Revelations 9 (Part III) The Three Baskets

THE THIRD BASKETS


By Odon Bulamna (Friday 15th July 2005)


The third one was one from a man called Jesus. When he was walking with his disciples after feeding all the people they collected the left over bread and filled 12 baskets. It’s a basket of miracle. From where did those baskets come? People were there to listen to the gospel; the Bible doesn’t tell us that they were bringing baskets from their home. The Bible doesn’t say that God told them to bring baskets because a miracle will be performed today. People ate whatever they ate and after eating 12 baskets were filled with what was left. We don’t know how big or small the baskets were.


In our lives we have to also ask God for a miracle. “God I know that you gave such a gift to such person, I know that your spirit has been acting through many people but I like to see the remains I need to see the left-overs. Every time the left-overs are a lot, more than what other people have consumed.


For us human beings if we organize a party and people eat, what remains will be little but for God it’s different. People can eat a little and if I ask Steve if he can eat a basketful of bread he will say, “No, never.” But if you tell God give me the remains you will have all the 12 baskets. Steve may eat a few slices of bread and says this is enough for me but people who ask for the remains can get a lot, although it requires collecting it, they can earn more than the people who ate the right amount.


If you want to serve God today don’t just look and say, “Oh my God I’m not Pastor Tamaki how can I perform miracles, I’m not Benny Hinn I’m just little I’m nothing.” God will say if you are nothing, you need those left-overs. They will make you to become someone.



After the disciples collected the bread, do you know what they did with them? The bread was something that they could not throw away. They wanted their families to taste this bread because it was not normal bread. God prepared it and they needed to take it to their families. The baskets were taken away, they were not left there.


Now we have to choose. Which type of basket will you be? Will you be the basket that held Moses? Will you be the basket that held all the impure animals? Will you be the basket that held the bread from God? Or if not shall I deal with the content of the basket? Shall I deal with Moses, with the animals or with the bread? Moses was a human being like you and me. The impure animals represent human beings like the Christians that are animal Christians. The bread represents the Word of God.


So whom shall I deal with? You have to deal with Christians only as Moses, servants of God, people who were chosen by God. So that will be my mission to look after them, deal with them and only pray for them. Or shall I pray for people who are away from God – the content of the second basket and commit my life so I can support and assist them? Or finally shall I just spend my time reading the gospel, talking about the gospel, concentrating and praying about the Word of God? These are 3 choices that we have to choose.


The first basket was floating, the second one came from heaven and the third one came from the crowd. Which one do I prefer? Do you want also to come out of the crowd and be known by the crowd? Do you want to come from the heaven and God can expose you and say that this person’s content or heart is full of impurity? Or do you want to be the third basket where God will say the content of that basket is something pure. We need to make our choice because all of us represent the basket. But you have to know now which type of basket you are. Am I that someone who holds the Word of God? People will ask me, “Odon what is Matthew 17:12, Galatians 2? That’s a good basket, the Word of God.



Or what’s going on around the world with the unsaved people in Samoa? Someone has been praying for them this year, God has been doing something through that prayer. Or brother Steve has met with Billy Graham. “Steve how is Billy Graham?”


“Oh I spoke to him yesterday, he is such and such I have been praying for him I have been praying for Creflo Dollar (Servant of God) too.”


Where are you? You have to know. Do you commit yourself to support the servants of God, to support the lost people or to support only the Word of God? If you are not sure where you are at the moment then we can pray together. If you support the servant of God, you need to be wise and know exactly what’s going on. If you are supporting the others who are impure, you need to be wise and also if you are supporting the Word of God you need to collect all the remains and put them together so that the Word can go far and far away. We will stop there are there any questions?


“Why do we have to choose one of these 3 baskets?”  We have to choose one of them because this is our time to tell God how we are ready to save him; how we know exactly how strong we are; and which category we fit in. You have to first of all say to God, “God accept me as I am, I know that I can pray and it is easier for me to pray for your Word rather than praying for others. So if you find my choice is different to yours do with me whatever you want. If I chose the wrong choice this is the time to show me the right choice.” It’s just like offering to God to guide us, this is the purpose of this Word tonight. To try to look at ourselves; where we are and what we think we can do for God. So what do you think you can do for God? That is the question.



“Are any of them better than others? Are you able to recommend which ministry is better or are they all on equal footing?” All of them are good but you have to tell God I want or I prefer to do this show me the way, lead me, guide me. There are some difficulties in each of them. The first one is on the river, dangers are there but you need to float. The second one is coming from heaven. Gifts and ministries and all of that come from there but people who will be with you all the time will be sinners. How will you deal with that? The third one - around the crowd, you can make or do whatever you want to do but only for the Glory of God. Does that make sense? So let’s pray.