Our Journey through the book of Revelation

As we continued our study on Revelation, Chapter 11, Pastor Dudley opened our Bible Study by posing an interesting question.  With the context of being a witness for God during the last days, he asked, “How can we walk with God with integrity?

When we discussed the meaning of integrity, we agreed it meant your actions aligned with what you stated you believed; a life of consistency in both word and deed.  The word integrity stems from the Latin word for wholeness.   The definition also contains an element for the opportunity for correction when your actions didn’t align with what you stated you believed. This led Pastor Dudley to ask another question. He asked, “What would it look like if the church closed and we just went about our way and spread the Word of God?”  We stated each person would go on their way with their own interpretation of God’s Word and would follow their own individual path and direction.  Their path may or may not be the path in which God intended.  The major result of this would be the corruption of the Gospel.  The strength contained within communities would also be weakened.  The tradition, which is found within community, determines the norm and the standard.  The tradition we spoke of was not that of our parents’ church but the tradition which started over 2000 years ago with the early Christians.  The tradition contained within a communal setting provides the means and opportunity for correction, such as repentance, prayer and forgiveness of sin, so people are able to live a life of integrity.  Community draws people back to God’s standard, into a healthier relationship with God and a wholeness an individual cannot achieve without God.  Without a healthy relationship with God, it is impossible to maintain a healthy relationship with your fellow human beings.  These questions provided a great transition into Revelation 11:3-6.

The two witnesses described in verses 3 through 4 were prophets during the period of time when the Church had been removed from earth.  The prophets were wearing sack cloths as a sign of mourning due to the condition of the earth.  This references the Old Testament when prophets were usually not well received by their own people and the message was more important than the life of the prophet delivering it.  These two witnesses were individuals who had a covenant relationship with God.  Without this type of relationship with God, their witness would lack integrity and thus their word and deed would not convey an accurate representation of God’s Word.  Due to their covenant relationship, God gave them access to tremendous power, as outlined in verses 5 through 6.

Are you living a life of integrity?  Are you connected to a community of believers or are you going it alone?  The next time you feel powerless, check to see if you are plugged into God or some other power source.

Comment below or join the conversation and share how you are living a life of integrity.