The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.  He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.”  Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The Pharisees wanted to see proof before they would believe.  That’s not how it works.

The disciples where looking at what they saw, not what Jesus showed them He could do.  Jesus wanted His disciples to act and behave like they were walking with God.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat.  ”Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”  They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”  Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?  Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” “Twelve,” they replied.  ”And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?” They answered, “Seven.” He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”

Mark 8:11-21 (NIV)

Notice that when 5 loaves fed 5,000 there were 12 basketfuls of pieces after everyone had eaten.  When 7 loaves fed 4,000 there were 7 basketfuls of pieces.  The disciples trusted Jesus and began dispersing the bread.  They didn’t know how much bread they really had.  The only pattern I see here is that they ended up with more each time.

What would have happened if the disciples didn’t feed the crowd like Jesus requested?  The answer is nothing.  The disciples would have been standing there with not nearly enough food to feed even a few people.  If they would have held the food long enough, it would have spoiled and they would have had nothing.    

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Heb 11:1 (NKJV)

As long as we believe truth, faith is the proof of what we don’t see yet.  The Word of God is truth.  Believing something that is not truth will not make it true no matter how much we believe it.

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. “But you ask, ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings.  You are under a curse–the whole nation of you–because you are robbing me.  Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.  I will prevent pests from devouring your crops, and the vines in your fields will not cast their fruit,” says the Lord Almighty. “Then all the nations will call you blessed, for yours will be a delightful land,” says the Lord Almighty.

Mal 3:8-12 (NIV)

What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?  Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

James 2:14-17 (NIV)

 Faith is what we do.  We all drive to the grocery store because we believe it is there.  If we didn’t think it was there we wouldn’t go there for groceries.  No one would get in a boat and sail west if he or she thought the earth was flat.  If you thought the earth was round you might try it.

I believe trusting God and acting like you trust God are two different things.  If you just hold onto your resources they are NOT going to increase.   Remember, our motive should not be to increase our stuff.  It should be win the lost for Jesus Christ