Greetings my Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Sorry, I haven’t kept up, I’ve been under the weather, but I will be doing better.
As each day starts I spend time with the Lord and then scan the news hoping for something uplifting, but as the norm, only gloom and doom.
Such a lack of integrity in our media, leadership, and even the teachers of our children. Our country has become like sheep, and I don’t mean the biblical sense either. We hide in fear behind worthless masks. We automatically receive whatever the media says and never question their statistical reports (very often exaggerated).
Am I exaggerating? Look around you, if you’re not blind or so liberal or anti-American (one and the same), then you can see it for yourself.
As Christian, we are THE minority, if we weren’t the world wouldn’t be this way.
Believers, I mean ALL believers need to put their denominational differences aside and come together. If Jesus Christ is truly your Lord and you’ve been born again then start proclaiming your faith and trust in Him. Not Washington DC, for sure not the media and not the fake science that’s being shoved down our throats. Do you believe in Darwin? That’s science too. Quit cowering in fear, fear is no part of a Christian’s walk.
Do you really trust Jesus … or the politicians, media, shots, or any number of things being force-fed to us.
Think about this and then we’ll get to the message God gave me.
Just one last thing … Have you taken the time to compare the number of people vaccinated to the number of new cases of covid-D (you’ll find that very interesting and unreported in our media) or compared that number of cases to the surge of all the illegals crossing our border? Just asking… food for thought.
Real-life integrity
Robert Adams found $17,000 in cash in a bank bag beside an ATM in Chicago. At first, he thought it was a prank/joke. But no TV crews popped out to catch him. The bag had Chase on the side, so he took it to the bank, but they said it wasn’t theirs. It had to belong to the company that provisioned the ATMs. It took some work to figure out but finally, he concluded an armored truck employee had accidentally dropped the bag.
When he was asked about being tempted by the money, he said, “it’s not my money. I don’t care if you put another zero on there, I wasn’t raised to take money that isn’t mine.”
Robert Adams didn’t suddenly wake up one day and choose to have integrity. He said it himself: he wasn’t raised that way.
We are taught integrity as children. (or not) We practice integrity daily. (or not)
As we look at the “practical” part of Ephesians, Paul begins by urging us to have a “worthy walk.”
The first part of Ephesians tells us the good news that God has restored us to Himself and to one another through Christ.
• Here’s a way to think about it:
“Good News Results in Good Lives”
A Worthy Walk
Ephesians 4:1 (NASB)
1 Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,
We begin a life of integrity by examining our “walk.”
“Walk” in the Bible often means your life as it’s translated here in the NASB. It’s essentially living your life with integrity. “Worthy” here describes a balance or scales. It’s not that God judges us based on the accumulation of our sins and good deeds. We stand justified before God through Christ. That’s grace.
1 John 1:7 (NASB)
7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
But as we live in Christ and are sanctified daily, we mature, we practice, we live out that good news. We learn by experience and teaching what a life of integrity looks like. We judge ourselves to be worthy or unworthy.
But integrity needs accompanying virtue.
A Virtuous Walk
How do you determine what a life of integrity looks like?
Our walk begins with choosing to be virtuous. (Not a common word anymore!)
Ephesians 4:2 (NASB)
2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,
This sounds a lot like the gifts of the Spirit elaborate on in Galatians. But catch the point:
Galatians 5:22–23 (NASB)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things, there is no law.
A life based on the virtues given to us by the Spirit never has to worry about integrity. Our walk is worthy of praise and emulation.
A Unified Walk
Ephesians 4:3–6 (NASB)
3 being diligent to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you also were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
This isn’t something we do alone. No one can resist all the temptations that come our way in life. We need one another. And we need a common bond.
A Gifted Walk
Ephesians 4:7–10 (NASB)
9 (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens so that He might fill all things.)
Paul introduces the next level of gaining in integrity by reminding us that, in our unity, we all bring something to the table. Every one of us has a special kind of giftedness that is intended to be a blessing. How much or little we use our gifts is a measure of our walk with Christ.
A Trained Walk
It’s not reasonable to believe that we’ll suddenly know how to use our gifts. Joe Montana didn’t start off with NFL QB kinds of skills at 5 years old. Coaches trained and shaped his gifts. The same thing should be true in the church.
Ephesians 4:11–13 (NASB)
11 And He gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the building up of the body of Christ; 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ
This is a vital part of church leadership we must pay careful attention to. As leaders, we must constantly ask, “What are we doing to equip the church?” As the church, we must understand and accept that not all training and direction are exactly what we want to do.
1 Thessalonians 5:12 (NASB)
12 But we ask you, brothers and sisters, to recognize those who diligently labor among you and are in leadership over you in the Lord, and give you instruction,
We don’t wake up one day and decide to walk with Christian integrity. The time to decide to have integrity isn’t when the “heat is on.” Integrity is a daily walk with Christ. It’s a choice, it’s strengthening our character with Christian virtues, it’s knowing and utilizing our gifts for the church and the community. It’s working with the leaders’ God has given us to help us grow into strong, faithful, effective followers of Jesus who walk with Him every day.
Thank you for taking the time out of your day to read this. I pray it helps and encourages your walk with the Lord … if it did, please feel free to pass it on to others. If you need personal prayer contact me at prospectorsforgod@gmail.com If your need is urgent you can always call me at (907) 315-3394.
Until we get together again may God bless and keep you!
In Christs Love
Dusty
My prayer for you; 
Heavenly Father,
You are so very patient with us Lord and I thank you for your grace and mercy. I pray that the people will wake up before it’s too late. I pray the truth will come to light and the deceivers revealed. Lord, I pray you remove the blindfolds from the non-believer’s eyes and bring them to you.
I ask forgiveness of my sins, our sins, and healing in our land. I claim a once and for all healing of this covid in the world by the power of Your word.
We give you all the praise and glory for all you do!
In Jesus name,
AMEN!