Tapping into Supernatural Supply

By CarolMarie Smith –

“When Jesus then lifted up his eyes, and saw a great company come unto him, He saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” (John 6:5) Have you ever wondered why Jesus pointed out Philip in this situation where He soon fed the 5,000 men plus women and children? Verse 6 tells us, “And this He said to PROVE him: for He himself knew what He would do.” The word “prove” can also be translated “try or examine“, and is used as “tempt” in Matthew 4:1 when Jesus was led of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted or proved by the devil! I believe it is a time of seeing what we are made of. God knows what’s within us, our potential, and what’s ahead that we need to be prepared for! He wants us to know, and He even uses the enemy’s attempts to discourage us to bring us to a place of rising above it and move into the supernatural!

Later, after Jesus died, was raised from the dead, commissioned the church to do the same works and even greater, then ascended to the Father, we find Philip in a similar situation! We are in chapter 6 as well but this time in the book of Acts. We find that their widows needed to be fed. The early church understood the principle of feeding the fatherless and the widows (Deut 14:29) for it was part of their foundation (James 1:27), and is ours. There had been partiality shown to one group over another, and this needed to be corrected before they went any further. The first board of the early church was then formed with seven mighty men of God to oversee it, including Stephen and yes, Philip! “Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.” Philip had been proven, and the church recognized it!

When the widows were fed and ministered to, the scripture says, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.” Do you want the gospel to spread? Do you want the religious to come into relationship? Do you want to see the believers discipled? He gave us a strategy! And He taught it to Philip in John chapter 6 to prepare him for this moment.

Let’s SEE what Jesus did in John 6:5: 1. Jesus lifted up His eyes. 2. He saw the need. 3. He asked, “WHERE” was the source? Philip answered like many of us, “Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little.” Philip was answering “HOW” and deciding that it wasn’t possible! But there was a boy who had five loaves and two fishes and was willing to give his ALL to Jesus, without figuring out HOW God was going to use it!. Jesus had asked Philip where can we BUY bread that these can eat? Notice that it does cost us something to feed others. This boy gave all that he had, just simply trusting God to multiply it. Once I was in Mozambique and watched God multiply our two pots of beans and rice that should have fed fifty people, feed five hundred! We didn’t check to see if we had enough, we lifted our eyes to our source, saw the need and just kept dishing it out!

Another time, as Matthew 10 Ministries was preparing to go into India to hold two crusades, God gave the founder, Dr. Pete Sulack, and me this strategy. We gathered widows in each area to pray for 20 days before the events. The number 20 means “redemption” and we were after that for India! We fed them as they daily prayed, as well as the leadership of the churches ministering to them, like in Acts chapter 6. When this was done, the gospel spread and the disciples multiplied, bringing thousands into relationship with our Source! Even terrorists came to know Jesus in these cities, because the church did their part and the widows opened the borders of salvation to the people, with God establishing it! (Pro 15:25)

God is looking for those who will partner with Him to bring Heaven into Earth and release the supernatural! He is asking WHERE is your source of supply? Not HOW can you do it? He is proving us!

Jesus took the loaves, (verse 11), gave thanks and began to give to the disciples. The disciples gave to the people, and I believe did as Jesus did, and as we did in Mozambique, watching it multiply as we were obedient to give it out!

After Jesus left and the people sought to find Him, He says in John 6: 26, “… Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled.” Later, Jesus declares that He is the Manna from Heaven…the living bread and invites us to partake of Him! We are to eat and to be filled.

Will you let God prove you? Are you willing to partner with Heaven so that others are fed the living Manna? Only He can satisfy and fill us with what we need….but it will cost you….your ALL…but oh, it is worth it, for then He gives us His ALL in return!

CarolMarie is the founder of He’s My Husband International, a ministry based out of Knoxville, TN. She also serves with several global ministries that have outreaches to orphans and widows, including Widows International, Matthew 10 International, and Abiding Glory. Her website: http://www.hesmyhusband.com/.