Daniel Rayshawn Johnson

Greater Bible Way Temple’s First Son

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. –St. John 9:1-3

The first member of our congregation to pass away just happened to be a member of our first family- Daniel Johnson. He passed on May 28^th, 2004 and is still greatly missed. The following is the very moving obituary written by Pastor and 1^st Lady Johnson.

Daniel was born on Nov. 10^th, 1985 in Jackson, MI to the proud parents of Rader and Rhoda Johnson. He was born a month premature and weighed only 5Ilbs. Because of his low birth weight and underdeveloped lungs, Daniel had to remain in the hospital for 7 days following his birth. This was the beginning if a very long journey for Daniel (many hospitalizations). Yet even as a newborn, you could see God’s hand upon this chosen son.

As a toddler Daniel would have days where he would cry all day and all night, and there was nothing his parents or doctors knew to do. At the age of 3 yrs., Daniel was finally diagnosed with sickle cell anemia disease and suffered with it for 16 years until the Lord called him home on 05/28/04.

Daniel was the first of his siblings to get saved. He was baptized in Jesus’ name and filled with the Holy Ghost at the young age of 6 yrs. Old in 1991. Because of his illness he was constantly in pain everyday, in the hospital over 125 times throughout his life, had six different surgeries, and had to have a medi-port put in his chest because as a result of all the IVs and blood transfusions, all of his veins had collapsed. Through all of this, DANIEL NEVER COMPLAINED!

He always came to church with a smile on his face. He sang songs, played the drums, and at the end of service, go home and get right in the bed because of excruciating pain he’d be in. He never let his pain stop him from serving God.

When we would ask Daniel why he never got depressed (doctors always tried to put him on anti-depressants because it was their opinion that no one could go through all he was going through and not be depressed), he’d respond “ the Lord keeps me happy, and I have the love of my church, that keeps me going.” Once he said to his father “dad I’m fine, don’t be sad, this is only a trial and everything is going to be alright.”

His favorite scripture was Psalm 100 of which he would regularly quote in testimony service. All of us are born for a purpose God says in Isaiah, “for I have created you for my glory” Daniel glorified God through his suffering. He was always happy, never sad, always praising God. He truly loved the Lord, his family, and his friends. He was chosen of God and God got what he wanted which was Glory out of his life. He allowed Daniel to suffer all his life until He was satisfied, then He sweetly said “that’s enough Daniel, come on home, I’ll heal you for eternity” and Daniel fell asleep in the arms of Jesus.