by donfinto | May 16, 2018 | The Good Report
Read the Word aloud!
Nashville just experienced two weeks of reading the Word of God aloud together at various events. For the third year, different ones of us took segments of Scripture and read them aloud into the airwaves over Middle Tennessee. Then we gathered together and heard the final chapters of Revelation read aloud, thus bringing ourselves into the blessing that John spoke in those opening verses of his Revelation: “Blessed are the ones who read the words of this prophecy and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it” (Revelation 1:3).
Then Francis Chan was here over the weekend and challenged us to do the very thing we had been doing. Francis spent half of his speaking time just reading from the Word of God – letting it speak without comment or interpretation.
This has stirred in me again the blessing of reading the Word aloud even in my private times of reading – as well as praying out loud. I find that I am doubly challenged when I not only read and pray, but I hear myself reading and praying aloud. I am moved not only by the reading but also by the hearing.
Scripture speaks often of reading the Word aloud. Paul told Timothy, “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture” (1 Timothy 4:13). He wanted his letters to be read aloud to the believers (see Colossians 4:16 and 1 Thessalonians 5:27).
I challenge you to find a place where you can both read and pray aloud for the next week and see if this does not enrich your time with the Lord. I am praying for an established lifestyle of being double blessed, doubly challenged – reading and praying while listening to myself in the reading and praying.
by donfinto | May 9, 2018 | The Good Report
I just read Jack Deere’s latest book, Even in Our Darkness, an amazing, raw life story of the Lord’s persistent and constant love in our brokenness.
Though Jack had a major impact within the believing community in his earlier years, he went totally into seclusion during some devastating situations in his family. Through the encouragement of his publisher son and some very perceptive people at Zondervan, his latest book now tells his life story (up to this point) in raw honesty in a way that shows the radical, unconditional eternal love of Jesus.
Early in Jack’s childhood, he one day asked his dad what happens when we die. His father told him that we meet St. Peter at the pearly gate. St. Peter has a scale in his hand. He puts all our good deeds on one side of the scale, and all our bad deeds on the other side. If the good goes down, we go up; if the bad goes down, we go down. Simple as that.
When I read that story, I was sad not only because the great majority of the world believes this, but because many Christians with all fine-sounding theology often believe the same thing. In fact, that’s the message I picked up in my Christian childhood and believed until I finally learned that through Paul’s Roman letter: the ultimate Good Report. It says that God knew none of us as righteous and never would be, so He had to devise a plan to give us His righteousness (Paul uses that exact phrase in Romans 5:17). God came to us (Immanuel – God with us), took upon Himself all the sins of the entire Adam family, went to hell for us with those sins, and then came back in His resurrection power with the ability to give His righteousness to everyone who believes in Him.
I never could and never will get good enough. He knows that. But I have received Him, and He has given me His own righteousness so that I now have a secure future. I am not saved because I am good. I am forever saved because He is good. And I grow more like Him now that He is in me through His Spirit.
This is the eternal and forever ultimate Good Report out of which all good reports come.
Be sure you have embraced the fullness of the gospel. Don’t buy into that scale thing! It’s a lie!
by donfinto | Apr 25, 2018 | The Good Report
I find that I have an unusual propensity for making snap judgments or decisions
without “inquiring of the Holy Spirit.” I know very well that “my [Jesus] sheep listen
to my voice (John 10:27),” and “whoever belongs to God hear what God says (John
8:47).” Yet, I find that I often jump to a judgment or action without waiting a
moment to listen for Him.
I remember when I bought my present car. The dealer knew what I was looking for
and could afford. So one day he called me and described this car that was an older
model but had low mileage. As soon as I heard it, I almost ran out of the house, got
into my car and raced toward the dealer when the Holy Spirit interrupted me. “Hold
on. You don’t have to have this car. If this is the car for you, it will be there for you.
Slow down. Listen for me.” As it turned out, I got the car, but I had surrendered the
decision to the Lord, and so much more enjoy the car because He affirmed the
purchase.
Just two days ago, one of my closest friends and I were discussing a particular topic.
I saw a need and began expressing to him the answer to our question when the
Lord interrupted me. I had to say out loud, “Oh, excuse me, the Lord just stopped me
and said, ‘Listen to Me before you make any decision.’”
Now I’ve known about listening to the Lord for decades. He’s been talking to me for
a long time, and I have heard Him over and over again. But I still need the reminder:
“Listen for My Voice. I am here to help you with every decision, every business decision,
every social decision. I am interested in every area of your life. Keep learning. Keep
listening.”
I love the LORD. He and I have this dialogue going on a lot of the time. BUT I still
needed this reminder. He wants to be completely in charge. As the popular little
slogan goes, “I am second!”
And I like it. This way of living fills us with joy.
