BY Argie Simonis
I continue in the series we started on finances, and today we have math. Not the standard math of this world, but God's math.
God is actualy very good in math.
He Knows how to add and subtract:
"To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified." (Is. 61:3)
He Knows how to divide:
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (Heb. 4:12)
I left multiplication for the end, because that's what I'm going to talk about today.
For the principles of multiplication. This, along with the message about the principle of the first, which we talked about on Thursday's live, are the two most important lessons, the epitome of everything we have said so far about finances.
God, apart from our peace, our joy, our relationship with Him and our relationship with other people, He can ALSO multiply our finances.
Who doesn't want to see God multiply their finances? And I'll say it again, having money is not a bad thing. Covetousness, the love of money is evil. This is what Paul writes in his first letter to Timothy.
So it's not a bad thing to have money, as long as you keep your priorities straight, and that's something we've explained in the previous messages in this series.
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Today we will see how the Lord multiplied five loaves and two fish, and we will examine the spiritual principles behind this miracle. How we can live by these principles, and how our possessions can be multiplied so that we too can feed multitudes.
In the message I talked about good stewards, I mentioned two types of people: The sowers, that is, those who give to the Kingdom of God, and the eaters, that is, those who use their money only for themselves and their needs. To which of the two do you think God will supply above the ordinary, and why wouldn't God supply abundantly to the sowers?
Today I will use many illustrations, because I believe that this way it will be easier for you to see what the Lord wants to speak to you through this message.
See this picture:
On one side is God who has ALL the money in the world at His disposal, and on the other side are all the people who need Christ, all the missionaries who must be sent to preach the gospel, the orphanages who must be built , the poor who have nothing to eat, the places where there is no drinking water and so many other needs that exist.
In other words, on one side is all the demand and needs of the world, and on the other side are all the resources that can cover every need. Do you know who is in the middle? You!
God will give you some resources and see how you manage them. He doesn't mind if you keep the other 90% for yourself. Will you use the 10% for the Kingdom of God? Will you make it available for Christ to be preached to the world?
The more faithful you are with what God gives you, then He will begin to give you more, and more, and the good thing is that you won't even have to seek this increase. You won't have to chase the blessing because God's blessing will chase you!
will you seem a faithful sower in the little? Then the Lord will multiply your possessions.
"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)
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1. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION
"And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve, and said unto him, Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about, and lodge, and get victuals: for we are here in a desert place." (Luke 9:12)
"But he said unto them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have no more but five loaves and two fishes; except we should go and buy meat for all this people." (Luke 9:13)
"For they were about five thousand men..." (Luke 9:14)
Notice that the men alone were 5000. That was how crowds were counted at that time. And because they got married at an early age, in average, each man represented one family. With an average of 4-5 children per family, and together with the women, we are talking about a crowd of around 30,000 people! This was the largest crowd that Jesus ever had while teaching.
Matthew confirms it:
"And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children." (Matt. 14:21)
"For they were about five thousand men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down by fifties in a company." (Luke 9:14)
"And they did so, and made them all sit down." (Luke 9:15)
"Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude." (Luke 9:16)
"And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets." (Luke 9:17)
Personally, I believe there were 12 coffins left over because Jesus wanted each of His disciples to have one.
It's nice to read all this, but even better to experience it. So I would like you to think about how you would respond if you were present at the event that day. Imagine that you are the main character in this story and you are one of the disciples of the Lord. Jesus has been preaching since the morning, you see the crowds in front of you and you realize that
"... the day began to wear away, ..." (Luke 9:12)
There are no restaurants or shops around there. So you, along with the other 11, after holding a small council, the best idea that falls on the table is for someone to go and ask the Lord about what you should do. But he still preaches. You approach the Lord, interrupt Him and tell Him that the people must eat.
Jesus turns and tells you something totaly unexpected:
"... Give ye them to eat..." (Luke 9:13)
You leave with a big questionmark and go to the 11 who are anxiously waiting to hear the news. They start asking you:
"Did you tell Him that the people are hungry? What did He tell you? Will He close the message and let them go home?"
And your answer:
He told me "you feed them."
"What? We feed them? We have 30,000 people here. How should we feed them? With what?"
And suddenly you see a child passing by, holding his lunch pack. You immediately grab him aside and see that he just has 2 loaves of bread and five fish. So you go to Jesus and say, "Lord, that's all we've got," hoping that He'll end the meeting.
Now look at Jesus' answer. He calmly tells them:
"... Make them sit down by fifties in a company." (Luke 9:14)
Here I want to highlight something. Today we know the miracle that happened because we read about it in the Scriptures. And the disciples of the Lord knew the Scriptures, but then they did not have the New Testament that we read today. They only knew the Old Testament. They were the New Testament. Do you know that in the Old Testament there are many of the miracles that Jesus did, but in a different version?
The prophet Elisha, for example, fed 100 people with a few loaves of bread, and had more than enough:
"And Elisha came again to Gilgal: and there was a dearth in the land; and the sons of the prophets were sitting before him: and he said unto his servant, Set on the great pot, and seethe pottage for the sons of the prophets." (2Kings 4:38)
"And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine, and gathered thereof wild gourds his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage: for they knew them not." (2Kings 4:39)
"So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out, and said, O thou man of God, there is death in the pot. And they could not eat thereof." (2Kings 4:40)
"But he said, Then bring meal. And he cast it into the pot; and he said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. And there was no harm in the pot." (2Kings 4:41)
"And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley, and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, Give unto the people, that they may eat." (2Kings 4:42)
"And his servitor said, What, should I set this before an hundred men? He said again, Give the people, that they may eat: for thus saith the LORD, They shall eat, and shall leave thereof." (2Kings 4:43)
"So he set it before them, and they did eat, and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD." (2Kings 4:44)
Don't forget that this food was offered to Elisha. And Elisha was hungry, but before he ate, he shared his food with the rest. That's where the miracle happened. Both the pot was cleaned of the poisoned pumpkin, and a 100 people were fed with a few loaves, and there was leftovers.
Do you see how God supplied seed to the sower?
"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)
~~ Supernatural multiplication takes place in your seed and not in the bread you keep for yourself. ~~
Elisha at the beginning of the same chapter (2Kings ch.2), had multiplied the widow's oil. We see something similar with the prophet Elijah, who miraculously multiplied the oil and flour of the widow in 1Kings 17:14-16
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The reason I mention this is that the Lord's disciples knew these stories. It was in the Old Testament. It was very likely that they assumed that as it happened with the prophet Elisha and the prophet Elijah, as soon as Jesus prayed over the loaves and fishes, they would multiply before their eyes.
Multiplication did take place, but not the way they expected.
Look at what he says in verse 16:
"Then he took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude." (Luke 9:16)
Think about this a bit. He blessed them and cut them (the 2 loaves and the 5 fishes). This is not written, but I want you to imagine it. When Peter comes to take the piece of bread from the hands of the Lord, Jesus says to him:
Peter, I blessed this bread. Take it, give it to the people and wait and see what happens.
"Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness;)" (2Cor. 9:10)
Peter takes a piece of bread and a piece of fish, cuts it into smaller portions and begins to share. Just as he reaches the last portion, something awesome happens. The loaves and fish are multiplied IN Peter's hands!
~~ The heart of this story is that the miracle was not done in the hands of the Lord, but in the hands of the disciples! ~~
This miracle happened when the disciples did what the Lord told them, even if it didn't make sense to them.
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1. THE FIRST PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION:
~~ It MUST be blessed before it multiplies. ~~
If the disciples started distributing the loaves and fishes before the Lord blessed them, they would not multiply.
Many tithe only when they feel God "leading" them. They give a little here, a little there, but they don't give the first 10% to the Lord.
There are many believers who do not know this spiritual principle.
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2. THE SECOND PRINCIPLE OF MULTIPLICATION
~~ It MUST be given in order to be multiplied. ~~
What if as soon as Jesus blessed the loaves and fishes, the disciples took them and began to eat them?
The money we have has the potential to multiply when we use it as seed and not as bread for ourselves because the LORD blesses it and increases it:
"Indeed, may he who gives seed to the one who sows, and bread for food, give and MULTIPLY YOUR SEED, and increase the fruits of your righteousness" (2Cor. 9:10)
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---- PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS - PUT THINGS IN ORDER
God will not bless something that is in disorder because He is a God of order. Get your finances in order first:
1. Stop getting into debt with loans and credit cards, and stop buying things you don't need. Buy only the essentials and what you can afford. If you make purchases with a credit card but can't pay it off at the end of the month, it means you used money you didn't have and that's stealing.
2. When it comes to rent against buying a house, that's a personal decision. But whatever you decide, you need to be able to pay it at the end of the month (either mortgage or rent) without charging your credit card and getting into new debt again.
3. Don't get charged for things that lose value over time.
When you start following the Lord's instructions and getting your finances in order, you will see what incredible things God can do for you.
4. Learn to give. And I don't mean your tithe, because your tithe, you don't give it but you return it to the Lord because the tithe is set apart for Him, it is His and not yours.
So learn to give beyond your tithe. This is where all three key questions arise:
- Where should I give?
- When should I give?
- How much should I give?
Ask the Lord, and He will show you:
"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:27)
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Blessing in our life is not about how much we get back for giving, but how much we can help our family and other people as well.
"Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again." (Luke 6:38)
God is a God of blessing but also a God of order. It all starts with the first 10% we return to Him. There are other spiritual principles that apply to our finances, such as being generous and giving where the Lord shows us.
