PBM Nov 2011

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

Dear Saints,

I pray that you are open to our Lord’s calling in your life. Over the last 6 months, I have been birthed into a new awakening in my role as a Doulos (slave) of Christ, which of course, is still a work in progress. I see many of the pieces some of which are clear and some are not, and He is still working out the “hows”. I feel at times as though I’m a kid at Christmas knowing that the next gift is the real cool one and after opening it, finding out how to use it. I’ve hoped to show you how Jesus is working in my life, but I don’t feel that I have done a great job of it.

The first part was “Coming out of my Tomb” and the second part is “Love”. The work which God is doing in me is so cool! He is showing me how to live, love and serve the Church and world daily, as a doulos, which brought me to 1 Corinthians 13. Now I’ve written too many Phish Bowls about my tomb time, so I hope that you will forgive me if we set that aside and move on to the Holy Spirit telling me “I want you to love and serve the saints in the truth”. He wants me to love them as they are now, not with the attitude of “if they would only grow up”; just love them here today, right now, right here. So as I sat down last month to write, I asked God two things: “How do I write so that the Saints will be able to apply your Word to their walk” and “How do I write in a way that points back to you”? At that time, 1 Corinthians 13 was put on my heart and it read to my heart, “Is this not how Jesus walked with the people? Is this not what our Lord does with us daily?” I will speak for myself and say “Yes, my Lord loves me, in spite of myself”!

Phish Bowl Ministries is a call to live holy and serve the Saints. Our mission statement starts off with “Chummin’ for Saints…until the nets are full”. In our Bible verse, Matthew 4:19, Jesus said to them, “Come with me! I will teach you how to bring in people instead of fish”. (C.E.V.) I’m not here to tell you how or where to fish, but to fish! What is your fish bowl: home, work, soccer games, motorcycles, or golf? The list goes on and on. We can all do something to touch the world with the love of Jesus and just going to church on Saturday or Sunday and/or cutting a check is not all that we can do. Those are just the start. Jesus came to serve not to be served, so we need to serve. We are to serve in the spirit of love!

The world confuses love and lust; often so do believers. Unlike lust, God’s kind of love is directed outwardly towards others, not inwardly towards one’s self. It is completely unselfish. This kind of love goes against natural inclinations. It is possible to practice this love only if God helps us set aside our own desires and instincts so that we can give love while expecting nothing in return; thus the more we become like Christ the more love we will show to others.

(1 Corinthians 13:1-4) 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; (NKJV)

We are picking up where we left off last month. Please keep in mind how the Gospel showed us Jesus’ walk and how to apply it to our own walk. Ask yourself, “Do I or don’t I… XYZ”?

(Love): it does not envy: The envious person desires what another person has. The seed of envy can lead to anger and hatred. Those who are too busy envying each others’ gifts are unlikely to be using their own gifts in loving service to God and others. When we are stuck in envy, we are stuck in self-centeredness, self-focus, feeling sorry for ourselves. By doing this it is impossible to fulfill our God given role in the Church family.

(Love): It does not boast it is not proud: While some believers may have a problem with envy, others seem to have a problem with pride. Some Saints like to boast of what they have done or are doing, directing their energy towards themselves. Their service becomes not a tool of love for other, but self-achievement. They fail to point to God. Instead, they act as if someone should thank them over and over when we are the one who should be thanking God for letting us serve the Saints.

1 Corinthians 13:5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (NKJV)

(Love): It is not self-seeking: Saints who are self-seeking seem to always want their own way. They are selfish, self-centered, wanting what they think is best. This is not God’s way. Saints need to use their gifts to serve others first, without self or selfish desires getting in the way.

(Love): It is not easily angered: Now look at this again. It does not say angered. It says “easily” angered. Do you find yourself “touchy”, “irritable” or “a bit overly sensitive”? Do people get on your last and only nerve? This is not the way of love. Saints should be able to serve one another with some latitude to follow God as they see fit.

(Love): It keeps no record of wrongs: Some Saints will remember every offense against them. Their offenses are not the big one that we bring up to the church to settle. No, these are minor ones---misunderstandings between believers. Love makes room for people’s flaws and willingly forgets these infractions. This then frees all of the Saints to grow and mature in Christ and to grow in their ability and comfort to serve the body. When toes are stepped on, when feelings are hurt, when that one Saint is just not loveable right now, love chooses to over look the problem and allow us to pass on the grace which God gives us to our fellow believer. Remember 2 Corinthians 5:19 tells us that “God keeps no records of believer’s wrongs”.

Some might be saying, “Timothy, are you taking the body’s inventory?” No, I just had to look inside of myself to see all of these short comings. As we are growing in our walk, we should be moving forward in some areas. It is not my job nor your pastor’s job to point this out to you. I have found that I already know in my heart what is not pleasing to our Lord. The Holy Spirit has convicted me of it. However, 1 Corinthians 13 tells us about a common thread of our fallen nature that all believers have. Paul wrote to not just one Corinthian, but to the Church as a whole. As it applied then, so does it apply today. I see it in me and I see it in my church (FCF). As a Doulos of Christ, my role is to serve my Master with J.O.Y. (Jesus, Others, You). I would hope that the Phish Bowl family would be a light in their own Phish Bowls. After Jesus washed the Disciples’ feet, He told them to go and do likewise. He showed us how to love, how to serve, how we are to live and yet so many Saints refuse to do our Lord’s (Master, King) will in our life. Next month… I Corinthians 13: 6-8.

So, last month, I touched on “Group” or “SOTMP” treatment. I’m now starting my second month. First month was CORE. I missed 3 on my test. I have learned about some thinking errors I have had for a long time. We are moving on to “The Road to Recovery” and “Disclosures”. I will be in “Phase One” for 6-9 months and will have met Phase One requirements. Then I need to wait for a bed at Arrowhead facility where I will do “Phase Two” which is a one to three year or more program. It goes back over Phase One information in more detail and they also look at us over a longer period of time to make sure that we’re OK to reenter the world.

*Work has been good…There’s a lot to do! Keep us all in your prayers and pray that I will lead as a man of God and not as a Marine. I know that the men like it better.

*I’ve lost 6 pounds which isn’t that good. I’ve been talking to Peter about a winter work out program. Pray about this one. I need help! As Barb told me…get outside!

Also, pray for Barb as she has a lot on her plate these days. Not to mention that she has to decipher my chicken scratch and get this out to you all.




Saints, I pray for you and love you. Remember: It is a life journey understanding that God will NOT disappoint us! There is soul healing in God’s loving Word and in the Church of Messiah’s Misfits. Remember my chains as I remember yours. Watch. Hold fast in the faith. Be brave and be strong to the end. Let all that you do, be done in love!

Semper fidelis!



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