Phish Bowl Ministries
October 2012
Matthew 4:19
“Chummin’ for Saints…until the nets are full”
Beloved Saints,
Well, as I sit here and write, I can tell you that the first day of weather change has come upon us here in prison. Today’s yard was closed due to rain, and our minds are switching to get ready for hibernation time. Winter in prison is almost like winter in our walk with Christ, it seems to hit us in just one day and yet it lasts a season. But when the sun shows itself again in spring, we have to ask our self if we will be ready to go. Did we use our time wisely? Did we look at God to seek His will? Or did we choose to do nothing but sleep, to dream of time passed? God calls us to live, love, forgive and never give up. So are we a full-time Christian or a fair weather believer?
(Philippians 1:18b-30) and in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell. For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless to remain in the flesh is more needful for you. And being confident of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy of faith, that your rejoicing for me may be more abundant in Jesus Christ by my coming to you again. Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God. For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.
I fight the desire just to copy all of Philippians for you to read as I just read and was blessed by God’s message and I hope that you will take the time to read it also. Are you really alive in Christ or are you the walking dead? I see you full of joy when the sun is out on the yard talking as if it will last forever; but how your tone changes at the first rain cloud. How did we forget that God made both summer and winter? He is the same in both, so why, if we have the Holy Spirit living in us, are we not the same in both?
As we move to a close on Stephen’s speech and life, he is the same Stephen from Acts 6:1 all the way to Acts 7:60.
• Stephen as a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit (Acts 6:5)
• But he, (Stephen) full of the Holy Spirit (Acts 7:55)
Stephen’s words about the tabernacle and the temple were aimed at a people who had become unhealthy in their walk and worship. Over the years, the Israelites had come to place the actual building and its contents over God Himself. It was supposed to be a place to meet with God and others, but now it was a boasting place for a religious system. God cannot be put into a box or confined to a building no matter how hard the prideful man wants to do so. Be careful not to become part of the “We are the only ones who are right crowd” by getting caught up in the human religious system of do’s and don’t and forgetting the God who lives now. Many will boast of their church attendance as evidence of God’s favor yet their hearts have not been “circumcised”, that is, touched, changed, converted by God Himself.
(Matthew 23:25-28) "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.”Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. "Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
We might be good at fooling the man who sits next to us in church, but God will never be fooled.
(Acts 7:52-53) "Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, "who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it."
Here is a list of prophets that I could find who had been persecuted or killed. I did not add the apostles because at this time of Acts, they were still alive.
• Uriah (Jeremiah 26: 2-23)
• Jeremiah (Jeremiah 38: 1-6)
• Isaiah (Tradition says he was killed by King Manasseh 2 Kings 21:16)
• Amos (Amos 7:10-13)
• Elijah (I Kings 19:1-2)
• In Matthew 23:37, Jesus told how the Jews rejected God’s messengers (Luke 20:9-19)
• In Hebrews 11:35-38, “Killing of Prophets”
• Not only had the Jews killed the prophets who had foretold the coming of the Righteous One the Messiah, Jesus the Christ), but they had become His betrayers and murderers
Do we tend to miss God working around us? How fast do we forget His past works in our life and turn to man’s ways instead of resting and trusting His ways?
The church today would have told Abraham that he was crazy and out of God’s will as he packed his bags and left the civilized world to go to who knows where!
The church today could not see a God who is working in a brother who has been sold into slavery (or prison) by his own brothers.
The church today could not understand Moses as a famous superstar who gives up Hollywood to minister for Christ in Africa.
The men whom Stephen is talking to had received the Law and “have not kept it”, so how do we think we can keep the Law or some set of do’s and don’ts set by man?
Stephen finished his talk to this group who prided themselves on knowing and keeping the Commandments of God, by telling them that they disobeyed God’s Law, they that do not listen to Him, but instead listen to one another. They were surrounded by the Truth, they met the living Truth, but the truth never pierced their hearts. Instead of convicting them and changing their lives, the Law became something they used to condemn others and to justify themselves. Do not fall into their trap but humble yourself before God’s Word. Do not use the Bible to condemn others, but to change yourself.
(Acts 7:54) When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. (NKJV)
“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the Light.” ~~ Plato
(Acts 7:55-56) 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!"
Most people don’t know the following about me; this is one of my favorite verses in the Bible and let me tell you why! At this moment in Acts 6:5, Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. The evidence was that he wanted to do what pleased God. In contrast to the rage of the men of the high council (the Sanhedrin), Stephen was in control. He showed strength and courage and he “gazed to heaven”, keeping his eyes on God! Now don’t miss this…it is easy to overlook if we just read quickly. This is the first time since Acts 1 that we get to see the resurrected Christ (He lives!). Jesus is standing at the right hand of God in the place of honor and this is no small thing. Scripture makes it clear that the Christ, upon completion of His work, was to “sit” at the right hand of the Father.
• (Psalms 110:1) The LORD said to my Lord, "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool."
• (Mark 14:62) Jesus said, "I am. And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven."
(Colossians 3:1) If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.
• (Hebrews 1:3) who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
• (Hebrews 1:13) But to which of the angels has He ever said: "Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool"?
• (Hebrews 8:1) Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,
• (Hebrews 10:12) But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God,
• (Hebrews 12:2) looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
So why do we see the Christ “standing”? I think we need to look to Luke 12:8 (NLT), “If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God’s angels”. I like what F.F. Bruce wrote about this part.
“Stephen has been confessing Christ before men, and now he sees Christ confessing his servant before God. The proper posture for a witness (in those days) was the standing posture. Stephen, condemned by an earthly court, appeals for vindication to a heavenly court, and his vindicator in that Supreme Court is Jesus the Christ, who stands at God’s right hand as Stephen’s advocate”.
Can there be a more love reception than to have “the Son of Man” (Matthew 16:13 and Daniel 7:13) standing to receive you in Heaven?
Now this I also don’t want you to miss. Stephen “gazed into heaven”. There is a heaven! And he saw:
• The Glory of “God”
• “Jesus” standing at the right hand of God
• vs. 55, Stephen was full of the “Holy Spirit”
Now if we look back to Luke 3:21-22 as a sign of Jesus’ deity at His baptism:
• They heard “God’s voice”
“Jesus” was in the water
• The “Holy Spirit” descended
(Acts 7:57-58) Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.
“Saul”, (his Hebrew name) known to us as “Paul” (the Greek version of the name; see Acts 13:9), hated and persecuted followers of Jesus. To me, Paul’s life is a powerful example of how it is possible for God to reach and change any one.
How sad is the day when some people choose to close their ears to the Truth and turn from the living Christ. People here in America may not kill us for witnessing about Christ, but they will let us know that they don’t want to hear the truth and will try to silence us.
“It is a fascinating progression that has taken place in American culture. First, classical Christian orthodoxy was marginalized. Second, it became ostracized. Third, it became demonized. Fourth, it became penalized. And now the move would seem to be to have it criminalized”. ~~ Author unknown (but true)
(Acts 7:59-60) And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not charge them with this sin." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
“Lord, do not hold this sin against them”; words of forgiveness. Stephen had learned well from his Master. He learned how to serve his fellow believers (in any role), how to forgive others, and how to die. I could only pray that in some way, some small way, maybe the same could be said of me.
My fellow saints I pray for you and love you. Remember that it is a Spirit filled life journey to understand God. 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.
Love, Timothy
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
Saturday, September 29, 2012
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