PHISH BOWL MINISTRIES
Chummin’ for saints…until the
nets are full
Matthew 4:19
August 2013
Beloved
Saints,
Open your eyes and look around, see
the beauty in the world around you. Are
you able to do this? Or, is the darkness
that you choose to look at overtaking the beauty? What I mean is many times we make our own
weather. Take today; it is a sunny,
warm, peaceful Sunday afternoon. Now I
can enjoy this day right now or spend the time locked in my box dwelling on the
past, a negative situation, or some unknown future. I believe that this is how Satan gets us and
keeps us off track. When we give in, we
are inactive! The world will still spin
with or without us as we spin a web of despair.
The problem I come up with this
self-serving attitude is that I don’t find it anywhere in the Book of
Acts. The Bible will go on to tell us to
find all joy in any situation. My
friend Peter K. once gave me a note out of the blue that read:
J: Jesus
O: Others
Y: You
Seek second place!
I find this
is a simple but true statement, one that is grown in Christ’s teaching and is
the underlying teaching in this next part of Acts.
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of
the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda. 33 There
he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years and was
paralyzed. 34 And Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ
heals you. Arise and make your bed.” Then he arose immediately. 35 So
all who dwelt at Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 At
Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas.
This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds which she did. 37 But
it happened in those days that she became sick and died. When they had washed
her, they laid her in an upper room. 38 And since Lydda
was near Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent two
men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them. 39 Then
Peter arose and went with them. When he had come, they brought him to
the upper room. And all the widows stood by him weeping, showing the tunics and
garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 But
Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And turning to the body he
said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat
up. 41 Then he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and
when he had called the saints and widows, he presented her alive. 42 And
it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed on the Lord. 43 So
it was that he stayed many days in Joppa with Simon, a tanner.
Luke takes a turn here in Acts. We have been learning about Saul but Luke
switches gears and takes off with Peter.
As it goes with Phish Bowl, we teach line by line.
I must be honest, up to now, I’ve
always just read over this section, not even stopping to take a good look, and
as a result, I missed a small but big message.
Like a trickle of water falling from the sky that lands on the ground
and mixes with other plops, a single sentence foreshadows the great flood of
God’s mercy to the Gentiles. This is a lesson to me to always take my tine
in the Word. There is no rush since
there is no end in learning Father’s truth.
By rushing, we will miss some Grade A meat to chew on. Here’s a teaser: I want to save this piece
until the end of the teaching, so read on.
32 Now it came to pass, as Peter went through all parts of
the country, that he also came down to the saints who dwelt in Lydda.
We left Peter in Acts
8:25 as he was returning from Samaria to Jerusalem with John and a new found
religious tolerance. We pick him up here
not going straight back to Jerusalem to the Jews, but instead, he is going from
town to town visiting the believers and not just Jewish believers, but Gentile
believers also. Now I know of a group of
men who will ask how I know this; the Bible doesn’t say that. Oh yes it does my friends. First is “believers”, second is the “Lords
people”. Now they are in the town of
Lydda, a predominately Gentile community about 25 miles west of Jerusalem. Acts 8:1 told us that the Jewish believer who
was being persecuted in Jerusalem left and some of these believers settled in
Lydda. Luke is not in the habit of
writing something just to write it.
There are two groups in this verse.
“The believers” are Gentiles, and in this context, “the Lord’s People”
are Jewish believers.
33 There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been
bedridden eight years and was paralyzed.
OK, we know little to nothing about
this man named “Aeneus”, only about his healing. There is however, some great insight to this
group of believers and in how we are to act in our new life in Christ. The first thing I see is that Aeneas is found
with the believers. In the gospels, we
see many people who are lame, blind and sick, but they are almost always outside
of the main group. Now in the Church we
have brought them in to be as one, not some outcast. Secondly, let me use the NIV, “Jesus Christ
heals you. Get up and take care of your
mat”. Two things here: Jesus heals, not Peter, and there is a
command; “Get up and take care of your mat”. How often as new believers are we taught to
do nothing after coming to the Lord, or are not challenged to change our past
life style. Here Jesus tells this man
the opposite. Get up, stop just sitting
around and take care of your responsibilities!
You are new in Christ; you’re not the old man!
35 So all who dwelt at Lydda
and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.
I believe that because Aeneus’ new life (walk) was so different that
not just Lydda but the next city also turned to the Lord. Can this be the side of your walk?
36 At Joppa there was a certain disciple named Tabitha, which
is translated Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and charitable deeds
which she did. 37 But it happened in those days that she became
sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.
Fun
fact time! Tabitha (Hebrew), Dorcas
(Greek) and Gazelle (English) are all names for the same woman. It would seem as though Miss Tabitha spent so
much time with the Gentile believers that Luke chose to note her Greek
name. Also, it was not the custom of
Jewish people to leave dead bodies sitting around. This would make the house and all in it
“unclean”. The Greek did not have
problems in mourning in this matter.
This is another change in the Church from its’ Jewish roots.
38 And since Lydda was near Joppa, and to delay in coming to
them. 39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he had come,
they brought him to the upper room. And all the widows stood by him
weeping, showing the tunics and garments which Dorcas had made while she was
with them.
To
travel the 10 miles from Joppa to Lydda, it would take about eight hours. Now this text indicates this was done without
wasting any time. The text tells us that
disciples were sent, but it was customary to travel with a companion, and in
that time it took two witnesses. Here’s
something really cool. Dorcas is not
just someone who attends Sunday service, but she is actively involved in her
church body. Her death seems to be a
major blow to this body of believers.
Can this be said of us? Would our
death leave a little, medium or large hole in our church body?
40 But Peter put them all out, and knelt down and prayed. And
turning to the body he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and
when she saw Peter she sat up. 41 Then he gave her his
hand and lifted her up; and when he had called the saints and widows, he
presented her alive.
Does it seem like we might have read this
somewhere else? Maybe in Mark 5:35-43, the
raising of the daughter of Jairus. I
don’t think this is by accident. Peter
had been an eyewitness to the little girl being brought back to life and here
Peter does things the way Jesus showed him and taught him. So, just like Jesus, he first asked everyone
to leave the room. He then got down on
his knees to pray. He knew this was not going
to be done in His power, but by Jesus’ power.
Next fun fact: In most
translations of the Bible, Peter said, “Get up Tabitha”. But Luke records it as “Tabitha, cumi”
(Aramaic). I don’t think this is a
mistake. Jesus said in Aramaic “Talitha,
cumi”-little girl arise! Peter said
Tabitha, cumi”- Tabitha arise! Did you
see that the names Talitha and Tabitha are only different by one letter? I wonder if Peter smiled at that or just at
the whole situation. Peter, the old rough and tough seaman now gives us insight
into his new nature. “He gave her his
hand and helped her up”. He was no
longer a calloused, weathered man, but a gentleman. I have to ask the men of our churches, are we
still trying to be John Wayne in our church or someone who can be called a
gentle man, a loving man. Do you give
tough love without the love?
42 And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed
on the Lord. 43 So it was that he stayed many days in Joppa
with Simon, a tanner.
Okay, we made it to the part that stopped me dead in my tracks; just a
drop in the sea. Peter knew that faith
solely built on experiences tends to be rather shaky. So he chose to invest in these new believers
and teach them the whole truth about our walk.
Don't miss this moment. He stayed
with a man named Simon, who was a “leather worker”. Is that it Tim? You gotta be pulling my chain…wow! A leather worker…that’s a big deal. Well, yes it is my friends, it’s a game
changer.
A
leather worker made animal hides into leather.
Hence, this occupation involved contact with dead animals and Jewish law
considered it an “unclean” job. Peter
was already beginning to break down his prejudice against people who were not
of “his kind” and customs that did not adhere to Jewish religious traditions. This would set the stage for what is coming
next in Peter’s life and for us in Acts.
He is setting aside his Jewishness, the last of the do’s and don’ts to
reach a fallen world with the message of Jesus.
Because of his willingness to be molded by Jesus he will be used to
usher in the use of the Gentiles. Acts
10 describes the Spirit’s sovereign activity in a Gentile army officer
life. The one true God---the God of the
Hebrews, was going to unveil his eternal plan hidden through the ages: “There is no longer Jew or Gentiles…we are
all Christians…one in Christ Jesus”. Gal
3:28. I’m so looking forward to
this next part of the Bible.
Updates:
Hand/arm still waiting for surgery. I changed jobs from the fiberglass shop to
the furniture shop, I was recruited.
This is more of a warehouse style job, about 10 times more the size of
my old shop. I love learning new things. My daughter Brontë turns 18 this month. Maybe this is the year for forgiveness and
restoration. “Happy birthday, Hot
Rod! I’m proud of you. Love, Dad”.
No word from community corrections; God knows.
Semper fidelis! Love your brother, Timothy. I Corinthians 16:13-14
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