PBM Mar2013

PHISH BOWL MINISTRIES

March 2013

“Chummin’ for Saints until the nets are full”

Matthew 4:19

Dear Phish Bowl family,

I cannot believe that it is March already.  Time seems to be going faster and faster these last few years.  I do hope that it is a sign that our Lord is returning soon.  I know that I am ready.

I wanted to start off with some updates.  I’m doing well.  Ever since moving back to cell house 7 (the Big house-250 inmates), it seems like spring time to me.  I’ve always been a big city boy.  Father is working in me and around me and I am so thankful to be a part of this.   Now I say this, but for you who are not behind these walls, we have been spending a lot of time on and off of lockdowns due to some people not getting along very well.  With all of the ups and downs, it gives me a chance to shine brighter for Jesus and our study in Acts has helped big time!  I think of the hard time which Philip might have had to face, leaving home and friends (we never read of any travel partners of Philip) to go to a strange land to teach about Jesus our Savior (who, by the way, had just died a criminal death in the eyes of the world).  And I think that I have it bad!   

Let’s look at the next part of our study in Acts.  If I was into titling my teaching, I would call this one “Mysterious Ways to Go”.  Last month we read about Philip and the things that were being done in and around Samaria by Peter, John and Philip.  In today’s thinking, when you get a good thing going, don’t rock the boat.  But we are about to see Philip leaving that successful ministry to travel on a desert road.  Why?  Because Philip went where God sent him, even it is seemed like a demotion.  At first you may not understand Father’s plans, but in time, you will see that God’s way is the right way.

Acts 8:26-40        “Christ Is Preached to an Ethiopian”  ²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. ²⁷ So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet. ²⁹ Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”³⁰ So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. ³² The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.  ³³ In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” ³⁴ So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?” ³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. ³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” ³⁷ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ³⁸ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. ³⁹ Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

I’m sitting here just taking in what we just read and thinking of what to cover.  As you have heard me say many times, I would love to break this into at least 4 teachings, but our format just doesn’t allow that.  We are seeing the gospel of Christ leaving a purely Jewish audience and beginning to spread to the world.

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” This is desert. ²⁷ So he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasury, and had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁸ was returning. And sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

The angel of the Lord appeared many times throughout Scripture giving directions to people:
v Hagar                                Genesis 16:9
v Abraham                         Genesis 22:11-15
v Moses                               Exodus 3:2
v Balaam                             Numbers 22:22-35
v The Nation of Israel   Judges 2:1-4
v Gideon                              Judges 6:12, 21-22
v Samson’s parents       Judges 13:3-21                                                                        
v Elijah                                 I Kings 19:7, 2 Kings 1:3
v Joseph                               Matthew 1:20, 2:13
v Zechariah                        Luke 1:11
v Shepherds                      Luke 2:19
v Peter in prison             Acts 5:19, 12:7
v Philip                                 Acts 8:26
Without one single question recorded by Luke, Philip got up and went.  God handled the details.                      

Here’s some information that I read about the Ethiopian eunuch.  He was traveling home to Ethiopia, Africa which is south of Egypt from Jerusalem.  Now this was a long way to travel just to go to church, but he did and it looks like he was a gentile who converted to Judaism.  “Candace” was a title for a monarch of Ethiopia, similar to the way “Pharaoh” was used in Egypt and “Caesar” in Rome.  His position tells us that he was an extremely high and trusted member of that government.  Side note:  Deuteronomy 23:1 tells us that the Law prohibited a eunuch from entering “the assembly of the LORD”.  But Isaiah 56:3-5 speaks of eunuchs being accepted by God.  Now there is also a possibility seen in Greek writing that the word “eunuch” may have been simply a governmental title instead of its usual meaning which is a man who has been emasculated (not my word).

⁹ Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”³⁰ So Philip ran to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
There were plenty of differences between Philip and this eunuch that Philip could have used as an excuse to not to start a conversation: racial, religious, and money class differences.  Philip could have used any of these to avoid doing God’s work.  He could have talked himself out of it by telling himself that the eunuch’s guard would think he was a robber, a beggar or just a fool.  These things did not stop him.  Philip went!  I have to ask myself, “Do I follow God this simply and completely?  Do I share Christ as boldly when I have to cross over to the other side”?  I like how Philip shares the Lord and he uses great tools.  First is patience: He waited to find out where the man was in his understanding and second was to meet him there.

³¹ And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him.   
The eunuch spoke what many have said or felt over the years.  Do you encourage others around you to ask questions about the Bible or do you make them feel stupid when asked by not meeting them where they are currently in their understanding?  I once was pulled aside by a pastor for asking an elementary question in Bible study and was told not to ever do that again as I was more mature than that.  I never asked another question until my fall from Grace.  Now you can have my church title and I will keep asking and answering questions.  We need patient, humble Saints in our churches to help explain Christianity to all who inquire.

³² The place in the Scripture which he read was this: “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth.  ³³ In His humiliation His justice was taken away, And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth.” ³⁴ So the eunuch answered Philip and said, “I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?”

Some people think that the Old Testament isn’t need today.  Phish Bowl does not believe this.  Philip led this man to faith in Jesus Christ by using the Old Testament and the story of Jesus the Christ.  God’s entire Word is for all people in all ages.  The eunuch was reading Isaiah 53 and there is no better picture of Jesus the Christ than in this passage.  Philip took advantage of the opportunity to talk about Jesus.  How did he do this?  First Philip followed the Spirit’s leading, secondly Philip began right there and thirdly, he pointed to Jesus.

³⁵ Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. 

Note this:  Philip used the Scriptures, not some other book.  Just God’s Word.

³⁶ Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” ³⁷ Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” ³⁸ So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 

Most of the earlier Greek manuscripts do not include verse 37.  It may have come from the early church and put here because there is no record of the conversion between Philip and the eunuch prior to baptism.  Water baptism is an outward, visible sign of one’s identification with Christ and with the Christian community.  This was one of the first acts of new converts in the early church.  By getting baptized, he was publicly proclaiming his faith in Christ.  Baptism sends a powerful message to family and friends about one’s obedience in Christ.

 ³⁹ Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, so that the eunuch saw him no more; and he went on his way rejoicing. ⁴⁰ But Philip was found at Azotus. And passing through, he preached in all the cities till he came to Caesarea.

Suddenly, Philip was transported some 20 miles to his next new job site for Jesus, spreading the message of Jesus to even more gentiles.  The next time we will see our old friend Philip is in Acts 21, some 20 years later and he is still being a faithful witness of Jesus.

Let me ask you something.  At work when you hear, “I’m worried about my job, my future, my marriage, my children or I’m afraid of dying”, think about this being your passing chariot, an open door for the Good News of the Gospel.   When you are on the yard and hear, “I don’t like myself, nobody likes me, should I be involved in this or that, what does God have to do with all of this”; it could be your passing chariot, an open door for the Good News of the Gospel.  What if you heard, “My cancer is back, my wife is leaving me, my mom died, I have no one to call”, this too could be your passing chariot.  Be ready to ask and answer those all important questions about this life and the one to come. (Be prepared in season and out).

Keep this in mind: listen and adapt His message to the needs of the one in front of you; don’t wait for others to adapt to you, learn your lingo, come to your meeting, to enter your safe Christian bubble.  Listen to them, love them and lead them to our King.

Saints, the reason for Phish Bowl Ministries is to encourage everyone to love the people in our own Phish Bowl with the message of Christ’s love for them, to meet their needs, to show them a life changing relationship with Jesus through the Word and your walk.  This is done by studying God’s Word verse by verse, prayer and fellowship.  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.

Semper fidelis!  Love your brother, Timothy.  I Corinthians 16:13-14

Phish Bowl Ministries is an outreach of:

Calvary Chapel Loveland
276 E. 29^th St.
Loveland, CO  80538