Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Sept. 1, 2008

Go Fish Ministries, Inc. News Letter Sept. 1, 2008


Jesus said: Follow me and I will make you fishers for the souls of others. Matthew 4:19

Sis. Kimberly Hartfield, B.S. Christian Community Consultant/Spiritual Peer Counselor Contact: gofishbooks@gmail.com



Counselors Corner



Of Jesus Fish and Jelly Fish



As I walked along the Mississippi beach with my family earlier this summer I saw a familiar sight. Every few feet or so I saw the clear jelly-looking blobs washed ashore by the tides ebb and flow. Once filled with poison and dangerous to the touch, though now only lifeless blobs of vanity, tossed about by the waves. And then as I lifted my eyes off the ground and out into surf surging forward with the force of the rising tides I viewed another familiar sight. Every few minutes or so I’d catch a glimpse of a silvery-gold flying fish glimmering in the sunlight reflected on the water. The flying fish leaps high in the air on the wings of the wind with a freedom that most people only dream of having. As Christians, though, we should seek to always be more like the flying fish than a jelly fish. Instead of being a lifeless blob tossed about by the waves of life, we should seek the true freedom we have in Christ Yeshua, our Savior. We need to be Jesus Fish! We need to quit letting others control us with the waves of their emotions and strive to follow our Lord, who gives us freedom from all those commands of humanity; do this and do that.

When we seek to always live up to others expectations of us, instead of obeying what God truly wants of us, then we are indulging in a very poisonous form of idolatry. An empty vanity that seeks to put our own reputation above what God wants us to become. When we are more concerned about what others think about us than obeying what God told us to do, then we become nothing more than a spineless blob of vanity tossed about by every wave of their emotions. But if we truly put aside our own reputation to serve God with all of our being, then we can become more like the flying fish that soars above the tumultuous waves of life.

When God’s Spirit is the wind beneath our wings, then we will certainly fly higher and farther than we ever hoped to. Yet we cannot look at our present circumstances in hopelessness, but in the faith that God has promised better things for our future, whether in this life or the next. When we seek eternal rewards rather than the praise and honor that comes from our fellow human beings then we have become a faithful worker of God. And as Christ our Savior suffered and died for living a truthful and perfect life, we also, as faithful followers will sometimes suffer persecution, even when we strive to live a truthful and honorable life.

Christ told us that if the head of the household was called by the name of the devil, how much more will those of the household be called by those kinds of names. Christ was called Beelzebub by those who claimed to know God, but didn’t. Christ was also called a crazy person by some of those people. So we, as Christians, shouldn’t be surprised when others mock us for our faith, and living a lifestyle, that to them, may seem extreme. We don’t walk the same path as they do and are set apart for Christ. So we can’t expect them to understand the choices we make that seem unreasonable to them. But even if the whole of humanity is walking down the paved road to destruction, we need to be committed to walking down the lonely path of footprints in the sand, which leads to Christ.

We cannot be spineless jellyfish when serving Christ. We must have backbone enough to rise above the tides of sinful humanity and not be poisoned by the whims of worldly people. As Christians we are called to be separate from the ways of the world, though we must remain in it for the time being. There are few times in our lives when we can truly rise above those tides, but we must strive for perfection, even though we will never obtain it this side of heaven. Sometimes, we must soar above our earthly home on the wings of faith in order to rise above those tides that would toss us onto the beach of life, where we are eventually immobilized until we die. We must be ready to take a stand for all that we believe and know to be true, even when it seems the whole world is against us. We must be willing to be crucified with Christ, so that we may also share in the resurrection on that glorious day of our Christ’s return.



The First Letter from Peter



1[1-2] From Peter, a follower of Yeshua the Christ, to the Christians, who are scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, the chosen ones by the foreknowledge of YAHWEH GOD, through the setting apart and blessing of the Spirit, in the acceptance and cleansing power of the blood of Yeshua the Christ: May God’s grace and peace be given to you.

[3-9] Blessed be YAHWEH GOD, the God of Yeshua, the Christ, who for the great mercy of God, has given us a new life to live out our hope through Yeshua, the Christ, who came to life again from the dead, to an honorable and everlasting inheritance that won’t ever disappear, waiting for you in heaven, who are kept safe by the power of God through faith, ready to become known in eternity. You greatly celebrate in this, though now for a little while, if need be, your spirit is depressed by the many temptations you face: so that the test of your faith, being worth much more than gold that will be destroyed, though it is tested with many troubles, might be found with praise, honor, and victory at the appearance of Yeshua, the Christ: Whom you love without seeing; and even without seeing, you still believe, you celebrate with a joy beyond words and full of victory: Receiving the end reward of your faith, even the saving of your souls.

[10-12]This saving being what the great preachers have asked and searched carefully for, who preached before of the grace that would come to you: Searching for the meaning of what would happen, or when it would happen, when the Spirit of Christ, which was in them, truthfully told us ahead of time about the sufferings of Christ, and the victory that would follow. To whom it was revealed, so that they didn’t work for themselves, but for us in the things, which are now told to you by those who have preached the New Word to you by the Holy Spirit sent to us from heaven; which things, even the angels wanted to know.

[13-16] So let your mind be ready, use good sense, and hope till the end for the grace that is to be brought to you when Yeshua the Christ is made known; as acceptable children, not acting on what you wanted before you knew Christ: But as The ONE who has called you is holy, be truly good in everything you do; because the Word of God says, Be holy because I am holy.

[17-21] And if you call on the God, who judges each person for their actions without respect to who they are, and act with respect to God in the time of your stay here: knowing that your freedom wasn’t bought from your meaningless lifestyle, which you got from your ancestors’ way of life, with things that will disappear like silver and gold; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb with no flaw or fault: Who was really set apart at the beginning of the world, but was made known in these last times for you, who by the Christ believe in God, who brought back Yeshua from the dead, and gave the Christ victory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.

[22] Seeing you’ve cleansed your souls in accepting the truth through the Spirit to the heartfelt love of all Christians, see that you continue to love one another with a true heart: Being born anew, not of human origin, but of everlasting origin, by the Word of God, which lasts forever, because all humanity is like the grass, and all the glories of humanity like the flowers of the grass. The grass wilts, and its flowers die: But the Word of God lasts forever. And this is what is preached to you by the New Word.

2[1-5] So stop all hatred, untruthfulness, pretending, jealousy, and all sinful talking, but as newborn babies, crave the true milk of the Word, so that you can grow by it: that is, if you’ve truly tasted that God is gracious. To whom coming, as to a living stone, really being unaccepted by others, but chosen by God, precious, you also, as living stones, are built up to be a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Yeshua the Christ.

[6-10] This is why it’s in the scripture, I lay in Zion the first corner stone, chosen, precious: and whoever believes on this One won’t be ashamed, for those who believe that the Christ is precious: but to those who are disobedient, the stone which the builders wouldn’t accept, the same One is made the first cornerstone, And a stone to be stumbled over, and a rock to be offended by, to those who stumble at the word and don’t accept it: to which they were also chosen. But you’re a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own special people; that you would tell of the praises of The ONE who has called you out of darkness into God’s amazing light: Which in the past weren’t even a nation of people, but are now the people of God: which hadn’t found mercy, but now have found mercy.

[11-12] Dear loved one, I beg you as strangers and foreigners in this world, give up the sinful things your physical body wants that fight against your soul; Having an honest lifestyle among the other peoples: that even though they speak against you as being evil, they can see the good that you’ve done, and praise God in the day of Christ’s coming.

[13-25] Accept every human law for God's sake: whether it be to the highest ruler; or to governors, as to those who are sent for the punishment of those who are evil, and for the praise of those who do good; because this is the will of God, that by doing good you can silence the ignorance of stupid people: As free people, but not using your freedom as a cover-up for sin, but as the hired workers of God. Respect everyone. Love the Christians. Honor and respect God. Respect the rulers. Workers, be subject to your employers with respect; not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to the ones who are difficult. This is praiseworthy, if someone for conscience toward God keeps on going in sorrow, suffering wrongfully. And what good does it do, if, when you’re punished for your own faults, you take it patiently? But it’s praiseworthy with God if when you do good and suffer for it, you take it patiently. And this is why you were called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example to follow: Who never sinned, nor was untrue: Who when hated, didn’t hate back; who when suffering, didn’t threaten; but trusted in The ONE who judges rightly: the Christ’s own body taking on our sins on the cross, so that we, putting our sins to death, would live in goodness: by whose wounding you were healed, you being like animals going astray; but have now come back to the Keeper and Overseer of your souls.

3[1-4] In this way, you wives, accept your husbands leadership; that, if any of them don’t obey the word, they can, even without the word, be won by the actions of their spouses; by seeing your godly lifestyle, along with your respect. Let your beauty not be just the outward beauty of your hairstyle, of the jewelry you wear, or your clothing; But let it also be the unseen spirit of your soul, which can’t age or die, even the beauty of a peaceful spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

[5-7] It was in this way, in the old days, that the holy women also, who trusted in God, beautified themselves, accepting the leadership of their own husbands: Even as Sarah accepted what Abraham told her, with respect: whose daughters you are, as long as you do good, without being threatened with any great fear. And in this way, you husbands, live with your wives with understanding, giving respect to your spouses, as caring for one physically weaker than you are, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; so that your prayers will be heard by God.

[8] Finally, all of you be of the same mind, caring for one another, loving each other as a family, be merciful, be considerate: Not repeating evil for evil, or abuse for abuse: but instead be a blessing; knowing that you’re called to be so, so that you will inherit a blessing. Whoever loves life, and wants to see good days, let them stop speaking in sinful ways, and let them speak no untruthfulness: Let them stay away from evil, and do good; let them search for peace, and walk in it, because God watches over those who do good, and hears their prayers: but the face of God turns away from those who do evil.

[13-22] And who would harm you, if you do what is good? But if you do suffer for the sake of doing good, be happy: and don’t be afraid of them, nor be uneasy; But have great respect for YAHWEH GOD in your hearts: and always be ready to give an answer to everyone that asks you a question about the hope that is in you, with gentleness and respect: Having a good conscience; so that while they speak badly of you, as if you were evil, those who falsely accuse your good lifestyle in Christ will be ashamed. Because it’s better, if the will of God be so, that you suffer for doing good, than for doing evil. Just as Christ also has once suffered for sins, the good for the evil ones, in order to bring us to God, being put to death in the body, but brought back to life again by the Spirit: By which also the Christ went and preached to the imprisoned spirits; Which were disobedient, when once the patience of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being built, in which few, that is, only eight souls were saved by water. And like that, baptism now saves us (not by the washing of filth from the body, but because we have a good conscience toward God) by the new life of Yeshua the Christ: Who has gone into heaven, and now sits on the right side of God; with all the angels, authorities, and powers being put under the Christ.

4[1-6] So then as Christ has suffered for us in the body, in this way, get yourselves ready with this mind because whoever has suffered in the body has stopped letting sin control them; that they no longer would live the rest of their time in the body giving in to their human wants, but to the will of God. And we have spent enough of our past life doing what other people do, when we lived in filthiness, physical wants, drunkenness, partying, pleasure-seeking feasts, and sickening worship of other things: In this, they think it’s strange that you don’t go along with them in their uncontrolled behavior, speaking evil of you: Who will have to give account to the ONE who is going to judge the living and the dead. This is why the New Word was preached to those who are dead, too, so that they would be judged in the body for their humanity, but live for God in the spirit.

[7-11] But the end of everything is here: so use good sense, watch and pray. And above everything, have great love among yourselves, because love will overlook many sins. Welcome and serve one another without complaining. As each one has gotten a gift from God, in this way, use it to serve others, as good managers of the many graces of God. If anyone speaks, let them speak as the preachers of God; if anyone ministers, let them do it with the ability that God gives them: so that in everything God can be praised through Yeshua, the Christ, to whom praise and power is given forever and ever. So be it!

[12-14] My loved ones, don’t think these hard tests which try you are strange, as though something unusual happened to you: But celebrate, because as much as you’ve suffered with Christ, you can be happy with just as much joy when the Christ’s victory comes. If you’re unfairly blamed for your faith in the Name of Christ, you should be happy because the spirit of victory and of God rests on you: Christ is evil spoken of by their actions, but Christ will be praised.

[15-19] But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as one who does evil, or as a busybody in other people’s business. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, don’t let them be ashamed; but let them praise God because of it. The time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it first begin with us, what will happen to those who don’t obey the New Word of God? And if those who do good can hardly be saved, how can the ungodly and the sinner? So let those who suffer for the will of God entrust their souls in doing good, in the safe keeping of the faithful Creator.

5[1-5] I encourage the elders which are among you, as I am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also one who has taken part in the victory that is to become known: Take care of the flock of God that is among you, overseeing it, not because you have to, but because you want to; not for money, but be willing; not giving orders to God's people, but being examples to the flock. And when the Great Keeper appears, you’ll get a crown of victory that will never disappear. In this way, you young people, accept the lead of the elders. Yes, all of you accept the lead of one another with humility because God doesn’t accept those who are proud, and gives grace to those who are humble.

[6-11] So humble yourselves under the powerful hand of God, who will lift you up when the time is right: Giving God all your worries, because God cares about you. Use good sense and be watchful; because your enemy, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to eat up: Whom you should fight back, being firm in the faith, knowing that the same troubles are happening to others in the world. But the God of all grace, who has called us to everlasting victory in Christ Yeshua, after you’ve suffered a while, will make you complete, getting you started, strengthening, and settling you in your work. May God have victory and control forever and ever. So be it!

[12-14] I’ve written briefly by Silvanus, a faithful friend to you, as I think of him, encouraging you, and tell othersing that this is the true grace of God in which you stand. The church at Rome, which is chosen along with you, says hello to you; and so does Mark, my child. Say hello to one another with a kiss of love. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Yeshua. So be it!





The Second Letter from Peter



1[1-11]From Simon Peter, a worker and a follower of Yeshua the Christ, to those who have come to the same treasured faith as us by the goodness of our God and Savior, Yeshua the Christ: May grace and peace be given to you by the knowledge of God, and of Yeshua our Christ, as the power of God gives us everything we need for life and godliness, by the knowledge of The ONE who has called us to victory and goodness: By this, amazing and treasured truths were given to us: that by these you might have a godly nature, having been freed from wanting what is evil in the world. And besides this, give all your attention to adding goodness to your faith; and knowledge to goodness; and self-control to knowledge; and patience to self-control; and godliness to patience; and friendly care and concern to godliness; and love to friendly care and concern. Because if you have these things and grow in them, your life won’t be empty or unrewarding in the knowledge of our Savior, Yeshua, the Christ. But whoever doesn’t have these things can’t see what’s ahead, and has forgotten that they’ve been freed from their old sins. So dear Christians, be careful to make sure you were chosen and called, because if you do these things, you won’t fall: So your way will be fully cleared into the everlasting realm of our God and Savior, Yeshua the Christ.

[12-21] I won’t forget to remind you of this always, though you know it, and are now settled in the truth. Yes, I think I’m right, as long as I’m in this body, to wake you up by reminding you; knowing that shortly I must leave this body of mine, even as our Savior, Yeshua the Christ has told me ahead of time. Besides this, I’ll try to make sure you’ll always remember this after my death. Because we haven’t followed made-up story tales, when we made known to you the power and coming of our Savior, Yeshua, the Christ, but we saw for ourselves Yeshua’s greatness. And the Christ received from YAHWEH GOD honor and victory, when the voice of The ONE Worthy of Praise came to Yeshua, saying, “This is My Child, who I love, and am so pleased with.” And we heard this voice from heaven for ourselves, when we were with the Christ in the holy mountain. So we’re sure of the Word, which was given ahead of time; and you’ll do good to think of it as a light that shines in the dark, until the dawn of day when the sun rises in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no Word, which was given ahead of time in the scripture, is of any human origin. And because the word, which was given ahead of time in the old days, wasn’t created by the mind of any human being: but the holy ones of God spoke as they were led by the Holy Spirit.

2[1-11] But there were false teachers among the people then, even as there are among you now, who secretly teach damned falsehoods, even disowning the very Christ who paid the price for them, and who bring on themselves a quick ruin. And many will follow their evil ways; who will cause the way of truth to be spoken of as evil. And through greed they’ll get rich off of you with their false words: whose judgment has left them along time ago, and their damnation won’t end. If God didn’t even spare the angels that sinned, but threw them down to hell, and put them into chains of darkness, to be kept until the judgment; And didn’t spare the old world, but saved Noah, one of only eight people, a great preacher of goodness, sending the flood on the world of the ungodly; And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes, damned them to complete ruin, making them an example to those who live ungodly lives now; And saved Lot, who was good, but suffered greatly from the filthy acts of those evil people: (because living among them, that good person’s soul suffered daily by seeing and hearing their uncontrolled actions) But God knew how to save the godly from those temptations, and how to keep the evil ones to be punished until the day of judgment: But most importantly those who follow their physical instincts in their greed for evil things, and hate to be told what they should do. They are full of self-importance, and selfish, and they aren’t afraid to speak evil of those in power. While angels, which are stronger and more powerful, won’t even accuse them to God.

[12-16] But these people, like animals, made to be hunted and killed, speak evil of the things that they don’t understand; and will be completely destroyed by their own evil actions; And will pay for their ungodliness, as those who think it a pleasure to sin openly in broad daylight. They’re ruining your celebrations, openly sinning while they keep them with you, lying to themselves; Who look on others with sexual sin in their hearts, and who can’t stop sinning; tempting unstable souls with a heart that’s used to selfish actions; they’re cursed children: Who have left the right way, and have gotten lost, following the way of Balaam, the Child of Beor, who loved the payment of ungodly actions; But was scolded by a dumb donkey speaking with a human voice for his sin, which stopped the stupidity of the great preacher.

[17] These are wells without water, clouds that are carried by a stormy wind; for whom is kept the blackest of darkness forever. When they speak very nice words full of empty promises, they shamelessly tempt others with sexual sins of the body, even those who had already been freed from living in sin. While they promise them freedom, they themselves become controlled by their sin, because by the sin which a person is overcome, they are controlled by that same one. And if after they’ve been freed from the sins of the world through the knowledge of our God and Savior, Yeshua the Christ, they’re trapped in it again, and overcome, with the latter end being worse than they were in the beginning. It would have been better for them not to have known the way of goodness, than, after they’ve known it, to turn from the Holy Word that was given to them. But they do just like this truth says, “The dog goes back to its own vomit again; and the pig that was washed goes back to wallowing in the mud.”

3[1-7] This second letter, dear loved one, I now write to you; both of which I hope stirs up your pure minds by reminding you that you can remember the words which were spoken by the holy ones, and of our words, the followers of Christ our Savior: Knowing this first, that there will come in the last days those who will mock us, doing whatever they want to, and saying, “Where is the promise of the Christ’s coming? Since our ancestors died, everything continues as it was from the beginning of creation,” because they want to forget that by the Word of God the heavens were created long ago, and the earth surrounded by water: By which the world that was back then, being flooded with water, was destroyed: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same Word are kept waiting, until the ungodly ones suffer the fire of the day of judgment and the punishment of Hell.

[8-13] But, dear loved one, don’t be ignorant of this one thing, that with God one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. God’s promise is not forgotten, as some say; but God is very patient with us, not wanting anyone to be destroyed, but wanting everyone to change their ways. But the day of God will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will come to an end with a great noise, and the very elements will melt with great heat, and the earth too, along with everything in it, will be burned up. Seeing then that all this will disappear, what kind of people should you be in all holy behavior and godliness, looking for and hurrying the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens, being on fire, will disappear, and the elements will melt with great heat? Even so, because of God’s promise, we look for the new heavens and a new earth, in which only goodness lives.

[14] So, dear loved one, seeing that you look for these things, be careful that you can be found by God in peace, without flaws and faults. And know that we are saved by the patience of our Christ; even as our dear loved one, Paul, for the wisdom given to him has also been written to you; Who has in all his letters, spoken in them of these things too; which are sometimes hard to understand and which those who are untaught and unstable in the scriptures struggle, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own ruin. So you, dear loved one, seeing that you know this, beware in case you also, being led away with the errors of the evil ones, fall from your own faithfulness. But grow in the grace and knowledge of our God and Savior, Yeshua the Christ. To whom be victory both now and forever. So be it!





News Briefs

OneNewsNow.com



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Notes

• I have published a good part of my writing on the triond.com website, which can also be accessed through the Facebook and My Space web pages.

• If anyone has Christian based writings they’d like to contribute to this newsletter, you may email it to me to review and publish in upcoming Newsletters.

• I have good news! I just found out about a long term Katrina recovery project through the Salvation Army that helps people with things FEMA did not come through with. Since FEMA totaled my mobile home but only offered me a loan I could not get without a cosigner, this program helped me with the purchase of materials for the needed repairs. It provided all the materials for the needed projects and I have to provide the labor. I can do everything my self except the electrical stuff and the plumbing. They purchased over $3000 dollars worth of materials from Lowe's for me. God is so good!!!!!!!!!!!!! I never thought I'd get this kind of help since FEMA didn't come through. Just goes to show, don't depend on the government for your help. Depend on God alone and God will totally amaze you!!!!!!!!! Halleluia! Praise Yahweh!!!!!!!!!! Please pray for me while I attempt all these repairs myself. Thanks for praying!!!!!!!!!