Is Integrity for Today?

In a world that rewards lies, deceit and corrupt actions; it is becoming difficult to find people with integrity. While integrity used to be highly acclaimed and sought after in the world of business, more employees are being challenged to “better the other guy whatever the cost.”

Situational ethics has replaced moral uprightness as the norm. Moral relativity has replaced absolute truth which has undermined society’s ability to understand the significance of truth. The boundaries once established by truth absolutes have been destroyed leading our society to adopt stronger left-leaning beliefs which deny the necessity of integrity.

Does this make integrity obsolete? Are we to follow the ways of society and allow it to dictate the path we follow? Do we take a stand upon our beliefs even if saying “NO!” means standing alone in that decision and possibly even costing us a job or promotion?

Let me ask you this, does society’s adoption of moral relativity mean that GOD’s truth is no longer relevant but is now relative to each person’s own perception of the situation? Pilate asked Jesus: “What is truth?” (John 18:38). Throughout the ages, man has been duped and deceived into questioning the existence of truth; the reality of truth; and the human perception of truth versus relevancy.

As a young teenage boy, Daniel was confronted with a tough decision to make. Here he was a captive in a foreign land. He was being challenged to adhere to an opposing set of standards. He was being ordered to deviate from the truth of the Word of GOD. In the face of his difficult situation, the Bible tells us: “Daniel determined that he would not defile himself” (Daniel 1:8 HCSB).

Character and integrity were the guides of Daniel’s life and he refused to sway away from what he knew was right. What would you do in a similar situation? Many today, in fear of what may happen to them otherwise, compromise in the situation—utilizing the idea that GOD understands! GOD knows where my heart really is! I have a family to consider; I need this job; I don’t want the confrontation that would come about—and GOD understands anyways!

If those lines of reasoning are true then why didn’t Daniel use them? Why didn’t Daniel just go with the flow knowing that GOD would take his plight into consideration and understand his choices? Because Daniel knew in his heart that he had no choice in the matter other than to follow GOD and following GOD meant turning his back completely on the reasoning of the world.

Later in life, Daniel was once again challenged to compromise his beliefs. In an attempt to have Daniel removed from power, the king’s officials had the king order that all prayers and petitions had to be made to him alone. Daniel, not one to change his commitment to GOD, continued in his daily prayers to GOD. When the king was made aware of the situation, he realized he had been duped into signing the law and he was forced to condemn Daniel to the lion’s den to be destroyed.

The king did not sleep all night worrying about Daniel’s fate; yet, somewhere in his heart he had some belief that Daniel’s God would deliver him. The following morning, the king ran to the lion’s den and cried out: “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?” (Daniel 6:19). To which Daniel responded back: “My God sent His angel and shut the lions’ mouths. They haven’t hurt me, for I was found innocent before Him. Also, I have not committed a crime against you my king” (v. 22).

The Scripture tells us that “Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian” (v. 28). GOD honored Daniel’s stand for what was morally and ethically right. Daniel proved to be a man of integrity in all he did because he determined early-on in life that his life would please GOD.

What about you? Do you waver in your daily responses and reactions? Do you go with the flow even when you know it’s displeasing to GOD and disobedient to His Word? I challenge you to follow GOD and His Word in everything you do, every decision you make and every path you choose to follow. Know His heart and make it your heart today!

Scripture Reading: “Lord, I turn my hope to You. My God, I trust in You. Do not let me be disgraced; do not let my enemies gloat over me. Not one person who waits for You will be disgraced; those who act treacherously without cause will be disgraced. Make Your ways known to me, Lord; teach me Your paths. Guide me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; I wait for You all day long. Remember, Lord, Your compassion and Your faithful love, for they have existed from antiquity. Do not remember the sins of my youth or my acts of rebellion; in keeping with Your faithful love, remember me because of Your goodness, Lord. The Lord is good and upright; therefore He shows sinners the way” (Psalm 25:1-8 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I praise You for always being with me in all my situations and circumstances. I thank You that You strengthen me and I pray that You would embolden me to stand up for what is right and true. Lord, if I begin to waver, I pray that You will bring to my remembrance what Your will is for me and help me to choose that path regardless of the path others around me may choose. Help me to show Your path to others so they too may have an opportunity to choose what is right. I love You and thank You!…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Not Sure You Can Take It Any Longer?

How often do you find yourself beat down in today’s world? It seems you almost get back on your feet—only to take another blow? Frustration with your situation begins to overwhelm you. The need for relief seems ever more complicated by the ongoing series of events that continue to heckle you and drag your life down. You are convinced no one cares and you know from past experience that there is little chance anyone is going to run to your side to help out.

The Israelites often found themselves in very similar circumstances. It seemed they couldn’t get a break from the onslaught of the enemies around them. Every day seemed to bring a new wave of trouble their way. Frustration among them was often overwhelming.

But, GOD remained a constant for them. Even as they strolled away from Him, His love and desire for them continued—His faithfulness remained strong. In the midst of their chaos, He spoke these words of encouragement: “Listen to Me, house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been sustained from the womb, carried along since birth. I will be the same until your old age, and I will bear you up when you turn gray. I have made you, and I will carry you; I will bear and save you” (Isaiah 46:3-4, HCSB).

He reminded them that He was with them always. Certainly, they didn’t always realize it because they so often turned their hearts away from Him. He reminded them He would continue to be there for them—always ready to carry them over the rough spots and to save them when life became unbearable.

These same promises are extended to you as well. While your friends may run away when things get tough for you, GOD remains faithful and ready always to carry you on to victory. When life seems to overwhelm you, GOD is prepared to save you from drowning in the problems and the difficulties.

To add to the encouragement, He told them: “Remember what happened long ago, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like Me. I declare the end from the beginning, and from long ago what is not yet done, saying: My plan will take place, and I will do all My will” (vv. 9-10).

GOD reminded them of His faithfulness in all their times of hardship. He encouraged them to reflect on His constant intervention into their circumstances throughout the year’s past. He reminded them that He was GOD, the only GOD, the only Hope, the only Salvation in their times of trouble. He declared to them that regardless of how bad things appeared or even became, His plan and His will would prevail.

GOD is telling you today that regardless of how bad things look; regardless of how bad things have already been; He is GOD and He is working everything out according to His perfect plan and will in your life for His purpose and ultimately His glory. Paul reminds us of this when he wrote: “We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God: those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

You just not sure how much longer you can take it? Not sure how much longer you can go on with life as it is? Hang in there! Stay the course. Put your hope and trust in the GOD Who loves you and cares for you. Know that He is working and making things happen that you may not understand at this time but one day, you will understand and you will realize that GOD was there all along doing great and marvelous things.

Scripture Reading: “I waited patiently for the Lord, and He turned to me and heard my cry for help. He brought me up from a desolate pit, out of the muddy clay, and set my feet on a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord. How happy is the man who has put his trust in the Lord and has not turned to the proud or to those who run after lies! Lord my God, You have done many things- Your wonderful works and Your plans for us; none can compare with You. If I were to report and speak of them, they are more than can be told” (Psalm 40:1-5 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, You are my GOD. You hold my future in Your hands. You know what I am going through and You know why. I pray that I will learn to simply trust in You, in Your plan and Your purpose. I pray that in the midst of my chaotic world, You will bring peace to my heart to realize You are there and You are always in control. I love You and praise You, O GOD, in all things. In Jesus’ name…AMEN!

Harmonizing with the Spirit of God

The most beautiful sounds in the world of music are made when all instruments and voices are in perfect harmony. The human ear and mind pick up on this and marvel at the beauty of perfection. On the other hand, when an instrument or voice is not in perfect sync or slightly out of tune, the resonance can be deafening or bring grief to the keen listener.

GOD is the author of perfection and perfect harmony is simply a part of everything He is. Harmony is an extension of His beauty and marvelous nature. When we walk out into the marvelous world He has created, we see nature working in perfect harmony. Viewing its beauty and perfection is as sweet as hearing a song in perfect harmony. The perfection of it all is beyond us and much too often simply overlooked as we get caught up in our day-to-day cycle of life.

GOD has designed humanity with an “ear for harmony” in all aspects of life. But most importantly, He has designed us to be in perfect harmony with Himself through His Spirit. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit operate in perfect harmony in all things. The beauty of the Godhead is revealed through the perfection by which these three become One. As they operate in harmony, perfection is always the result.

GOD’s desire for you and I is to operate in the same harmonious way. Scripture reveals this throughout as GOD is ever-working in His children to bring each of us into perfect conformity with Christ (Romans 8:29). GOD carries this out through His Spirit and the actions of His Spirit working in and through our lives, our life situations, and even our relationships. The single most important aspect of harmonizing with GOD’s Spirit is our own willingness to put self aside and allow Him to work in us.

Consider that David recognized his personal need for the Spirit’s constant influence and direction within His life as he prayed in a most serious hour of his life: “Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11 HCSB).

The Son of God found it necessary to be filled and led by the Spirit as He walked upon this earth. The Scripture reveals that following His baptism: “Jesus returned from the Jordan, full of the Holy Spirit, and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness” (Luke 4:1).

David and Jesus operated under the guidance of the Spirit finding it a necessity in their daily to be in perfect harmony with His direction and leadership. As Jesus was preparing to leave the earth, He told His disciples: “I am sending you what My Father promised. As for you, stay in the city until you are empowered from on high” (Luke 24:49). When the Spirit came upon them all on the day of Pentecost, He empowered them to fulfill GOD’s call and mission that is for all of us—to go and to make disciples around the world.

Paul reiterated the importance of the Spirit in our lives when he wrote: “All those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons” (Romans 8:14). An vital part of being a son of GOD is in being led by His Spirit. In other words, for you and I to be useful to GOD and to His kingdom, we must lay aside ourselves and allow His Spirit to lead us. The difficulty in all that is that we have strong tendencies to do things our way, to look at things the same way we always have, to look at other people in the same light and with the same expectations as before.

Being in harmony with GOD’s Spirit requires a complete submission to the path GOD chooses for us. It requires you and I living out “not my will but Yours be done” regardless of what my humanness may think about the situation. It is standing up in the face of persecution, trials and tribulations and simply saying GOD, whatever the outcome, may You be glorified in and through it all.

The foundation of Christianity is perfect harmony. As we find ourselves in perfect harmony with GOD through Jesus Christ, we find ourselves enabled to engage a world that is filled with hate and chaos and conflict with a message of love and transformation.

In order to make beautiful music for the world to hear, the love message of Christ, we must be filled and led by GOD’s Spirit. As we are, we will find ourselves becoming harmonious within our own midst. We will find ourselves loving one another as Christ has instructed us to do. And then, we will find ourselves becoming a sweet melody to the lost world all around us. That is GOD’s purpose and plan for all of us!

Scripture Reading: “Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I desire above all things to be operating within Your will. To do so, I realize my life must be in perfect harmony with You. I pray Your Spirit would fill me fresh, lead my walk and talk and help me to live in total submission to Your will regardless of how I may think otherwise. I pray that You would empower me to engage my world with Your love as shown through the giving of Jesus to die for the sins of the world. Help me, Lord, to live in conformity to Your will and way always and help me to be a beacon in the darkness. I love You and give You all the glory for who I am and who You intend to make me out to be for the sake of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name…AMEN!

I Want More of You, GOD!

It’s too easy to become content with what you have. Whether it’s because you don’t know what you’re missing out on by staying where you are or you just don’t have any desire for more, either way you are cheating yourself of the new places, the new adventures, the new excitement that GOD has for you.

As I look at a growing number of churches, I see a stagnation that has set in. I see people content right where they are. Their rituals and traditions hold them prisoner to the mundane never allowing them to be loosed to truly seek after GOD and all He really has for them. Pastors have become content to preach a five minute sermon that fails drastically to carry the people through the next week of hardships.

While on the other hand, I see those tired of being in the boat, tired of being boxed in by the way it’s always been done. Their desire for more of GOD and more of what He has for them has turned them loose to chase after everything He has for them. Those churches are growing and going while the contented are dying a slow death—fact is, some are already dead, there are just a few stubborn people holding things together as long as possible but still refusing to allow any change that might break their hold on the church.

The challenge today is for you to desire more of GOD! Regardless of your own personal wants and needs, what you really need is to let go and let GOD break loose in your midst. Lay aside the dead traditions. Throw out the fruitless rituals. Pastor, allow the fire of GOD to move through you as you proclaim the Words of Life to those you’ve been entrusted to lead. Invite GOD’s Spirit to be free to move in your midst to do His work in His way!

As Moses prepared to lead the people toward the Promised Land, he knew he needed something more than what he was going on. He was spiritually drained. The job GOD had called him to do was overwhelming him. In desperation, he cried out to GOD, “Please, let me see Your glory” (Exodus 33:18 HCSB). I need a fresh anointing of Your Spirit, GOD!

GOD, give me a fresh injection of Your Spirit and Your power by revealing Yourself to me in a fresh way today. That should be your desire and longing today. If not, you need to get your connection to GOD right. It’s not about you today, it’s about Him. It’s about seeing His glory. It’s about experiencing His power. It’s about a fresh move of the Spirit of GOD in your midst to empower you to fulfill GOD’s plan in and through you.

We have got to get to the place in our lives to where we set aside our own personal wants and desires and simply allow GOD to be GOD in and through us. Because Moses truly desired a fresh experience with GOD, GOD responded to him this way: “I will cause all My goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim the name Yahweh before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion” (v. 19). And GOD followed through in a mighty way!

Until the church wakes up to its greatest need, it will suffer, stagnate and eventually die! The greatest need the church has today is to experience the freshness of GOD’s glory—to experience a fresh filling of GOD’s Spirit—a fresh empowering to move in GOD’s Spirit—and a fresh anointing that moves GOD’s people to show compassion to the lost, hurting and dying world we live in.

Lord, show me Your glory! I want more of You, GOD! I want to reflect Your glory to all who see me!

Scripture Reading: Not to us, Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory because of Your faithful love, because of Your truth. Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?” Our God is in heaven and does whatever He pleases. Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel, feet, but cannot walk. They cannot make a sound with their throats. Those who make them are just like them, as are all who trust in them. Israel, trust in the Lord! He is their help and shield. House of Aaron, trust in the Lord! He is their help and shield. You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord! He is their help and shield. The Lord remembers us and will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron; He will bless those who fear the Lord- small and great alike. May the Lord add to your numbers, both yours and your children’s. May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The heavens are the Lord’s, but the earth He has given to the human race. It is not the dead who praise the Lord, nor any of those descending into the silence of death. But we will praise the Lord, both now and forever. Hallelujah!  ~~  Psalm 115 HCSB).

Personal Prayer: Father in heaven, I want more of You! Pour out Your Spirit on Your church today. Fill our hearts with Your love for our fellow man. Fill our minds with the knowledge of Your Word and teach us to long to fulfill Your desires for each of us and Your Church. Father, I pray Your glory would be evident in my life, my home, my family—everything I do would reveal Your glory and power. Forgive me where I fail You and for allowing myself to become stagnated in my spirit. Lord,  help me to live my life showing forth You glory to others…in Jesus’ name…AMEN!

What If—Jesus Doesn’t Return in Our Generation?

I don’t know about you but when I look around at the world today and consider the drastic changes in it over the last thirty or forty years, I fear what the future holds for the upcoming generations. Prophecy certainly reveals that Jesus could return at any moment; but, what if He doesn’t return in our generation or even the next?

What does the future hold for our children and grandchildren? What hope do they have to discover Jesus Christ as their personal Savior with the ease that we were afforded?

I think about how we have failed them. We have allowed the church to buy into false teachings and then to turn around and sell them back out to others. We have allowed the foundational values of our society to be swept away and replaced by humanistic teachings. We have allowed the false religions from foreign lands to sweep in and undermine the Biblical standards upon which our nation was founded.

A growing number of so-called pastors have lost sight of their responsibility unto the Lord and to His church to be raising up true disciples who continue to carry on that process of discipleship. I see so many that have chosen their hobby, their sport, their recreation over their passion for ministry. Many are receiving huge paychecks and yet rarely engage in ministry work. In essence they are fleecing the sheep for their own personal gains and enjoyment. We must have a return to passionate ministry from the pulpits if we hope to raise up passionate workers in the pews.

What can we do? What should we be doing? Is it right that we spend six days a week engaged in the practices of the world and a part of one day a week being an attender at a church? Is that what Jesus expected of us? Is that how we will turn our world upside down for Jesus? Is that how we can make an impact upon our society and see our world begin to turn back to GOD?

Jesus had a different plan for His followers. He engrafted that plan into His disciples and they in turn changed the known world. But, something has happened over time—we’ve lost sight of our responsibility as King’s kids. We have allowed the world to change our line of thinking rather than setting out to change the pattern of thinking of our world.

Jesus told about a nobleman who went away to be crowned in a faraway land—of course, referring to Himself. He left instructions for His followers to take the talents He had given them and “Engage in business until I come back” (Luke 19:13 HCSB). Upon the King’s return, He called the servant/followers to account for their use of what He had entrusted them with.

Each came forward and was required to give an account. The first two doubled what had been given to them—they were faithful to utilize their giftings to enhance and enrich the Kingdom—to these two were given great responsibility and authority in the Kingdom yet to come.

The last hid his talent and refused to work it and to build the Kingdom with it. He carried on life as usual failing to recognize he would one day have to account for what he did with his talent. When his time came, the Master became angry with him for his failure to use what he had been given. The punishment was extremely harsh as the Master declared: “Bring here these enemies of mine, who did not want me to rule over them, and slaughter them in my presence” (v. 27).

As seen in this, Jesus is dead serious about what you and I are to be doing right now. Sitting on your pew is not your gift! Attending church once a week and calling it all good is not your gift. The only thing that will matter one day when you face the Judge is what you did to build up the Kingdom of God. The only thing that will matter on that day is how many people’s lives you impacted for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Your boat, your house, your car, your airplane won’t matter at all! What you did for the Kingdom is the only thing that will matter!

What if Jesus doesn’t come back for a while, are you hard at it for His Kingdom? If not, there is still time! Get busy. What if, He were to return today? What would He find you doing? Would you stand before Him embarrassed and ashamed because you’ve done nothing for Him, maybe a lot for you? Or, will you stand before Him confidently and declare as Paul did: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7).

What if??? Think about it. There is time to change….