COMMUNICATING WELL
Suggested Reading: Joshua 3-4
(click scripture link to read online)
Just east of Jericho, looking across the Jordan River into Jordan, you can see a church that commemorates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. This is also the area where the Children of Israel crossed into the Promised Land.
GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.
Key Verse: Joshua 4:24
…that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.
God has often intervened in human history to use so-called “acts of God” to accomplish His purposes. In the case of the Jordan River being dammed up at Adam (Adam Bridge today), God may have used an earthquake. The miracle could’ve been the timing or God may have initiated the quake. In 1927 there was a quake in this very area. A 150-foot rise on the West Bank was dislodged, completely blocking the flow of the Jordan for 21 hours.
The twelve stones provided a powerful visual communication of God’s plan for Israel, teaching generations to follow. The leadership of Joshua, born a slave in Egypt, was not questioned from this time forward. Moses, raised in Pharaoh’s palace, saw the potential of Joshua and mentored him well. The written Word and the verbal telling of God’s stories, along with the pile of stones, succeeded in keeping the people faithful for at least one generation. Let us remember that we must creatively renew our means of communicating God’s message in every generation.
PRAYER FOR TODAY:
Lord God, please enable me to communicate well to those for whom I am directly responsible. May I be faithful to point as many people as possible to You by the power of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!
100 PERSONAL WORDS:
As a boy, I would often look at the photo album from my parents’ honeymoon in 1924 in what was then known as Palestine. They were in old-fashioned bathing suits swimming in the Jordan at approximately the place where the Children of Israel crossed over. I’ve visited that place several times. There are stones scattered here and there, but no pile of 12 stones that I could find. I know I can’t depend on a former generation to communicate to my contemporaries. As a great-grandfather of 7, a grandfather of 16, and a father of 4, I must do everything I can do to remind those whose lives I can influence of the faithfulness of God in the past and the present. The future is predicted in God’s Word. Be sure to get the current offer by the Crossroads Ministry of the book, Iran and Israel, dealing with Bible prophecy. Here’s how to order your copy (click here). That picture of Mom and Dad in the Jordan went through a fire in a storage unit. I’ll look for it, and if I find it, I’ll share it here. David Reynold, my son and our photographer, spent hours separating pictures that were stuck together by the heat of the fire and the water damage. He is in the middle east for the next two weeks doing photography. When he returns we’ll dig for the 1924 pictures.
Yours for communicating as well as possible,
David
P.S. Below is a fragment of the Dead Sea Scrolls from the book of Joshua. For more about the Dead Sea Scrolls, click here.
Found among the Dead Sea Scrolls were fragments, like the one pictured here, which retold various episodes from the book of Joshua.
It is important to tell and to re-tell “the old old story, of Jesus and His love” anew to each generation. When I think of how communication has changed these last several years, it’s astounding. Some things about it are great, some things I question, but i suppose the same thing could be said about television when it first came upon the scene. All this to say, if Jesus is in it then He will use it for His glory. I think of Crossroads and all the changes that have been happening. Crossroads is worthy of our support for it is not stagnant, but always strives toward reaching future generations with the mandate of Jesus Christ in new and creative ways. The ‘story’ must continue to be told to every generation until He comes.
Hi David
Thank you again , I learn a lot from your Blog
Love prayers and blessings to you and family
Zeljko ( from the Park )
Good morning, David, and fellow bloggers. Very much enjoyed reading about the Dead Sea Scrolls. It was one course in university I regret not having taken, yet look forward to studying in the future.
I pray today for peace and happiness, healing and well-being, and praise and thanks to the Lord, our Saviour and King, as we come together to worship Him, with hands held high, and voices singing His name!
Hi Pastor David,
I look forward every morning to learn from your blog. Thank-You for sharing pictures of your beautiful family and especially of places where my Lord once walk. When I read my Bible and your comments, everything comes alive.
Pastor David would you agree with me in prayer for a financial transaction for when there are 2 or 3 agree together in prayer. God is leading us to another chapter in our lives. Praise His Holy Name.
Thank you again David, for a wonderful passage of scripture. I often get goosebumps as I read, and this morning was one of those times, as I try to put myself in that time, and what it would have been like to live such an experience as watching a part of the Jordan dry up so the people could cross over in safety. Amazing! Awesome! Thank you, too, for the link to the Dead Sea Scrolls.
Thank you for your prayers. There were many times I thanked Our Lord for prayers, including slippery roars, close calls and a flat tire! I remembered David saying be strong and of good courage. It helped me all the way! I admire Joshua for his strength, leadership and integrity. My wife fly’s home Sunday. In our conversation this morning she asked me if I have done the blog yet. I guess she sees a difference!
When I read yr blog David I am in awe of the stories.
My stories of my childhood were not the same but my stories with my dtrs. r different.
Now with my sister saved our stories can be different for her children and grandchildren.
I believe God is going to save my entire household.
I claim that
As for me and my house we will serve the Lord.
In Christ
mellany
Thank you for including various links in your blogs. Followed the one taking us to the “Dead Sea Scrolls”, it helps to give me a better understanding of the whole picture.
As grandparents we are also pondering how to tell the Good News to our grandchildren. We have used the means of a “memory album”, included pictures, and letters just for them, and praying for them as it is being designed.
Greetings in the Lord’s Name to one and all.
As always I thank you for this blog, this journey.
On a side note I’m not getting the blogs via email again. I didn’t for about 8 weeks. Then I started receiving two a day 🙂 then it went down to one, now none. I simply go to the website when I remember to. But email triggers my memory for me.