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Phish Bowl Ministries

Christmas Edition December 2012

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

Matthew 4:19

Greetings to the saints!  What a blessed time of the year.  Christmas is almost here and I like the fact that no matter where you stand about the “day” called Christmas, there is just something about this month that is a little bit more joyful!  Even from behind the wall, we get to plan the Christmas program, start to get the stuff to make some food (spread) for friends and the guy down the cell block.  Some get special visits, others a card from loved ones.  So my hope is that you are going to make the best of it and look to the birthday   boy, Jesus; God’s gift to us.

       So here it is: I’m not looking to change anyone’s point of view or even to have minds set straight.  I’m not wishing to bring the pro-Christmas and the anti-Christmas brothers (note the word “brothers”) to the same table.  I thought about what to write for December, which is one of two months in which we stop our study in Acts, with the other one being Easter, to just focus on Christ and His birth, death and resurrection.  So, two thoughts just kept returning to my mind: First was the Purpose of Christmas and the second was Christ prophecies fulfilled.
     When looking into this, I saw that this could end up way too big for a small news letter.  So, I dropped it and moved on to the other subjects.  However, I had no luck or peace of mind.  Over and over, I came back to these two topics.  So I would try one and then the other just to have writer’s block.  So I had only one choice and that was to go down the road of the Holy Spirit’s choice, which I could have taken in the first place.
     First:  where do I stand?  I’m pro-Christmas.  I love this time of year and all that comes with it. For one month the world, like it or not, is setting aside their normal routines to decorate, send out cards, buy gifts, go to Christmas parties, go to church, sing songs, watch T.V. specials and travel to be with family.   It’s everywhere.  Not bad for a boy born some two thousand years ago in the Middle East.  Jesus the Christ is the most important person ever to be born, live and die.  So why shouldn’t I enjoy throwing a party for Him?

Matthew 2:1-3 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

Matthew 2:9-11 (NKJV)⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

 Luke 2:6-11 (NKJV)

⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.⁸ Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

          Let me head off something here.  We don’t know what the true date was of Jesus’ birth.  December 25^th was a pagan holiday that the Catholics claimed for their own.  I know nothing about this pagan day and as for December 25^th, if I had the right day, I would still celebrate my Lord’s birth.  So for now, December 25^th is a good day to set aside.

Luke 2:13-14 (NKJV) ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:  ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

     So, if the angels in heaven stopped to rejoice at Jesus’ birth, so will I.  Now for my second thought “Prophecies fulfilled”, the website www.accordingtthescriptures.org, states that there are 350 prophecies.  The book The Real Messiah said that the Old Testament contains 333 with 456 specific facts or details concerning the Christ.  In no way am I even going to try to cover all of them!  Instead, we will just look at a few that we can hold on to and use when talking to others.
     Let’s start with this:  Prophecy is defined as a “pre-written history”, therefore,
     ·        He would come from the line of Abraham,                           Gen 2:3, 1400 years B.C.
·        He would come from the line of Judah, Genesis 49:10, 1400 years B.C.
·        He would be born of a virgin, Isaiah 7:14, 750 years B.C.
·        He would have a forerunner who would proclaim His coming, Malachi 3:1, 425 years B.C.
·        He would miraculously heal many
§  “The blind will see”
§  “The deaf will hear”
§  “The lame will walk”. Isaiah 35:5-6, 750 years B.C.
·        He would speak in parables, Psalm 78:2-4, 1000 years B.C.
·        He would make a triumphant entry into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey, Zechariah 9:9, 500 years B.C.

A college class in Pasadena, CA applied the laws of probability regarding the fulfillment of eight Old Testament prophecies and they concluded: one man fulfilling just eight of these prophecies would be the equivalent of: 280,000 x 1000 x 10,000 x 1,000 x 10,000 x 100,000 x 10,000 x 10,000.  In short, the odds are so great that it would seem impossible for Jesus NOT to be the Messiah!

PROPHECY: Micah 5:2 (NKJV) 700 years B.C.

² “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah,
Though you are little among the thousands of Judah,
Yet out of you shall come forth to Me
The One to be Ruler in Israel,
Whose goings forth are from of old,
From everlasting.”

 

FULFILLMENT: Luke 2:4-7 (NKJV)

⁴ Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, ⁵ to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. ⁶ So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. ⁷ And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
      Now as to why we should celebrate Christmas:  It is a time for celebration, a time for salvation and a time for reconciliation.

A Time for Celebration

“This is the day of the Lord’s victory; let us be happy, let us celebrate!”  Ps. 18:24 TEV Christmas is a birthday party for Jesus!  It is why we say “Merry Christmas” to one another.  We learn this from the angels in Luke 2:10.  God had wonderful news for us and because of this news, we should want to rejoice, celebrate and throw a party!

      “I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people”, Luke 2:10 NIV .The entire reason for Christmas is the love of God.  God loves you so much that He came to earth as a human so that you could get to know Him and love Him back.  In this same way, we should go out of our way to love others for Christ’s sake.  Many people often feel alone at Christmas and we need to reach out to tell them that God came to earth and He is always with us.  That’s a fact whether you feel it or not.  One of God’s great promises to you is:  “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you.  When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown.  When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; for the flames will not consume you”. Isaiah 43:2  NLT

  A Time for Salvation

“When the right time finally came, God sent His own Son.  He came as the son of a human mother and lived under the Jewish law”.  Galatians 4:4 TEV .Years ago I was sitting in a holding cell in county jail.  It was hot, smelly and it was crowded.  I noticed a middle-aged man who was well dressed with his head in his hands holding back his tears and I heard him say in a soft voice:  “Please, God!  Get me out of this.”  He was crying out for a Savior.  Because he couldn’t free himself, he needed someone bigger and more powerful to rescue him from his imprisonment.  Have you ever felt like that?  I think in many ways we all have.  Maybe you or someone you know is feeling that way this Christmas.

         Salvation is often described as deliverance from sin, self and Hell.  Yes that is true, but it is so much more.  We were not only saved from something bad, we were saved for something good.  “In Christ Jesus, God made us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing” ~~Ephesians 2:10 NCV  Another word for salvation is “freedom”.  “I was in trouble, so I called to the Lord.  The Lord answered me and set me free”.  ~~Psalm 118:5 NCV  From what did Jesus set you free?

v Free from guilt over the past

     v Free from bitterness and resentment
     v Free from the expectations of others
     v Free from addictive habits
     v Free from fear of death      

This Christmas, accept the free gift of freedom which God has given to you.

A Time for Reconciliation

“Now we rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God---all because of what our Lord Jesus the Christ has done…making us friends of God”. ~~Romans 5:11  TLB

The other day, one of the news station reported that as of today, there are 32 large or small wars going on right now in the world.  We don’t seem to be very good at living in peace with each other.  Walking around in prison, it seems we are really good at disagreeing, fighting and not having anything to do with “that person”.  Since Christ came in part for reconciliation, which is restoration of peace with God, with others, and in your own heart, shouldn’t the spirit of reconciliation be in abundant supply today especially between the followers of the “Prince of Peace”?  What I see is that the biggest thing which stops reconciliation is unforgiveness.  We were wronged and refuse to give to others what Christ gave to us.  Christ has forgiven all we did to Him and is in a love relationship with us today.  He does not hold our past against us.  So why do we hold the past against others?  Self centeredness is the answer.  I want everything my way! Until we stop demanding others to forgive us first and start to do what Christ did for us first, we will not know peace.  The only way we can have this peace in our families, work place, church, in our lives, is to have the Prince of Peace reigning in our hearts.  Jesus came at Christmas to bring to us three kinds of peace:

·       Peace with God
·       The peace of God
·       Peace with others
     God wants you to experience the joy of peace in your lives by becoming peace makers with others.  Christmas, the season of “Peace on earth, good will toward men” is the perfect time to offer the gift of grace to others while celebrating the grace which God has shown to you.
     In closing, I hope you all noticed, that I chose not to talk about Christmas trees, Santa Claus, shopping or any of the worldly things but instead chose to talk about what Jesus did.  I chose to celebrate the fact that my King is born.  I chose to tell others about this freeing gift.  I chose to open doors for forgiveness and pray one day others will find a way to forgive me.  You have a choice to spend this time of year complaining and being a downer Christian or share the joy of salvation and forgiveness with others.  It is a choice:

Promote reconciliation

Equip servant leaders
Assist the poor
Care for the sick
Educate the next generation

You are loved and needed, Merry Christmas!     Timothy

P.S.  I wanted to share with you all what a friend shared with me.

 The Love of a Grandmother

Steve Trotz

Throughout my incarceration there have been many lessons that I have learned; some the hard way and some a bit easier.  But one of the biggest lessons I learned came in the form of one of my favorite people, my grandmother.

         All throughout my life our family went to my grandma’s house for the holidays.  She always had something sweet to say and eatJ.  This became a very fond time for my brothers, sister and me. Throughout the year we would count the days until we could go to Grandma’s house.  Then came my teenage years, which is when my life took a turn for the worse.  We all know that our decision making process was lacking to say the least during our teenage years.  Well, mine was worse.  Drugs and alcohol had taken over my life and there was no influence that could penetrate the hold that my addictions had on me.  This led me into one of my biggest regrets.  I began stealing money from my grandmother every time our family would visit.  I was caught once and it was so embarrassing I allowed myself to separate for a very long time.
         After being arrested, I was called by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This was a life changing event.  I began to look upon my past with distain, yet could not begin to forgive myself for some of the things that I had done.  Stealing money from my grandma was one of those things.  After years without contact, we began corresponding again.  It was hard for me, because I could not understand why she was being so nice.  I thought she must hate me.  One time in a letter I brought up the money and honestly repented to her.  I believe this was in part due to her being so loving and sympathetic to me.  Then she did something that I did not understand, she forgave me.  This blew my mind, after all these years she actually forgave me.  This led us into a conversation about the Lord.  That is when I realized the extent that Yeshua our Messiah forgave us.  This was a powerful lesson.  I offered to pay her back when I could and my dear Grandma said no.  This brought tears to my eyes because it confirmed the forgiveness that she so easily offered.
         This is being written to all the grandmothers, mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers out there reading this.  Your forgiveness shows the love that Jesus gave us all.  It is very important for our growth as prisoners.  Through this letter I want to honor all of you in the stress and pain that we in our past lives have caused.  You are so very appreciated to us and you need to know that.  It is in your forgiveness that we can find the key to learn to forgive ourselves, and build our relationship to our father in Heaven.
         I will close with a thank you, and an I love you to all of my family reading this, this is for all of you also.

 WHITE CHRISTMAS

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know, where the treetops glisten and children listen, to hear sleigh bells in the snow…” This verse is of course, from the song “White Christmas” lovingly sung by Bing Crosby for many, many years, at least during my childhood. This Christmas, though, I’m dreaming of a different “White Christmas”. How about:

 “What can wash away my sins?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

What can make me whole again?

Nothing but the blood of Jesus!

Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

     At Christmas time, we think about the baby Jesus as He was born in Bethlehem. It is truly a special time and it is amazing that God even performed this miracle. Remember though, that Jesus grew up to be a sacrifice for our sin. When we became believers we realized that we were saved through Jesus and we can tell our family about Him. God sent His Son, Jesus to cover our sins and make us white as snow through Jesus’ blood. After we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, when we sin, God sees that sin through Jesus’ blood sacrifice and not as our sin! What could be more wonderful than that? Do your family members know Jesus? Do they have a relationship with Him? As believers it is our great pleasure to tell them about our relationship with Jesus and to tell them how they can have a relationship with Jesus as well. It’s not always that easy to tell friends and family about Jesus is it? However, one of the best ways that we can tell them about Jesus is by letting them see the changes that He has made in our lives! Yes?

John 4:35 "Do you not say, 'There are still four months and then comes the harvest'? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
Rev 7:14 And I said to him, "Sir, you know." So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 1Pe 1:19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

The above passages are ones that I found regarding Jesus washing us as white as snow, but I am sure that there are many more. Here’s a visual for you. As you are outside this winter enjoying the falling snow, envision your sins being physically washed away by Jesus’ blood and making you as white (or even whiter) than the snowflakes which are falling! We don’t deserve it, but it’s a wonderful gift given to us by our Heavenly Father, just because He loves us! Bask in it. Delight in it. I’m smiling just thinking about the snow covering me and that representing the cleansing!

     Saints, we pray that each of you have a blessed, beautiful Christmas no matter what your circumstance may be! We pray that your Christmas be white with snow on the ground and in your hearts. Spread the good news!  Unbeknownst to Barb, Tim wrote December’s PBM.  Unbeknownst to Tim, Barb wrote December’s PBM. So, you get a really extended one this time!  We hope that you enjoy this and that it will have meaning for each of you. Blessings!