by donfinto | Mar 18, 2020 | The Good Report
An interesting passage in the beginning of the book of
Judges: “These are the nations the LORD left to test all those Israelites who
had not experienced any of the wars in Canaan (he did this only to teach
warfare to the descendants of the Israelites who had not had previous battle
experiences)” (3:1-2).
That does not sound like a “Good Report” to me, but it
actually was. It was essential for the younger generation to learn how to
fight. God’s view is often very different from our own.
I suspect that the worldwide pandemic about the coronavirus
is another one of those strange things that God is allowing so that we will
learn how to weather every storm that comes between now and His return. If my
understanding of Scripture is close to accurate, we are headed toward the most
horrific time in world history. Daniel calls it “a time of distress such as has
not happened from the beginning of nations until then” (12:1). Jesus adds an
addendum to Daniel’s prophecy, saying that it will be “great distress, unequaled
from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again”
(Matthew 24:21).
I have bad news. It’s going to get worse.
But I have good news. God will be with us and give us
strength for every occasion.
Could it be that He is allowing the worldwide coronavirus so
that, like Israel in the time of the Judges, we learn how to wage war and come
through in victory at all times and in every way?
Let us lean into the Lord and have no fear. Remember that
Jesus has “all authority” not only in heaven but all “on earth” (Matthew
28:18). The coronavirus did not catch Him off guard. He’s got it.
So “Thanks be to God! He gives us the victory… stand firm. Let nothing move you.” (1
Corinthians 15:57-58).
by donfinto | Feb 26, 2020 | The Good Report
Know your identity!
I love John’s description of the night when Jesus washed all
the disciples’ feet. John says, “Jesus knew that the Father had put all things
under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God, so he
got up from the meal… and began to wash
his disciples’ feet” (13:3-4).
Jesus knew who He was. He knew His identity. His actions
came out of his God-given confidence.
Do you know who you are? Are you confident of your
God-identity? Life and actions should follow our God-identity.
I encourage everyone I know to write for themselves their
God-identity, based on scriptural facts, then memorize the statement and
repeatedly speak it to yourself. This rids us of demoralizing negative self-talk,
and then we grow in a walk with joy and confidence. Here are some possible
starters for you:
*All of my sins are forgiven in
Jesus (Romans 3).
*I have become righteous in Him (2
Corinthians 5:21).
*I have a secure future.
*He works everything for my good –
everything! (Romans 8:28)
*I refuse to walk only by what I
see or feel (2 Corinthians 5:7).
*I hear when God speaks (John 8:47;
John 10:27).
*I am becoming more like Jesus
(Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18)
*I refuse to dwell on the past
(Isaiah 43:18).
You get the point. God has a different view of us than we
have of ourselves. As an example of this, check out God’s view of Moses (Exodus
3:11, 13; 4:1, 10, 13), Gideon (Judges 6:11,12), or Jeremiah (1:4-8) as opposed
to their view of themselves.
Know your identity in Jesus. Speak that identity to yourself
repeatedly, and you will begin to believe God more than you believe yourself,
and you will walk in greater joy, confidence, faith and hope into the future.
Have a blessed life.
by donfinto | Jan 29, 2020 | The Good Report
“Confess your sins one to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.” James 5:16
“If you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” Matthew 6:15
Conflicts between good people do arise. We are flawed. None
of us is yet perfected. What do we do when we have been wronged, when we get
into an argument, when we are accused of something we did not do
Here’s a formula that has worked for me through the years,
and seems to help me walk stronger through life, not that I have always done
this perfectly, but it is the formula which I believe should belong to all of
us.
If 95% percent of the problem lies with the other person,
and only 5% from me, I want to forgive the 95% and confess the 5%. And when I
confess the 5%, I must not add, “But if you hadn’t… I wouldn’t have.” That’s
just another form of self- justification and accusation of the other person.
There does not seem to me ever to be a problem between
people where 100% of the problem belongs to one party. That party may have
started the problem, but our response when we are maligned or accused or
gossiped about or hurt is never perfect. So I could really say, “If 99% of the
problem belongs to the other party and only 1% to me, then my role is to
forgive the 99% and ask forgiveness for the 1%. This does not mean that I will
begin to trust or maybe will ever trust the offender, but I have released him
or her and have confessed my own part of the problem or my flawed response.
Do you have a problem confessing your faults?
Learn to claim your part in the disagreement or argument,
and quickly to forgive the other person.
Enjoy life more as you follow Jesus and abide in His Word.
