Phish Bowl Ministries
July 2011
Matthew 4:19
“Chummin’ for Saints…until the nets are full”

I, Timothy Nathanael, a doulos of Christ, would love to package and send to the free world just a piece of what last month’s teaching did to the men’s hearts behind the walls. It’s funny, but not too funny, how the self righteous free world takes their walk so lightly. So many men have come up to me and asked me to teach more like last month. These are men who know the real price of sin and what it can do. When we are in our sin, we look at Jesus hanging on a cross, thanking Him for dying for our freedom (free choice) to commit that sin. When Christ comes down from the cross and exposes that sin to the world, we then cry out to the empty cross that we can’t pay the price which is too much, too painful; it’s costing us too much. We love the cross when it costs us little to nothing. When Jesus tells us to “pick up our cross” and follow Him, we ask for an easier, softer way. One in which we get to keep the world and all it’s pleasure and still get Heaven in the end. That is “cupcake Christianity”; no meat, and a lot of milk and juice.

We behind the wall will tell you, we are crying out to you. Torn from Paul’s teaching about Pastors who prefer a Sunday Ice Cream Social over a real sit down meal, dining on the Truth of God’s word. If your church does not look different from the world’s walk, then you must ask yourself why…and I will tell you the why. It is because the world has its teeth in you; your life; your church and your community will not change until you step up and walk like Jesus did.

Be forewarned, there is a price to a life of Christ. He will ask you for things you wish to not give up. But, I tell you the truth, anything He takes is because He knows what is best for us. He knows what we need and don’t need to fulfill His purpose in our lives.

As I sit here and write to you, I know something that stands in His way. The Holy Spirit has already put it on my heart and has put men around me who are holding me accountable. Now, it may be small to you, but is holding me back as a man of God. That thing is my tongue and it’s the tone of my voice. It’s words that a Christian should not say and a way of speaking that does not point to Christ and looks different in my world. How can I help to change the men in prison, if I don’t work on my shortcomings one at a time?

My beloved, how I love you all so much. Because of this love, I will pray day and night for you. Hear the great news of God’s love for you. He knows it will not take just a day; He has been working on me for 5 years and I will be in this school for at least 5 more years! God loved me so much, that He brought me to a place where I would spend day and night in His love, in His Word and at a point in my life that brought me to my knees as a broken man.
“We are all effected by our pasts, but it’s within the Power not to let what we have done dictate what we will do.” ---J.B.

Month after month, God brings me back to this point; we have all sinned and fallen short of God. If you call yourself a “Christian”, please start today to live like a Christian in the light and in the dark. If you do, I can tell you a truth; your past failures will no longer hurt your days and nights. God will use them to glorify Him and will set us free to live a full life. For my sisters in the walk start at Proverbs 31 (Proverbs 31:1-31) The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him: What, my son? And what, son of my womb? And what, son of my vows? Do not give your strength to women, Nor your ways to that which destroys kings. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink; Lest they drink and forget the law, And pervert the justice of all the afflicted. Give strong drink to him who is perishing, And wine to those who are bitter of heart. Let him drink and forget his poverty, And remember his misery no more. Open your mouth for the speechless, In the cause of all who are appointed to die. Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy. Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; So he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil All the days of her life. She seeks wool and flax, And willingly works with her hands. She is like the merchant ships, She brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it; From her profits she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength, And strengthens her arms. She perceives that her merchandise is good, And her lamp does not go out by night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, And her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet. She makes tapestry for herself; Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, And supplies sashes for the merchants. Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: "Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all." Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates. (NKJV)) and for my brothers in the walk, we will go to 1 Timothy 3 ((1 Timothy 3:1-16) This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. Likewise their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus. These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory. (NKJV) and for the church body, we all can study and live out Titus 2 (But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-- that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. (NKJV))

God’s Word is a blue print to our lives. God has a lot to tell us and if we don’t read His Word, we will not be called “innocent” because we did not know. Instead, we will be called “fools”. (Insight into God’s word: Being called a fool is not a funny thing.) Know I write this because I truly love you all and wish you not to live blind, but to have the fullness of our Lord in your life as I do.

There is no sin too big for Christ’s blood or the love of God. If we repent (turn from our sins) and trust in Him, we will find freedom, even behind the walls. I speak as a man whose sins are many and big. Our enemy will tell us that our mistakes disqualify us from God. But I tell you that Christ died to make a way. Now you can be a mighty man or woman for God by helping others who have fallen in that same sin…you are not alone. If we don’t confess, Satan wins in our silence, and in our shame. Let me tell you what God has forgiven in me and what Satan uses against me. We all know that I am a sex offender, so let’s start there. Have we all not done something sexual of which we are ashamed? I have. I also have been sexually abused as a teen which brought great shame with scars so bad that at times my only wish is to die and be with Jesus in heaven. But, when I come across a brother who also has been used, I can show him that he is not alone any more in his shame and God does love us.

Next, how about murder? At 17, my adopted father asked me to help him commit suicide, and I did. I found him dead that night. That picture never leaves my mind and I was not sober for the next 19 months. Yes, add drug and alcohol to the list. Keep adding: I have been involved in two abortions: one, my child and one as a result of my ex-wife’s affair. I am also a thief, blasphemer and a liar. All condemned by God. But, that is not the end of the story because He makes all things new. I want to talk to the fallen Saints out there. I want to tell you of God’s redemption! Nothing is so bad to keep God away from you! He sent His only Son to die for this reason! He made the way. See, when I finally was broken, I found myself at the foot of a bloody and empty Cross knowing that all of what I have done in my life put Christ on that Cross. God raised Him from the dead so my sins could be forgiven. I believe that to be true. I believed He could heal me and make me whole. I tell you the truth: He is. “I’m not my past.” Today, I am a servant of the God Most High. He has given me a purpose, and showed me a future.

Saints, I still hurt. I still don’t like everything which I have done in my life. There is still pain. But, I can tell you there is now no more fear of “what if they find out?”
Today, I’m me in Christ. His son. I have a Father that loves me and a family that cares for me. All of this is because of Christ’s work on the Cross. Now if we take this gift to heart then we should want to live up to it and please our Father in Heaven.

Please start to live a walk that shows your forgiveness and the Holy Spirit living in you. Stop living like the world. Please repent. It will take time, but there is no time like now to start.

As we move on in Acts 4:1-37, I’m not going to add anything. I want you to see what a changed life looks like and next month we will see what a compromised life looks like. Please take your time and ask yourself about your walk.
Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, "By what power or by what name have you done this?" Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: "If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, "let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. "This is the 'stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.' "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, "What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. "But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name." And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: "Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, "who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: 'Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the LORD and against His Christ.' "For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together "to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, "by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles' feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, (NKJV)

Brothers and sisters, you’re not alone any more. We now have all things in common. Help others to heal and in this you will have healing. Know that you can always write to me…I can’t throw any stones for as you can truly see, I’m the “Chief of All Sinners”. I love you no matter what you have done or have had done to you.

Updates: Well, after a month on the move, I think I might be down in one place for awhile. My new home is in the “Honor Pod” because I have chosen to live as Christ does, He shines through me and I get the blessings. We are the top 148 men at Fremont and I was the last to make it in. So, I’m on the bottom of the top. I am no longer the man I was because of His Word.

Work is slow to none. We had a week off, so I picked up some hours in the Furniture Shop working on the planer. As fast as it would pop out, I had to load it on a cart. I thank God that I still can work hard and I thank Tylenol for pain killers. We have fiberglass work pending, so please pray for our shop. Thanks.

Oh, my new cellie is an old friend and brother in Christ. God has shown us favor by letting us live in peace. Steve is his name and his family goes to Calvary Chapel and Steve is a practicing Hebrew-Christian. I know he will bless me with great insight into the Old Testament and the Jewish roots of our faith. Please take a moment and thank our Lord for His Blessing.

No sports this summer and no big plans, so no update on this.

Semper Fidelis. Remember my chains. Grace be with you all. Amen.



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