October 2011 PBM

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

My beloved Saints of the Church, how are you? I pray for you all and ask our Lord to reveal Himself as a light that draws you to know Him better. I have a thirst to be a man of God. I long to hear “Good and faithful servant”; the truth be said, I’m not good or faithful and neither are you, if we are honest with ourselves. But, I’m so glad God the Father, when He looks at me, sees Jesus and His work. So I also ask when looking at each other that we see Jesus; let’s see any light. Let us see life, not death in our brothers and sisters. It’s so easy to spend the long nights going over every little thing. Do you know that your Father in Heaven is not doing this? He loves you and so do I.

If you have been following P.B. newsletter over the past month you can see that I have spent long nights going over every little thing. What you saw in my writing was soul sickness brought on by a love deficiency in my heart. I’m not talking in a world view, but a spiritual view. So I wish to share what love did to bring me out of the tomb, back into the Light and out of despair. It is a giving, selfless, expect-nothing-in return king of love. Let’s read 1 Corinthians 13 together:

(1 Corinthians 13:1-13) Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. For we know in part and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (NKJV)

In 13:1, we learn that great faith, acts of dedication or sacrifice, miracle-working power, or the ability to speak in any language in heaven or earth will produce very little without love. Although people have different gifts, love is available to everyone. Christians must not exalt gifts over character. Love is far more important.

13:2: Here we have three gifts mentioned:
1. Prophecy: the ability to bring God’s message to the church under the directive of the Holy Spirit. See also 1 Corinthians 14:3: But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men. (NKJV)
2. Knowledge: While all believers ought to study in order to understand more and be able to teach others about why we believe, knowledge is nothing without love.
3. Faith: I do not believe that Paul is talking about saving faith here, but the faith to live out a life for God. You cannot live a Christian life void of love because it will be empty.

What does patient love among believers look like? Such love bears with annoyances and inconveniences without complaining. Such love does not lose its temper when provoked. Without Godly love in us, we will be impatient, short-tempered and irritable.

Love is kind. The Greek word translated “is kind”, Chrestevetai, occurs only here in the New Testament. “Kindness”, chrestotes, occurs in Galatians 5:27. It probably means the same as a similar word also translated as “kind” in Ephesians 4:32. “Be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ, has forgiven you”. (NLT) Kindness takes the initiation in responding generously to others’ needs. The psalms and writings of the prophets say much about God’s kindness: (Psalm 18:50: Great deliverance He gives to His king, and shows mercy to His anointed, To David and his descendants forevermore.; Isaiah 54:8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; but with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you," Says the LORD, your Redeemer. ; Jeremiah 9:24 But let him who glories glory in this, That he understands and knows Me, That I am the LORD, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight," says the LORD.) Since we, as believers, have received kindness, we have the opportunity to act with kindness towards others. How does “kind love” look among believers? Such love is considerate and helpful to others.

13:3: Acts of charity and self-sacrifice can be for the sake of an ideal or with pride as a motivation. However, they are of no value for the kingdom, wrote Paul, unless they are done from the foundation of love for another. Now we move on to a list which we are going to break into two teachings. This month we will study “love is patient, love is kind and it does not envy”. I want us to think about each one and know more about them and why the Holy Spirit listed them as our foundation.

13:4: Love is patient or longsuffering in the KJV. Because love is so important among the believers, Paul went on to describe that love in more detail. How does love look when lived out in the lives of believers? First of all, love is patient. The term “is patient”, makrothumei, is the opposite of being short-tempered. “Long-suffering” or “slow to anger” is an attribute of God. Exodus 34:6 And the LORD passed before him and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth,; Numbers 14:18 'The LORD is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.'; Romans 2:4 Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?; 1 Peter 3:20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. In many places, God’s people are called to be patient, Ephesians 4:2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,; Colossians 3:12: Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 1 Thessalonians 5:14 Now we exhort you, brethren, warn those who are unruly, comfort the fainthearted, uphold the weak, be patient with all., and in Galatians 5:26, patience is a fruit of the Spirit.
Kind love is gentle and mild; always ready to show compassion, especially to those in need. Without love, even the great gifts can not be exercised with an eye to helping others.

So let’s stop there for now. Next month we will pick back up in 1 Cor 13:4 and finish off this list. Before we leave, let us take a quick look at 1 John. In five short chapters, John uses different forms of the word love 46 times. He wanted to teach his readers the importance of love in the Christian walk.

1 John
2:5, 5:2-3 Keeping God’s Word is proof that we love God.
2:10 When we love our brothers (sisters), we will live without stumbling.
2:15 We are not to love the world or the things in the world.
We cannot love the world and love God also.
3:1, 16; 4:9-11 God’s love prompted Him to make us His children through the death of
His Son.
3:11, 16, 23 Loving other believers is a fundamental requirement of the Christian
4:4, 11, 12 life.
3:10, 14; A failure to love other Christians raises serious questions about the
4:8, 20 genuineness of our faith.
3: 17-18 Genuine love always results in action, not merely sentimental words.
4: 7, 16 God is the source of all love.
4: 17,18 Mature love does not produce fear but instead, imparts courage.
4: 19 Long before we loved God, He loved us first.

As a doulos of Christ, one of my duties is to love my Master’s Church and to show that love, just as my Master shows me love. This includes not bad talking any of the saints and beating me up day and night. If God love me and knows me just where I am at, who am I not to love the spirit in me?

Most of you know that I am a convicted sex offender. Well, this week, I started “group”, a 6-9 month class that is required for me to take before I’m eligible for any parole. Please keep me in your prayers as I learn, apply and pass all requirements.
(Editor’s note: I thought the program was a 2 year program, so praise God that I am wrong!)

Please Saints remember it is a life long journey to understand that God’s will won’t disappoint us. There is soul healing in God’s loving Word and the church of the Messiah’s Misfits. Remember my chains as I remember yours. Watch. Hold fast in the faith. Be brave and be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.

A message from one of Kevin’s teachings: Pollution corrupts externally; corruption pollutes internally. Just food for thought. Barb



Semper Fidelis!

1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Phish Bowl Coffee House, P.O. Box 153, Loveland, CO 80539.
http://inthephishbowl.blogspot.com
An outreach of Calvary Chapel Loveland