by donfinto | Oct 10, 2018 | The Good Report
I am fascinated with the way the biblical scribes depict decisions being made by Israel’s kings. When I read, “and he inquired of the Lord,” I already know that I am about to read another victory. David is the best at continually inquiring of the Lord before battles or decisions (except of course in that most hideous moment when his lust overtook his decision-making faculties).
In Josiah’s day, the priest found a copy of the “book of the law” in the Temple and read about God’s laws that had been broken. Josiah tore his robes when he heard this and launched a revival in Judah: “’Go and inquire of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found,’ he told the prophetess. Josiah was one of Judah’s more righteous kings” (See 2 Kings 22).
Here’s another one. Most of us have heard of the unusual strategy Jehoshaphat received when he inquired of the Lord. The choir was to go in front of the army, giving praise to the Lord. A strange tactic, but it worked because God was in it (See 2 Chronicles 20).
The godly leader Joshua was almost always dependent on the Lord, constantly inquiring of the Lord, but there was that one time when the Gibeonites came in their tattered clothing and stale food, claiming to have come from a far country, when they were actually one of the enemy tribes who were to have been extinguished. Joshua 9:14 tells us, “The men of Israel tasted their provisions but did not inquire of the Lord.” They were going by what they saw and were so sure these men were telling the truth.
So what does all this mean for us?
If you hear of something that seems so wonderful, be very careful. Do not dare make any decisions, until you have inquired of the Lord.
If you hear of something that does not appear to be all that good, pause, pray, and inquire of the Lord. It could be that God is calling you into His own – sometimes to us strange plans.
Oh, yes! Let us keep “inquiring of the Lord.”
by donfinto | Sep 26, 2018 | The Good Report
Predestined to be like Jesus
What is the purpose of our lives? Is it to be happy? Is it to be healthy? Is it only to be saved from hell? No, there’s more. We are “predestined to become conformed to the image of” Jesus. To be holy as He is holy and to be used in this generation to complete His desires for this generation
If we will surrender every situation to Him, God will use it all, no matter how unpleasant, to form us more into His image. We will love as He loves, forgive like He forgives, listen and speak like He listened and spoke, see as He sees.
If we have had a Godly heritage, He will use it. If no one in our family ever knew the Lord or walked in the fullness of His Spirit, He will use that. If we have had a safe upbringing with parents who loved us and protected us, He will use that. If we have had a turbulent upbringing, have been abused and maligned and never encouraged by a mother or a father, He will use that.
He loves us. He knows us. He brings us closer to Him. Let us know the past is behind and walk forward to become all that He has intended for our us. In this day in age, it is a fight to raise the bar!
I bless and pray for your voyage on this awesome journey of becoming more like our awesome Redeemer! He is worthy of it all. Worthy of it all.
by donfinto | Sep 12, 2018 | The Good Report
Hag Sameach to all of you! Happy Holidays!
We have entered the Fall Feasts. Last Sunday was Yom Teruakh – Day of Blowing – Feast of Trumpets. Wednesday of next week is Yom Kippur. It is the Day of Atonement, one of the holiest days of God’s calendar year. It is the day the high priest would go into the Holy of Holies to bring the annual sacrifice for himself and for the nation. But fulfilled in Jesus Who took His own blood into the heavenly Holy of Holies to atone for the sins of all us who are Adam’s descendants. Five days later, Wednesday of the following week, begins the Feast of Tabernacles, foreshadowing the time when God and mankind will again tabernacle together in the new heaven and new earth.
“These are the appointed feasts of the LORD that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts (Leviticus 23:2),” God told Moses.
And since Jesus touched all the Spring feasts at His first advent (Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost), we can well assume that He will touch and fulfill these later feasts at His second advent.
Now let me tell you about the calendar on which we operate from day to day. We operate on the Gregorian calendar instituted by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582. He was replacing the Julian calendar instituted by Julius Caesar in 46 BC. The Julian calendar lost a day ever 128 years, so in order to bring the calendar up to date, Gregory’s calendar was advanced from October 4 to October 15, 1582. But there’s more. Since Gregory only had influence in the Roman Catholic world, the non-catholics did not immediately accept Gregory’s adjustments to the calendar. Great Britain and its colonies (which would have included our present “United States”) did not accept the change until 1732.
SO – now you’ll understand: God has a calendar and we have a calendar. He never did get on Julian’s or Gregory’s calendar. He has his own so let’s become aware of His.
May the Lord open all of our eyes to His work during this season of the fall festivals. And may He indeed open the hearts and eyes of Jewish people around the world. The Messiah has come. He reigns and will reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. He, Yeshua/Jesus, is the fulfillment of all the ancient prophecies concerning Him. He is even called God in that prophecy in Isaiah:
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this (Isaiah 9:6-7).
