Phish Bowl Ministries June 2012

Phish Bowl Ministries


June 2012

Matthew 4:19

“Chummin’ for Saints…until the nets are full”

Dear Saints,

I would love to thank you for letting Phish Bowl into your home again this month. Is seems as though I was just sitting here a day ago to write. It might be the weather causing time to fly by. I am not a winter fan and cold weather keeps me inside. So, I love the first warm day when I can get out to the yard.

Do you know how blessed I am by our Lord? For most men, prison is the end. But God has made it a start for me. I think of the thorn discussed in 2 Corinthians 12:9 and how Satan wanted my prison sentence to T.K.O. me, and it almost did. Instead, just like the man on the Samaritan’s road, Christ picked me up, paid the price and then set my feet on a path to serve Him, recovered and whole. If the truth be said, I fear the streets and would miss the church behind the walls. Now, a peace comes over me saying, “My son, I have a plan.” I know and am blessed by the fact that my Calvary Chapel Loveland family is also looking to that day in which I return to them. (Amen!)

How about you? How do you see life? Paul told us that he found joy in Christ no matter what the circumstance. He tells that everything points to Christ who strengthens us. Can we rest in the finished work knowing this is not our home? My worldly home is where I lay my head that night. Almost all of my worldly possessions fit in one duffle bag and a legal box. One could say that I pack lightly. And why not, it will not go to my true home because only what we do will cross over, good or bad, blessings and curses. Last month we saw seven men who were living such a life, a life which I wish will one day be said of me. Over the next couple of months we will be looking at one of these men whose name is Stephen.

In the book of Acts, the new church faced opposition from Jews and Gentiles. With every new wave of persecution we see that the church grew. In hardships and trials, Christians depended more and more on the Lord for strength and guidance. In so doing, they showed their faith to others in the store, at the schools and in the neighbors where they lived. Stephen, one of the seven chosen to minister to the needs of the church became the first martyr of our Christian faith on record, but he will not be the last. Because of death, he has been an example to many persecuted believers for around 2000 years some have faced the same trials and ending for the name of Christ.

Since Stephen’s death, countless Christians have died for their witness of the truth of the Gospel. They set their eyes on Jesus instead of this world. They did not value the approval of people over the approval of the Savior. So, that brings us to Acts 6:8-7:1.

Acts 6:8 and Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. What do we know about Stephen? First, he is full of faith and secondly, he is full of power. He was able to do great wonders and signs in view of the public. His name is a common Greek name coming from the word “Stephanos”, meaning “crown” or “wreath”, such as what a winner in an athletic competition would wear after winning a contest. (1 Corinthians 9:25 And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown.). We know nothing about him prior to his appearance in Acts. Luke devotes a prime spot at the beginning of Acts to Stephen. He is the first non-apostle in the New Testament in which miracles and sermons of his were recorded. It is obvious that he had a powerful, visible, and influential ministry.

Faith comes from the word Pistis which is a conviction of the truth.
Power comes from the word Dunamis which means an ability given by God.
Wonders come from the word Tĕras, meaning trillion, and it points to the response to a sign. By its very nature, a wonder caused awe in those who saw it or heard it.
Signs or miracles (sēmĕiŏn) refers to supernatural things which point to a warning, instruction or encouragement from God. Signs and wonders were given by God to confirm His word.

(Matthew 12:38-39: Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, "Teacher, we want to see a sign from You." But He answered and said to them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.)

Acts 6:9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. It is possible that the “Freedmen” were a group of Jewish slaves or children of Jewish slaves who have been freed by Rome and had formed their own synagogue. Another commentary said that it also could have been a synagogue for Hellenistic Jews (Greek speaking Jews) who were visiting Jerusalem. What we can see is that this group of men was not local. Cyrene was in North Africa and Alexandria was in Egypt. Cilicia was Paul’s home turf. Stephen’s ministry was mainly to the Hellenistic Jews and the opposition came from this group. When Stephen was taking care of the needs of the new church, he taught “Jesus” and this group did not like it. Disputing with him, or better said, “Cutting him off”.

Acts 6:10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. Let’s replace the word “resist” with “withstand” and the picture becomes clearer. These “Freemen” wanted to debate Stephen and could not knock him down. Instead, it was Stephen who T.K.O.’d them. The Holy Spirit was with Stephen. Luke 21:15 records Jesus’ words, “…for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist.” And because of this, he was on fire. He knew the apostolic teaching and had no fear in sharing the truth about Jesus.

Acts 6:11-12: “Then they secretly induced men to say, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. Somehow I cannot help but to think of the trial of Jesus when Caiaphas sought false witnesses, and here we go again! The word “induced” suggests that is was by money or weighted suggestions (pressured). They say, “He spoke words against Moses and God”. Two issues here, maybe three. To blaspheme was punishable by stoning. In Matthew 12:31, it says, “Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven man.” The sin which will not be forgiven is the stubborn refusal to heed the Holy Spirit’s conviction and accept the forgiveness which is offered by Christ.

Blasphemy comes from the word blaptō, which means to harm and phēmē, which means speech, so together it means “harmful speech.”

Please note that Moses is placed before God and also placed with God on the same level in the matter of blasphemy. Why? The Sadducees accepted and studied only the writing of Moses in the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy. In their view, to blaspheme Moses was a crime.

Now in verse 12, we have the first recorded hostility of the masses against the Church. They came upon Stephen as if to rush him, seize him, as if to catch him after a pursuit. Resistance to the truth of the Gospel has increased from discussion to debate, from debate to slander, and from slander to violence; all because of Stephen’s “false witness” against the Jewish religious tradition.

Acts 6:13-14: They also set up false witnesses, who said, ‘This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; "for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us." Just as Caiaphas did with Jesus, we have a conspiracy here. It was done to Jesus in Matthew 26:59-61 (Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'“) and now the religious leaders were up to their old tricks again. This is not, however, a total fabrication, but a misrepresentation of Stephen’s actual words. He was just repeating what Jesus had said in John 2:19-21. Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

Stephen seems to be following the lead and instructions of the Apostles, teaching some version of the Good News, that the “new temple” was the believer, in whom the Holy Spirit dwelt and that the “Law” was now implanted on every believer’s heart.

What mattered to this group of religious/political leaders was Moses and not giving up their worldly position to become a servant of Christ which meant to serve instead of being served.

Acts 6:15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. Think about this…Stephen’s faced “glowed”. Did not Moses’ face “glow” after being with God? Do you think this was lost to the Sadducees? I think that they made the connection! Stephen’s glowing face, just like Moses’ was likely a reflection of God’s glory, a sign of God’s presence Acts 7:54-56) When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!"

Acts 7:1: Then the high priest said, "Are these things so?" With a Moses-like glow on his face, the Books of Moses solidly in his head and heart, the courage of Moses before Pharaoh, and the fullness of the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit of God, Stephen’s courage only answered his accusers.

We will stop there for the month. I am looking forward to all that we will learn as we move on.

Saints, I pray for you and love you. Remember that it is a spirit filled life journey to understand that God will not disappoint us. There is soul healing in God’s loving word and in 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 to the end. Let all you do, be done in love.

Semper Fidelis!
I Corinthians 16: 13-14
Phish Bowl Coffee House/Ministries
276 E. 29th St
Loveland, CO 80538
http://inthephishbowl.blogspot.com/
An outreach of Calvary Chapel Loveland