THE GATE OF INTEGRITY

"The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them" - Proverbs  11:3

The Great Wall of China is one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It stretches over 6,400 Km and was built to protect China from the barbaric hordes to the north. The designers of the wall made it so high that it could not be scaled, so thick that it could not be penetrated, and so long that no one could go around it. Yet, during the first hundred years of the wall's existence China was successfully invaded three times, without the wall having been climbed or breached. So how did the invaders raid China? Well, the problem wasn't the wall – it was the gatekeepers! In each of these invasions the barbarians simply bribed the gatekeepers who opened the gates, so the enemies just walked right through -  (Worthy devotion, August 8, 2016)

Many people are still replicating the mistake that the people of China made several years ago. We concentrate more on erecting physical walls than on reinforcing our gates of integrity and moral uprightness. Our protective walls of stones are tall and mighty but our gates of integrity are practically damaged. We live in a world where “the end justifies the means” has become an acceptable school of thought.  A world where people can easily get whatsoever they want if they are willing to cut corners and act without the constraints of morality. A world where integrity isn’t talked about nearly enough. A world where paper qualifications supersedes your integrity. A world where people celebrate those who have succeeded in erecting mighty financial security walls around themselves and their families with proceeds of dishonesty, corruption or perverseness. This is a serious issue.

Beloved, may I remind you that lack of integrity carries some grave consequences (Proverbs 11:3). Yes, it does. Dishonesty or lack of integrity may provide instant gratification to you for awhile, but it will lead to irreparable destruction at the end. For instance, If Mr and Mrs Ananias and Sapphira had known the terrible consequences of their dishonesty or lack of integrity, they would not have erected the wall of Chinese around themselves in the early church (Acts 5: 1-11). Unfortunately, everyone watched as the same wall they had erected fell on them suddenly and crushed them to death. They never lived to enjoyed the gain of their dishonest dealings.

"But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?  And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him". - Acts  5:1, 3, 5 & 6

Beloved, If this couple were not given a second chance, you and I may not be given a second chance again. Hence, we must desist from building Chinese wall of dishonesty and lack of integrity around ourselves. So, If you and I must lose anything in life, it must not be our integrity. If we do, then we have lost everything. If we lose our money or property, we can get it back. Even, If we lose our job, we can get a better one.  But if we lose your integrity,  we have lost everything. Yes, It may take years to build a reputation of integrity, but it takes only a second to lose it. A single act of indiscretion, can destroy a lifetime of integrity. So, please never do anything that would destroy or damage your gate of integrity. Remember, if you must lose anything, please don't ever lose your integrity. 

A poet describes what a man of integrity stands for in a poem titled "Integrity and Honor". According to him, a man of integrity is honest, respectable, impeccable and most importantly have a relationship with God. That struck a cord in my heart! Beloved, will you like to be a man of integrity? Men of integrity are rare in our world today. So, will you like to be among those very rare gem in your generation? Then, you must surrender your life to Jesus Christ and walk with God everyday till you see Him in glory like Enoch (Genesis 5:24) .  

INTEGRITY AND HONOUR by Sun princess

Some men are not pretentious
They have integrity and honor

I admire these men most greatly
They walk with God by their side

Someday I wish to have a friend
Like these men with character

Respectable, honest, impeccable,
only thing is they are very rare

Like a shiny dazzling diamond
So precious, flawless, and valuable

Integrity and honor are so beautiful
and some men have it absolutely"

My prayer for you and my humble self is that God will grant us grace to be numbered among those rare gem in this generation. May God uphold and strengthen us to walk with him like true men/women of integrity. God will grant us more grace to be honest, respectable and impeccable in all our dealings in this world. And everything that dishonesty and lack of integrity has destroyed in our lives shall be restored in Jesus name. 

On behalf of my esteemed father in the Lord, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church Of God, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, I want to invite you to our 67th Annual Convention with the theme "AND GOD SAID". Date: Monday 5th to Sunday 11th August, 2019. Time: 8:00 am (Morning session), 3:00 pm (Afternoon session) & 8:30 pm (Evening session). Venue: Redemption Camp, Km 46 Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Ogun State, Nigeria.  Ministering: Our beloved Daddy G.O - Pastor E.A Adeboye and other anointed Ministers of God.

Good day and happy new month, full of many August visitors of joy, victory, laughter and testimonies in Jesus name.

Maranatha!

Bro. Okanlawon Taiwo

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