Saturday, March 7, 2009
take my five loaves and two fishes
Corrinne May - Five Loaves and Two Fishes Lyrics
"Beautiful Seed" album
A little boy of thirteen
was on his way to school
He heard a crowd of people laughing
and he went to take a look
Thousands were listening
to the stories of one man
He spoke with such wisdom,
even the kids could understand
The hours passed so quickly
the day turned to night
Everyone was hungry
but there was no food in sight
The boy looked in his lunchbox
at the little that he had
He wasn't sure what good it'd do
there were thousands to be fed
But he saw the twinkling eyes of Jesus
the kindness in His smile
and the boy cried out
with the trust of a child
he said:
"Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
to feed them all"
I often think about that boy
when I'm feeling small
and I worry that the work I do
means nothing at all
But every single tear I cry
is a diamond in His hands
and every door that slams in my face
I will offer up in prayer
So I'll give you every breadth that I have
Oh Lord, you can work miracles
All that you need is my "Amen"
Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
I hope it's not too small
I trust in you
I trust in you
Take my five loaves and two fishes
Do with it as you will
I surrender
Take my fears and inhibitions
All my burdens, my ambitions
You can use it all
no gift is too small
All for you... :)
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Choices
EACH DAYI CHOOSE GOD! :)
cos' He first chose me...I CHOOSE LOVE...
No occasions justifies hatred;
No injustice warrants bitterness. I choose love.
Today I will love God and what God loves.
I CHOOSE JOY...
I will invite my God to be the God of my circumstance.
I will refuse the temptation to be cynical...the tool of the lazy thinker.
I will refuse to see people as anything less than human beings,created by God.
I will refuse to see any problem as anything less than an opportunity from God
I CHOOSE PEACE...
I will live forgiven. I will forgive that I may live.
I CHOOSE PATIENCE...
I will overlook the inconveniences of the world.
Instead of cursing the one who takes my place, I'll invite him to do so.
Rather than complain that the wait is long, I'll thank God for the moment to pray.
Instead of clinching my fist at assignments, I'll face them with joy and courage.
When I drive, I will not curse and swear, I'll learn to release grace and patience. (whoever is in the car, you have the right to scold me! I hate it when I become impatient when I drive.)
I CHOOSE KINDNESS...
I will be kind to the poor, for they are alone.
Kind to the rich, for they are afraid.
And kind to the unkind, for such is how God has treated me.
I CHOOSE GOODNESS...
I will go without a dollar before I take a dishonest one.
I will be overlooked before I will boast.
I will confess before I will accuse.
I CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS...
Today I will keep my promises.
I will be Faithful to the Faithful One
My friends will not regret their trust.
My parents will not question my love.
My siblings will know the God that I serve
And my spiritual children will never fear that I will not be around.
I CHOOSE GENTLENESS...
Nothing is won by force, I choose to be gentle.
If I raise my voice, may it only be praise.
If I clench my fist, may it only be prayer.
If I make a demand, may it only be of myself.
I CHOOSE SELF-CONTROL...
I am a spiritual being...
After this body is dead, my spirit will soar.
I refuse to let way will rot, rule the eternal.
I choose self-control.
I will be drunk only by joy.
I will be impassioned on by faith.
I will be influenced only by God.
I will be taught only my Christ.
I will obey the Word of the Lord.
I choose self-control.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Don't let your past rob you of being compassionate!
But others of us tend to forget. Our hearts are good; it's just that our memories are bad. We forget how significant one touch can be. We fear saying the wrong things or using the wrong tone or acting the wrong way. So rather than to do it incorectly, we do nothing at all.
Aren't we glad Jesus didn't make the same mistake? If our fear of doing the wrong thing prevents us from doing anything, keep in mind the perspective of the people who needs God. They aren't picky. They aren't finicky. They are just lonely. They are yearning for a godly touch. Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will we be willing to do the same?
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Loving the people I'm stuck with first begins with a Forgiving Heart....
anyway, Max's Manual of Medical Terms has this to say about the condition:
Jesus knew the feeling of being stuck with someone. For 3 years, He ran with the same crew. By and large, he saw the same dozen or so faces. They rode in the same boat, walked the same roads, visited the same houses. But how did Jesus stay devoted to his men? Not only did Jesus have to put up with their visible oddities, He had to endure their inviible folibles. Whats more when Jsus could hear His disciples unspoken thoughts. He knew their private doubts and their future ones as well! But how did Jesus still love them? How did He love his neighbour? Well, I am questioning because sometimes it is really hard to love the people around you when you know that there are happening around.
God brought back me back to this thought... Jesus loved Peter knowing that someday Peter would curse Him. Jesus still loved Thomas knowing that Thomas would one day question about his resurrection. Jesus loved Judas knowing that Judas would betray Him... BUT THE QUESTION STILL LIES... HOW WAS JESUS ABLE TO LOVE???? To me, this answer can be found in John 13. :)
- Jesus saw Himself equal with His disciples - He was humble.
With a towel and a basin, Jesus knelt before His disciples and washed their feet. He did not have the atitude that He was of higher authority. In Jesus' days, the waashing of feet was a task reserved not just for servants, but for the lowest of servants. But the one who held the towel and basin is not the King of the universe. Hands that shaped the the stars now wash away filth. Fingers that formed mountians now massages toes. Hours before his own death, Jesus only had one thing in mind. He wants His disciples to know how much He loves them! More than removing dirt, He was removing doubt. In the Bible, there is no verse which reads Jesus washed all the disciples feet except for the feet of Judas - which also means, He loved all UNCONDITIONALLY. Though He knew what will happen in future, HE STILL WASHED THEIR FEET. - Jesus has set the example - We must follow (V 14-15)
Jesus washed out feet for 2 reasons. The first one was to give us mercy and the second is to give us a message. The message is simply this: Jesus offers unconditional grace; we are to offer unconditional grace too. The mercy of Christ preceded our mistakes, our mercy must also precede the mistakes of others. Those in the circle of Chirst has no doubt of His love, those in our circles should have no doubt of ours. - Jesus forgave - We also must forgive
Jesus ensured that His disciples had no reason to doubt His love... I must do the same too!
I am someone who sees relationships very important. and trust me, every relationship means ALOT to me... and today I realise that the best way to sustain a relationship is to first forgive and love unconditionally. I am not going to care what I know, what I don't know and what I will know.. I will just LOVE... just as how God has loved me, I will love...
God, soften this hardened heart.. and replace it with a heart that beats like Yours..
I forgive you...
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Be MORE and MORE like Him!
The heart of Jesus was pure. The Savior was adored by thousands, yet content to live a simple life. The heart of Jesus was peaceful. The disciples fretted over the need to feed the thousands, but not Jesus. He thanked God for the problem. The discuples shoute for fear in the storm, but not Jesus. He slept through it. The heart of Jesus was forgiving. He refuse to be guided by vengence. He refused to be guided by anything other than his high call. The heart of Jesus was purposeful. Jesus aimed at one goal - to save humanity from sin. His life could be summarized in one sentence: "The Son of man came to seek and save the lost" (Luke 19:10). Jesus was so focused on His task that He knew when to say, "My time has not yet come" (John 2:4) and when to say, "It is finished" (John 19:30).
But... scripture says... ...
"but you were taught to be made new in your hearts, to become a new person. That new person is MADE TO BE LIKE GOD - made to be truly good and holy." (Eph 4:23-24)
Is my heart pure? Am I content to live a simple life? Is my heart peaceful? Do i thank God for problems? Am I forgiving? Is my life according to His purpose? Am I sensitive to the voice of God just like Jesus?
My heart seem so far from His. His is pure; I am greedy. He is peaceful; I am hassled. He is purposeful; I am distracted. He is pleasant; I am cranky. He is spiritual; I am earthbound. The distance between His and my heart seems so immense. Can I ever be like Jesus I questioned at times? Sometimes it is so easy to say... God I want to be more like Jesus.. Make me more like You.. but also at the same time also not knowing how far fetched I can sound. How impossible it is...
However God gave me a revalation today!!! :)
If I am in Christ, I already have the heart of Christ!!! One of the supreme yet unrealized promises of God is this: if you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. He has made my heart His home! Just like what Paul says in gal2:20... Christ lives in me! However, I need to be teachable to be moulded to become MORE like Him. The same One who saved my soul longs to remake my heart. His plan is nothing short of a total transformation. God is always willing to change me into the likeness of the Savior.. but am I willing to?
God make me more and more like You! I am willing... :)