When Jesus addressed Philip in John 6 about where the bread would come from to feed 5,000 people, Philip simply was not looking beyond the limitations of his own experiences in order to see the possibilities of the workings and wonders of the Son of God. Philip didn’t even have to come up with any money nor any bread or fish. Andrew is the one who acquired the boy’s lunch. But in order to participate in the miracle, all Philip had to have was capacity – the ability to take in possibilities beyond his own experiences and limitations. The advantage Philip had was that he had been with Jesus—the same advantage you and I have (Matt.28:18-20; Lk.24:49; Jn.14:23).
Looking in the Bible and looking at the decisions and actions of its victorious characters, it is obvious that the possibility exists for us to have a Kingdom mentality and act victoriously out of that mentality regardless of the pressure of overwhelming circumstances and insurmountable opposition. When we pray “Thy Kingdom come” we are praying: Thy will come, Thy authority come, Thy power come, Thy rule come, Thy order come, Thy sovereign activity come, Thy heavenly culture come (cf.”Kingdom of heaven; as it is in heaven”; also Acts17:6). If we truly pray “Thy Kingdom come” we will not be of the mentality that dismisses the extraordinary of God Who is able to “do the undoable, change the unchangeable and provide the impossible”. If we are of a Kingdom mentality when it comes time to break loaves and fishes, we will not be thinking, “Oh, swell, now I will simply have two pieces of fish and two pieces of bread.” Rather we will be set up for the extraordinary of God since we know that, in our lifetime, we have only seen a fraction of the many-layered, many-sided wisdom (Eph.3:10) of God that can feed 5,000 with a sack lunch (Jn.6:9).
With God, what you do not see in this moment is entirely possible in the next moment. (1) The Red Sea did not part until Moses stretched out his rod over the water; (2) 5,000 people remained hungry until Jesus began to break the bread and fish of a small boy’s lunch; (3) Bartemaeus was blind until Jesus spoke to him: “On your way,” said Jesus. “Your faith has saved and healed you. IN THAT VERY INSTANT he recovered his sight and followed Jesus down the road.” (Mk.10:52); (4) large, stone vessels had no wine in them until the water reached the rim of the vessels. Those who witnessed the condition of the person or circumstance in each of those situations were not watching to see the outcome that was brought about by the instant intervention of Yahweh, but in each case there was at least one person available to be a cooperating partner with Yahweh’s intention.
When Jesus addressed Philip in John 6 about where the bread would come from to feed 5,000 people Philip simply was not looking beyond the limitations of his own experiences that he might see the possibilities of the workings and wonders of the Son of God. Philip didn’t even have to come up with any money nor any bread or fish. Andrew is the one who acquired the boy’s lunch. But in order to participate in the miracle, all Philip had to have was capacity – the ability to take in possibilities beyond his own experiences and limitations. The advantage Philip had was that he had been with Jesus—the same advantage you and I have (Matt.28:18-20; Lk.24:49; Jn.14:23). (This is the seventh excerpt from Marty’s article “Present Challenges and the Prophetic Mindset“ which was published in SEEC Magazine [Marty and Kathy’s ministry magazine]. More excerpts will be posted Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Previous excerpts may be read by scrolling down this page.)
Just because we do not deliver or give at the same level or in the same manner as someone else, does not mean that we hold back what God has for us to release. The little boy did not hold back his little lunch of loaves and fishes just because it wasn’t sufficient in the eyes of some. He didn’t withdraw saying, “This won’t do any good.” He released it and Jesus took the little and made it sufficient for many.
“He who is faithful in a very little [thing] is faithful also in much…” (Lk.16:10a, Amp)
Signs And Wonders (Kathy Gabler) The words translated miracle or sign or wonder are, for the most part, interchangeable in the Bible. A working definition is: displays of the supernatural in this natural realm.
That is encouraging in one way because that implies one reason we don’t see signs and wonders is because we don’t SEE them, even though they are on-going. How many of the 5000 plus that were eating on the hillside realized their lunch was a miracle? I’m thinking a good percentage didn’t have a clue! How many thousands of people saw the same star as the three kings, but didn’t know it was a sign and a wonder? When David saw Goliath, he wasn’t looking for a miracle! He was just looking for a rock! However, there were miracles (plural) in the mix that day, beyond the anointed impact of a rock from a sling. The whole scene was a miracle of timing, circumstance and possibly Goliath choosing the wrong helmet that day! Someone who is trained in CPR can easily fail to see the miracle of being in the right place at the right time to participate in the intervention of God in a situation. Isaiah 20:3, calls it a sign and wonder that Isaiah walked naked and barefoot for three years. I’m just not so sure his wife called that a sign and wonder!
We build definition boxes in our minds, then if supernatural interventions don’t fit in our box, we tend to miss it. I submit to you today that our thinking must change and is going to change. We cannot think as mere humans. We need Kingdom thinking as sons. Jesus said in John 14:12-13, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do.”
(This is the first of a series on Signs And Wonders.)
When Jesus addressed Philip in John 6 about where the bread would come from to feed 5,000 people Philip simply was not looking beyond the limitations of his own experiences that he might see the possibilities of the workings and wonders of the Son of God. Philip didn’t even have to come up with any money nor any bread or fish. Andrew is the one who acquired the boy’s lunch. But in order to participate in the miracle, all Philip had to have was capacity – the ability to take in possibilities beyond his own experiences and limitations. The advantage Philip had was that he had been with Jesus—the same advantage you and I have (Matt.28:18-20; Lk.24:49; Jn.14:23).
Signs And Wonders (Kathy Gabler)
martygabler 