UNQUOTABLE QUOTES - Lindsay Roberts - "The Little Lunch"

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un-QUOTABLE QUOTES

LINDSAY ROBERTS

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DAILY GUIDE TO MIRACLES from Oral Roberts Ministries
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007
www.orm.cc

THE LITTLE LUNCH
Lindsay Roberts
Part 1 of 2 Parts
Oral Roberts Ministries
www.orm.cc

"Have you ever wanted to give to a need and thought, I don't have much to give. Certainly my little bit won't count? Sometimes it doesn't take a lot to meet a need. It only takes a willingness to do your part.

The Bible tells us in John 6:1-13 that one day more than 5,000 people gathered on a mountainside to listen to Jesus preach, and by evening they were hungry. They were miles from the nearest town, and there was no food around. Jesus' disciples reported, There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many? (v. 9).

Now that boy could have easily said, "My little lunch is not enough to feed everyone." But he willingly gave what he had, and when Jesus held it up before God and blessed it, a miracle happened. When everyone had finished eating, there were twelve baskets of leftovers!

The feeding of the 5,000 was not natural. Something supernatural happened when someone was willing to step out in faith and give what they had. The little boy dared to step out in faith and believe that God wasn't taking something from him, but He was trying to get something to him. Jesus took what the boy gave and multiplied it into a miracle-both for him and for the 5,000 people! Although the Bible doesn't say it, I believe the twelve baskets of leftovers went home with the little boy!

God is still a miracle-working God. When you see a need, dare to take a step of faith and give what you have. God can supernaturally multiply it into a miracle that meets not only your need but the needs of others as well."

ON DOCTRINE NOTE:
This little article is Lindsay Roberts' attempt to insert the "Seed Faith" (Giving and Receiving) teaching into the Bible, that was originated by her father-in-law, Oral Roberts, and is also a repeat of the teaching of her husband, Richard Roberts, who has said:
"If Jesus Could stretch the little boy's seed-lunch into miracle proportions to feed a crowd of 5,000, He can multiply our seeds of faith into a miracle supply." See his article: A Bigger Scene

What both are actually saying is, that if the little boy had not been there or had not brought a lunch or had not given his lunch, then Jesus Christ would not have been able to perform the miracle because there would not have been any expression of faith through which He could act. This is the whole point of the "Seed Faith" teaching: that giving money to Oral Roberts ministries brings faith to the individual through which they can coerce God to act on their behalf, because it is said that God must act in the presence of faith.

The real problem with Lindsay Roberts' teaching is that she says things as being true that are not part of narrative and inserts her own ideas (which are actually the ideas of Oral and Richard Roberts) as if the Scripture supports what she claims.

First, it's very nice that she thinks the twelve baskets of food went home with the litttle boy, which is a warm and fuzzy feel good idea, but it is also possible that the food was given to the poor or that each of the twelve disciples took one of the twelve baskets. After all, the existence of the baskets was just as great a miracle as the food itself, and there were probably many more baskets than just twelve that were used to distribute the food. The point is, that the Scripture makes no statement regarding the disposition of the twelve baskets of food that were left over, so it is pointless to make any comment on the issue.

Second, the disciples of Jesus did not make a report without a reason, because it was Jesus Himself who told them to go into the crowd and check to see how much food was available. The narrative in John 6 does not tell the complete story, but Mark 6:33-44 states the following:

"And He said to them, 'How many loaves do you have? Go look!' And when they found out, they said, 'Five loaves, and two fish.'"

It was Jesus who instigated the search for food, for a reason other than what Lindsay Roberts claims.

Third, the presence of the little boy had nothing to do with the actions of Jesus Christ, because John stated the following:

"Therefore Jesus, lifting up His eyes and seeing that a large crowd was coming to Him, said to Philip, 'Where are we to buy bread, so that these may eat?'
This He was saying to test him, for He Himself knew what He was intending to do," vv, 5-6.

Prior to the moment when there could have been any faith exhibited in relation to the miracle, Jesus Christ had already determined what He was going to do, and that decision brought about the unchangeable result.

Fourth, faith had nothing to do with the action of Jesus Christ in performing the miracle.
(a) The crowd did not express any faith and gave nothing toward that end, never contributing a "Seed Faith" offering to the ministry of Jesus Christ.
(b) The disciples did not express any faith, telling Jesus that the crowd should go to the neighborhood villages to find food,

"When it was already quite late, His disciples came to Him and said, 'This place is desolate and it is already quite late; send them away so that they may go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat," Mark 6:35-36 (NAS).

Without faith, according to Lindsay Roberts theology, Jesus Christ could not have performed the miracle.

Fifth, nothing is stated in the narrative that the little boy expressed faith of any type. The story is noted in four books in the New Testament, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. In only one book, John, is the little boy mentioned as the one who owned the loaves and fish, and it is never stated that he gave the food as a faith gift, believing that he would effect a miracle through Jesus Christ. Lindsay Roberts says:
"Something supernatural happened when someone was willing to step out in faith and give what they had."
The Scripture does not make that connection and her assertion is only her preconceived idea that she has inserted into the narrative. Any idea that the little boy was acting on his understanding of "Seed Faith" giving, and that he believed that his gift of five loaves and two fish would result in a miracle multiplication of food that would feed 15-20,000 people is ludicrous at the very best.

Sixth, Lindsay Roberts' comparison is faulty. She says:
"When you see a need, dare to take a step of faith and give what you have. God can supernaturally multiply it into a miracle that meets not only your need but the needs of others as well."

"The little boy dared to step out in faith and believe that God wasn't taking something from him, but He was trying to get something to him."

However, the real question is, What was the need of the little boy that was met by the performance of the miracle? What was it that God was "trying to get . . . to him?" The little boy was the only one in the entire crowd who had no need for a miracle. God did not have to get anything to him, because he had brought his own food, sufficient to satisfy his hunger. The miracle was not for him, but for the rest of the crowd who didn't plan ahead for their needs.

Lindsay Roberts changes the concept of "Seed Faith" from giving for reasons of a personal need, to reasons of a need in relation to others. The reason for that change is a ploy, that opens up the possibility that people will give their money to Oral Roberts Ministries in relation to the needs of others in addition to their own needs, and as a result the monetary giving will increase, benefitting Oral Roberts Ministries immensely.

Richard Roberts says:
". . . this miracle tells us that when we come to the end of ourselves, we're in a position to cross over to the miraculous."

Of course, the little boy had not come to the end of anything; he was ready to start his dinner, but that was interrupted when one of the disciples inquired as to whether or not he had any food. Both Lindsay and Richard Roberts present a twisted version of the Feeding of the 5,000, in order to insert the "Seed Faith" doctrine, which is the mechanism that provides the funding for the Oral Roberts Ministries, of which they are a beneficiary and an integral part. Their attempt to present the Feeding of the 5,000 as an example of the results of "Seed Faith," utterly fails.

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