Snapshots and Synapses

 Rather than writing something new, I thought it better to revisit a post from 2021:

Published in paperback on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Shepherds-Letter-Mitchell-Malloy/dp/1973415933/ Copyright © 2007 Mitchell Malloy All rights reserved. ISBN: 9781973415930 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS All our talents come as a gift from above, and all we do is to imitate the Great Giver with gifts of our own. Soli Deo Gloria!

35 years ago, I asked God a question: “Who was Jesus?” I did not want to just trust what others had told me no matter how well intentioned they may have been. I had been reading a chapter per day in Psalms and on that Good Friday opened the next chapter: Psalm 22 “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?.” Verse 1a , Jesus' words on the cross “They say, ‘Commit yourself to the LORD! Let the LORD rescue him! Let the LORD deliver him, for he delights in him.’" Verse 8 - the words of the crowd, mocking Jesus “They are dividing up my clothes among themselves; they are rolling dice for my garments.” Verse 18 - the actions of the Roman guards This Psalm was written 1000 years before Jesus, and if you read it you’ll find more of the crucifixion story described in it. It was God’s answer to my sincere question, and just one example of what sets the Bible apart from all other religious books: fulfilled prophecy. In that one answer, God showed me two things: Jesus was who He said He w...

From its origins, Christianity has seen a connection between Passover and Resurrection Sunday, commonly known as Easter. At a minimum, Christians acknowledge that Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection occurred during the Jewish Passover celebration. The Bible clearly tells this story through the lens of the Passover Meal that Jesus had with His closest friends, commonly referred to as the Last Supper. It’s the night that Jesus is handed over to be scourged and crucified; we recall Jesus’ death on Good Friday, called good because He paid the price for our sins on that terrific day, fulfilling the law (Matt 5:17) and demonstrating a divine love.   Did you know however that Passover and Easter were linked from the Israel’s origin?  Recall as Abraham was ready to sacrifice his first-born son on Mt. Moriah. Abraham told Isaac that God would provide the sacrifice, most likely not knowing how true his words were. However, it was not Isaac who was sacrificed on that hill; it w...

What do you think about when you consider Palm Sunday? Is it Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, or is it the knowledge that many of these same people cheering for Him would be calling out for His crucifixion? Do you question how you would have responded to Him? Do you wonder how Jesus felt, knowing that He was entering the city to endure a legal, physical and spiritual trial, that these people who cheered for Him would also reject Him?  I don’t have much to write other than this: I am not worthy. None of us are. I struggle to let go of life’s conveniences, but Jesus willingly gave His very life for fickle people like us. Was it the Romans that crucified Jesus? Was the Jews? Was it God the Father? It was each of us, who by each sin, both little and great, created a need for a perfect sacrifice. So out of love, God sent His Son, and out of love the Son endured the scourging and death that each of us deserves. If no one accepted this great gift, if it were just you or I that would...

Years ago, I wrote a Christmas short story that's now available on Amazon. The Kindle ebook will be available for free from 20-DEC to 24-DEC. Although a work of fiction, I believe the story truly explains the real meaning of Christmas. It starts off pretty traditional before taking a quick pivot.  If interested, follow the link to Amazon. The story is called " The Shepherd's Letter ".  I hope you enjoy... Merry Christmas!

The Lord has risen indeed, hallelujah!  Easter and Christmas are my favorite holidays, and I wrote a short story available on Kindle for both Christmas and Easter. It is called  The Shepherd's Letter  and is available for free download from Saturday, April 3, 2021, 12:00 AM PDT to Monday, April 5, 2021, 11:59 PM PDT.  Or select from below if you want to read some of my previous posts for Easter:  Who Is This Person, Jesus? Easter Presents Easter: An Absurd Celebration Why Easter?

Easter and Christmas are my favorite holidays, and I wrote a short story available on Kindle for both Christmas and Easter. It is called The Shepherd's Letter and is available for free download from Saturday, April 3, 2021, 12:00 AM PDT to Monday, April 5, 2021, 11:59 PM PDT.  Or select from below if you want to read some of my previous posts for Good Friday:  Prayer for Revival on Good Friday Contextual Friday Good Friday 2020

Holy Week precedes Easter, but it’s up to us to make it a holy week. But what is “holiness”? It’s simply setting something apart for God. For example, the Sabbath is holy, dedicated and set apart for God’s purposes. Holy Days are likewise set apart for God. And then there’s Easter, which is set apart from all other days of the year to recall Jesus’ triumph over the grave. Next Sunday, we will celebrate Easter and proclaim that He has risen, a demonstration of His power over sin and death! Yet Holy Week is just another week if we fail to make it holy! Sure, it still shows up on the liturgical calendar and churches will do some special things. Easter eggs will be hidden and found; families will get together to feast in celebration! The week starts with Palm Sunday, remembered by some as the day of Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Some evangelical pastors will use Palm Sunday as a last chance reminder for people to invite others to next week’s Sunday service. After all, it’s one of ...

Can you celebrate Easter in the midst of a global pandemic? Can you celebrate life and joy and worship an all-powerful, all-knowing, fully-good God when there is so much wrong in the world? How can someone even believe in such a God during the dark moments of life?  It’s precisely these moments that often turn us toward God. Sadly, I remember reading a blog that read: “We returned to church after 9-11 only to remember why we left.” That saddens me on so many levels but mostly because it tells a story that God’s people did not represent Him well to the author of that blog.  We are the salt of the world, and if we lose our saltiness then what happens to the world around us? Salt flavors and preserves, and those who bear His name are called to flavor this world with His truth and love. We are the light of world, but what happens to the world when we hide the light that burns within us?  Easter is a celebration of Life and Joy in God’s Victory! Death has no sti...

I am thankful for our God: Who never abandons us, Who is always patient with us, Who is faithfully working in us to become the people He has called us to be. He reveals truth to His people and steadfastly brings it to fruition. We are impatient, expecting an immediate answer to our prayers, which He sometimes does but more often makes us wait.  Why does God make us wait? I honestly don’t know. It could be because He knows that once we get a quick answer or a quick deliverance, we don’t appreciate it as much. Maybe it’s because He wants us to develop a habit, a lifestyle, of drawing close to Him. Maybe He likes to build the suspense to develop our character and help us to trust Him as He catches us… just in time… each and every time.  Last weekend I suggested we pray. Last year I suggested we pray. 13 years ago I wrote an urgent message . 30 years ago, I said a prayer that changed everything for me. God has been patient and faithful, and He will do as He said He wo...

Every year, my wife and I celebrate Easter with our kids in a typical, American fashion: baskets, eggs, candy, etc. We also throw in an inexpensive gift. I’d like to say there’s a deep, spiritual reason behind all this, but the truth is: we just love to celebrate and see the joy on our kids’ faces. But maybe this gift-giving tradition in our family points to something we all need a little more: a sense of wonder and joy at Easter. I’m not trying to say that everyone should start exchanging gifts at Easter (Christmas is more than enough commercialization for me). No, I think we need to be more mindful of the reality of His Presence as our great Present. I was reading the Easter story from John’s Gospel before writing this blog, and I was struck by the emotion of Jesus’ first interaction with others after His resurrection: He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tel...

I woke up and started to cry again, eyes welling with tears as I recalled the events of the previous day. In exhaustion, I had finally ended the day with a restless sleep, awakening repeatedly to a cacophony of emotions and inner voices:  Gone. Empty. Worthless… Meaningless! Three years of my life… lost! It had all been a lie!! It was like this last night, wavering between grief and anger: sorrow at his death, angry that he let it happen… and disappointment… so disappointed in my actions. “No sir! I’d never abandon you!” Yet within hours, I pretended as if I never even knew him. So disappointed… but what was he thinking? I tried to defend him! I was quick to grab the sword away from that fellow and strike, but the Master reprimanded ME… and then healed the guy that took him away! All those miracles that he performed, but not one for himself, not even when he needed it most. Not even then! And if not for himself, what about us??? Surely he knew that we needed him!! I wonde...

Context. It frames up a conversation so the dialogue can be directed and efficient. It provides both the boundaries and the background of a conversation: draw the lines too narrow and the topic may never be explored enough to understand the key issues; set the boundaries too wide and conclusions become elusive. Context: a 25 year old sailor in the middle of the Mediterranean privately reading a Bible, asking the Lord to reveal His truth. Believing that God will answer his questions, the young man is bold enough to ask: “Who is Jesus?” Having been raised Roman Catholic, this particular sailor was familiar with the liturgical year, and on this particular morning, he knew what day it was: Good Friday. But although he was raised in a church, the sailor had come to doubt many things. Over the preceding months, he had explored different world views: atheism, agnosticism, Hinduism, etc. But most recently, the sailor had started reading the Bible, coming to the realization that God was ...

It’s easy for me to say: “I love Christmas!” Ever since I was a kid, it held a certain sense of expectation. First: there’s all the gifts and decorations. Then as I got older: there’s all the gifts and decorations! (just half -kidding) As I matured, I grew to understand the joy of giving, looking forward to seeing the expression on others’ faces when they open THE package. And of course, I love the REAL message: God the Father extends peace and good will toward men. But Easter? It never had the same pull for me as a kid. Hard-boiled eggs with fancy colors just didn’t compare to the lights of Christmas trees, especially since I really wasn’t too fond of hard-boiled eggs. And candy in a basket was nowhere near as exciting to wake up to as a mountain of toys supplemented with a stocking of sugary delights. Of course Easter is no more about the flowery traditions than Christmas, but the fact remains: as a young boy, it was never packaged up very nicely. Still, I remember somewhere a...