I am so excited for you to read the story of Melissa Alvarez, who is a second-generation Mexican American and a second-generation church planter. You will also love reading the testimony of Mary Lou Wolfe, who grew up in a Hispanic Open Bible church (Templo Santo in Antioch, California) and whose parents come from Nicaragua and El Salvador. Mary Lou’s miraculous kidney transplant has made it possible for her to continue a vibrant ministry where she currently serves at Life Church in Concord, California.
In addition to these articles by Hispanic authors, don’t miss out on our other great articles, including a thoughtful reflection on modern discipleship by Gary Khan and
an important global missions update from Vince McCarty. And if you didn’t catch our special edition President’s Perspective article, you’ll want to read “The Power of We” by President Michael Nortune.
I am proud to be part of a movement that has honored and advocated for ministries in many languages, cultures, and nations. Let’s continue to celebrate every part of our Open Bible family as we fulfill the Great Commission together.
Hannah Bemis currently serves as the editor and director of Message of the Open Bible. She always wanted to do too many things when she grew up, and God has been kind enough to let her do most of them in different seasons. After seasons of mothering, teaching, writing, and staff pastoring, Hannah’s most recent adventure is planting College Street Church in Newberg, Oregon, with her husband, Jordan. After Jesus and all her favorite people, she spends the remainder of her passion on pizza and dark chocolate in equal measure.
My life was forever changed a few years ago when I read a book called The Insanity of God. Written by Nik Ripken, a missionary who has given his life to take Jesus to some of the darkest, most dangerous corners of the world, this book calls Western Christians out of the casual faith many of us enjoy. Ripken asks irritating, important questions like:
I found myself convicted by how little of my life I had given up for Jesus and how resistant I was to become uncomfortable for Him.
“Does God really ask us to sacrifice everything?”
“Is God at work in the hard places, and does He expect us to join Him in those hard places?”
“Isn’t it possible to love God and to pretty much keep living the life I already have?”
Ripken freely admits that he doesn’t have answers to all these questions, but he challenges his readers to remember that following Jesus means saying “yes” even when it hurts.
“We have the high privilege of answering Jesus’ call to go,” Ripken says. “But let us be clear about this: we go on His terms, not ours.”
Reading this book felt like being shaken awake after a long sleep. I found myself convicted by how little of my life I had given up for Jesus and how resistant I was to become uncomfortable for Him. (How ironic that is, when He became incredibly uncomfortable for me.) I began offering up a new kind of desperate prayer, begging God to make my life matter. To make me willing to go anywhere, do anything.
Lord, let my life be a sacrifice.
That’s a dangerous prayer. It’s a prayer that has led to my saying “yes” to assignments and callings that scare me: serving as a staff pastor at my previous church, becoming the new editor of Message of the Open Bible, and most recently, uprooting my family from our home of twelve years and moving to another state to plant a church.
The comforting thing is, I’m not alone in trying to live this kind of radically obedient life. I stumblingly follow in the footsteps of the Hebrews 11 heroes of faith, who “obeyed and went” even when they didn’t know where they were going (vs 8, NIV). Heroes who “conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised” but also “faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment” (vs 33-36). I walk alongside others in the Church and within Open Bible who are saying “yes” to difficult and daunting things. You’ll read about many of them in this issue, and I hope you will be challenged and encouraged by their stories.
To walk in obedience is to walk hand in hand with Jesus.
In truth, none of us is alone when we say “yes” to a God-given assignment. Let’s not forget that directly after the biggest, scariest assignment was given to Jesus’ disciples, the one that would take them to the ends of the earth and would include hardship and suffering for many of them, they were also given this promise:
“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:20).
To walk in obedience is to walk hand in hand with Jesus. That’s a reward worth even our most frightening “yes.”
About the Author
Hannah Bemis
Hannah Bemis currently serves as the Editor and Director of Message of the Open Bible. She’s always wanted to do too many things when she grows up and God has been kind enough to let her do most of them in different seasons. After seasons of mothering, teaching, writing, and staff pastoring, Hannah’s most recent adventure is planting College Street Church in Newberg, Oregon, with her husband, Jordan. After Jesus and all her favorite people, she spends the remainder of her passion on pizza and dark chocolate, in equal measure.
