Meditation

INTEGRITY

 Job is the first man chronologically in the Bible of whom it is said that he was a man of integrity.  God took note of it and declared that he “holds fast his integrity.”  Later on, God takes note of David as one who “walks in the integrity of his heart.”  On more than one occasion David declares that he “walks in the integrity of my heart,” and asks God to reward him according that integrity.  What is this commodity that seems to be highly valued by God?  God seems to even to brag about the integrity of these two men.

            The Webster’s Dictionary defines integrity as “completeness, uprightness, an entire unbroken state, honesty, moral soundness and purity.”  Simply put, integrity is the moral wholeness that manifests in upright actions in daily living.  A person of integrity means what he says.  His word is his bond, as an older generation declared it.  Throughout the Scripture it seems that the prerequisite for a life of integrity is to be set free from self-seeking and self-serving.  A life of integrity doesn’t only benefit the person of integrity but leaves a heritage for posterity. 

David prayed in Psalm 25:21, “Let INTEGRITY and uprightness preserve me.”  An honest and upright life has great glory—for our God.  The life of integrity is a life of truth.  In answer to David’s prayer Proverbs 11:3 declares “The integrity of the upright preserves him.”  What a wonderful promise that is.

            A life of integrity goes beyond the person of integrity.  God declares to us in Proverbs 20:7, “The righteous who walks in his integrity, blessed are his children after him.”  There’s the real reason to be a person of integrity—to leave a legacy for your children.  To be committed to God is to be committed to  your children.  It is to live for a nobler purpose than self. 

      It is really when we live unto the Lord and for each other that the true

Our Pastor

     Marvin Isum was born August 19,1936 in Wisconsin.  His primary and secondary education was in Wisconsin schools.  He attended two years at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.  He graduated from Augsburg College in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1960 with a BA in Sociology and Greek.  Graduation from Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul took place in 1964.  The same year he was ordained into the ministry.  Further education was at Southwestern Bible College and Seminary.

     Marv knew that he was called into the ministry at the age of 4 when he had an encounter with the Lord Jesus, though he was not a Christian at the time.  He was born again in 1954.  Both he and his wife experienced a fullness of the Holy Spirit in 1968.  There is nothing like the adventure of walking with Jesus for more than 50 years.

      Marvin and Sandy were married August 20, 1960 in Minneapolis.  They have seven children and 22 grandchildren.  Together, they have served local churches as pastor.  They spent 8 years in mission work among Native Americans in North and South Dakota.  Nearly 25 years have been spent in teaching in Bible Colleges; Living Faith Renewal Center in Alberta, and Pinecrest Bible Training Center in New York.  Missions is also a big part of their calling.  Marv has been on several mission trips to Panama, Jamaica, and Ghana.   The pastorate at DCF began in July 2000.  Their burden is to see the community effectively touched by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.  - 1 Tim 5:17
 

                       - Dr. Marvin Isum