By
Tim O’Malley
Welcome
to Life Lessons. Life is a journey and is filled with many surprising twists
and turns. A wonderful reality is that we are not journeying alone because the
Maker of the Universe is watching over our every step. Sometimes the road is
rough and uphill and sometimes we are carried on His shoulders. But in all
circumstances, He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. These articles reflect my journey with the
Lord Jesus Christ and boast of His great love and power at work in my life and
in the lives of others. My prayer is that they inspire you to seek Him with all
your heart, because in doing so, you will find Him.
ARTICLE LISTING
Touched
by an Angel.....Really! Part 1
Touched by an Angel.....Really! Part 2
And I will pour out My Spirit!
We Wrestle Not Against Flesh & Blood!
Seeds of
Conflict in the Middle East
(Or, Abraham, what were you and
Sarah thinking?!)
Good News for Teens and ‘Tweens!
My Top Ten List of Things
that Please the Lord
You Know Not the Day, nor the Hour:
Surviving
Cancer and Other Annoyances
Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Drugs
(Use Your Browser Printing to Print these Articles)
Touched by an
Angel.....Really!
(My Personal Testimony)
Part 1
By
Tim O'Malley
We’ve all seen
episodes of ‘Touched by an Angel’ and most of us have heard the stories
in the Bible of how “...the angel of the Lord encamps round
about those that fear Him, and delivers them.”- Psalm 34:7. The Bible has quite a lot to say about the role and ministry of
angels. I remember as a child how my mother would pray with me before
bedtime and tell me how my guardian angel was always watching over me.
Little did I know that I was one day going to experience their ministry in my life.
I grew up in a very solid Christian home
where family prayer was taught and lived. As a child I felt very close to
the Lord. Unfortunately, when I became a teenager, I thought it was no longer
cool to go to church so I stopped going. Interestingly, things started
going wrong in my life and I found myself getting into a lot of trouble.
I’ll spare you all the ugly details and just tell you that God started sending
me messages through the difficulties I began to experience. Each time I
ignored His warning, my troubles increased.
I’m not sure how I survived my High
School years other than the fact that God’s hand was upon me. When I was
19, I went out partying with my friends up to Big Sur on the central
Highway 1 runs about 150 miles from
I’ll never forget that night. We got out
of the car to look at the stars. It was pitch black, no moon, and the
stars seemed so close that they almost knocked you over when you looked up.
They stretched all the way to where the sky met the ocean. I began to
realize how big God was and how puny my life was in comparison. My friends were
all hootin’ and hollerin’
and all I could think about was God. We got back in the car and proceeded down
this one long stretch in the middle of nowhere that runs along the edge of the
cliff. The only sign of civilization was the next campsite in
As we were driving along this winding
treacherous stretch of highway, we saw four girls with their thumbs out
hitchhiking. We drove right past them and one of the guys in the car said,
“Wow, man, like were there four girls back there?” “Larry” slammed on the
breaks and said, “I knew there were four girls back there!” So, we slowly
backed up the car for quite a distance, and sure enough, to our surprise (and
delight) there were four girls hitchhiking. I said, “Whoa, four girls, four
guys, this is our lucky night!” I rolled down the window and started to talk to
them when all of a sudden they started to sing ‘Silent Night’! One of
the guys in the back seat said, “Aw man, they’re Jesus freaks!”. Stunned, we just sat there and listened to them. As
they sang, there was something about them that seemed very pure and innocent.
Their faces were beautiful, not the type of girls you would expect to see
running around that time of night. I thought to myself, “They look like
church chicks.” As they sang I also began to feel very ashamed at the life I
was living and once again felt my need to change my life and return to the
Lord. When they finished, one of the girls said something like, “God
bless you!” or “Jesus loves you!” and they ran back down the road and
disappeared into the darkness. We jumped out of the car and yelled,
“Wait! Come back!” We ran after them but could not find them. We looked down
the road and over the steep cliff and across the road; we looked up the steep
mountainside. They just vanished! We looked at each other and said,
“Whoa! Did you see what I saw?” “Yeah, man, but where did they go?” We quickly
got back in the car and sat there in stunned silence, totally freaked out.
The rest of the way home, it was very
different. I don’t think anyone said a word for a long time. All I could do was
quietly pray that we make it home safely and that I would have a chance to get
my life in order and return to the Lord and His favor. I thought, “Could
they have been…..?…..Nah!…or could they?” It wasn’t
until a year later that I discovered the Truth and had a “Close Encounter
of the Best Kind”. In next month’s column, I’ll share the rest of
the story with you…. it gets better! As the Bible says,
“Are not all angels ministering
spirits sent to those who will inherit salvation?” –Hebrews 1:14
“Do not forget to
entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have
entertained angels without knowing it.” –Hebrews 13:2
Ω
Touched by an Angel.....Really!
(My
Personal Testimony)
Part 2
By Tim O'Malley
A Close Encounter of the Best Kind
In last month’s article, (link) I shared
about the ministry of angels and the role they play in our salvation:
“Are not all angels ministering spirits
sent to those who will inherit salvation?” –Hebrews
1:14. And in another place,
“Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.” –Hebrews 13:2
Well, what about bad angels, or is there
such thing as bad angels? We know the Bible also has a lot to say about bad or
fallen angels as well. Believe me, it’s not like the WB would portray it!
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on the full
armor of God so that you can stand against the devil’s schemes. For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual
forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God,
so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and
after you have done everything, to stand.” –Eph.6:10
We’ve all heard stories and jokes about
the devil; however, the battle that is going on for our souls is no joking
matter. Jesus said that Satan (a fallen
I have won some battles and lost some
battles, but I am confident that because of Jesus, I have won the war (see
Revelation 12:7-12). For the battles I have lost, I have found mercy,
forgiveness and peace. With this in mind, let me tell you the rest of my story.
The Rest of the Story
When I got back from
I used to go to the beach a lot. Back in
the early 1970’s I would frequently encounter “Jesus Freaks”. Now these people
were typically hippies, long-haired leaping gnomes in sandals carrying Bibles.
They would always come up to me and say, “Did you know that Jesus loves you?” I
said, yeah man, “I’m Catholic!” Then they would say, “But are you saved?” Deep
inside, I would think, I hope I will be. My friends would yell at them and
curse at them, but deep inside I knew the JF’s were
right. I couldn’t help but notice how peaceful and happy they were. Even some
of my hard-core party animal friends were becoming Christians, but I felt I was
not ready for this, nor did I want to give up all my “fun”.
But God, in His great mercy, is a loving
Father and strong disciplinarian. The more I fought off the temptation to turn
my life around, the worse things got for me. I could write a book on the troubles
I went through on my journey of trying to ignore God. It wasn’t until I was
arrested for possession of marijuana that I began to take God seriously. I had
just turned 18, too. I was now considered an adult and couldn’t call mom and
dad to come and get me out of trouble, so I had to spend some time in jail
awaiting arraignment. I was very
fortunate to have caring and merciful parents who got me a lawyer who found a
way to get me out of jail and have the case thrown out on an illegal search and
seizure defense. I was so thankful to my parents and God for getting me out of
trouble. But you think I would have learned my lesson, wouldn’t you? My
“friends” came over with some tickets to a Led Zeppelin – Black Sabbath
concert. I said, “No man, I can’t go. I have to get my act together.” They
said, “C’mon man, just don’t carry anything in your car.” I caved in and went.
I didn’t have to bring any drugs to the concert at the “Fabulous Forum – Home
of the Los Angeles Lakers”. All I had to do was breathe. There was so much
grass being passed around, you could get a second-hand high just from the
smoke! I’ll never forget when Black Sabbath took the stage, they looked like
demons dancing and singing about their lord of darkness. I never noticed it
before, but it seemed kind of creepy.
The following year, things got worse as I
ignored more and more warnings from God. My mom and dad always prayed that God
would “keep His hand on my shoulder” and protect me in spite of myself. It
seemed like the more they prayed, the worse I got. One Saturday night in
September when I was 20 years old, I was out partying down the street at a
“friends” house. It was just a few minutes after midnight when “Rick” said,
“Hey check out this new album. He put on Black Sabbath. I did not know that the
members of the group were into Satanism and witchcraft. An interesting note
here: the lead singer was Ozzy Osborne. Gee, don’t we
all look up to him and want to raise a family like his? Anyway, don’t get me
started here. I wasn’t aware of all this background, all I was aware of was
that I began to feel very uneasy as the heavy metal guitars came droning in
with lyrics from Satan himself. I had never experienced anything before like I
was experiencing at that moment. I felt like there was an evil presence in the
room, I started to feel panicky and was getting cold and my skin was turning
pale. My “friends” looked at me and said, “Hey, man are
you all right?” I looked at the clock and it was about 5 minutes after
midnight. I heard a quiet voice inside my head say, “It’s Sunday, you should be in church today, but look at what you are
doing to your life.”
I looked over in the corner of the room
by the speaker and there seemed to be a dark shadow and heaviness in the air.
It scared me. I jumped up and said to my “friends”, “Man, there is something in
here, I’m getting’ out of here!” I ran out the door and down the street toward
my house. Whatever was in the room seemed to be following me.
I heard something laughing and mocking me. I got to my house, ran into my room
and fell on my knees and begged God to take this thing away and protect me.
Suddenly, the strangest thing happened to
me. I saw my life begin to pass before me. This really scared me because I had
heard that this happened to people when they die. I knew that if I died, I
would go straight to hell because of my sins. I saw what played like a movie of
my entire life. I saw all the things that I thought God didn’t know about. All
my secret sins and thoughts were laid bare. I felt totally naked and exposed
before God with nothing to hide. I cried out to God and asked Him to forgive me
for the mess I had made of my life. Suddenly it became very still and quiet and
I found myself looking at my body slumped over the side of the bed. I felt
totally cut off from God and the rest of the world. I must be dead, I thought.
I felt a loneliness come over me as I saw the sad faces of my family whom I
thought I would never see again. This was hell, total separation from God. I
began to give up hope and get used to the fact that it was too late. I had been
given so many chances to repent, but now I was lost for eternity. I became
overwhelmed with grief. I put my face in my hands and began to weep. Then
someone put their hand on my shoulder. I looked to my right and saw a big hand
and a very large man standing next to me. I heard something inside me say,
“It’s your guardian angel.” I thought, whoa, I forgot I had one! I was so
amazed. He was so big that his shoulders touched the ceiling. It was definitely
a man and not a woman. There were no wings or feathers. He was dressed in
brilliant white and was transparent, because I could see my window curtains
through him. He leaned down and said to me, “Now bow your head and ask the
Father for forgiveness.” I wasn’t about to argue away what seemed to be the
hope of a second chance. I poured out my heart and asked the Lord to forgive me
for all my sins and for all the things that were exposed when my life passed
before me. Amidst my tears I heard a voice, a quiet comforting voice say, “Go
and sin no more.” I didn’t know the Bible very well back then, but later
discovered that those were the words that Jesus spoke to the woman who was
going to be stoned to death for committing adultery. As He spoke those words to
me, an incredible feeling of the Father’s love and peace washed over me. I
wept.
The next morning, when I awoke, I jumped
out of bed and said, “Whoa, was that a dream or did it really happen?” The
experience was just as fresh in my mind at that moment as it is to this day. I
felt an incredible peace inside. I felt love for everyone. I went outside and
it was as if I had been born all over again. The sky never looked so blue, the
birds and flowers never so beautiful. I went to church that day and gave my
life over to the Lord. When I went to Communion, I felt like an ocean of love
was pouring out of me. People were staring at this hippy with long hair,
bandana tied around his head to keep his hair out of his face, moustache and
goatee, and grateful tears streaming down his face. I have never been the same
since. It has been 30 years since that moment and I have never returned to that
ugly, messed-up life that died in
Lord, forgive me for my sins. I believe
that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God. I believe that you died on
the cross for my sin and rose again for my salvation. Please come into my
heart. Be the Lord of my life. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I
helped you.” I tell you, now is the time of God’s
favor, now is the day of salvation.” –2
Cor.6:1,2
Hey, it gets even better! In next
month’s article I’ll tell you what happened next:
“This is what I will do in the last
days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all mankind. Your sons and
daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men dream
dreams…and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” –Acts 2:17,21
Ω
And I will pour out My Spirit!
Acts 1:8
“If
we asked, then You’d come
And
send Your Rain on everyone.
You
know what I mean?” –- Martin Smith, Delirious
Yes, I know what you
mean! In the Bible, rain and water are often used as a metaphor for the
outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “Do not leave
It was September of 1973, I was 20 years old and just had the most powerful experience
of my life. I was born-again, a new creation in Christ; the old had passed away
and I was forgiven! Each day was full of wonder and then…
...just when I thought
that I had experienced the ultimate, the Holy Spirit began to move again! In my
previous article, I shared what led to this marvelous place where I now found
myself. I was so hungry for God! The Bible came alive; not only did I
understand it, the words seemed to jump right off the page into my heart. I was
on fire for Jesus, and I let the whole world know it. I shared my experience
with all my old party animal friends. Some were pretty amazed, because they
knew how I was before; others were scared that it might be contagious, and the
rest just blew me off as a “Jesus Freak”. There were some things that I had to
give up. The Lord began to strip away all my bad habits and bad friends.
And for good reason, as Scripture says in 1 Cor.15:33, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” Many whom I thought were my friends were not. But, for
everything that I gave up, the Lord gave back a hundred times! Some call it the
cost in Pentecost.
For four long months I
had no friends. It kind of reminded me of when Jesus was crucified, all the
disciples ran away because they were scared. Every day I would just sit around
and read the Bible and other inspirational books, but I had no fellowship. My
parents began to worry about me and prayed that I would meet some good
Christian friends. My mom told me about a prayer meeting that was going on at
church and that there were some young people she wanted me to meet. She said
that you could feel the presence of the Holy Spirit there and that His gifts
were being experienced there. That sounded pretty good to me, so I went. It was
like the floodgates were opened. There were people my age praising and
worshiping God with awesome rock-n-roll-like songs. Being a musician, I really
got excited. I expected a bunch of nerds singing Gospel quartet, but these were
all a bunch of long-haired leaping gnomes like myself!
Within a month I had made some awesome friends and was asked to be the director
of the praise band and to lead worship.
I knew that I couldn’t
do this without God’s help. At that time in the early seventies, there was a
move of God that people in the Catholic, Protestant and non-denominational
churches called the Charismatic Renewal. It was a revival where people were
experiencing the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and were receiving the gifts of the
Holy Spirit as taught in I Corinthians 12-14.
They told me that I needed to attend a Leadership Conference if I was going to
be involved in leading worship. So I went to this huge gathering of people at
I have never been the
same since. Over the years I have come to learn that the Baptism of the Holy
Spirit is not just a one-time experience. I have also come to learn that it is
not meant to be just a private experience, but that its purpose is to empower
us for service to others and to be His witnesses. Just as the rain waters the
dry barren ground and causes the earth to bear fruit and to bring refreshment,
so it is with the Spirit’s work in our lives. The more we empty ourselves of
us, the more space there is for us to be filled with Him, to be used, and to
become fruitful in our ministry to others. So I encourage you, if you really
want to be used of God and anointed to serve others, pray this prayer today:
Lord, open the floodgates of heaven, let
it rain, let it rain. Empower me by the anointing of Your Holy Spirit, that I
may be Your witness and servant and bring forth fruit
for You. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit that I may know how to worship You in Spirit and in Truth. Send a season of refreshing from
Your throne and set me apart to announce your praise
and establish Your kingdom. In Jesus Name. Amen.
For further study: Old
Testament- Isaiah 55:1-12; Hosea 10:12; New Testament-John 3:5-8; John 4:4-24;
John 14:15-17; John 15:26; John 16:5-15; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:4; Acts 1:8; Acts
2:1-21; Acts 11:16; I Corinthians 12:1-31; 1 Corinthians 14:1-40; Titus 3:4-7;
Romans 8:26-27; Rev.22:17; Galatians 5:22
Ω
What Do I Have to Give Up?
By Tim
O'Malley
A chicken and a pig were walking down
the road one day when they approached a billboard. The sign had a breakfast ad
with a plate of bacon and eggs. The chicken proudly stated, “That’s what I gave
up!” The pig stared at the chicken in disbelief and said, “Yeah, easy for you!
I had to give my whole life!”
Hmmm, what does it really mean to give the
Lord your whole life? I was 20 when I gave my life to Jesus Christ, or at least
I thought I had. Just weeks after accepting Christ as my Savior, I was about to
find out what it meant to also accept Him as Lord. I was always afraid, if I
became a Christian that I would have to give-up stuff. I realized, though, that
there was nothing really worth hanging on to when I considered the hell He
delivered me from and the eternal suffering that awaited me if I died in my
sin. I was soon to encounter the first real test of my commitment.
Music had always been my first-love. I was
a musician and played guitar and bass professionally for some years. I loved
Rock-n-Roll. One of my favorite groups, The Who, was appearing in concert.
Since the concert was going to sell out fast, the promoters had a lottery to
allow people to purchase tickets in an orderly manner. I took the day off work
to stand in line just so I could purchase tickets. I ended up getting seats
almost in the front row. I was so excited that I was bragging to all my friends
about the location of my seats.
One
day, I was laying out in my backyard soaking up some rays. As I lay there I was
talking to the Lord in prayer. Suddenly, I heard this still-small voice in my
heart say to me,
“Tim,
I want those tickets.” I thought to myself, “I’m just imagining this,
right Lord?”
Then
I heard, “If you want to be My disciple you must
take up your cross, leave the world behind and follow me.”
In
protest I said, “But Lord, You don’t know what I went through to get those
tickets!”
“Yes
I do.” He said. “If you love Me you will follow
Me and obey Me.”
I lay there struggling with this, but I
felt His peace that passes all understanding. I said, “Ok, Lord, they’re Yours.” I got up, went in to the house, picked up my
tickets and walked out into my backyard. I got down on my knees, lit a match
and held the flame up to the tickets and offered my “sacrifice” to the Lord.
The strange thing was that I felt good about it. I was filled with peace.
A week later, the reward came. I was at a
conference on the Holy Spirit, when during the praise and worship, the Holy
Spirit flooded my soul with such an intense wave of His love that I thought I
would be crushed under the weight. I have never been the same since! It
propelled me into a new ministry of leading praise and worship at our church. I
began to understand the scripture from Acts
1:8, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes
upon you, and you shall be my witnesses…” Interesting that the word witness in Greek is ‘martus’
where we get the word, ‘martyr’. I think of the chicken when I think of my
‘sacrifice’, but it’s the pig that is the real example. What I gave up is
nothing compared to what God gave up:
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”- John 3:16
Ω
You Will Receive Power
By Tim O’Malley
Merle was a member of our prayer
community and was known for the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon her life. When
she prayed, things happened. One evening at the Old Towne Mall in
Kids, don’t try this at home unless you
know Jesus and are empowered and anointed by the Holy Spirit! There is a story
in the Book of Acts, where the seven sons of Sceva
tried using the name of Jesus without having a relationship with Him and ended
up receiving the beating of their lives. (See Acts 19:13-20). In Ephesians
6:12, Paul says, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but
against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark
world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
Therefore put on the full armor of God….”
When a believer is baptized in the Holy
Spirit, a whole new world is opened up. There are wonderful blessings of
consolation, but there is also a new awareness of spiritual warfare. It’s
nothing to be afraid of, because the battle belongs to the Lord. Anytime we
think it’s our battle and approach it as such we can be assured of defeat. But
recognize that it is His work and His power and victory is sure. It was no accident
that after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit came down
upon Him that He was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by Satan
for 40 days (Luke 4:1-13). There Jesus encountered spiritual warfare and came
forth victorious. We know that Satan’s defeat was at
Jesus told his disciples in Acts 1:8 that
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon
you and you will be my witnesses…” The word ‘power’ is ‘dunamis’ a Greek word from where we get our word
‘dynamite’. When we are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are anointed with
dynamite like power. In fact, Jesus said that anyone who has faith in Him will
do the works He does and even greater, because He has gone to the right hand of
the Father and has sent His Spirit (John14:12-14).
Jesus also said,
“And
these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out
demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their
hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they
will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.” – Mark 16:17-18
“Peter
replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ
for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit. The promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far
off-for all whom the Lord our God will call.” – Acts 2:38-39
Notice that it wasn’t just for the 1st
Century Church, but it was also for their children and all who are far off
(us!). Thank you, Jesus!
“So
why wait any longer? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away by calling on
his name.” – Acts 22:16
Ω
We Wrestle Not Against Flesh & Blood!
By Tim O’Malley
We are all familiar with the story
from the Book of Joshua about the Battle of Jericho and how through praise and
worship, the walls came tumbling down and the children
of
“Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,
And a two-edged sword in their hand,
To execute vengeance on the nations,
And punishments on the peoples;
To bind their kings with chains,
And their nobles with fetters of iron;
To execute on them the written judgment--
This honor have all His saints.
Praise the LORD!”
- Psalm 149:6-9 NKJV
There are more, but four things that Satan
hates is the high praise of God, which some have interpreted to mean praise
anointed by the Holy Spirit; the Word of God, which is “sharper than any
two-edged sword” (Heb.4:12); the name of Jesus and any mention of the Blood of
Christ which was shed for all and which was the defeat of Satan (Rev.12:7).
But let us consider the
power of praise for this months article. There is a
wonderful account in the 1 Chronicles about King Jehoshaphat and the children
of
"Listen to me, all you people
of
Then King Jehoshaphat fell to the
ground with his face to the earth, and all the people of
Early the next morning the army of
After consultation with the leaders
of the people, he
determined that there should be a choir leading the march, clothed in sanctified garments and
singing the song "His Loving-kindness Is Forever" as they walked
along praising and thanking the Lord! And at the moment they began to sing and
to praise, the Lord caused the armies of
- 2 Chron 20:15-22 TLB
What an awesome victory. Notice who King
Jehoshaphat put on the front lines, it was the choir! Now I know what you’re
thinking, “They must have been pretty bad, lets make
the enemy listen to them!” Seriously, you usually place your fiercest troops on
the front lines, but here God demonstrates the power of praise. Because at the
moment they began to sing and to praise, the Lord caused the armies of
Ω
The Passion of the Christ
By Tim O’Malley
“I had to make this movie,” Mel Gibson
said. “I couldn’t not make it.” Mel Gibson was
referring to the Passion of the Christ, a movie that depicts the last 12 hours
of Jesus’ life before the crucifixion. It’s amazing how much controversy has
been created by this movie, but we shouldn’t be surprised. Mel Gibson said he
hoped that everyone who sees it is led to a saving faith in Christ. When asked
about the attacks on him for making the movie that have come from all quarters,
he said, “This all from the Enemy. He doesn’t want anyone seeing this movie.”
And why is that? The Apostle Paul gives us insight in his letter to the Romans
where he states: “I am not ashamed of the gospel,
because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes:
first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a
righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith
from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by
faith."” - Rom 1:16-17 (NIV)
The
movie begins with verses from one of the greatest passages in Scripture outside
of the New Testament; they are from the Old Testament in the Book of the
prophet Isaiah. Isaiah prophesied to the Southern Kingdom of Judah and began
his ministry in 740 BC. The Book of Isaiah is rich in its foretelling of the
coming of the Messiah (Christ) and the suffering He would have to endure to
atone for our sin. It also foretells His ultimate victory over sin and death by
His resurrection from the dead. The entire Gospel is contained in these
exciting verses that were written over 700 years before the Word became Flesh
and dwelt among us! This month we celebrate the Passion, Death and Resurrection
of the Christ, the Anointed One. This Easter season let us revisit these Words
that proclaim the Good News of our salvation. May this Gospel, which is the
power of God for your salvation, fill your hearts and minds as you meditate on
the greatest story ever told.
See, my
Servant shall prosper; he shall be highly exalted. Yet many shall be amazed
when they see him-yes, even far-off foreign nations and their kings; they shall
stand dumbfounded, speechless in his presence. For they shall
see and understand what they had not been told before. They shall see my
Servant beaten and bloodied, so disfigured one would scarcely know it was a
person standing there. So shall he cleanse many nations.
But, oh, how
few believe it! Who will listen? To whom will God reveal his saving power? In
God's eyes he was like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and
sterile ground. But in our eyes there was no attractiveness at all, nothing to
make us want him. We despised him and rejected him-a man of sorrows, acquainted
with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when
he went by. He was despised, and we didn't care.
Yet it was our
grief he bore, our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles
were a punishment from God, for his own sins! But he was wounded and bruised for
our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace; he was lashed-and we were
healed! We-every one of us-have strayed away like sheep! We, who left God's
paths to follow our own. Yet God laid on him the guilt
and sins of every one of us!
He was oppressed
and he was afflicted, yet he never said a word. He was brought as a lamb to the
slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he stood silent
before the ones condemning him. From prison and trial they led him away to his
death. But who among the people of that day realized it was their sins that he
was dying for-that he was suffering their punishment? He was buried like a
criminal, but in a rich man's grave; but he had done no wrong and had never
spoken an evil word.
But it was the
Lord's good plan to bruise him and fill him with grief. However, when his soul
has been made an offering for sin, then he shall have a multitude of children,
many heirs. He shall live again, and God's program shall prosper in his hands.
And when he sees all that is accomplished by the anguish of his soul, he shall
be satisfied; and because of what he has experienced, my righteous Servant
shall make many to be counted righteous before God, for he shall bear all their
sins. Therefore, I will give him the honors of one who is mighty and great
because he has poured out his soul unto death. He was counted as a sinner, and
he bore the sins of many, and he pled with God for sinners. -Isa 52:13-53:12 TLB
Ω
Seeds of Conflict in the Middle
East
(Or, Abraham, what were you and Sarah thinking?!)
By Tim O’Malley
Have your ever asked the Lord for
something and tried to “help” Him by answering your own prayer? Having begun in
the Spirit, are you trying to continue in the power of your flesh? If so, this
can have undesirable results as you may have already experienced. Abraham tried
to do just that with some hazardous results.
Since 9/11, it has become obvious that we
are in a new type of conflict. We are being attacked from without and from
within. So where did all this anti-American sentiment come from anyway? There
are differing opinions and a variety of reasons, but the core reason is that we
support
This age-old conflict actually has its
roots in the Book of Genesis in the 16th - 21st chapters.
In a nutshell, God made Abraham a promise that he would become the father of
many nations even though he was well into his nineties and Sarah, his wife, was
barren. As time went by and Sarah still had not yet conceived, Abraham and
Sarah decided to “help” God. Sarah suggested that Abraham should have the
“child of promise” through their servant, Hagar. Abraham “reluctantly complied”
and Sarah became jealous and began to mistreat her. Hagar ran away and the
angel of the LORD found her crying in the wilderness and took pity on her. The
angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” The
angel added, I will so increase your descendants that they will be too numerous
to count.”
“The angel of the LORD also said to
her: “You are now with child and you will have a son. You shall name him
Ishmael, for the Lord has heard of your misery.
He will be a wild ass of a man; his
hand will be against everyone and everyone’s hand against him, and he will live
in hostility toward all his brothers.”” Gen.17:11
Ishmael became the father of all the Arabs,
“his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him”, and today many of
his descendants, most notably the radical Islamist terrorists, “live in
hostility toward all their brothers”. What started out as an attempt by Abraham
to fulfill God’s promise in the power of his flesh has turned into a family
feud and erupted into a worldwide conflict.
Standing as a monument to this conflict
is the Dome of the Rock mosque in
Now there is a great lesson for us to
learn from this. When God makes a promise, let Him fulfill it His
way. It is “not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the
Lord”. -Zech. 4:6 “Having
begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?” -Gal.3:3. The conflict and struggle that we are
witnessing today is the result of a bad decision on Abraham and Sarah’s part
and now we struggle with the consequences. If we would just be patient and take
God at His word and trust Him to accomplish it in His way and in His time, it
would spare us some very undesirable results. So next time you hear about this
conflict on the News, let it be a reminder that we can’t answer our own prayers
or try to “help” God by fulfilling His promises.
Let it also be said that God makes all
things work for the good in spite of our mistakes. For God so loved the world, and that includes Arab, Jew, and all mankind, that He
gave His only Son Jesus, that whosoever believes in Him, will not perish
but have everlasting life.
Ω
Freedom is not Free
By Tim O’Malley
If you were a slave or a prisoner, what
price would you pay for your freedom? This 4th of July, we celebrate
our nation’s 228th birthday and mark our Declaration of
Independence. There is no doubt our nation has been blessed by God and that
because of that blessing we enjoy an abundance of wealth and many freedoms. You
may have heard it said that “Freedom is not free”. The ultimate price has been
paid over and over to gain and then to maintain our freedom. Many have given
their lives and we reap the blessings of their sacrifice. I salute all the
brave men and women who have paid that ultimate price.
However, in the midst of the freedom that
we enjoy, there are still many who are not free. We need to stop and ask
ourselves, “Am I really free?” What or who controls me? I know what it is like
to be free as an American, but there was a time when I was not free within. I
had no power to stop doing the things that were destroying my life. I would try
to stop drinking, smoking and getting high, but the dependence on these things
just to feel “normal” made it seem impossible to quit. There are many other enslavements that can take hold and destroy us.
Paul gives us a list in Galatians:
“The acts of the sinful nature are
obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft;
hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions,
factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did
before, that those who live like this will not inherit the
Besides the obvious addictions to drugs
and porn, what about the other addictions like over-eating, video games and TV?
Sometimes the slavery is so severe, that it changes our personalities and we
become very unpleasant to be around. I know. That was me, until I prayed a very
simple but powerful prayer: “Jesus, help me.” The change was real, because
Jesus is real and “if the Son sets you
free, you are free indeed” (John 8:36). I never realized the depth of my
enslavement until I was set free. Paul in his letter to the Galatians said,
“You, my brothers, were called to be
free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve
one another in love. The entire law is summed up in a single command:
"Love your neighbor as yourself."
If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be
destroyed by each other.
So I say, live by the Spirit, and you
will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature
desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit
what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so
that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under law…..
But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we
live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become
conceited, provoking and envying each other. Gal 5:13-26 NIV
One
thing is for certain, if as a nation we are going to be free, it has to begin
within. Freedom must take hold in our hearts and the Spirit must control our
lives. Only then can we declare our independence from sin because our
dependence is on the Lord. “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the
Lord is, there is freedom.” - 2 Cor 3:17-18
“But
now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit
you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of
sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord.” Rom 6:22-23
“Freedom
is not the right to do what you want, but the power to do what you ought…”
I have come to learn that freedom is not
the right to do what you want, but the power to do what you ought, and we can
only have that ability if our lives are empowered by the Holy Spirit. Let us do
what we ought and turn from our sin and place our faith and trust in our Lord
Jesus Christ and obey His commands. Freedom is not free, but cost the life of
God’s only Son, that all who believe in Him will not perish, but have
everlasting life. This 4th of July, let us praise and thank the Lord
for the ultimate price He paid to secure our freedom from sin and death, and
let us mark our Declaration of Dependence on Him.
Ω
How Can I Know God’s Will?
By Tim O’Malley
How can I know God’s will? This is by far
one of the most important questions we can ever ask, for our place in eternity
depends on it. Jesus said,
“Not
everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but
only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Matt 7:21-22 (NIV).
So just what is the Father’s will anyway?
Again, we can look to God’s Word. Jesus said,
“For
my Father's will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him
shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:40 (NIV)
Those of us who
call ourselves Christians, believe this without question, but it is one thing
to believe this and another to be attentive and obedient to the instruction we
have in God’s Word. We understand God’s will in the Big Picture, such as what
is necessary for our salvation; but what about the smaller things in our daily
lives? “What do you want me to do in this situation, Lord?” “Where shall I go?”
“How can I accomplish this?” “What do you want me to do with my life?” “How do
I know if she or he is the right person to marry?” You know the list. How can
we be certain that it is God guiding us and not just our own will or stubborn
desire?
When it comes to seeking the knowledge of
God’s will and receiving guidance, I have found a method that is extremely
effective. In the past, before high-tech navigational systems, ships used to
rely on the stars for travel at night and also for lights in the harbor. A
lighthouse would point them in the direction of the shore and the alignment of
lanterns to direct them safely into harbor. The lanterns when aligned in a
straight row would guide the vessel through the reefs and rocks safely to its
mooring in the harbor. There are three lanterns that need to line-up in our
circumstances in order for us to have knowledge of God’s will. They are:
·
The
Bible
·
Prayer
·
The
Peace of Christ
The Bible
The first point of light
is the Bible, God’s written Word. The Psalmist said,
“The unfolding of your words gives
light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
Ps 119:130 (NIV)
Paul tells us in his
second letter to Timothy that
“All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work.” 2 Tim 3:16-17 (NIV)
The Bible is the Manufacturer’s Handbook.
The B-I-B-L-E also stands for “Basic
Instructions Before Leaving Earth. The Word
of God is a “lamp for my feet, a light for my path.” Ps.119:105. If Scripture is not clear to you with regard to a
particular question, there is always WWJD or “What Would Jesus Do?” If you want
to know what God is like, look at the life, teaching and actions of Jesus. God, Himself, became a
Man to give mankind a concrete, definite, tangible idea of what kind of person
to think of when we think of God. God is like Jesus,
Jesus is God Incarnate, in human form. That is why Jesus is called The Word of
God because He is the Father’s walking, breathing, living revelation.
Part
of listening to God’s Word is obedience to His commands and to obey those who
are in authority, particularly our parents if we are still living at home. Our
parents have a vital role in counseling us and giving us advice. Even Jesus was
obedient to His parents. (Luke 2:51) When it comes to making a decision, do we have the blessing and
confirmation of our parents or those in authority? I have known friends who
thought God was telling them to do something that did not fit with their
earthly responsibility. God does not typically ask married men to leave their
wives and family to the neglect of their care to go get involved in some
missionary work as noble as the calling may be; nor would God ask us to sacrifice
something that would be detrimental to our health, such as refuse blood
transfusions, which is a disastrous misinterpretation of God’s Word. Where God
guides, God provides.
Prayer
In Paul’s letter to the church at
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and
pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any
longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-his good,
pleasing and perfect will.” Rom 12:1-2(NIV)
Also, do we have fellowship with the Holy
Spirit? Are we listening to His direction and to the still-small voice that
says, “This is the way, walk in it.” As faith-filled Christians, our attitude
should be to
“Be
joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thess 5:16-18
(NIV)
The Peace
of Christ
God is also a God of order not chaos or
confusion. If you are confused, wait on the Lord. This brings us to the third
lantern of guidance: God’s peace that surpasses all understanding. Paul tells
the Colossians,
“The
Peace that Christ gives is to be the judge in your hearts; for to this peace
God has called you together in the one body. And be thankful. Christ’s message
in all its richness, must live in your hearts.” Col. 3:15 (TEV)
Paul uses the Greek word, ‘brabeuo’ (brab-yoo'-o); for the
word ‘judge’ or some translations use ‘rule’. The word means to arbitrate, or
to govern. In other words, Christ’s peace is like an arbitrator which helps us
to choose wisely and make the right decisions. I have found it helpful to not
rush into a big decision but to “sleep on it” or make the decision and live
with it for a day or two. Typically, if this is the right thing to do, it will
be in agreement with God’s Word; it will be confirmed by our parents, pastor,
or those in authority over us; and God’s peace will rule in our hearts.
Finally, to prepare your heart to know God’s will here is some wisdom from
Scripture,
"Be joyful always; pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ
Jesus." 1 Thess 5:16-18 (NIV)
“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say
it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do
not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with
thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which
transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ
Jesus.” Phil 4:4-7 (NIV)
Ω
Good News
for Teens and ‘Tweens!
By Tim O’Malley
The greatest thing in life is to know God
personally. The simple truth is that there is a God who created you and loves
you very much. He gave us life and deserves our gratitude and love. Consider
God’s call to the prophet Jeremiah:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
And before you were born I consecrated you;
I have appointed you a
prophet to the nations."
Then I said,
"Alas, Lord GOD!
Behold, I do not know
how to speak,
Because
I am a youth."
But the LORD said to
me,
"Do not say,
"I am a youth,'
Because everywhere I
send you, you shall go,
And all that I command
you, you shall speak.
Do not be afraid of
them,
For I am with you to
deliver you," declares the LORD.
Then the LORD stretched
out His hand and touched my mouth,
and the LORD said to me,
"Behold, I have
put My words in your mouth.- Jer 1:5-9 NASU
Jeremiah was a teenager, just like many
of you who are reading this. Paul the Apostle told Timothy,
“Don't let anyone look down on you
because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life,
in love, in faith and in purity.” - 1 Tim 4:12 NIV
We, however, young and old,
have a basic problem. We have chosen to disobey Him and sin against Him; all of
us have done wrong and failed to do what is right. (Romans 3:23). We may not be
more sinful than our neighbor, or we may be far worse than anyone we know, it
does not matter. Either way, we are guilty before God. (I John 1:8).
God is perfect, completely
good, always right and fair. He cannot tolerate sin. He cannot simply overlook
the fact that we have chosen to disobey Him. The Bible says "the wages of
sin is death." (Romans 6:23). This means that the fair payment for our
rebellion against God is death. It is the punishment that we deserve.
Jesus, the one and only Son of
God, came to earth and lived a perfect sinless life. He was crucified even
though He was completely innocent. He received the punishment that we deserved.
He was the perfect sacrifice, He was put into our
place and took on Himself the sentence of death that should have been ours.
(Romans 5:8).
Jesus did not, however, remain
dead. After three days, He rose from the grave and later ascended into heaven.
He will return for all those who are trusting in Him as their Savior.
Jesus died for you. You can be
saved by asking Him for forgiveness from your sins. If you are willing to
repent of your sin, He is waiting to forgive you. It doesn't matter what you
have done in the past, if you cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will not
reject you. The word "repent" literally means "to turn away
from." You need to look at your life, admit that you are a sinner,
genuinely desire to turn your back on that sin, and ask Him to forgive you. If
you do this, He promises to forgive you.
True Christianity is not about
what church you attend, or how your parents raised you, or what country you
were born in. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship
with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. It's not good enough that your
priest, pastor, mother, or aunt knows Jesus, you must
know Him for yourself. They cannot believe in Him for you, you must believe for
yourself. They cannot repent for you, you must repent for yourself. God has no
grandchildren, only children!
Jesus is everywhere all the
time. He can hear you now if you ask Him for forgiveness. Please turn your life
over to Him NOW. Time slips by so quickly, don't miss this opportunity. If you
want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer something
like this:
"Jesus, I know that I have sinned against you. I know the truth is
that I have sinned by my own choice, and I am the one responsible for it. I
know that I have earned punishment from You, and that
the fair punishment would be death. Jesus, I believe that You
died in my place. Forgive me for my sin. I cannot cover or take my sin away, I
am relying totally and only on You. You are the only
one who can save me. I reject my sin, I turn away from it, I
repent. Come into my life, take away my sin, and show me how to live my life in
a way that is right and pleasing to You."
If you prayed this prayer, and
by faith invited Jesus into your heart, you have become His child! You are a
new creation in Christ! Whether you are old or a teen, or somewhere in-between,
you are born anew! Make sure you pray everyday, read your Bible, and share this
Good News with others. For this is God’s promise to you:
“For if you tell others with your own
mouth that Jesus Christ is your Lord and believe in your own heart that God has
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in his
heart that a man becomes right with God; and with his mouth he tells others of
his faith, confirming his salvation.”
“For the Scriptures tell us that no one
who believes in Christ will ever be disappointed. Jew and Gentile are the same
in this respect: they all have the same Lord who generously gives his riches to
all those who ask him for them. Anyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will
be saved.” Rom 10:9-13 TLB
Ω
The
Seven Things God Hates
By Tim O’Malley
This is the first of a two part series on
the things that please and displease the Lord. This article takes a look at
what Scripture describes as the seven things that God hates. The Bible has
quite a lot to say about these things so I added references to the end of each
section for those of you that desire a deeper study on the topic.
Back in the fourth century, one of the
fathers of the early Church was the great scholar, Jerome. He made a very
important statement when he said, “Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of
Christ.” His statement carries a great truth since Jesus is the “Word made
flesh” as well as the embodiment of God’s message. God, Himself, became a Man
to give mankind a concrete, definite, tangible idea of what kind of person to
think of when we think of God. God is like Jesus; Jesus was God Incarnate, in
human form.
His appearance on earth is the Central
Event of all history (His Story). The Old Testament sets the stage for it and
the New Testament describes it.
Jesus suffered, died on the cross, and
rose again from the dead to restore our broken fellowship with God. The Bible
is His Story. Our faith in Jesus and trust in His Cross and Resurrection, and
our acceptance or rejection of Him will determine where we will spend eternity!
I say this to underscore the importance of learning, believing and obeying
God’s message as it is revealed to us in the Bible. Jesus said, “Blessed are they who hear the Word of God
and obey it.”- Luke 11:28. Paul the Apostle tells us,
“All Scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching the truth, rebuking
error, correcting faults, and giving instruction for right living. So that the
man who serves God may be fully qualified and equipped for every good work.” 2 Tim.3:16,17.
As we read and study the Scriptures we
become aware of what is near and dear to the heart of God. One of the
infallible signs of the Holy Spirit’s work in your life is to cause you to
hunger and thirst for a relationship with the Father through our Lord Jesus
Christ. After my rebirth, I was filled with a strong desire to learn what
pleases the Lord as well as what displeases Him so I could avoid those things.
This month, I want to share what the Bible has to say about the things that
displease God.
The Book of Proverbs states the
following:
“These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren. –Prov.6:16-19
Let’s take a closer look. The first is
- A proud look
It’s
interesting to me that this sin of pride is what caused Satan to fall. Note this
passage from Isaiah 14:12-17:
“How you have fallen from heaven, O morning star, son of the dawn!
You have been cast down to the earth, you who
once laid low the nations!
You said in your heart, "I will ascend
to heaven;
I will raise my throne above the stars of
God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of
assembly,
on
the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.
I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I
will make myself like the Most High."
But you are brought down to the grave, to the
depths of the pit.” Isaiah 14:12-17
Notice all the
“I” statements, which is typical of pride. In reference to this event, Jesus
said, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. I have given you authority
to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy;
nothing will harm you. However, do not rejoice that the spirits submit to you,
but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” Luke 10:17
It’s interesting
to me that this sin of pride is what caused Satan to fall. Note this reference
to Satan in this passage from Ezekiel:
“You were the model of perfection,
full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.
You were in
ruby, topaz and emerald, chrysolite,
onyx and jasper, sapphire, turquoise and beryl.
Your settings and mountings were made of
gold; on the day you were created they
were
prepared.
You were anointed as a guardian cherub, for
so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God; you walked
among the fiery stones.
You were blameless in your ways from the day
you were created till
wickedness
was
found in you.
Through your widespread trade you were filled
with violence, and you sinned.
So I drove you in disgrace from the mount of
God, and I expelled you, O guardian cherub,
from among the fiery stones.
Your heart became proud on account of your
beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom
because of your splendor.
So I threw you to the earth; I made a
spectacle of you before kings.
By your many sins and dishonest trade you
have desecrated your sanctuaries.
So I made a fire come out from you, and it
consumed you, and I reduced you to ashes
on
the ground in the sight of all who were
watching.
All the nations who knew you are appalled at
you; you have come to a horrible end
and
will be no more.' " –Ezekiel 28:11-28
It’s no wonder that Peter tells us “Young men,
in the same way be submissive to those who are older.
All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because “God
opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” – 1 Peter 5:5
For a deeper look: Ps 10:4; Ps 18:27; Ps 73:6-8; Ps 101:5; Ps 131:1; Prov 30:13; Isa 2:11; Isa 3:9; Isa 3:16.
·
A lying
tongue.
This one is pretty much a no-brainer. It
was Satan who lied to Eve in the Garden of Eden, and told her that she would
not die if she ate the forbidden fruit. We all know the outcome of that! Jesus
makes it plain when He said to the Pharisees,
“Why is my
language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear
what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry
out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to
the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native
language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. – John 8:42-44.
For a deeper look: Ps 5:6; Ps 120:2-3; Prov 12:22; Prov 14:5; Prov 26:28; Hos 4:1-2; John 8:44;
Rev 22:15
·
Hands that
shed innocent blood.
This is another
sin that has its roots in the Book of Genesis. We are all familiar with the
story of Cain and Abel and how Cain killed his brother Abel because of
jealousy. Ultimately, it was God’s beloved Son who was slain as an innocent
Lamb for guilty Mankind. See Hebrews 12:22-29.
For a deeper look: Deut 27:25;
2 Kings 24:4; Prov 1:11; Isa
1:15; Isa 59:3-6
·
A heart
that devises wicked plans.
The Scriptures state that “the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.
Who can understand it? – Jer. 17:9. It’s pretty easy to point the finger at
others, but how many times have we entertained thoughts of hatred and ill will
towards others and how we could get even with them? Like the others in the
list, this is another characteristic of Satan. If we walk in the Spirit and
love one another, there will be no room in our hearts for wicked plans.
For a deeper look: Gen 6:5; Ps 36:4; Prov 24:8; Jer 4:14; Mic 2:1;Zech 8:17;Mark 7:20-22
·
Feet that
are swift in running to evil
Are we quick to
rush into judgment about others? Are we in a hurry to seek revenge? It’s
amazing how popular it is to spread the “dirt” about someone. You see a lot of
it in the media today and in the celebrity gossip tabloids.
For a deeper look: Prov
1:16; Isa 59:7;Rom 3:15
·
A false
witness who speaks lies
One of the Ten
Commandments is “Thou shalt not bear false witness
against thy neighbor.” I pity those who lie in a court of law and falsely
accuse innocent people; their judgment will be most severe. The enemy deployed
this tactic when Jesus was brought before the Sanhedrin and false witnesses
were hired to declare lies about Jesus. The word “devil” comes from the Greek
word “diabolos” which means “accuser”. We also get
the word “diabolic” which means devilish. In the Book of Revelation Satan is
referred to as the “Accuser of the Brethren”. See Revelation 12:7-12.
For a deeper look: Ex 20:16; Ex
23:1; Deut 19:16-20; 1 Kings 21:10-15; Ps 19:5; Ps 19:9;
Ps 25:18; Ps 27:12; Ps 35:11; Matt 15:19; Matt
26:59; Acts 6:13
·
And one
who sows discord among brethren
Paul, in his letter to the Romans said, “I
urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put
obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep
away from them. For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own
appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.” Rom 16:17-19
For a deeper look: Prov
6:14; Prov 16:28; Prov
22:10; Prov 26:20; 2 Tim 2:23; James 3:14-16
James 3:18; 3 John 9-10
Next month: Learn what pleases the
Lord
“For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as
children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness,
righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do
with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.” - Eph 5:8-11
Ω
My Top Ten List of Things that Please the Lord
By Tim O’Malley
This is part two of a series on what
pleases and displeases God. Last month I shared what the Bible identifies as
the things that God hates:
“There are six things the LORD hates,
seven that are detestable to him: haughty
eyes,
a lying tongue, hands that shed
innocent blood,
a heart that devises wicked schemes,
feet that are quick to rush into evil,
a false witness who pours out lies
and a man who stirs up dissension among
brothers.”
(Prov 6:16-19)
If I know what displeases Him, I try my
best to avoid them. On a more positive note, in this article I want to share my
top-ten list of the things that please God. These I have learned from Scripture
and my own journey.
Looking back at my journey, what a
difference between age nineteen and age twenty! My nineteenth year was turmoil,
the last three months of my twentieth year was peace. It was at that time that
a near-death experience drove me to knees and I invited Jesus into my heart and
asked Him to be my Savior and Lord, and to save me from myself. He not only
saved me from myself and the path of destruction I was on, but He saved me
eternally, healed me physically, and filled me with love, joy and peace unlike
anything I had ever dreamed possible in this life. He also anointed me with the
Holy Spirit which instilled a powerful desire to serve Him and His Church.
Instead of being obsessed with how I could please myself, I had a new-found
desire to please Him instead. Now, thirty-two years later, I am happy to report
that I still desire to please Him. The Bible says,
“But as for you, continue in what you
have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you
learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are
able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All
Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and
training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped
for every good work” (2 Tim 3:14-17).
From infancy, my parents taught me by
word and example how to live a life of faith and the importance of love for God
and the importance of Scripture. Though I fell away as a teenager, the
foundation they laid helped me to find my way back. In my journey I have
learned a lot about the things that please the Lord. If I were to make a
top-ten list of things that Him, it would look like this:
1) Faith (Hebrews 1:6)
“And without faith it
is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that
he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
2) Feeding
the Hungry (Matt 25:35)
“For I was hungry and you gave me
something to eat..”
3) Giving drink to the thirsty (Matt 25:35)
“I was thirsty and you
gave me something to drink…”
4) Welcoming the stranger (Matt 25:35)
“I was a stranger and
you invited me in…”
5) Clothing the poor (Matt 25:36)
“I needed clothes and
you clothed me…”
6) Caring for the sick (Matt 25:36)
“I was sick and you
looked after me…”
7) Visiting those in prison (Matt 25:36)
“I was in prison and
you came to visit me.”
“When the Son of Man comes in his
glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly
glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the
people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the
goats on his left.
"Then the King will say to those on his
right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the
kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to
eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you
invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked
after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
"Then the righteous will
answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give
you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When
did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
"The King will reply, 'I tell
you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine,
you did for me.' (Matt 25:31-40).
8) Obedience
to your parents (
“Children, obey your parents in
everything, for this pleases the Lord.”
9) Being
thankful in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18)
“…give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”
10) True
Religion - Caring for the orphans and the widows (James 1:27)
“Religion that God our
Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows
in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
You can make up your own list, but these
I believe are the ones that are near and dear to the Lord’s heart so I want
them to be my life’s goal. May the Lord bless you as you strive to learn what
pleases Him. He who calls you is faithful and will
complete His work in you if you let Him.
“Dear friends, if our hearts do
not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we
ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the
name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us. Those
who obey his commands live in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that
he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us.” (1 John 3:21-24)
Ω
You Know Not the Day, nor the Hour:
Remembering
Katie & Brittany
By Tim O’Malley
It was a little
over a year ago on April 12th, 2004, when Katie, 18, was on her way
to
I was at a family
reunion in
Katie McCann, 1986 – 2004
Katie McCann, was a cheerleader at
Katie was very
proud of the national win, said her father. "She was very excited. She
loved cheerleading. She'd done it for many years," he said.
"She was an incredibly hard worker," said her
coach, Teresa Triliegi. "We needed more tumbling
on the team. She worked herself to the bone to try and get tumbling skills by
competition, and she did."
Katie, a graduate
from
Katie’s dad said, "They wanted to go swim at the
beaches. Katie wanted to see
"Everyone
loved Katie," he said. "She was kind to everybody, bubbly. She loved
to meet new people." "Oh my
God, she will be missed," said her dad.
There was another
Spring Break tragedy this year. Many of you reading this know or know about
Brittany Curcio from RBHS. All it took was to make
one wrong choice and lose her life over it. My son Brian,
is a sophomore at RBHS, with whom I’m very proud of for his and his friends
efforts to collect money for the family. It was a major wake-up call for many
of the teens who knew her. Our deepest sympathy and prayers go out to her
family. Another beautiful girl with so much life ahead; who would have known?
This can happen to any teen and to any family. Let’s talk to our kids and hug
them while we still can.
Friends of
Brittany Star Curcio
1990 - 2005
As a parent, I
can’t imagine a greater sorrow than having to bury a son or a daughter. When
tragedy strikes, we ask: “Why, God?” As a believing Christian, I can only hold
on to the promise that “God
makes all things work for the good, for those who love him and are called
according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) The
only thing more tragic, would be that our loved ones pass in to eternity
without Christ. Katie and Brittany both came from Christian homes,
let us pray that they have found grace, mercy and peace.
My question to you
reading this: What would you do differently, if you were given a glimpse of the
future and saw your picture in PB&F with a beginning and ending date under
it? What if today was the day that you were to meet the Lord? Are you ready? It
is the knowledge of that coming Day that keeps me on my knees and keeps me
trusting that “He
who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.” (Phil.1:6) The psalmist said, “Lord, teach us to number our days so
that we may gain wisdom of heart.” (Ps.90:12) If you have any doubts or fears
about your place in eternity and want to be ready, pray this simple prayer of
faith:
Lord Jesus, I
invite you to live in my heart. I believe that you died on the Cross for my
sins and rose again from the grave to give me new life. I ask you to be my
Savior and the Lord of my life. I give to You all of
my plans and I accept Your perfect plan for my life. I trust that you will
complete this good work you have begun in me and bring me safely into Your
Kingdom. Fill me with the Holy Spirit and change me in whatever way necessary
so that I may know you more personally, love you more deeply, and serve you in
everything I do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
As I reflect on Katie’s and
Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He
who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and
believes in me will never die.” (John 11:25-26)
For related Bible
Study see: 1 Thess 4:13-5:11; John 5:24-30; Matthew
24:36-44; Rev.22:1-21.
Ω
Surviving Cancer and Other
Annoyances
By Tim O’Malley
Why? Why me, Lord? What have I done wrong to deserve this? I’m too young
to die! These were some of the thoughts racing through my head when, at the
ripe old age of 42, I was told that I had prostate cancer. Like dealing with
someone’s death, you go through the stages of shock, denial, grief, anger and
then acceptance. But being a Christian and walking with the Lord for the past
22 years, I had learned a little about hardship, suffering, disappointment and
trouble.
My marriage was in trouble, my kids
were in trouble, my job was in trouble, now my very life was in trouble; “Lord,
I am sick and tired of trouble!” I complained. “This is NOT what I signed up
for!” But the Lord in His great mercy said, “My grace is sufficient for you.
Trust in Me.”
I don’t know how I could have
handled this without the Lord. I had come to know Him in intimate fellowship; I
had experienced times of great anointing and joy in the Holy Spirit. There was
no doubt (and still no doubt) that the Lord is real and loves me with a love I
can’t fathom. What I wasn’t prepared for were the lessons of the Cross and the
fellowship of His suffering. My first natural inclination was to try and figure
out what sin I had committed that would cause the heavy hand of the Lord to
come down and punish me. But then I read in the Bible the story of the man born
blind. The people asked Jesus if it was his sin or his parent’s sin that caused
the blindness. Jesus said that it was neither. The reason for his blindness was
so that the glory of God may be revealed (in the man’s healing).
I remember the day that I was going
to go under the surgeon’s knife to remove the cancer in an effort to save my
life. I understood the risks of surgery and the possibility that the surgery
may not lead to a cure and the possibility (though remote) that I may never
wake up after the surgery. As I was lying on the gurney just minutes before
surgery, the surgeon came over to check in on me to see how I was doing. I
asked him, “Is it okay if I pray with you?” With a look of surprise he said,
“Sure.” I took his hand and prayed something like, “Lord, I surrender my life
to you and to the hands of Your surgeon. I ask that You bless his hands and use them to heal me. I trust You for a successful operation in which You will be
glorified. I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.” After the prayer, he said, “Wow,
thank you. No one has ever asked me to pray before!” The next thing I remember
was climbing up onto the operating table and pictured myself curling up into
the palm of God’s hand.
I was in recovery for about eight
hours before I woke up and found myself in some considerable discomfort. The
doctor came in and told me that everything went as well as could be expected in
surgery and that he was confident that everything would work out fine. He then
said, “I want to thank you for praying with me. That really touched me. No one
has ever done that before. I grew up in the Episcopal faith and haven’t been to
church for awhile. I am touched by your faith. Thank you.” I felt totally blest
and privileged that I was given the opportunity to share my faith with him and
doubly blessed that he was touched by the Holy Spirit, and triply blest that I
was still alive.
The next few weeks were pretty
uncomfortable, but there was a wonderful peace in my heart that everything was
going to be ok. The great victory for me was being able to respond to His grace
and to surrender my life.
The pathologist report came back
that the cancer had spread to the margins of the prostate, but they could not
tell whether or not it had spread beyond. Only time would tell.
The next couple years, were mixed
with wonderful fellowship with the Lord and you guessed it, trouble! This time
it was my job. One day while driving with my boss and visiting some of my
customer accounts, he asked me about the cassette tape hanging out of my tape
player by Michael W. Smith. I shared with him about Christian Contemporary
Music and also shared my testimony with him. Well, apparently, it didn’t set
real well with him. He turned on me and began to load me up with loser accounts
and began to harass me about not bringing in enough business. I could see that
he was trying to set me up for failure so he could have reasons to fire me. I
decided it was time to change careers.
On top of this, my wife was
complaining of her unhappiness about our relationship and finances and once
again threatened divorce. Rather than retreat from all this, I went back to
school to learn information technology and earned a diploma in Network
Engineering Management. It was very stressful working full time and going to
school three nights a week. In the midst of this, I was trying to maintain my
health and made frequent follow-up check-ups to make sure the cancer was not
coming back.
To my dismay and my doctor’s
disappointment, my PSA, or Prostate Specific Antigen tests, began to rise. PSA
is used as a marker in men’s blood to monitor prostate health. The sudden rise
indicated that there were some cancer cells beginning to cause the rise in my
PSA level. The doctor recommended that I undergo radiation of the area where
the prostate was removed to try and destroy any remaining cancer. This was NOT
good news. However, I knew I had to do this to survive, though there was no
guarantee. So, every day, except weekends, for two months I had to go through 5
minutes of radiation therapy and continue to work and go to night school.
I grew weak from the radiation as
time went on, but was able to finish school. I finished with a 4.0 GPA and my
instructor, who was also the Dean of the school, liked my work and the speed in
which I was able to learn. He also happened to be the Network Manager for the
Department of Children’s Services which managed the 24 hour Child Abuse
Hotline, and invited me to come to work for him. There it was,
my chance to leave a loser career and do what I enjoy, which was to play with
computers. The Lord blessed me in my new career and I quickly reaped the
financial benefits as well.
My trips to the doctor were
frequent to track the success or failure of the radiation therapy. So far, so
good; my PSA dropped like a rock. As time went on, I continued getting the good
reports on my PSA levels. My career in Information Technology was soaring and
so was my salary. Life was good. But just when I thought I was out of the
woods, trouble once again came knocking. This time trouble kicked the door down
and my wife of 21 years filed for divorce. “Ok, Lord,” I said, “I still trust You.” I realized that I had two choices: bitter or better.
By the grace of God, I chose better. By His grace I was able to forgive my
ex-wife, forgive myself for my failures, and believed with my whole heart that
God causes “all things to work for the good for those who love Him and are
called according to His purpose.” (Rom.8:28).
The good news is that He does have
a purpose for us; and that is to glorify Him whether we live or die. It has
been almost 10 years since my surgery. My PSA has continued to drop, I’m alive
and well. The Lord in His abundant generosity has also given me a treasure. He
brought a very special lady into my life who has become my wife. I’m so happy I
don’t know what do with myself sometimes! Jesus is
still the Lord of my life and that includes the mountain top experiences as
well as the valleys. As the Bible says,
“Because of the LORD's great love we
are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.” (Lam.3:22)
So are you in trouble? If so, I encourage you to trust the Lord with all your
heart, soul, mind and strength. He will not let you down.
What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us,
who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us
all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who
will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who
justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who
died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is
also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or
sword? As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as
sheep to be slaughtered." No, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor
life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be
able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom.8:31-39)
Ω
Friends Don’t Let Friends Do Drugs
By Tim O’Malley
Reflecting back on when I was in High School, one of the great lessons I
learned was the value of true friendship. I have always placed a lot of
importance on friendship. I have had lots of “friends” and very few real
friends. The Bible says that “Bad companions corrupt character.” I learned the
hard way that there are those who claim to be your friend, but unfortunately
could really care less about you.
I was popular in high school
because I loved to party, had money and held lots of parties at my house. I had
a cool Mustang and loved to go cruising with my friends. I played bass in a
Rock Band and played some of the local dance clubs in
This was at a time in my life when
the Spirit of God was calling my name, but I was ignoring Him. The Lord was
telling me that I was going down the wrong road and hanging out with the wrong
people. Unfortunately for me, I ignored His promptings in my heart and ended up
paying the price.
Things began to go terribly wrong.
Along with my “friends”, I got more heavily involved in drugs and ended up in
jail several times and nearly died from a drug overdose. I began to realize
that if I died in my sins that I would end up in Hell. I made several attempts
to try and turn my life around, but my “friends” were always there to encourage
me to party with them. I finally came to the realization that my life was
already a living hell and I was on the brink of eternal loss and separation
from God and those that I loved. It was one evening that I was on the verge of
death that I cried out to the Lord and He came and rescued me. It was shortly
after that I learned the lessons of true friendship.
I was 20 years old and was
born-again and given yet another chance. The Spirit of God was moving in my
life and I was so incredibly filled with peace and joy. In my excitement I went
and told my “friends” about my conversion experience and about how real Jesus
was. Their reaction? No surprise here; they said,
“Poor Tim’s brain finally got fried by the drugs.” Others said, “Careful, Tim
is a Jesus-Freak now.” But I would just tell them, “Jesus doesn’t make people
freaks; He makes freaks people.” Just a few said, “Wow, Tim, you seem so
different, you seem really happy.” It’s interesting that my phone stopped
ringing; my “friends” gradually disappeared. The amazing thing was that I
didn’t miss them. I then began to realize how shallow some of them were even to
the point of being back-stabbers. I went for six whole months without any
friends. Everyday, I would spend my time in fellowship with the Lord as I read
His Word. Then one day, my Mom told me that she had been praying for me that I
would find some good friends. She told me about this Bible study that was being
led by this guy that was my age and that he had long hair like me. So I went to
check it out and saw some of my old friends there who had had similar
experiences of encounters with the Lord and were now on fire with love for God
and for His Word.
A whole new world was opened to me.
I went back to Church and got involved in playing my guitar and ended up being
appointed by my pastor to lead praise & worship for our church’s Praise
Band. I met a lot of new friends who are still my friends today. They are
genuine, loving, true and fun to be with. The difference was like the
difference between Heaven and Hell. Someone once said that “A house is known by
the company it keeps.” The people we hang out with will influence our character
for good or for bad depending on their morality. Besides, friends don’t let friends
do drugs or anything else that is harmful. Do your friends give you life or do
they give you death? The choice is yours. As for me I will choose life, I will
choose to serve the Lord and fellowship with His friends. How about you?
Ω
Theme Song: The Power of Your Love © Copyright 1992, Word Music a division Word, Inc and Maranatha! Music, All
rights reserved. Used by permission.
Life Lessons © Copyright 2006, O’MalleyCat Publishing, All
rights reserved.
