Then he spoke to the Israelites: "In the future your children will ask you, 'What do these rocks mean?' Tell them, 'Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry land. Joshua 4:21-22 NCV
This past weekend was spectacular as we celebrated the Johnson-Jones Family Reunion. It was special for a couple of reasons. First because it had been a while (8 yrs.) since the last family reunion. It was really great to see so many of our family members after so long. I was so thrilled to listen to the eldest members of our family Aunt Tee Tee, Aunt Alice and my dad, Albert, share memories from their childhood. It was also nice to know that the younger people got a chance to meet family that they didn't know existed. Secondly, it was great because everyone was on one accord. You know how family gatherings can be sometimes because ain't no drama like family drama and family drama don't stop! However we didn't have no hateration, we didn't have no holleration, it was truly a Family Affair! Another good thing about this reunion was that we got a chance to view firsthand some of the talent in our family. Vernon, the next Sunday's Best, showed up with the vocals (That Boy can Sang!). Even little sister, Miss Kaylyn let us know she also has mad vocals with a song by Jazmine Sullivan. My little daughter Mycaya and nephew Dorian demonstrated that the young folk got talent too with their piano and rap performances. Last but not least my cousin Angie spit some truth with a powerful poem about our family. That sister has major skills when it comes to the spoken word!
Another thing that made this reunion great was the food. We have some incredible cooks in the Fam. The grub was off da hizzle fo shizzle! The best thing about this reunion for me was that we got a chance to better understand our heritage and where we come from. For if you don't know your history you won't know your destiny! My sister, with help from others, gathered information to create a family tree. They were able to trace our ancestry at least 7 generations. Through this process we were able to gain so many influential images of our ancestors. These images are very vital because they set high standards for us and the future generations.
One of the most moving moments for me was the last day when we all received a small rock. We were told to bring this rock back to the next family reunion, (God sparing). As everyone was holding up their rock, I thought about the scripture above. In this text the children of Israel are poised and positioned on the perimeter of the promised land. They have just crossed over the Jordan River. Prior to crossing, God instructed Joshua to have men to carry twelve large rocks or stones across the river with them. Joshua then sets the rocks up as a memorial at Gilgal and tells them that one day the future generations would ask, "What do these rocks mean?" It was then that Joshua told them that these were rocks that would enable them to remember some very valuable lessons. Just like Israel, the Johnson-Jones family has been given rocks that remind us of some powerful truths.
First these rocks should help us remember God's Presence. When the people crossed the Jordan River, they had to follow the priests who carried the Ark of the Covenant which represented the presence of God. In this way they were allowing God to go before them to guide their footsteps. They were basically saying to God, "When you move we move just like that!" God guided them through the Jordan River and to their promised destination. Johnson-Jones family we have to remember that it has been God who has guided and guarded us through many dangers seen and unseen. God has brought us from being down and out to being up and in. It is God that has brought us a mighty long way!
Secondly these rocks remind us of God's Power. In vs. 22 Joshua tells them to tell the children, "that Israel crossed the Jordan River on dry ground." Now the Jordan wasn't a little pond and the Bible says in chapter three that it was harvest season which meant the banks were now overflowing. This river represented an impossibility for Israel. There were not enough boats for over two million people to ride on. Even if there were, they would have been sitting ducks for the enemy who was expecting them. However the Bible says instead of going over it or around it, they went through the Jordan on dry ground. Vs. 23 says that God caused the water to stop flowing until they crossed over as He did with the Red Sea. The Israelites were reminded that they needed to look back and see what God has done. Surely the Johnson-Jones Family can look back over our shoulders and see so much of what God has done. Like the psalmist we can triumphantly testify, "If it had not been for the Lord on our side!" Think about the stuff that God caused to stop flowing so you could cross over! God in His power has brought us through so much, and the good news is if He did it back then He can do it again!
Finally, these rocks ought to remind us of God's Purpose. Why did the Lord do this for Israel? Better yet, why has the Lord done so much for our family? Is it because we deserve it? Is it because we are better than other folk? No the answer lies in vs. 24, He did this so that everybody or as my young folk would say Erbody, would know that His hand is powerful and that they might always fear the Lord. God wanted to demonstrate His power through this family of faith so that others would come to know Him. Today God has manifested his power in our family so that others would recognize that God is with us, that God is blessing us, that God is making a way for us, that God's hand is on our life! Most importantly He wants us, the Johnson-Jones Family, to always recognize this fact and Fear Him Forever! As a teacher I like using visual aids as a part of my lessons. I believe that they enable my students to not only hear what I'm saying but see it and come to have a better understanding. The rocks that we have been given are our visual aids that remind us of God's Presence, Power, and Purpose that have been with the Johnson-Jones Family. Thanks for a great weekend, and a special thanks goes out to the committee that put this together and worked so tirelessly to make sure everything ran smoothly.
PEACE!
P.S. Don't forget to remember your rocks!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
It's a Fight!
Judges 14:5-6;8 As Samson and his parents were going down to Timnah, a young lion suddenly attacked Samson near the vineyards of Timnah. 6 At that moment the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him, and he ripped the lion’s jaws apart with his bare hands. He did it as easily as if it were a young goat......Later, when he returned to Timnah for the wedding, he turned off the path to look at the carcass of the lion. And he found that a swarm of bees had made some honey in the carcass.
Well if you have watched the first two games of the NBA Finals, regardless of what team you are pulling for, one thing is for sure, it's a fight! After the Lakers went out and handled business in the first game, the Celtic pride came through in game 2 and reminded everyone that they too are champions. It's going to be very interesting this week as the scene shifts to Beantown. Of course Boston will be primed and pumped in front of their fans. However I think this Lakers' team will be ready for the challenge. It seems that they perform their best under pressure.
Speaking of which, has there ever been a time in your life when the pressure was on? If you are honest, we constantly experience these occasions because life is a fight! If you don't believe me, ask Samson and he will tell you that life is a Fight. Our text lets us know that he was just minding his own business and out jumps a lion. Now I know that you've had some ferocious fights but when was the last time you tangled with a lion? However, though we don't battle literal lions, you do know our enemy, the devil is like a roaring lion. Everyday, rather in our careers, the community, at the crib and even sometimes at church we have to battle this lion. The Bible lets us know that we fight not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. This enemy is trying to paralyze our potential, downsize our dreams, and destroy our destiny.
Not only does the text tell us about the fight but it also lets us know there is a Force we can depend on. Vs. 6 says that when it was time to fight, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, giving him the power to lick the lion! I am so glad that when I face lions that I don't have to do so in my own strength. Just think, it would be pretty depressing to try to fight this foe without a force. In a real sense that is just what many individuals do daily- try to prevail with no power. However, I'm thankful that as believers we have power throught the Person of the Holy Spirit. In fact we have an advantage over Samson in that The Holy Spirit indwells us which means He is with us all the time. Now I can confidently confess that Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world!
Finally the text blows my mind and shows us, it's amaing what we Find after we have been through a fight. After Samson killed the lion and went on to where he was going, later he traveled down the same road and saw the carcass of the dead lion. He then noticed that there was honey inside the carcass of the lion. Did you get that? In his the place where he previously struggled was something to sustain him! Where he before had to fight, he found honey! It's amazing to me what God allows me to find as a result of what I've been through. Have you ever looked back over your life and thought about what you've found as a result of the fight you've been in? Maybe it was wisdom, experience, joy, or patience. God allows us to find so many good things after the fight. Going back to my Laker analogy, the last time L.A. played in Boston in the Finals, they got smashed by about 39 points as the Celtics won the championship in 08'. But Laker fans understand that it was that fight in 08' that made them tough and allowed them to find the championship in 09'. Similarly in our lives, God has an amazing way of bringing something that helps us (honey) out of what could have hurt us (lions). Today know that you are in a fight. But be of good courage because you have a Force to help you succeed in the fight. Now it's your time to open your eyes and find your honey!
Peace!
Well if you have watched the first two games of the NBA Finals, regardless of what team you are pulling for, one thing is for sure, it's a fight! After the Lakers went out and handled business in the first game, the Celtic pride came through in game 2 and reminded everyone that they too are champions. It's going to be very interesting this week as the scene shifts to Beantown. Of course Boston will be primed and pumped in front of their fans. However I think this Lakers' team will be ready for the challenge. It seems that they perform their best under pressure.
Speaking of which, has there ever been a time in your life when the pressure was on? If you are honest, we constantly experience these occasions because life is a fight! If you don't believe me, ask Samson and he will tell you that life is a Fight. Our text lets us know that he was just minding his own business and out jumps a lion. Now I know that you've had some ferocious fights but when was the last time you tangled with a lion? However, though we don't battle literal lions, you do know our enemy, the devil is like a roaring lion. Everyday, rather in our careers, the community, at the crib and even sometimes at church we have to battle this lion. The Bible lets us know that we fight not against flesh and blood but against spiritual powers. This enemy is trying to paralyze our potential, downsize our dreams, and destroy our destiny.
Not only does the text tell us about the fight but it also lets us know there is a Force we can depend on. Vs. 6 says that when it was time to fight, the Spirit of the Lord came upon Samson, giving him the power to lick the lion! I am so glad that when I face lions that I don't have to do so in my own strength. Just think, it would be pretty depressing to try to fight this foe without a force. In a real sense that is just what many individuals do daily- try to prevail with no power. However, I'm thankful that as believers we have power throught the Person of the Holy Spirit. In fact we have an advantage over Samson in that The Holy Spirit indwells us which means He is with us all the time. Now I can confidently confess that Greater is He that is within me than he that is in the world!
Finally the text blows my mind and shows us, it's amaing what we Find after we have been through a fight. After Samson killed the lion and went on to where he was going, later he traveled down the same road and saw the carcass of the dead lion. He then noticed that there was honey inside the carcass of the lion. Did you get that? In his the place where he previously struggled was something to sustain him! Where he before had to fight, he found honey! It's amazing to me what God allows me to find as a result of what I've been through. Have you ever looked back over your life and thought about what you've found as a result of the fight you've been in? Maybe it was wisdom, experience, joy, or patience. God allows us to find so many good things after the fight. Going back to my Laker analogy, the last time L.A. played in Boston in the Finals, they got smashed by about 39 points as the Celtics won the championship in 08'. But Laker fans understand that it was that fight in 08' that made them tough and allowed them to find the championship in 09'. Similarly in our lives, God has an amazing way of bringing something that helps us (honey) out of what could have hurt us (lions). Today know that you are in a fight. But be of good courage because you have a Force to help you succeed in the fight. Now it's your time to open your eyes and find your honey!
Peace!
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Back Where We Belong!
"If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."
One of my fondest memories a s chilld growing up is that of watching the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Of course there was no HDTV nor did we have ESPN but CBS was just fine (as long as it didn't rain, then we had to pull out the bunny ears!). It seemed like every year these two teams would meet to decide who was the best of the basketball world. Both of these teams are making a return to their usual place of prominence this week in the NBA Finals. The Lakers, which have been to the Finals more times than any other team (31), are returning for the 3rd consecutive year. The Celtics, who have more titles (17) than anyone are returning for the 2nd time in three years. As I thought about these teams returning to the Finals, I thought about the scripture reference for today. In it Samuel clearly states what the people of God must do in order to return to where they should be with God.
To better understand the text, one must understand the context. Israel had been oppressed and harrased by their enemy, the Phillistines, for many years. In fact the Philistines had even taken the Ark of the Covenant which was symbolic of the Presence of God. For at least 20 years the Presence of God had been absent from among them. Instead of enjoying the place of favor during this time the people experienced failure, fruitlessness and frustration. It was at this time the people basically said enough is enough and began to desire to return to God. It was at this time that Samuel conveys to them, and to us, what it takes to get back where we belong.
First Samuel says we must Repent. This word literally means a change of mind that evenuates in a change of action. It is senseless and useless to think that we can continue in the same futile direction and expect things to change. Only by changing our mind and turning from sin to God can we expect things to be different. Secondly Samuel says we must Release some things. For the Israelites it was foreign gods that they had begun to worship. The same is true for us. What is it that you are holding on to that you know you need to let go of? We must be wiling to let go of little gods if we are to get back to where we belong.
Finally Samuel says we must Re-Commit. We must be willing to give our whole selves to God just as we did when we first accepted Him as our Lord. When we make this commitment it also means that we will serve Him only. The Good News is if we are willing to Repent, Release, and Re-Committ, God will Restore us to our place of favor and also restore to us what was lost in the meantime. The end of this text says that all the lands the Phillistines had taken were restored to the Israelites. As you evaluate the first six months of the year 2010 can you say that you are enjoying the place of favor or is your experience more like that of Israel's? If the latter is true, today you can Get Back where you Belong!
PEACE!
One of my fondest memories a s chilld growing up is that of watching the Los Angeles Lakers battle the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. Of course there was no HDTV nor did we have ESPN but CBS was just fine (as long as it didn't rain, then we had to pull out the bunny ears!). It seemed like every year these two teams would meet to decide who was the best of the basketball world. Both of these teams are making a return to their usual place of prominence this week in the NBA Finals. The Lakers, which have been to the Finals more times than any other team (31), are returning for the 3rd consecutive year. The Celtics, who have more titles (17) than anyone are returning for the 2nd time in three years. As I thought about these teams returning to the Finals, I thought about the scripture reference for today. In it Samuel clearly states what the people of God must do in order to return to where they should be with God.
To better understand the text, one must understand the context. Israel had been oppressed and harrased by their enemy, the Phillistines, for many years. In fact the Philistines had even taken the Ark of the Covenant which was symbolic of the Presence of God. For at least 20 years the Presence of God had been absent from among them. Instead of enjoying the place of favor during this time the people experienced failure, fruitlessness and frustration. It was at this time the people basically said enough is enough and began to desire to return to God. It was at this time that Samuel conveys to them, and to us, what it takes to get back where we belong.
First Samuel says we must Repent. This word literally means a change of mind that evenuates in a change of action. It is senseless and useless to think that we can continue in the same futile direction and expect things to change. Only by changing our mind and turning from sin to God can we expect things to be different. Secondly Samuel says we must Release some things. For the Israelites it was foreign gods that they had begun to worship. The same is true for us. What is it that you are holding on to that you know you need to let go of? We must be wiling to let go of little gods if we are to get back to where we belong.
Finally Samuel says we must Re-Commit. We must be willing to give our whole selves to God just as we did when we first accepted Him as our Lord. When we make this commitment it also means that we will serve Him only. The Good News is if we are willing to Repent, Release, and Re-Committ, God will Restore us to our place of favor and also restore to us what was lost in the meantime. The end of this text says that all the lands the Phillistines had taken were restored to the Israelites. As you evaluate the first six months of the year 2010 can you say that you are enjoying the place of favor or is your experience more like that of Israel's? If the latter is true, today you can Get Back where you Belong!
PEACE!
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