104736300-The-Force-of-Integrity-Creflo-Dollar.pdf

The Force of Integrity By Pastor Creflo A. Dollar Jr.

© 1993 Creflo A. Dollar Jr. All rights reserved.

If you would like more iformatio a!out this miistry" or are iterested i !e#omig a $arter" $lease write% &'()D C*A+,-( /I+I0(I- Post 'ffi#e Bo 29142 College Park" ,eorgia 3329 -ditorial ad Creative servi#es $rovided !y% 5isio Commui#atios 169 -. 34d -dmod" '7 8313 2:; 32$held !y Itegrity.........................................................1: Itegrity.........................................................1: Bettered !y Itegrity........................................................16 Itegrity ........................................................16 Childre Blessed !y Itegrity.........................................1< Itegrity .........................................1< Chapter 3 How to i!e in Integrity.......................................................19 Integrity .......................................................19 (aisig >$ a tadard............. tadard.......................... ........................... ...........................19 .............19 *ow Am I Doig ,[email protected] ,[email protected] *old '............ '.......................... ............................ ........................... ........................... ........................44 ..........44 0he ruit of Itegrity. Itegrity.......................................................43

Chapter 1  Who needs Integrity? 1

Itegrity. Its a !u word. ou hear it throw aroud #osta stattly. +early everyoe talks a!out it !ut Im #ov #ovi i#e #ed d very very few few $eo$ $eo$le le i our our so#i so#iet ety y real really ly kow kow what it meas. I fa#t" I !elieve Ameri#a is i a #risis of itegrity. )yi )yig" g" #hea #heati tig g a ad d ma mai i$u $ula lati tio o are are ram$ ram$a att i our our #or$orate offi#es" our !usiesses" our s#hools" our homes ad" sadly" all too may #hur#h sa#tuaries. et itegrity is a $owerful for#e. /ake it a itegral $art of your life ad it !rigs tremedous !lessigs ad $ower. (eEe#t it" ad it almost always results i destru#tio. 0o !e truly su##essful" you eed to haress the for#e of itegrity. The Who"e Tr#th

&e!ste &e!sterr defie defiess itegr itegrity ity as Fu$rig Fu$right htess" ess" virtue virtue or ho oes esty ty.G .G *o *owe wev ver" er" its its !i!l !i!li# i#al al mea meai ig g goe goes mu#h mu#h dee$er tha that. Bi!li#al itegrity also suggests fairess ad straightforwardess of #odu#t. It sti#ks to the fa#ts. 0his ty$e of itegrity ivolves more tha Eust a refusal to lie. It refuses to de#eive or mislead i ay way. It refuses to steal. It refuses to #heat. It refuses to mai$ulate others to get its way. A $erso of itegrity is a si#ere $erso. ou ever have to woder if they mea what they say. ou #a take that $ersos word at fa#e value.

8

The Force of Integrity

Are you a $erso of itegrity@ ou #a !e. ou may ot o$erate i all the gifts of the s$irit" !ut you #a !e a $erso of your word. ou may ot !e a!le to lay hads o the si#k ad see them re#over" !ut you #a !e hoest. Ayoe who truly desires it" #a walk the walk of itegrity. Its ot a easy road" !ut those who make a ?uality de#isio to travel it will rea$ eormous rewards.

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2

Chapter 2 The Power of Integrity

' a dai aily ly !asi !asis" s" you youre re $res $rese etted a mult multit itu ude of o$$o o$$ort rtu uiti ities es to #om$ #om$ro romi mise se your your i ite tegr grit ity. y. 0he 0he tell teller er gives you too mu#h #hage at the drive through widow. our s$ouse asks for your o$iio of a ew outfit. oure fillig out a e$ese re$ort for your em$loyer. -a#h of these s#earios is a itegrity tester. I ea#h of these situatios ad i may others" the easiest thig to do is ot e#essarily the right thig to do. *ow *o w you you res$o s$od d i th theese situ situat atio io s wi will ll dete etermi mi e whether or ot you are a $erso of itegrity. i tegrity. 0he im$ortat ?uestio for every !eliever is" F&hat does ,ods &ord have to say a!out issues of itegrity@G 0he aswer is ?uite a !it" a#tually. /u#h more" i fa#t" tha I ever imagied !efore I !ega to study the su!Ee#t i= de$th. &hat I dis#overed was a astoudig array of !eefits" $romises ad !lessigs $re$ared for the u$right ma or woma of ,od. Blessigs reserved oly for those with eough holy fear ad #hild=like trust i ,od to dare to walk i itegrity. $#ided %y Integrity The integrity of the #pright sha"" g#ide the&' %#t the per!erseness of transgressors sha"" destroy the&. (Pro!er%s 11' 3)

Itegrity will guide you. 0his is a very e#itig #o#e$t to me. &he you #hoose to live a life of hoesty" 9

The Force of Integrity

stra straigh ightf tfor orwar ward dess ess a ad d si#e si#eri rity ty"" th thos osee ?ual ?ualit itie iess wil willl guide you through trea#herous waters. I fa#t" a##ordig to the &ord" they may eve kee$ you from destroyig yourself. A great eam$le of this very thig i o$eratio #a !e foud i ,eesis 4%1=6. *nd *%raha& +o#rneyed fro& thence toward the so#th co#ntry, and dwe""ed %etween -adesh and h#r, and so+o#rned in $erar. *nd *%raha& said of arah his his wife wife,, he he is &y sist sister er'' and and *% *%i& i&e" e"ec ech h /ing /ing of $erar sent, and too/ arah. (!. 1, 2)

arah was a !eautiful woma. Ad it was ot uusual i that day for a kig to take ay woma who stru#k his fa# fa #y y i ito to hi hiss harem arem.. If th thee wo woma ma  wa wass ma marrried ied" a us# us#ru ru$u $ulo lous us kig kig wo woul uld d ha have ve th thee hus! hus!a ad d kill killed ed i order to !e a!le to take her. 0hats why A!raham ad arah #ooked u$ the $la to #laim to !e !rother ad sister.  Just as they had feared" 7ig A!imele#h took oe look at arah" dis#overed she was sigle or so he thought; ad !rought her i itto his $ala#e. 0he thi ig gs got really lly iterestig. 0#t $od ca&e to *%i&e"ech in a drea& %y night, and said to hi&, 0eho"d, tho# art %#t a dead &an...  (!. 3)

+ow thats thats what I #all a wake u$ #allH *ow would you like to !e awakeed i the middle of the ight to have ,od tell you" FBehold" youre dead meatHG ... tho# art a dead &an, for the wo&an which tho# hast ast ta/en en for she she is a &an4s wife. e. 0#t *%ii&e" *% &e"ech ech had had not co& co&e near ear her' her' and and he said said,, ord, wi"t tho# s"ay a"so a righteo#s nation? aid he not #nto &e, he is &y sister? and she, e!en she herse"f said, He is &y %rother' in the integrity of &y

1

The Power of Integrity

heart and innocency of &y hands ha!e I done this. (!. 5, 6)

I res$ose to this alarmig aou#emet A!imele#h says" F)ook )ord" I didt kowH Ive !ee o$eratig i the itegrity of my heart here" ,odHG +oti#e ,ods res$ose (emem!er" itegrity #a guide you;. *nd $od said #nto hi& in a drea&, ea, I /now that tho# didst this in the integrity of thy heart for I a"so withhe"d thee fro& sinning against &e' therefore s#ffered I thee not to to#ch her. (!. 8)

I esse#e" ,od was sayig" FA!imile#h" I kow you didt kow the woma was married. I saw your heart ad re#ogied you were o$eratig i itegrity. 0hat s why I sto$$ed you from makig a fatal mistake. 0hats $owerfulH 0hik a!out it. &he youre o$eratig i itegrity" eve if you take a wrog tur" ,od will take it u$o *imself to #learly let you kow !efore you get ito real trou!leH A $erso of itegrity #at miss ,ods will for very log. 0hats why you should ever !e afraid to ste$ out ad do what you !elieve ,od is tellig you to do. -ve if you youve ve to tota tall lly y misse missed d it" it" ,od ,od ha hass o!lig o!ligat ated ed *i *imse mself lf to itervee ad give you #lear dire#tio !efore you do ay dama damage ge.. 0hat 0hats s $rov $rovid ided ed"" of #our #ourse" se" you youre re mo movi vig g i itegrity. I #at tell you what a #omfort this revelatio has !ee to me $ers $erso oal ally ly.. I used used to real really ly !e #o# #o#er ere ed d a!ou a!outt missig ,od. But ow" whe I !elieve Ive gotte some dire#tio from the )ord" I move with #ofide#e kowig that" !e#ause of my itegrity" *es faithful to itervee if Ive missed *im. Do you see how woderful that is@ 11

The Force of Integrity

' the other had" if you go aroud lyig" mai$ulatig ad de#eivig" youd !etter wat#h out. ,od is uder o o!ligatio to war whe youre a!out to make a maEor mistake. oure o your ow. Dot ever let the devil #ovi#e you that its $rofita!le to #heat ad !e dishoest. 0hat stuff will destroy your miistry" your family" eve your very life. sta%"ished %y Integrity

+ot oly will itegrity guide you so that you #a kow what ,od wats you to doit will also hel$ you a##om$lish it. *nd if tho# wi"t wa"/ %efore &e, as :a!id thy father wa"/ed, in integrity of heart, and in #prig pright htne ness ss,, to do acco accord rdin ing g to a"" a"" that that I ha! ha!e co&&anded co&&anded thee, and wi"t /eep &y stat#tes and &y  +#dg&ents' Then I wi"" esta%"ish the throne of thy /ing ingdo& do& #pon pon Israe srae"" fore fore! !er, er, as I pro& pro&iised sed to :a!id thy father, saying, There sha"" not fai" thee a &an #pon the throne of Israe". (I -ings 9' 5, 6)

+oti#e +oti #e th thee firs firstt th thig ig ,od ,od to told ld olo olomo mo  here here"" ... if tho# wi"t wa"/ %efore &e ... in integrity of heart.... Always remem!er" itegrity #omes from the heart. It doest #ome out of your !rai. Its ot somethig that is a $rodu#t of reaso so or i ittellig llige e##e. It is a $rodu#t of #hara#ter. *eart #hara#ter. 0he et thig ,od told olomo olomo was that if he would walk wa lk i i ite tegr grit ity" y" I wi"" wi"" esta esta% %"ish "ish the the thro thron ne of thy thy /ingdo&... Child of ,od" if youll ado$t a lifestyle of itegrity" ,od will esta!lish your throe. 0hat meas *ell esta!lish you i whatever it is *es #alled you to do. It may !e a miistry. It may !e a vo#atio. It may !e a relatioshi$. 14

The Power of Integrity

&hatever it is" is" ,od will ill su$ su$eraturally lly e?ui ?ui$ a ad d esta!lish you i it. I wish more me ad wome of ,od kew ad udersto stood this $ri i##i$le i$le.. ' may o##asi asios Ive atteded miisters #ofere#es where every!ody seems to !e hadig out !usiess #ards. adly" some $rea#hers will throw their #ard at ayoe wholl stad still" ho$ig to get a meetig s#heduled so they #a geerate some i#ome. Ive wat#hed them maeuver ad s#heme to fid out whi#h me $astor really large #hur#hes. Ive see them gravitate to those they !elieve have the !est #oe#tios. Its all mai$ulatio ad flesh. 'f #ourse" ot all miisters egage i this sort of osese" !ut far too may do. or that very reaso" I refuse to eve #arry a !usiess #ard. 0heres othig wrog with these #ards i ad of them th emse selv lves es.. Ive Ive Eust Eust $ur$ $ur$os osed ed th that at if Im Im goi goig g to get get o$$ortuities to miister theyre goig to have to #ome from ,od ad through the leadig of the *oly $irit. Im lookig to ,od to esta!lish me" ot ma. Please uderstad" Im ot $attig myself o the !a#k. Ive sim$ly made a de#isio to walk i itegrity !e#ause Ive dis#overed I #at afford to live ay other way. &hatever ,od is #allig you to do" if you will !e hoest ad straightforward i all your dealigs" *e will esta!lish your throe i that area. 0hat meas that i the work $la#e" you dot eed to get ivolved i offi#e $oliti#s. 0heres o eed to lie" #heat or ste$ o ayoe i your #lim! u$ the #or$orate ladder. im$ly walk i itegrity ad let ,od take #are of the rest. If youll do that" I $romise" ,od will esta!lish you i su#h a way that o $erso or thig o earth #a shake you. ,od will esta!lish your throe.

13

The Force of Integrity

Preser!ed %y Integrity ; &y $od, I tr#st in thee' "et &e not %e asha&ed, "et not &ine ene&ies tri#&ph o!er &e. et integrity and #prightness preser!e &e' for I wait on thee. (Psa"& 26' 2, 21)

Itegrity will $reserve you from your eemies. &hat eemies@ 0he eemy of #a#er. 0he eemy of de!t. 0he eem eemie iess of viol viole# e#e" e" stri strife fe a ad d ha hatr tred ed.. I ot othe herr wo word rds" s" ite i tegr grit ity y wi will ll $res $reser erve ve you you from from a ayt ythi hig g ata ata  the the ultimate eemy; has i his evil arseal. &he you #hoose to wait u$o the )ord i itegrity" you #a rest assured that you will eEoy the $rote#tio of Almighty ,od. &hat does it mea to FwaitG u$o the )ord@ It meas allowig ,od to $romote you rather tha resor esorti tig g to ma mai i$u $ula lati tio o a ad d s#he s#hemi mig g to $rom $romot otee your yourse self lf.. It mea meass lett letti ig g ot othe hers rs $rai $raise se you you i ist stea ead d of !oastig of your ow a!ility. Ad whe you o$erate i itegrit rity you #a live with ithout fear of #alam amiity ad disaster. 0hat truth is re$eated i Psalm 46% 1.