Matthew 14:13-21
When Jesus got the news, he slipped away by boat to an out-of-the-way place by himself. But unsuccessfully—someone saw him and the word got around. Soon a lot of people from the nearby villages walked around the lake to where he was. When he saw them coming, he was overcome with pitty and healed their sick.
Toward evening the disciples approached him, “We're out in the country and it's getting late. Dismiss the people so they can go to the villages and get some supper.”
But Jesus said, “There is no need to dismiss them. You give them supper.”
“All we have are five loaves of bread and two fish,” they said. Jesus said, “Bring them here.” Then he had the people sit on the grass. He took the five loaves and two fish, lifted his face to heaven in prayer, blessed, broke, and gave the bread to the disciples. The disciples then gave the food to the congregation. They all ate their fill. They gathered twelve baskets of leftovers. About five thousand were fed. MSG
In a place that is aligned with God's will and His Spirit has the freedom to move, there is a drawing of the people that are called by Him to partake of the bread of life offered through the vessels He chose, anointed, and prepared to multiply themselves in others. They do this by pouring on the people the living water of the Word of God with signs, wonders, and miracles like Jesus did, because they have the authority of heaven as they partner with the Spirit of God. What is then demonstrated is the supernatural power of God to fill the people and spiritually nourish them to satisfaction.
This vessels are able to do this because they have experienced the Word for themselves and are living witnesses, testimony of the truth of the Word of God in their lives. Their experience has prepared them to pour out in their spheres of influence what was given to them. This way, they multiply the bread of life to go beyond the four walls of the church building.
These vessels have also become members of five-fold-ministry mentioned in the last post, and represented in this passage by the five loaves of bread, which together were able to feed the masses even to overflow. The two fish represent the relationship between Israel and the church. This relationship and partnership is important for the Church to walk in all God has called her to be for everything God does for the Church, He first reveals it through the people of Israel (Romans 2:8-11).
The two fish also represent the partnership between the leaders and the members of the congregation that work together to fulfill the God-given vision of the house with their serving and giving. Simply stated, these are covenant relationships ordained and anointed by God where there is a continual giving and sharing. Also, the agape love of God (His unconditional love), motivates them to lay down their lives for each other so the vision of the house can be fulfilled.
This results in a strong house, where the blessing and anointing of the Lord is evident in the lives of the leadership and the members also learn to minister to one another and grow in power and authority from on high. In this house, manifestations of salvation, healing, restoration, deliverance, raising of the dead, and casting out of devils are a common thing. In addition, there is a conscious understanding that they have all things in common and, for this reason, they make sure that no one lacks anything, just as it was done in the book of Acts.
This is the description of the apostolic Church of the end-times that is represented in the passage by the twelve baskets of leftovers. This end-time apostolic house works together with one heart and one accord to advance and expand the Kingdom of God and its Sovereign government on the earth. The people in an apostolic church (this means that the end-time church is of apostolic nature), is free from demonic indoctrination, and the people have learned to walk in discernment of what is and what is not of God and are quick to oppose every contrary spirit by the leading of the Holy Spirit.
For this, they come together in prayer and warfare to rise demonic persecution, take territory away from the enemy and seek the restoration of the members in the areas of family, marriage, their children, their businesses, ministries, communities, lost souls, government, marketplace, etc. What is more, as they become vessels that carry the glorious atmosphere of heaven to the earth that sets captives free, they also grow in boldness to proclaim the Kingdom of God wherever they go.
This apostolic end-time Church also brings a paradigm shift that breaks interdenominational boundaries. The early Church was not divided by denominations, but came together as one to defend one cause: the advancement and expansion of the Kingdom of God on the earth. This is demonstrated in Acts 4:24-35,
“And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and the sea, and all that is in them is: Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the earth stoop up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou has anointed, both Herod and Pontious Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”
“And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thy hand to heal: and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.”
“And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things common. And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. Neither was any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold and laid them down at the apostles' feet and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.” KJV.
For a house to be strong at expanding the Kingdom of God and take territory from the enemy, the power of God is demonstrated and the Holy Spirit is allowed to move freely among the five-fold-ministry to minister to the needs of the people. This way, they will know and experience the love and compassion of their Savior and when needed, the correction and chastisement of a Father who loves them and wants with passion to turn them into His image and likeness.
In addition, through the five-fold-ministry, the Lord teaches the members of the body to allow the Holy Spirit to flow in His seven facets in and through their lives to meet whatever need that exists among them so they can advance and expand the Sovereign Kingdom of God. These seven facets are outlined in Isaiah 11:2-5.
And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord, And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the bread of his lips shall he slay the wicked. And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins. KJV
But Mark 8:1-9 shows us how these seven facets of the Holy Spirit are multiplied in their operation in the lives of God’s people and also through their lives. It says, “At about this same time he again found himself with a hungry crowd on his hands. He called his disciples together and said, ‘This crowd is breaking my heart. They have stuck with me for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they faint along the way—some of them came a long distance.’ His disciples responded, ‘What do you expect us to do about it? Buy food out here in the desert?’ He asked, ‘How much bread do you have?’ ‘Seven loaves,’ they said.”
“So Jesus told the crowd to sit down on the ground. After giving thanks, he took the seven bread loaves, broke them into pieces, and gave them to his disciples so they could hand them out to the crowd. They also had a few fish. He pronounced a blessing over the fish and told his disciples to hand them out as well. The crowd ate its fill. Seven sacks of leftovers were collected. There were well over four thousand at the meal. Then he sent them home.” MSG.
This Scripture reveals what our partnering with God can do not only on our behalf, but on behalf of those in our sphere of influence and authority that are in need of a move of God in their lives. However, the opposite happens in a house where there is a demonic anti-Christ influence that is allowed through demonic doctrines to direct the hearts and the lives of the people, beginning with the leadership.
Proverbs 6:16-19 notes what is seen in that type of house:
“These things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination to him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” KJV
These are all operations of an anti-Christ spirit that can infiltrate in a house where the Spirit of the Lord does nothing flow freely and the people are not equipped to discern nor war against these infiltrations. Instead , what is seen is pride, lying, strife, offense, division, gossip, slander among other things, all under the influence of religion, mammon, and the Jezebel spirits that conform the manifestations of the anti-Christ spirit. This is what is behind these infiltrations.
To God alone be all the glory.*
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