In Joshua Chapter 4, the nation of Israel had just crossed through the Jordan on dry ground. Twelve men had been appointed to take up a stone from the middle of the river as a sign of remembrance. Joshua said to the men, “When your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever” (Joshua 4:6-7 NIV). 

A Lost Photograph

What kinds of stones of remembrance has God placed in your life? For Senior Pastor Mike Stangel of North Shore Christian Fellowship in Haleiwa, HI, his stone of remembrance happened to be a photograph. Pastor Mike had recently mentioned to a group of people a particular photograph of him, his wife, Karen, and Pastor Chuck Smith. This photo had been taken many years ago in Pastor Chuck’s Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, CA, office and was featured in a local Southern California newspaper. Unfortunately, Mike had no idea what had become of it. 

A Landmark in the Journey

Mike met Chuck previously when he had flown into Hawaii to visit the island’s first Calvary Chapel, but it wasn’t the first encounter he had with Chuck. Mike attended a Love Song concert at CC Costa Mesa back when it was a tent rather than a brick-and-mortar structure. He recalls, “The tent was so packed that night, I couldn’t get near it. I sat as close as I could, but there were hundreds of people between me and the tent.” Pastor Chuck merely walked out onto the platform, chuckled, and said something like, “God is good, isn’t He?” Mike reflected that he was “fresh out of jail and on a total backslide at the time” but felt a deep conviction because the “anointing on Pastor Chuck was so heavy.” Unable to handle the conviction, he left “as fast as [his] feet would walk.” 

Several years later, after God had been growing and developing Mike into a faithful servant who was all-in for Jesus, he found himself back at CC Costa Mesa for another visit. They happened to be missing a worship leader that evening. Mike and Karen were invited to lead. Unprepared for the occasion, Mike borrowed a guitar from someone, and they were taken to Chuck’s office, which connected directly to the sanctuary platform. “Great!” Chuck said as he gave his blessing for the couple to lead worship in that service. 

Someone from the media happened to be there at the same time and asked if he could snap a picture. The picture was printed in the newspaper the next day and is featured in the Summer 2023, print Issue 96 of Calvary Chapel Magazine. This particular issue features an assortment of vintage photographs, highlighting Chuck’s life and ministry. Some people were instantly identified, while others remained unnamed until the distribution of the magazine. Mike was thrilled to be reminded of that moment so close to the time he had shared the memory with others. Like a stone of remembrance, this photograph served as a landmark in his journey when God was calling him into a deeper relationship and solidifying his call to ministry.

Mike shared other notable memories about Chuck as well. Once, they traveled to Israel together where Chuck baptized Mike in the Jordan River. Another fond memory occurred at a Summer Harvest after a hurricane at the Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, HI. After the prayer in the locker room, Chuck put his arm around Mike and sang “Happy Birthday” to him. Mike recounted that Chuck “had a great voice and his eyes just danced.” 

When thinking about Chuck’s overall ministry, Mike affirmed, “He loved people. He simply taught Scripture, simply.” Because of this genuine leadership model, embodied in a man who was clearly anointed to this calling in life, “Calvary Chapel was filled with the best-loved, best-taught people.”

An Exhortation from the Author

While a lost photograph, now resurfaced and shared with the world, might bring back a point of remembrance in one man’s life, it serves as a pillar of inspiration for us all. God moves. God calls. God anoints. Look to the points of reference—the stones of remembrance—in your life and be encouraged. God loves you immensely. He calls you forward in faith to follow His voice into the great unknown, truly known to Him. 

______________

James Runcorn, D.Min, serves as the Community Discipleship Pastor at Watersprings Church, ID

Mike Stangel is senior pastor at North Shore Christian Fellowship, Haleiwa, HI

© 2023 Calvary Chapel Magazine (CCM). All rights reserved. Articles or photographs may not be reproduced without the written permission of CCM. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.® Used by permission.