Bread complex poem.

Bread Complex

Bread complex

It was a normal day at the coffee shop. We had a steady flow of people. Our customers were quiet and happily fueled by caffeine and intelligent conversation when a friend of mine at a neighboring business came in holding a giant package. He told me a friend of his had a food truck that broke down, and he had a ton of bread to give away. Naturally, my co worker and I were more than willing to take it off his hands. I don't believe in coincidences, so I was a little confused why the Lord had chosen me to receive this gift. I wasn't starving or in dyer need of it--so why me? Well, even though I didn't need it, some of the people surrounding me did. To make a long story short, Jesus totally used that bread to bless my roommates and some of the members on my ministry team at church.

I was still confused. It was so random, and I felt like it served a greater purpose than just being a huge blessing. Maybe I was thinking too much about it. Maybe I was trying to read way too into it. I forgot completely about the incident, and then I read John  6.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias),2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

14 After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” 15 Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

Jesus Walks on the Water

16 When evening came, his disciples went down to the lake, 17 where they got into a boat and set off across the lake for Capernaum. By now it was dark, and Jesus had not yet joined them. 18 A strong wind was blowing and the waters grew rough. 19 When they had rowed about three or four miles,[b]they saw Jesus approaching the boat, walking on the water; and they were frightened. 20 But he said to them, “It is I; don’t be afraid.” 21 Then they were willing to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the shore where they were heading.

22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the opposite shore of the lake realized that only one boat had been there, and that Jesus had not entered it with his disciples, but that they had gone away alone.23 Then some boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the people had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. 24 Once the crowd realized that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went to Capernaum in search of Jesus.

Jesus the Bread of Life

25 When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, “Rabbi, when did you get here?”

26 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw the signs I performed but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27 Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him God the Father has placed his seal of approval.”

28 Then they asked him, “What must we do to do the works God requires?”

29 Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.”

30 So they asked him, “What sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do? 31 Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written: ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’[c]”

32 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. 33 For the bread of God is the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “always give us this bread.”

35 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. 37 All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. 38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.39 And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. 40 For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

41 At this the Jews there began to grumble about him because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is this not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, ‘I came down from heaven’?”

43 “Stop grumbling among yourselves,” Jesus answered. 44 “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day. 45 It is written in the Prophets: ‘They will all be taught by God.’[d] Everyone who has heard the Father and learned from him comes to me.46 No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. 47 Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”

52 Then the Jews began to argue sharply among themselves, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?”

53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. 56 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. 57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. Your ancestors ate manna and died, but whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.” 59 He said this while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum.

Many Disciples Desert Jesus

60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”

61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit[e] and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”

66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve.

68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)

It's so crazy to me--these people heard and saw Jesus' compassion, and heard His word.  Yet they followed only because of what He could offer them. They wanted knowledge of how to work for the Kingdom for His gifts, not because He was the One True King. He is worthy of all praise simply because of who He is. After reading this I was quickly reminded of my own incident with a heck ton of bread. 

It was so random, and I so quickly forgot about it. In that moment I shrugged my shoulders and thanked Jesus for what He did, 'Thanks God, that was cool" and didn't think twice. I didn't even pause and realize The God of the universe just gave a gift…to us…WHAT?!?!?! How magnificent is that?? What kind of incomprehensible and grace saturated love is this?!?!? I didn't worship, I just thought "what next?". 

My biggest fear is to miss the mark, to be caught in worship of the fruit, not the tree, thinking I was worshipping the tree the whole time. I don't know about you, but my world was rocked at the hint of getting it wrong. I want to worship Christ because He is Christ. If He never provided anything other than His Son..would I still love Him. If Christ never came, and this was still the time of Abraham, Moses, or Jonah..would I still love Him? Despite the luring and deceptive shadows of doubt haunting my logic, still my soul screams yes. Nothing can shadow His splendor, and as random as it was, I'm incredibly thankful to be shaken awake by a few loaves of bread.

Poem #2

"The Truth"

Written by: Rhyan K. Shirley

I don’t want you to be some distant figure I always talk about but never to.

I don’t want you to be an accessory around my neck.

Or a thing on a list That I have to check

I don’t want you to be a distant thought

A Sunday school class I was once taught

A concept  might consider in class

Or a theory deemed unable to grasp

 

The truth is what I care about the truth is what I need

The truth is what I’m desperate for what brings me to my knees

Outside my state of belief

Outside my state of faith

Outside my state needing relief

Outside of the concepts we make

The truth is what I care about the truth is what I need

The truth is what I’m desperate for what brings me to my knees

So what if  you are some distant Figure

Or a banner waving above an angry hand on a shaking trigger

What if you are a routine of good deeds

To gratify conscious, a way to feel clean

The truth is what I care about the truth is what I need

The truth is what I’m desperate for what brings me to my knees

What if...you’re God. The way the truth the life

What if  you sent your son to die on a cross to destroy deaths hold and bring us to light

What if you lived a perfect life, something we can never do

What if every word spoken from your mouth was true

What if all these what ifs begin something great

What if these what ifs lead me to my fate

Cause The truth is what I care about the truth is what I need

The truth is what I’m desperate for what brings me to my knees

According to the facts in science and in history

You are either the son of God, a liar, or you’re  crazy

Approaching a conclusion logically

Reveals an answer that will change everything

You’ll be more than some distant figure I always talk about but never to.

More than an accessory around my neck.

More than something on a list That I have to check

More than a distant thought

More than a lesson I was once taught

More than a concept

More than a theory

More than a system

More than a story

You would be immeasurably more than I could have ever dreamed

More hope and more love, anyone could have made me believe

That truth is what I care about

That truth is what I need

That truth is what I’m desperate for what brings me to my knees

Poem #1

This is a call for all of us. Individually, and as a body of Christ. THIS is the calling of all of us. To live a life of worship. To be set in motion of praise and fulfilling what Jesus has beckoned us to. To be lead by the spirit and spread HIS name. Make HIM famous. Here it is ;) Enjoy, and feel free to comment. I'd leave to hear your thoughts.

"Set Me In Motion"
Words Written by - Rhyan K. Shirley


I'm Paralyzed by You
Yet You set me in motion
To the nations of Foreign oceans
Every tongue of ever land
Outside my comfort
Inside the security of Your hand
How can I explain You mystery?
You breathe words into my soul
To be exhaled to that all may know
The power of who You are
I can't even stand before all I see
On my face
At Your feet
Realizing
This. Is. Only. A. Glimpse.
Unable to fathom experiencing You with every sense
Taste, touch, sight, smell and to hear....
To hear the songs sung
With passionate reverence
No more repentance
To join the angels
As unworthy as I to carry Your sandals
Every fiber You've made
In me longs for that day
But till then
Set me in motion
Lead this dance
Being reborn to second chance
I'll share ever letter of your sacred text
Not not knowing what adventure in life is next.
Unashamed
Unafraid
You're the One
Who has made
Someone unworthy
Unlikely
To do something great
A steward of salvation
That is my fate
And as such..
I'll watch
As You wipe away tears
Simultaneously casting out fear
I'll smile with you
As the broken, unwanted
Come running to You so You can call them adopted
And here again I stand in awe
Paralyzed heart
Half open jaw
But You set me in motion
I can't just be still
I'll speak loud YOUR name and YOUR fame until
All motion stops
My breath and my feet
I'll tell the whole world
Till I have nothing left.

SONG #1

Hey Guys!! So I decided to take the advice of some friends and start a blog. On this blog I'm going to be using this as a way to share my heart,  some new songs AND LRYICS!! haha I know you guys have been wanting those...sorry. I suck at replying on Twitter haha BUT here it is!

SONG #1
 "Be Still"
Written By: Rhyan K. Shirley

I wrote this song for a homeless women I met in Paris France. She changed my life. Her honesty and hopelessness stirred in me a deep desire for no human being to ever feel that way again. I wrote this song for her hoping she will be some miracle hear it. I never saw her again after that day and I have no idea what happened to her, but she now knows the name of her hope.. One day I pray that she believes it.

V1:
Settle down weary eyes
search no more

settle down frantic heart
I'm here to calm the storm

be still
Be still

CH:
You don't have to run anymore
just fall into my arms
You don't have to fear anymore
I'll never break your heart
You don't have fix anything
I want to meet you where you are

Be still
Be still

V2:
Settle down you feel like you're drowning
but I can walk on water

Settle down you feel orphaned abandoned
but i call you my son i call you my daughter

Be still

Be still

Be still

Be still

CH:

You don't have to run anymore

just fall into my arms

You don't have to fear anymore

I'll never break your heart

You don't have fix anything

I want to meet you where you are

Bridge:

I know 

this pain is too much for you

I know 

you don't believe that this love is true

this darkness is thick 

but I can pierce it

 I can be your light

CH:

You don't have to run anymore

just fall into my arms

You don't have to fear anymore

I'll never break your heart

You don't have fix anything

I want to meet you where you are

Be still

Be still

Be still

Be still