Jesus is Infinite and Omnipotent: Boy's Five Loaves and Two Fish Made All the Difference

“Late in the afternoon the twelve disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Send the crowds away to the nearby villages and farms, so they can find food and lodging for the night. There is nothing to eat here in this remote place.’ But Jesus said, ‘You feed them.’ ‘But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish,’ they answered. ‘Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?’ For there were about 5,000 men there”
(Luke 9:12-14, NLT).

“Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ‘There’s a young boy here with five barley loaves and two fish. But what good is that with this huge crowd?’” (John 6:8-9)

The disciples were shocked by Jesus’ response and – so do I. They didn’t understand what he was saying. How could they possibly feed this huge crowd? Thus they gave him the typical reasons his request seemed impossible: too many people, no stores, no money. So Jesus told them to find out what they actually had (see Mark 6:38). A check of the resources yielded just a boy with five loaves of bread and two fish, a small boy’s lunch that he was willing to share for Jesus’ use.

The Bible doesn’t tell us what the boy was thinking or even where his parents were, for that matter. Was he the only one who had thought ahead? He was risking a lot, turning over his lunch to Jesus. We don’t know the interchange between the boy and the disciples, but they brought the food to Jesus. In all the accounts of this incident in the Gospels, we read nothing about the disciples giving of their resources to Jesus. Instead, they expressed their grave concerns about the problem and their doubts about any possible solutions. In contrast, the boy gave Jesus everything he had, even though it wasn’t much in light of the huge need. The boy’s faith in Jesus, expressed by turning over his meager resources, made all the difference.

Think about this: Because we are painfully aware of our weaknesses and limitations, we can easily think we have nothing to offer to God. After all, we might think, I’m only a housewife or I’m only a layperson or I’m only a college student or I haven’t been a Christian very long or I’m poor. We and our resources are meager, but our God is infinite and omnipotent, with unlimited resources. He wants us to release control, to turn everything over to him. Yes, we are poor; He is rich! Yes, we are finite; He is infinite! Yes, we are weak and doubtful; He is omnipotent! With all that we have, with Jesus, we can make a difference. 

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Annie, Remember that You Can Have a New Beginning

“[He] who sits on the throne said,

‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” (Revelation 21:5).

Like myself, Annie, have your been involved in behaviours that have left you feeling worse about yourself, not better? If so, today is the perfect day to start putting God first in your life. “Mistakes offer the possibility for redemption and a new start in God’s kingdom,” explain Barbara Johnson, “No matter what you’re guilty of, God can restore your innocence.”

Each new day offers countless opportunities to serve God, to seek His will, and to obey His teachings – to repent of our sins and to return to Him. We need a housecleaning of the heart. But each day also offers countless opportunities to stray from God’s commandments and to wander far from His path. Sometimes, we make a mess of things, but God has better plans for us. And, whenever we ask Him to renew our strength and guide our steps, He does so. 

“All the power of God – the same power that hung the stars in place and put the planets in their courses and transformed Earth – now resides in you to energize and strengthen you to become the person God created you to be,” write Anne Graham Lotz. So, if you’ve made mistakes in the past, and if you want to make amends, consider this day a new beginning. Consider it a fresh start, a renewed opportunity to serve your Creator, Lord Jesus Christ with willing hands and a loving heart. Ask Jesus to renew your sense of purpose as He guides your steps. Today is a glorious opportunity to serve God. Seize that opportunity while you can; tomorrow may indeed be too late.

Annie, God is in business of making all things new… including you.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Letters to Annie: Your Smile Is Contagious

Dear Annie,

The most bankrupt person in the world is the one who has lost his joy. Decide to become the most positive and enthusiastic person you know. In the recent survey, two hundred national leaders were asked what makes a person successful. Eighty percent (80%) listed enthusiasm as the most important quality. A person who is enthusiastic soon has enthusiastic followers.

How many people do you know who became successful doing something they hate? “Find something you love to do, and you’ll never have to work another day in your life,” says Harvey Mackay. Thomas Carlisle said, “Give me a man who sings at his work.” That’s the kind of people I want to work and be around!

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow,” said Helen Keller. The unwise person seeks happiness in the future; the wise person grows it today. There is no sadder sight than a Christian pessimist. Your world will look brighter from behind a smile. A smile is the shortest distance between two people.

Happiness is always an inside job. Our first choice is to rejoice. “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into His plans” (Romans 8:28, Living Bible). “Happy is that people whose God is the Lord” (Psalms 144:15). God’s joy is contagious. Greet the unseen with a cheer, not a fear. “Laughter is a form of internal jogging. It moves your internal organs around. It enhances respiration. It is an igniter of great expectations,” says Norman Cousins. God says in His Word, “If you don’t praise me, the rocks will.” Let’s not be replaced by a bunch of rocks!

For every minute you’re angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness. Two things contribute to happiness: What we can do without, and what we can do with. People are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. Happiness can never be found, because it was never lost. Be like the steam kettle! Though up to its neck in hot water, it continues to sing. Smile, it adds to your face value (by John L. Mason). Annie, your smile is contagious. Your smile makes me happy.

Regards,

Richard the Poet

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

In Relationship put Holiness before Happiness

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be filled” (Matthew 5:6, NIV).

Because you are an imperfect human being, you are not “perfectly” happy, and you won’t have “perfect” relationships – and that’s perfectly okay with God. He is far less concerned with your happiness than He is with your holiness. Max Lucado writes, “You don’t have to be like the world to have an impact on the world. You don’t have to be like the crowd to change the crowd. You don’t have to lower yourself down to their level to lift them up to your level. Holiness doesn’t seek to be odd. Holiness seeks to be like God.”

God continuously reveals Himself in everyday life, but He doesn’t do so in order to make you contented; He does so in order to lead you to His Son. So don’t be overly concerned with your current level of happiness: it will change. Be more concerned with the current state of your relationship with Christ: He does not change. And because your Saviour transcends time and space, you can be comforted in the knowledge that in the end, His joy will become your joy – for all eternity. This is more important than seeking happiness in relationship (though it is praiseworthy to do so). Holiness is more permanent. His joy will surely be yours.

God is Holy and wants you to be holy.

Christ died to make you holy.

Make sure that you response to Christ’s sacrifice is worthy of Him.

So when you think of relationship, please included holiness.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus is Testing Your Faith (Trust the Impossible to Him)

“After this, Jesus crossed over to the far side of the Sea of Galilee, also known as the Sea of Tiberias. A huge crowd kept following him wherever he went, because they saw his miraculous signs as he healed the sick. Then Jesus climbed a hill and sat down with his disciples around him (It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover celebration). Jesus soon saw a huge crowd of people coming to look for him. Turning to Philip, he asked, ‘Where can we buy bread to feed all these people?’ He was testing Philip, for he already knew what he was going to do”
(John 6:1-6, NLT).

Jesus didn’t seem to be bothered about the pressure of the crowd (Luke 9:11 says, “He welcomed them”), his workload, and the hours consumed by teaching and healing. Understandably the disciples asked Jesus to stop, to send the crowd away (see Luke 9:12). They may have been genuinely concerned for the people – at least that’s what they expressed. On the other hand, they may have been tired, wanting to resume their close fellowship with just Jesus. Still, they did not see the crowd as Jesus did.

Philip would have known where to get food, if anyone had, because he was from Bethsaida (John 1:44), a town about nine miles away from where they were. Jesus was testing Philip to strengthen his faith. By asking for a human solution (knowing that there was none), Jesus highlighted the powerful and miraculous act he was about to perform. As in other tests, God allowed the test to occur, not expecting failure, but placing the person in a situation in which his or her faith might grow stronger. Jesus did not want Philip and the others to miss what was about to do.

So Jesus tested them all. Jesus knew the people were hungry; he knew the disciples’ resources were scarce and that they were far from any places for buying bread, even if they had the money. Did Philip and the others believe Jesus could actually feed all these people? Did they believe he could solve this problem? Or did they believe only in what they could see and touch – the physical realities of their situation? After administering the test, Jesus gave the answers (read on to John 6:7-13).

Think about this: We can limit what God does in us by assuming what is and what is not possible. Remember who Jesus is, his power and resources. Ask the Lord to help you trust him with every area of your life, even with financial, studies, relationships, tasks, or problems that seem impossible. Through all of these, Jesus wants to show his goodness and greatness. Trust the impossible to Jesus. Let your faith be increase and strengthen. May in all things, King Jesus be glorified. Amen.

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

If You're Feeling Too Much Pressure to Have Sex, You're Dating the Wrong Person

“For God has not called us to impurity, but to sanctification”
(1 Thessalonians 4:7, CSB)

“A pure theology and a loose morality will never mix”
(C.H. Spurgeon)

If you’re feeling too much pressure to have sex, you’re dating the wrong person – and it’s time to break things off. If you’re seeing someone who’s pressuring you to become sexually active, here’s an important question to ask yourself: Why, in the name of common sense, would you want to date a person like that? After all, if the person you’re dating really cares about you – and if that person wants to spend the rest of his or her life with you – waiting isn’t really a sacrifice, it’s an honor. But if the person you’re dating simply views you as a sexual conquest, then you’d better run, run as fast as you can… in the opposite direction, to God and His Word.

Common sense tells you to wait; God’s Word commands you to wait, and your conscience begs you to wait. So wait! And if somebody tells you to do otherwise, you have absolutely no business dating them. If you’re feeling pressure from your date, it’s time to end your date.
Goodbye!

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.

Jesus took a Common Name and Made It Holy

He lived among us. He donned the costliest of robes: a human body. He made a throne out of a manger and a royal court out of some cows. He took a common name – Jesus – and made it holy. He took common people and made them the same. He could have lived over us or away from us. But He didn’t. He lived among us.

He became a friend of the sinner and brother of the poor. He touched their sores and felt their tears, and paid for their mistakes. He entered a tomb and came out and pledged that we’d do the same. And to us all, and to all the frightened Freds of the world, He shared the same message. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me… I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:1-3, NKJV).

And how do we respond?

Some pretend He doesn’t exist. They occupy themselves with a study of the piano and ask no questions about the Maestro.

Others hear Him, but don’t believe Him. It’s not easy to believe that God would go so far to take us home.

But then, a few decide to give it a try. They venture out of their corners and peek up through the opening. Each day they look toward the sky. They, like Simeon, “wait for” and “look forward to” the day Christ comes (2 Peter 3:11). They know there is more to life than the belly of a piano, and they want to be ready when Christ comes.

[from When Christ Comes by Max Lucado]

THINK BIG. START SMALL. GO DEEP.