PBM April 2013

PHISH BOWL MINISTRIES

APRIL 2013

Phishing for saints until the nets are full…

                                                       Matthew 4:19
                                             He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed

Obviously, this was written before Easter Sunday, but is delayed in getting sent to you.  PBM is a process and each person has many expectations of their time; so we ask your understanding in this delay.  It is all still pertinent.  Blessings.

As we come nearer to Easter Sunday, I want to ask, “What is Easter and why do we celebrate it?  For Christians and non-Christians alike, it is a time of new awakenings and new birth, hunting brightly colored eggs hidden by the “Easter Bunny”, bright new clothing to wear, changing from the dark and drab of winter into warm springtime.  So, here’s some background about Easter:

Origin of Easter - Its Pagan Roots

The origin of Easter dates back to ancient times, not long after the global Flood recorded in Genesis 6-9 of the Bible. Nimrod, a grandson of Noah, had turned from following his grandfather's God and had become a tyrannical ruler. According to the biblical record, as king, Nimrod created Babel, Ninevah, Asshur, Calla and other cities, all known for lifestyles that promoted unspeakable evil and perversion. When Nimrod died, his wife, Queen Semiramis, deified him as the Sun-god, or Life Giver. Later he would become known as Baal, and those who followed the religion Semiramis created in his name would be called Baal worshippers. They became associated with idolatry, demon worship, human sacrifice and other practices regarded as evil.

The origin of Easter involves the birth of Semiramis' illegitimate son, Tammuz. Somehow, Semiramis convinced the people that Tammuz was actually Nimrod reborn. Since people had been looking for the promised savior since the beginning of mankind (see Genesis 3:15), they were persuaded by Semiramis to believe that Tammuz was that savior, even that he had been supernaturally conceived. Before long, in addition to worshipping Tammuz (or Nimrod reborn), the people also worshipped Semiramis herself as the goddess of fertility. In other cultures, she has been called Ishtar, Ashtur and yes, Easter.

The origin of Easter goes back to the springtime ritual instituted by Semiramis following the death of Tammuz, who, according to tradition, was killed by a wild boar. Legend has it that through the power of his mother's tears, Tammuz was "resurrected" in the form of the new vegetation that appeared on the earth.

According to the Bible, it was in the city of Babel that the people created a tower in order to defy God. Up until that time, all the people on the earth spoke one language. The building of the tower led God, as recorded in Genesis 11:7, to confuse their tongues to keep them from being further unified in their false beliefs. As the people moved into other lands, many of them took their pagan practices with them.

Contemporary traditions such as the Easter Bunny and the Easter egg can also be traced back to the practices established by Semiramis. Because of their prolific nature, rabbits have long been associated with fertility and its goddess, Ishtar. Ancient Babylonians believed in a fable about an egg that fell into the Euphrates River from heaven and from which Queen Astarte (another name for Ishtar or Semiramis) was "hatched."

Ref:  “All About Jesus Christ”  Origin of Easter-Resurrection Day

 Have you struggled with the true meaning of Easter versus traditionalism as I did? As a child, I knew nothing more about Easter than finding brightly colored dyed eggs (the more the merrier), the basket full of candy on the table and enjoying black jelly beans and chocolate bunnies, and as with every Sunday,  we went to church.  After becoming a Christian in 2000, I found out the real meaning of Easter or Resurrection Sunday.  The week before Jesus was crucified, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, signifying that he was a king of peace, not a king of war.  Most kings rode white horses, definitely not donkeys.  The Jews were thrilled that he was finally here and they cried out Hosanna, Hosanna (A shout of praise or adoration; an exclamation). Within that week, he had been tried for blasphemy for telling people that He is God; was ridiculed by the Pharisees; dragged before Pontius Pilate and then King Herod who dressed him in a gorgeous robe, mocking him and returned Him to Pilate for final disposition. The Jews cried out for Him to be crucified.  He was their King one week, their scapegoat the next.  The Roman soldiers, masters of torture and brutality, scourged him with a cat-of-nine tails embedded with metal and glass, grotesquely pulling out muscle, tissue, veins and parts of vital organs.  He must have lost most of His blood from all of His physical and emotional trials.  He was ridiculed as “The King of the Jews” with a crown of thorns, digging deeply into his head causing deep lacerations and more blood loss. And yet, He was still forced to carry His cross (either the entire cross or the cross bar) up a rocky hill to Golgatha (The place of skulls) where He was nailed to that cross through His hands and His feet.  Oh the agony that would have caused.  I cry “ouch” when I prick my finger!  These weren’t just small framing nails, these were thick, long, heavy nails and they pierced His hands and feet going through skin, muscles tendons and nerves!  Throughout this crucifixion process, his family grieved at the foot of the cross including Mary his mother, his Aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, Mary Magdalene and John the Beloved.  After he died on that cross, he was lovingly taken down by his friends and taken to a stone hewn tomb nearby, was covered in spices of myrrh and aloes and then wrapped in linens and laid to rest, forever, they thought. No, the soldiers didn’t let him out.  No, he didn’t swoon on the cross and then awaken in the tomb.  He was dead!   However, just as was prophesied, he rose from that grave 3 days later appearing to over 500 witnesses, some who wrote accounts of this and could actually confirm what happened. 

What difference does all of this make?  Who cares?  In the Old Testament, this scene was prophesied over and over again and it all happened just as it was prophesied. Some people today will argue that the Scriptures are man’s version of fairy tales, but there is no way that man could have prophesied the events surrounding Jesus’s life and death a thousand years in advance without Divine intervention. The events are played out perfectly and in the exact order that was prophesied.  Oh, Our God is so amazing. He chose to put these events into play so that man would believe in Him and His Son Jesus.   Do you believe?  Is Jesus your Lord and Savior?  Did He hang on that cross after being brutally beaten, spilling His blood for you?  Are you like the sinner who believed in Jesus as they were hanging dying on the cross, believing that Jesus is who He said He is?  If Jesus would forgive this man’s sins on a “death bed” confession, wouldn’t it make sense that He would forgive our sins too?  There is NOTHING that we have done or will do in the future that God will not forgive through his son Jesus if we are willing to confess the sin, repent and change our ways and follow Him and accept His forgiveness.  Won’t you ask Jesus into your heart today ridding your heart of the burden that you are carrying due to your sins?  He wants you and He seeks after you, just come to Him and let Him heal you!  Amen!

 Brightly colored Easter eggs, chocolate bunnies, items that are gone in a short period of time, versus Jesus who is for eternity; you choose.

This month’s Phish Bowl was written by Barb due to events out of the normal author’s control.  It is not verse by verse, but, hopefully written in the Spirit.  I am not a Bible scholar as many of you are…I know that many of you reading this have been studying the Scriptures far longer than I have and know much more than I do, but I wanted to share these events just from an everyday viewpoint.  All of this information is available in the Scriptures in the gospels: John 18-20 and Luke 22-24, and of course, throughout the entire Bible prophesies can be found.  I hope that you enjoy it and that there is something in here for everyone.

As you are all aware, Tom Clements, the director of the Colorado DOC was brutally murdered on March 20^th, 2013.  Why?  He was apparently killed because he embraced change and wanted conditions to be better in our prisons,  and because there is still evil in our world. Please continue to pray for his family and friends and for all Law Enforcement as they work to keep all of us safe, inside and outside of the walls.  “May the LORD bless you and keep you; The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace”. Numbers 6: 24-26.

 Phish Bowl Ministries is an outreach of

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