The Folded Napkin

“Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; and he saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that had been around His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.” ~ John 20:7

This morning, I got an email from my cousin Monique explaining the significance of Jesus’ burial cloths being folded upon the disciples discovering that His body was no longer in the tomb.

I thought it was interesting and wanted to share.

It’s something that I’ve heard before, but figured everyone may not have.

Enjoy!
J.W.
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Why Did Jesus Fold the Napkin?

Why did Jesus fold the linen burial cloth after His resurrection?

The Gospel of John (20:7) tells us that the napkin, which was placed over the face of Jesus, was not just thrown aside like the grave clothes.

The Bible takes an entire verse to tell us that the napkin was neatly folded, and was placed separate from the grave clothes.

Early Sunday morning, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.

She ran and found Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved. She said, 'They have taken the Lord's body out of the tomb, and I don't know where they have put him!'

Peter and the other disciple ran to the tomb to see. The other disciple outran Peter and got there first. He stooped and looked in and saw the linen cloth lying there, but he didn't go in.

Then Simon Peter arrived and went inside. He also noticed the linen wrappings lying there, while the cloth that had covered Jesus' head was folded up and lying to the side.

Was that important? Absolutely!

Is it really significant? Yes!

In order to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have tounderstand a little bit about Hebrew tradition of that day.

The folded napkin had to do with the Master and Servant, and everyJewish boy knew this tradition.

When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it.

The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, until the master had finished eating, and the servant would not dare touch that table, until the master was finished.

Now if the master were done eating, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.

The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done'.

But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because..........

The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'

He is Coming Back!

God's Perfect Timing

"There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven." ~ Ecclesiastes 3:1

So, for the past two months, I've just been waiting.

Since the campaign ended in November, I've been looking for a job and had a couple of interviews during the first part of December.

But since then, I've just been waiting.

Waiting for a phone call, an e-mail, a letter, something that would give me direction, some sort of response from someone.

But for the past few weeks, there's been nothing. No phone call, no e-mail, no letter, no anything!

In times like these, we often think that God has forgotten about us. That he has abandoned us. That he doesn't care about what happens to us.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

You see, waiting builds patience, character, and strength. It shows us that life is not all about us, but rather about God's work through us. It's not about our plans, but God's divine plan. It's not about our timing, but God's perfect timing.

The sooner we learn that, the better and more fulfilled our lives will be.

There is a time for everything. We just have to wait for ours.

God bless,

J.W.

New Direction

In the spirit of returning to one's roots, I decided to post my very first journal entry to Journal Your Journey. The reason - expansion. I've decided to expand my web presence in an effort to have my writings more accurately reflect the entirety of who I am.

So, from this point forward, Journal Your Journey will contain my purely spiritual/inspiration thoughts and opinions.

As such, stayed tuned for my new music and entertainment blog, where I'll express my feelings on the direction of current music, television, film, and theater scene, coming soon! Also, look out for the return of Leave Your Legacy, where I'll express my thoughts and opinions on the current political and social events of the day - particularly as we head into this new Presidential administration!

So stay tuned as I try to target my writings to a bigger audience and bring you even more content, opinion, and knowledge. In the meantime, enjoy the very first installment of JYJ as I set the stage for a new and improved series of writings. A new me for a new year.

God bless,
J.W.

The Beginning

Hey everyone, I hope all is well and that this letter finds you in good health and strength, and blessed with high hopes for the future. I am writing to you all today because God put something on my heart that I felt the need to share with all of you.

For those of you who truly know me, you know that I love to write. Whether it be rhymes, songs, or simple ramblings of my scattered thoughts, writing has always been something that has come naturally to me. In having conversations with God over the past few weeks, and in having read the book "The Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren over the past few days, I've come to discover a new purpose for my life, one that I previously did not realize existed. In chapter _ of "The Purpose Driven Life" entitled "Becoming a World-Class Chrisitan, Rick Warren urges his readers to develop the ability to look beyond the natural, to look past the physical environment and circumstances in which we currently find ourselves, and to look at things from God's perspective, i.e. to look at the bigger picture. We serve an awesome God, one who can not only deal with the small details of our individual lives, but one who also has ability to see and move on a global scale.

Jesus' last command was to go and preach the gospel to the nations, and that is exactly what we ought to be doing. Enough of churches existing only between its 4 walls. As Christians, we are called to go out into the highways and by-ways, and not only preach the gospel, but also to set an example in the way that we live our lives. Most times, it's not what you SAY, but what you DO that has the greatest impact on others.

Additionally, in this same chapter, "Becoming a World-Class Christian," Mr. Warren also urges us to "journal our journey," to write down the things that God has done for us, and the lessons we have learned along the way, so that we might look back and see how far we've come. Moreover, Mr. Warren urges us to "journal our journey" that we might help others by passing on our knowledge and wisdom we've gained from our life experiences.

During my short time here on earth, I've been blessed to have been given a vast amount of wisdom through the experiences I've had, which few have known because I'm both young (so they count me out) and quiet (so they write me off). But I thought it was time to share a bit of what I've learned with the world, to "journal my journey" so that I might help others who may have dealt or may still be dealing with the things I've been through in the past.

As such, this is the first of many daily journals that I will be sharing with you all from day to day and week to week, in hopes that they might inspire, education, empower, and inform. All will not be spiritual in nature. Some will deal with social issues, topics of the day, or just random thoughts that I may have. They also won't be long. But all will have a message that I hope will push you to think about your life, your purpose, and your destiny in ways you've never thought about them before. Even if you don't read them all, please forward them to those you know. You never know what someone might be going through and may need to hear at the time.

So until next time, I ask that you all pray for me, that God might continue to use me to build His Kingdom here on earth the best way I know how. It's not always easy when your vision and purpose is unique. Sometimes you stand alone. But I know that, just like each and every one of you, God has a purpose for me and that my experiences are meant to help someone else. May He continue to bless you all.

-J.W.

Happy New Year - 2009!

Isaiah 42:9 – “Behold, the former things have come to pass, and new things I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them.”

Isaiah 43:18-19 – “Do not remember the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 – “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Philippians 3:13-14 – “Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Happy New Year everyone!

I pray that God will continue to bless you all throughout 2009!

God bless,

J.W.

The Real Meaning of Christmas

As I head down to Baltimore to celebrate Christmas with my family, I can’t help but reminisce on all the things that have taken place throughout the year and how good God has been to Michele and me. We may not have always gotten everything we wanted, but through it all, He’s given us joy, peace, and love for one another and our family and friends. That’s why I’m grateful to Him and why I celebrate Him during this Christmas season!

The other day, Michele and I had a talk about whether we would teach our kids to believe in Santa Claus. I was a little apprehensive approaching her about it just because I didn’t know how she would respond. Would she be adamant about teaching our kids about Santa Claus? I was pretty adamant myself about not, so what would happen if we disagreed?

Fortunately for me, we ended up being on the same page. As Christians, we didn’t want our kids growing up believing in some imaginary old, fat white guy who would bring them presents on Christmas! To us, Christmas shouldn’t be about receiving presents. It should be about giving, and as such, we want to instill a spirit of giving in our kids. We want to encourage them to give to those who are less fortunate on Christmas. To give some of their clothes to the homeless or to make toys for underprivileged kids. The way we see it, they’ll have the rest of the year to get gifts from us. But the purpose and focus of Christmas should be to give. That is, the essence of Christmas is found in John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him might not perish but have everlasting life!

So, what have we turned Christmas into? A day when we literally kill each other (see this year’s Black Friday) to get a good deal? A day when we get all stressed out trying to buy gifts for everyone on our list? Is that what Christmas is supposed to be about?

So as you celebrate Christmas this year, I encourage you to give to someone else. It doesn’t have to be anything expensive. You can give your time or a talent. If you sing, maybe you could write a song for someone. If you sew, maybe you can sew a scarf for someone. Whatever it is, all of us have something to give. It just takes a little shift in perspective and a refocus on what’s important.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

God bless,
J.W.

Amnesia

Often times, as human beings, we get amnesia. We get all caught up in the hustle and bustle of the craziness that is our lives and we forget. We forget the past – all the things that God has done for us. We forget the promises – all the things God has promised us in His Word. And most of all, we forget His goodness – the fact that God loves us and, as our Heavenly Father, wants what is best for us.

But here’s where the dilemma lies – we want what’s best for us and God wants what’s best for us. But often times, what God thinks is best for us and what we think is best for us doesn’t agree. For instance, we might have our heart set on a particular job for which we’ve applied. We’ve gone through the application process, we’ve had the interview, we’ve met with the hiring manager, and, in our mind, we’ve made a good impression. To us, the job’s in the bag. Then, we get that call telling us they’ve decided to go with another candidate. Out of nowhere, we’re hit with overwhelming disappointment and rejection. It feels as if God has just pulled the rug right out from under us. Feelings of anger, resentment, and depression come over us as a result of our let down. And we forget. We get amnesia.

But while the world is telling us that we’re not good enough, that nobody likes us, and that nothing good will ever happen, the Word tells us that God is “able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think,” (Ephesians 3:20) that “my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19) and that if you would “delight yourself also in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

So who are you going to believe today? Are you going to believe the world, with its deception and lies, or the Word, with its power and wisdom? Are you going to focus on what your circumstances tell you or what God has promised you? Because whatever you focus on is what will come to pass in your life.

I, for one, choose the latter.

God bless,
J.W.