A slight retelling of the story. Jesus sees the multitude, has compassion on them. Turns to his Disciples and says, Feed them. They say we don't have anything. What do you have Jesus asks? Loaves and a few fish. So Jesus blesses that and hands it off to the disciples. So far it's as you recall right?
The rest of the story is, first Peter is kinda hungry so he slips behind the bush off to the left and has a snack. Then whatever's left over he starts to distribute. James says, I'm feeding the hungry multitude ministries and we need your help. Andrew says, no we are Loaves and Fishes Ministries over here and we are feeding the multitude. Bartholomew stands up and says, if YOU REALLY want to see this multitude fed get behind my Outreach. Bartholomew's hand. And on it goes until 11 of the 12 Disciples each separately strike out on their own in their own ministries. Not cooperating. Not sharing the Blessed bread and fish. Only Judas stayed back, he was making sure the money was flowing and he got his part. Didn't get anyone fed except the purse.
In the end according to Galilean Post several hundred people nearly starved to death. Jesus was discouraged with his called ones and retired to the mountain to hear from God. Followers went away discouraged.
The disciples after the crowd dribbled away hungry and weak argued among themselves about who was the greatest. The witness of the Christ among them was damaged by the lack of integrity among those who were sent to help.
This all came to me in an instant while sitting under Apostle Hester Sunday. There is a mess going on in Haiti. Some of it is because as his disciples we all want our own glory, we all want to do our own thing, we all want to feel like we have it all together and can do it better than the other guy. So a hundred weak ministries piddle around the edges when 20 strong ones could have done so much better. I hear about little mission teams of 4 or 5 buying a ticket to Haiti. To do what?
If you think this is a strong Prophetic Rebuke, it is. I can tell you that while Father is pleased that people have a heart to help the poor, he is saying together you can do so much more than you ever can alone. Find a ministry and get behind it, cooperate with it. DON'T reinvent a wheel GOD put in place for you to partner with.
There has been a long time call for people to lay down their ministries at his feet. You have heard it. No more superstars. The platform is gone. The kingdom is more important than the ministries of man. For unity to be the call. Apparently that prophetic call has fallen on deaf ears.
In cities. In regions. In nations. Cities like Chicago have languished because they have been in perpetual spiritual disunity. It's time to lock shields and come together. I'm willing to lay down my ministry, even the ministry efforts I am engaged in in favor of doing the right things. Feeding the 5000 as one. Or as the disciples of Jesus on earth today we will carry out the mess I described above.
We are a mess and while there is much good to say about the Body of Christ's outreach to Haiti, there is much flesh and pride in our efforts. It is a stench that rises to the throne.
We are being weighed in the balance right now.....where will we come out?
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