Read Mark 8:1-21
This morning we continue our series entitled, “The Year of Supernatural Manifestation”, with our mini-series on “The Miracles of Jesus.” We have been covering the miracle feeding the 4,000, and what happened aftewards, for a few days. Let’s go back to it again today.
In Mark 8 Jesus fed 4,000 people with seven loaves of bread. Later He and His disciples boarded a boat to head to the other side of the lake. Once in the boat, the disciples realized that they only had one loaf of bread. This caused an argument about who was supposed to bring the food. Jesus said, “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see? Are you not able to understand? Do you have eyes that can’t see? Do you have ears that can’t hear? Remember what I did before, when we did not have enough bread? I divided five loaves of bread for 5000 people. How many baskets of food were left over?” The disciples answered, “12 full baskets.” Jesus continued, “And when I divided seven loaves of bread for 4000 people, how many baskets did you fill with the leftover pieces?” They answered, “Seven full baskets.” Then Jesus said to them, “You remember these things I did, but you still don’t understand?”
So what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. When you are not spiritually perceptive you concern yourself with the wrong things.
a) Jesus is a perfect example of what it looks like for a human to be completely submitted to the divine. He only said what He “heard” the Father say. He only did what He “saw” the Father do. This hearing and seeing was not done with His physical ears or eyes. It was done in His Spirit. We are called to live the same way.
b) Jesus was frustrated with His disciples because they did not discern what He was doing, nor what He was capable of doing. He was being led of God’s Spirit and they were being driven by the circumstances of this world. This is why they thought having only one loaf of bread was a problem, while Jesus could care less about a lack of bread. Jesus knew the Father could and would provide for them, so He was more concerned with the weightier matters of life. When you are spiritually perceptive, you don’t allow yourself to be concerned with things that are ‘of no concern’ to God.
2. Your ability to SEE or PERCEIVE Spiritually will directly impact what you are able to accomplish with God and what God is able to accomplish through you.
a) Jesus had the Holy Spirit living on the inside of Him. 50 days after His death, on the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers and the New Testament church was established. Now, under the New Covenant, when you are Born-Again, God’s Spirit takes up residence inside of you. Once this happens, the Father expects you to learn to be led of His Spirit.
b) When you have God’s Spirit you have access to His mind. The Holy Spirit enables you to read the mind of God.
c) God gave you His Spirit so you could know: 1) The plans He made for you before the world began, 2) What He is thinking on a daily basis, and 3) How to accomplish what He is leading you to do.
3. Your ability to SEE Spiritually will dictate what you are able to release your faith for.
a) Divine revelation is the authorization for your faith. Once God reveals to you what He already gave you (in eternity), you can release your faith to access it and walk in it (in time).
b) If you can’t SEE (or discern) what God has given you, you don’t know what to release your faith for.
c) Faith is not you coming up with something and then asking God to give it to you. Faith is you perceiving what is yours and then coming in agreement with it. Faith is discerning God’s will, and then accepting and then pursuing His over your own.
*** None of this is possible if you are not able to perceive spiritually.
Closing Confession: Father, this is a year of Great Victory for me. I have accepted Jesus as my Lord. Your Spirit has taken up residence inside of me. I am Born from above. I am a Spiritual man. I am a heavenly citizen living in the earth. I am an Ambassador of Heaven in this world. I receive my instructions for You. I receive daily downloads from headquarters. You speak to me daily and throughout the day. I am able to discern Your will and accomplish it by faith. I can SEE who You called me to be. I can SEE what You want me to do. I can SEE how to get it done. These are not things I learn, these are things I discern. I live by my ability to SEE in the Spirit. I declare this by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
