Saturday Open Heavens Devotional - Social Deviants!

DATE : Saturday 4 October 2014

THEME : SOCIAL DEVIANTS!

Memorise: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: 1 Peter 4:2

Read: Acts 17:5-9

5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people.
6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
7 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus.
8 And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city, when they heard these things.
9 And when they had taken security of Jason, and of the other, they let them go. Continue...

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR : 1 SAMUEL 17:1-18:16 and PROVERBS 6:16-27

Message:

A Christian can be described as a little Christ. While on earth, Christ exhibited integrity in all His utterances and actions. He said His children would do greater works. Are you born-again? Are you a true child of God? With self-discipline and appropriate preparation, you can become effective in exhibiting integrity. Integrity as a way of life and our effectiveness in every field depends on the measure of our preparation. The more prepared we are, the more effective we become. Therefore, to become effective in exhibiting integrity, you must be prepared.

God’s standard for His children is perfection (Matthew 5:48). It is pathetic to note that many societies lack integrity. In a society where integrity has become a scarce commodity, a person of integrity is sometimes seen as a social deviant. Occasionally, efforts are made by bad elements of such societies to neutralise his or her influence. This can be by subtle or outright persecution, imposition of sanctions, or by a collective effort to undermine his or her personality. History confirms however that a person of integrity is always a winner. Why? He or she is consistent and credible. Are you a person of integrity? Credibility defines integrity. The benefit of integrity is confidence and the ability to influence others positively. The more credible you are, the more confidence people place in you, thereby granting you the privilege of influencing their lives. The contrast is also true. The less credible you are as a person, the less confidence people place in you, and the more quickly you lose your position of influence. Are you a Christian leader? The secret to rising and not falling is integrity. Integrity is germane to your success in ministry. There is no denying the fact that the more credible you are, the longer your staying power and the more successful your ministry will be. In the same vein, the less credible you are, the shorter your staying power and the less successful your ministry will be. Every leader needs integrity because it builds trust. A man must have followers in order to be a leader. In order to have followers, a leader must have their confidence. Hence, the supreme quality of a leader is unquestionably integrity. Without it, no real success is possible, whether it is in a church, on a football field, in an army barrack or in an office. If a man’s associates find him guilty of being a phony, if they find out that he lacks forthright integrity, he will fail. Your teachings and actions must square up with each other. Society may see them as deviants but the first great need of a Christian leader is integrity and high purpose. Are you viewed as a social deviant? Don’t lose your integrity.

Key Point:

A man’s character determines the character of his organisation. Be a person of integrity.

Source: RCCG, Open Heavens Daily Devotional.