Most people are honest in some things, but a person of integrity is honest about all things.

Several years ago, in Long Beach, California, a fellow went into a fried chicken place and bought a couple of chicken dinners for himself and his date late one afternoon.

The young woman at the counter inadvertently gave him the proceeds from the day – a whole bag of money (much of it cash) instead of fried chicken. After driving to their picnic site, the two of them sat down to open the meal and enjoy some chicken together. They discovered a whole lot more than chicken – over $800! But he was unusual. He quickly put the money back in the bag. They got back into the car and drove all the way back.

Mr. Clean got out, walked in, and became an instant hero. By then the manager was frantic. The guy with the bag of money looked the manager in the eye and said, “I want you to know I came by to get a couple of chicken dinners and wound up with all this money. Here.” Well, the manager was thrilled to death. He said, “Oh, great, let me call the newspaper. I’m gonna have your picture put in the local newspaper. You’re the most honest man I’ve heard of.” To which the guy quickly responded, “Oh no, no, don’t do that!” Then he leaned closer and whispered, “You see, the woman I’m with is not my wife…she’s uh, somebody else’s wife.”

Integrity means truth characterizes your whole life. It is to let every area of your life to be governed by God’s truth. Now Jesus is our perfect example in every regard. “They came to Him and said, ‘Teacher, we know that You are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because You pay no attention to who they are …’” (Mark 12:14). Jesus didn’t let men decide what was going to be true today. Jesus let God decide what was going to be true everyday.

That same Lord taught “Whoever is faithful in small matters will be faithful in large ones.” (Luke 16:10). You see, that is the completeness of integrity, and people like that are rare. But the difference they make in this world is awesome.   (SOURCE UNKNOWN)

The story is told of an old man who lived  on a farm in the mountains of eastern Kentucky with  his  young   grandson.   Each  morning, Grandpa  was up early  sitting at  the kitchen table  reading  from  his  old  worn-out  Bible. His grandson who wanted to be just like him tried to imitate him in any way he could.

One day the grandson asked, ‘Grandpa, I try to read the Bible just like you but I don’t understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bible do?’ The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and said, ‘Take this old wicker coal basket down to the river and bring back a basket of water.’

The boy did as he was told, even though all the water leaked out before he could get back to the house. The grandfather laughed and said, ‘You will have to move a little faster next time,’ and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again. This time the boy ran faster, but again the old wicker basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was ‘impossible to carry water in a basket,’ and he went to get a bucket instead. The old man said, ‘I don’t want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You can do this. You’re just not trying hard enough,’ and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got far at all. The boy scooped the water and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, ‘See Grandpa, it’s useless!’

‘So you think it is useless?’ The old man said, ‘Look at the basket.’

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time he realized that the basket looked different. Instead of a dirty old wicker coal basket, it was clean.

‘Son, that’s what happens when you read the Bible. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, it will change you from the inside out.’

Moral of the wicker basket story: Take time to read a portion of God’s word each day; it will affect you for good even if you don’t retain a word.

Alila stood on the beach holding her tiny infant son close to her heart. Tears welled in her eyes as she began slowly walking toward the river’s edge. She stepped into the water, silently making her way out until she was waist deep, the water gently lapping at the sleeping baby’s feet. She stood there for a long time holding the child tightly as she stared out across the river. Then all of a sudden in one quick movement she threw the six month old baby to his watery death.

Native missionary M.V. Varghese often witnesses among the crowds who gather at the Ganges. It was he who came upon Alila that day kneeling in the sand crying uncontrollably and beating her breast. With compassion he knelt down next to her and asked her what was wrong.

Through her sobs she told him, “The problems in my home are too many and my sins are heavy on my heart, so I offered the best I have to the goddess Ganges, my first born son.” Brother Varghese’s heart ached for the desperate woman. As she wept he gently began to tell her about the love of Jesus and that through Him her sins could be forgiven. She looked at him strangely. “I have never heard that before,” she replied through her tears. “Why couldn’t you have come thirty minutes earlier? If you did, my child would not have had to die.”

Each year millions of people come to the holy Indian city of Hardwar to bathe in the River Ganges. These multitudes come believing this Hindu ritual will wash their sins away. For many people like Alila, missionaries are arriving too late, simply because there aren’t enough of these faithful brothers and sisters on the mission field.

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about Him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”  (Romans 10: 13-15) (CHRISTIANITY TODAY)

In the Bible, a covenant is always initiated by God; grounded in His love, law and justice; and the result of His sovereign grace and promise. In Bible covenants, God, always on His own initiative, offers fellowship with man, and commits Himself irrevocably. We can even go so far as to say that God never has fellowship with anyone except by a covenant. Or to put in in a more personal way – no one can be in a saving relationship with God unless they are in a covenant with Him.

COVENANT:   IN EDEN
REFERENCE: Genesis 3:15
GOD’S PROMISE: Satan and mankind will be enemies.
SIGN: Pain of childbirth, work for bread

COVENANT:   NOAH
REFERENCE: Genesis 9:8-17
GOD’S PROMISE: God would never again destroy the earth with a flood.
SIGN: Rainbow

COVENANT:  ABRAHAM
REFERENCE: Genesis 15:12-21: 17:1-14
GOD’S PROMISE: Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation if they obeyed God. God would be their God.
SIGN: Smoking fire pot and flaming torch

COVENANT:   AT MOUNT SINAI
REFERENCE: Exodus 19:5-6
GOD’S PROMISE: Israel would be God’s special people, a holy nation. But they would have to keep their part of the covenant obedience.
SIGN: The Exodus

COVENANT:   DAVID
REFERENCE: 2 Samuel 7:13; 23:5
GOD’S PROMISE: Salvation would come through David’s line through the Messiah.
SIGN: David’s line continued and Christ was born as a descendant of David.

COVENANT:   NEW COVENANT
REFERENCE: Hebrews 8:6-13
GOD’S PROMISE: Forgiveness and salvation are available in and through Christ.
SIGN: The resurrection of Christ
The New Covenant is the fulfilment of the  Old and New Testament. Through Jesus Christ all the promises are ours! Praise Him!

When I was a soldier, I often felt alone in the world around me. I was overseas and far from the securities of home.

An air force chaplain and his wife opened up their home to the soldiers as a part of his personal ministry.

They created an atmosphere for Christian fellowship. Each Friday evening, there would be a meal where single soldiers and married couples would gather. After the meal, he gave a Bible study. Then his wife played the piano and we sang songs of praise. When all was done, I would sit for hours talking with fellow soldiers, or the chaplain, and we spent time learning what it meant to have true fellowship. This time became an anchor for my soul.

It has been twenty years since I sat among those believers, and to be honest, I remember very little of the doctrine, but I hold the fellowship we had in my heart as a treasure. Although doctrine is important, doctrine without fellowship carries little weight. If love is absent, the hearts of the people will be hard as stone.

Fellowship was the power of that chaplain’s influence. His love for us, and our love for each other created an eagerness to grow in the faith. Because I had a heart full of desire, I carried myself to the Scriptures and studied. His influence was not to teach me doctrine, but to teach me how to walk in fellowship with Christ and other believers so I was drawn to the doctrine. A desire to know the Word came out of the communion with like-minded believers. Fellowship without truth is a social club. Truth without fellowship is like seeding a barren ground. But when both are present, we will have given every person the opportunity to grow into the fullness of Christ.

To obtain these things, there must be intentional communion among the saints. It doesn’t just happen. It happens because you extend your soul to those around you. It only happens when we are not forgetful hearers, but doers of the word. Jesus said, “By this shall all men know you are my disciples, because of your love for one another.” You cannot expect God to add to the church if we are not investing our lives in cultivating love among the brethren – all brethren.

(EDDIE SNIPES)

What does it mean to seek first the kingdom of God? How do you do it? Many people put this into practice by reading the Bible and praying first thing in the morning. Many even get up earlier so they have time to do this. For many people,  though,  it   ends  there.

They go about the rest of the day and do not even think about God. Also, with this schedule, what happens when they get up late? What usually gets cut? It’s their Bible reading and prayer time.

Instead of only doing morning devotions, you should seek God first in everything you do, all day long. How do you do that? Acknowledge Him, talk to Him, praise Him, and ask Him for help and guidance. As you are getting ready for work, thank God for all that He has given you. Thank Him for everything going smoothly and for good traffic so you make it to work on time and being calm and peaceful when you get there.

At work, thank Him for your job. It may not be the perfect job, but thank Him for it anyway and do your best. If you run into a problem, instead of complaining and worrying, say “God, you have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. Help me Lord to know what to do in this situation.”

God is always talking to us, but we are not always listening. When we do listen, many times we do not do what He says. So, we need to listen and obey, all day long.

Seeking God first should also include the plans and goals for your life, your relationships and even your recreation. God has a plan for your life. When followed, that plan will have the best possible outcome. You need to know that God is Love and anything that He has for you is for your best interest. The problem is that many people come up with their own plans and then want God to bless it. Well, folks, it doesn’t work that way. You need to seek God first in your plan making, find out what God wants you to do and then go do it.

In conclusion, do not make God part of a list that you do first thing in the morning and then check it off and then go about the rest of your day without Him. Include Him in everything you do.

Trust God from the bottom of your heart;   don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;   He’s the one who will keep you on track. (Proverbs 3: 5 & 6, THE MESSAGE)                                               (EUGENE WILLIAMS)

Jesus is the perfect Intercessor for us. He prays for us daily. He does not turn us away when we need help, but He offers His strength. He does not condemn us when we fail, but He is patient and merciful with us. Let us think about three ways in which the Lord Jesus intercedes for us.

1)  Christ prays for us when we are tempted.

The Lord Jesus prays especially that we will not yield to sin when we are tempted by Satan. As long as we are in this world, we will be tempted. But the Lord Jesus is praying for us, and the Father has promised that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond our power to resist. He will always make a way of escape for us. Does this mean that we cannot sin? No, not at all. We can sin, but we do not have to sin. We can say “No!” to temptation.

Are you troubled with temptations that you cannot seem to overcome? Then come to the Father through the Lord Jesus and ask Him to give you victory over them.

2)  Christ intercedes for us when we have sinned.

When we sin, our fellowship with the Father is broken. Our relationship with Him as His child is not broken, but sin breaks our fellowship with Him. The Lord Jesus pleads for us when we have sinned. He asks the Father to forgive us for His sake. It is because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us that God forgives us of our sins. Our fellowship is restored the moment we confess our sins to the Father. Does this mean that we can decide to sin every day and then confess it to God and think that everything will be all right? No! No! No! If we are thinking this way, we should examine ourselves to see if we are really in God’s family. A true child of God will want to please his Heavenly Father, and he will hate the things that God hates.

Have you sinned? Are you out of fellowship with the Father? Have you lost your joy as a Christian? Then come to the Father through your great Intercessor, the Lord Jesus Christ. Confess your sins to God and ask Him to forgive you. The Lord Jesus will restore your fellowship with the Father.

3)  Christ presents our prayers to the Father.

When we pray the Lord Jesus is our great Intercessor. He presents our prayers to the Father. He asks the Father to grant our requests for His sake. It is because of who Jesus is and what He has done for us that God hears and answers our prayers.

Do you have a great need? Are you troubled about some problem in your life or in the lives of your loved ones? Then pray to the Father in Jesus’ name. The Lord Jesus is God’s beloved Son, and He will present your prayers to the Father. The Bible says, “Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.” (Hebrews 4:14, 16, THE MESSAGE)

(UB DAVID & I’LL B JONATHAN, INC.)