JESUS WILL PROVIDE THE INCREASE...You give them something to eat.

Mark 6:37 The scene is one that continues to boggle the unbeliever. Here Jesus has just finished one of his teachings to his disciples.

In many occasions such as this when people saw Jesus they flocked to hear his teaching. Jesus was exhausted and mentioned to his disciples lets go to a quiet place to rest…when they tried to leave many saw and followed them.

Evening was drawing close and the followers seemed hungry for the Word he preached. Jesus complied but now its too dark for them to go back home and when he told one of his disciples to feed them his remark was, Are we to go and spend what would be considered a man’s eight month’s wages to feed all these people…with compassion Jesus reflected, how many loaves of bread do we have and how many fish? We know BACK THEN...it was not safe to be on the deserted roads AFTER DARK. Jesus analyzed the problem and asked that they bring to him what they found, 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish.

Now I can jump ahead, for we all know what miracle Jesus performed to feed the 5,000.

What intrigued me was how with just a few words, 5,000 people were fed with only only 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread…Now I do believe in miracles and this was and still is listed as one of the greatest -Yet let’s turn to just the facts; first there was not enough food to feed two people not alone 5,000. Jesus recognizing the facts-but went ahead —to make sure that these people were given something to eat. Jesus went against all sensible knowledge…and after the disciples followed his demands to bring him what they had and he blessed it…there again Jesus defied what we know and put everyone on edge, because he multiplied what was given and provided for 5,000 to eat with much left over.

My heart grew weary just at the thought that so many people risked being on the road just to hear what Jesus had to say-for them it was the bread of life. No food can offer people something so good that they would risk their safety to get it..that was the case of the 5,000. No one was interested or worried that it was getting late, filling their stomachs was the last thing on their minds…filling their heart, minds and spirit washed over them and they yearned for more…so they risked following him even when they knew it would be pitch black on the roads going back home...

YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT. JESUS REMARKED....this STRUCK ME-at the core of my soul…much LIKE THOSE new bible students....the disciples they couldn’t discern if all these people were actually following Jesus to learn from his message of l ove —or merely following because he could provide a much needed meal.

The resentment was pure…yet Jesus’ response was chilling...

YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT. METAPHORICALLY -Jesus is saying....Preacher YOU-Feed them…Feed them that they hunger and thirst no more..feed them with the truth and let them know that in this truth is FREEDOM.

FOR the enemy KNOWS THAT IF THE children ARE FED THE TRUTH…THEY will TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS....AND CALL ON the only one who will keep them, protect them and love them....

YET somehow these DISCIPLES…(students of the torah) Failed to remember —the old commandments and teachings ..and allowed the enemy to creep in…

JESUS STEPPED IN…YOU GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT...

IN OTHER WORDS TRUST ME...TRUST ME…DON’T DESPAIR…”COME UNTO ME, ALL YE WHO ARE HEAVY LADEN” I WILL GIVE THEE REST.

OH WHEN WE FIND OURSELVES UP AGAINST IT...

THERE WERE THOSE WHO WOULD ARGUE…ARE WE TO GO AND SPEND THAT MUCH MONEY ON BREAD AND GIVE IT TO THEM TO EAT…WHICH THEN TAKES INTO HOW THEY SAW THE POOR AND THE NEEDY…NOTICE HOW IN 2,000 YEARS WE STILL HAVEN’T FIGURED THIS THING OUT,

SEPARATION OF CLASSES…LOOKING DOWN ON THOSE WHO ARE LESS FORTUNATE AND MAKING NO PROVISIONS FOR THEM…AS THOUGH -IT’S NOT MY PROBLEM. WHEN TO BE HONEST…IT IS.

ITS NOT ONLY OUR PROBLEM, BUT ITS UP TO US TO MAKE THAT PROBLEM GO AWAY…BRING LIGHT INTO DARKNESS…OPEN DOORS THAT WERE ALWAYS SHUT AND PROVIDE FOR THE LEAST OF THESE...

I REMEMBER YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS JUST GETTING INTO MINISTRY THAT I RAN UP AGAINST PEOPLE WHO LITERALLY TOLD ME WHO WAS WELCOME AT OUR CHURCH, AND WHO WAS NOT. I WAS MORTIFIED. ONE WOMAN TOLD ME THAT THE CHILDREN FROM THE HOUSING PROJECT JUST A FEW MILES AWAY WERE NOT WELCOME AT OUR CHURCH. I CRINGED, DIDN’T SHE KNOW THAT MY FAMILY ONCE LIVED IN THOSE PROJECTS…AND THAT I WAS A PRODUCT OF THAT SAME HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.

THERE WERE TIMES THAT I GOT UP SEVERAL HOURS BEFORE CHURCH TO PICK UP CHILDREN TO GET THEM TO OUR SUNDAY SCHOOL. TODAY THOSE CHILDREN HAVE GROWN UP AND BECOME PROFESSIONALS MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. I SHUDDER TO THINK, IS THAT WHY OUR CHURCHES ARE EMPTYING OUT…HAVE WE LOST SIGHT ON JUST WHO BELONGS …AND WHO DOESN’T?

JESUS’ ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO RID THE WORLD OF SUCH LOPSIDED THINKING…RACISM, SEXISM…CLASSISM...

OH IF WE FOLLOW THE MANDATE. JESUS WILL PROVIDE AND GIVE THE INCREASE. BUT BE PREPARED TO GET OUT OF HIS WAY WHEN HE DOES...

IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS I’D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR CHURCH TO LIVE STREAMING . HOSEA 4:6 MY PEOPLE ARE DESTROYED FOR THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE---BECAUSE THOU HAST REJECTED KNOWLEDGE, I WILL ALSO REJECT THEE, THAT THOUS SHALL BE NO PRIEST TO ME, SEEING THOU HAS FORGOTTEN THE LAW OF GOD, I WILL ALSO FORGET THY CHILDREN...

JESUS LET THE DISCIPLES KNOW....I WILL PROVIDE THE INCREASE....

FOR GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH US YET.

I SAY THAT TECHNOLOGY IS THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE. I LOOKED BACK AT MY DAYS IN HIGH SCHOOL —WE WHO HAD A BUSINESS OR CLERICAL DEGREE KNEW HOW TO TYPE AND TAKE SHORTHAND…AND YOU HAD TO BE PROFICIENT —TYPING 100 WORDS A MINUTE -JUST TO GAIN A GOOD PAYING SECRETARIAL JOB.

TODAY IS NO DIFFERENT, ALL JOBS EXPECT YOU TO KNOW HOW TO TYPE, USE A COMPUTER AND FILE REPORTS.

SO COMPUTERS AND MULTI-MEDIA ARE THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE.

WHEN JESUS SAID GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT

THE DISCIPLES FIRST CONCERN…HOW ARE WE TO PROVIDE FOR ALL THESE PEOPLE…IT WOULD TAKE THREE MONTHS WAGES TO PAY FOR THE FOOD TO FEED THIS CROWD.

OH STICK AROUND…LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE ONE WHOSE IS ABLE —ABLE TO NOT ONLY FEED 5,000 BUT FEED THE WORLD...

WHERE IS YOUR FAITH?

JESUS…WE’LL PROVIDE THE INCREASE.

IN THIS SCENERIO ---THE DISCIPLES SAW WITH THEIR OWN EYES…JUST WHO JESUS IS…AND IN SEEING THEY LEARNED A HARD LESSON…DON’T PUT LIMITS ON THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD.

THEY LEARNED THAT THERE IS NOTHING TOO HARD FOR HIM AND THAT ALL THINGS WORK FOR THE GOOD…FOR THOSE WHO ARE OBEDIENT TO HIS WORD.

FOR THEY SOON LEARNED…DON’T SECOND GUESS JESUS…THE CHRIST.

i’M SURE THAT THERE WERE SOME THAT SAID, ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE FOLLOWING HIM BECAUSE HE WILL PROVIDE A MEAL.

OTHERS KNEW BETTER...THAT IN JESUS…THEY FOUND…A PEACE....AND AN ASSURANCE THAT NO FISH AND BISQUIT COULD SATISFY.

THE WORD TRAVELED…AHEAD OF HIM —THAT IN HIM IS PEACE....LIFE’S ABIDING PEACE, ---AND THEY WERE WILLING TO RISK WHATEVER IT TOOK TO FOLLOW HIM.HALLELUJAH

LIVING HE LOVE ME, DYING HE SAVED ME, BURIED HE CARRIED ALL MY SINS AWAY…RISING HE JUSTIFIED AND FREED ME FOREVER…ONE DAY HE’S COMING BACK OH GLORY TO HIS NAME…HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH, HALLELUJAH

AMEN