Mark Hankins Ministries

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Honor

 

TWO THINGS WORSE THAN DEATH

General Douglas MacArthur, an American wartime hero, said that there are two things worse than death: one is to live in bondage and the other is to live in dishonor. It is interesting that he said this to West Point Military graduates that would risk their lives for their country. MacArthur said losing your freedom and your honor is worse than death. To really live we must have freedom and honor.

Jesus Christ said, “He whom the son sets free is free indeed,” (John 8:36). True freedom comes from Jesus Christ. But today let’s look at the subject of honor. We could call it “Your Honor” or “The Honor of God.” Honor is a very important part of life.

Jesus said, “If any man serve me…him will my Father honor,” (John 12:26). He also said, “…I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him, and honor him,” Psalm 91:15.

A DEFINITION OF HONOR

I like this definition of honor: to treat with great consideration; respect greatly; regard highly; treat with deference and courtesy; to treat as valuable and precious; esteem of the highest degree; great dignity.

Psalm 8 declares that God’s original plan for man included clothing him with “glory and honor.” We see that Satan delights in stealing the glory and stripping the honor God intended for man. But Jesus Christ can restore the glory and honor that God has for us. When honor is taken from a man or woman it is replaced with shame. Our best gifts and callings thrive in an atmosphere of honor. There is no love without honor. Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.

THE GREAT SECRET OF PERSONAL INFLUENCE

To respect a man is the first restoration of the self-respect he has lost; our ideal of what he is becomes to him the hope and pattern of what he may become. If we try to influence or elevate others, we shall soon see that our endeavor is successful in proportion to their belief of our belief in them. It is the great secret of personal influence. -Henry Drummond, The Greatest Thing in the World.

LEADERSHIP: HONOR AND AUTHORITY

Honor is essential to successful leadership. In Numbers 27:15-23, the Lord instructed Moses to lay hands upon Joshua and place some of his honor upon him. Something supernatural happened when Moses put his honor upon him. It caused Joshua’s leadership to be affected and added great authority to his words.


THE ABSENCE OF HONOR

Honor is essential in successful relationships. It is a step beyond respect. A successful marriage must have honor as a foundation between the husband and the wife (1 Peter 3:7 and Ephesians 5:33). Husbands are to love their wives and the wife is to respect and honor her husband. God says the consequences of dishonor in marriage will cause our prayers to be ineffective. The Bible also tells us to honor your father and mother. This is actually the first commandment with a promised blessing attached to it, “that it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth,” (Ephesians 6:2-3). In 1 Peter 2:13-17 we are also instructed by God to honor those in government authority. We are taught to give double honor to ministry gifts (1 Timothy 5:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13). If each one of us would sow honor, not only toward God, but also in our supernatural relationships, we would reap a great harvest of honor in our lives.

In Mark 6:4-6, Jesus seemed to point to unbelief and lack of honor as things that limited His ministry. In these scriptures it seems that dishonor and unbelief are connected and that they stopped the “mighty works” of Jesus. The absence of honor was tragic for those who needed a miracle. One cannot receive the teaching or the anointing where there is no honor given.

THE FRAGRANCE OF HONOR

YOU CAN RESPECT WITH WORDS BUT YOU MUST HONOR WITH SUBSTANCE. Proverbs 3:9-10 says, “Honor the Lord with your substance and the first fruits of all your increase.” Honor is connected with tithing and giving and is reflected in our financial priorities. Mark 14:1-9 shows how giving and honoring produces a fragrance well pleasing to God. He is calling us higher, and we must make the choice to be a vessel of honor, used by God as in 2 Timothy 2:20, 21. Honor is both an attitude and action and it affects every facet of our lives.

HONOR: ABOVE AND BEYOND

This month we want to offer you our book, Honor: Above and Beyond. This book is full of examples and teaching on the importance of honor in our homes, our churches, and our country. For your offering of any amount this month we will send you this book.

Thank you for your prayers as we enter a great new door in 2023. We are very thankful for you, our partners, who have given so generously! The MHM Conference Center, which is also a television studio, is nearing completion. Through the television program, we are now reaching over 400 million people daily. Several conferences will be conducted here at the MHM Conference Center each year, ministering to pastors and leaders from around the world. We have already paid $2.5 million cash on the conference center and need another $750,000 to finish this project. We rejoice in the progress and believe all the money will come in!

Our book, Revolutionary Revelation, is now translated into Farsi, a language spoken in Turkey, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan. This book is impacting believers in that region even now! Later this year we will be ministering in a minister’s conference in Turkey. Your faithful financial partnership makes all this possible. Our assignment is to carry the gospel of Christ and the Word of Faith to this generation and to every nation! Remember the Words of Jesus in Acts 20:35 “...It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Our God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus!

In Christ,
Mark and Trina

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The Holy Spirit: Our Strengthener

I have found that the Holy Spirit has a reputation for working with some real losers and making them champions! Smith Wigglesworth, said that with the power of the Holy Spirit, he was a thousand times bigger on the inside than he was on the outside. He said, “The Holy Spirit has power over your intellect and power over your voice. He has the power to magnify Christ in a way you never could without his help.” The Holy Spirit will take what Christ has done for you and translate it into your personal victory (John 16:13-15 AMPC).

There is an effective prayer found in Ephesians 3:14-21. Paul prays that God, through the Holy Spirit’s power, “...would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man.” The Holy Spirit lives in you, the believer, and supplies strength to the things in your character that may be weak. His assignment is to take all Jesus has done for you and make it a reality in you.

Jesus said in John 16:7, “It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

The Greek word for Comforter is parakletos. It not only means consolation, sympathy in sorrow or distress, but it includes much more. William Barclay describes the work of the parakletos this way: “The function of the Holy Spirit is to fill a man with the spirit of power and courage; which would make him triumphantly cope with life. The narrowing of the word “comforter” has resulted in the undue narrowing of the work of the Holy Spirit. He is called in to render service; to help in a situation with which a man by himself cannot cope; He will keep a man on his feet when left to himself would collapse. The Holy Spirit enables him to pass the breaking point and not break.”

One powerful way the Holy Spirit strengthens and helps us is by making intercession for us. Romans 8:26,27 says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.” P.C. Nelson explains the Greek meaning for that phrase is: “groanings that cannot be uttered in your articulate speech.” The Holy Spirit comes to our aid when we are at a loss as to what to say or how to pray. The Holy Spirit takes hold together with us when we pray.

Rick Renner gives this insight on the Greek meaning of the word “infirmities.” He explains that this is a crippling disease, mental oppression, a terminal condition, and reoccurring plague, which is incurable. It is as if a person has fallen into a pit with no way of escape. YOU MAY HAVE GIVEN UP, BUT HE NEVER DOES! This is when the Holy Spirit, who is your Helper, your First Responder, gets in the pit with you, makes intercession, and lifts you out of an incurable or hopelessly reoccurring situation.

One way to strengthen yourself spiritually is to build yourself up on your most holy faith by praying in the Spirit. The only way you can be defeated is if you are spiritually depleted. Jude 20 says, “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit.” The New English Bible uses the words, “fortify yourselves.” The Amplified Bible says, “make spiritual progress.” You are actually enriching your faith when you pray in the Spirit.

For example, the substance Uranium-235 (U-235) can be compared to the substance of your faith (Romans 12:3; Hebrews 11:1). U-235 is used to make nuclear power and once U-235 is enriched; it becomes extremely powerful. Just one pound of highly enriched U-235 can be used to power a nuclear submarine or aircraft carrier for 25 years and is equal to about a million gallons of gasoline. When you consider the fact that a pound of U-235 is smaller than a baseball and a million gallons of gasoline would fill a container as tall as a five-story building, you get an idea of the amount of energy available in just a little bit of enriched U-235!

U-235 which is enriched to 2-3% is used for civilian use such as electricity. However, weapons-grade U-235 must be enriched to over 90% for it to have explosive amounts of power. Just as U-235 can be enriched, your faith can be enriched as you pray in the Spirit. Just a little mustard seed size of enriched faith can move a mountain. It will cause you to rise out of the pit you have been in. With the help of the Holy Spirit, your Strengthener, you will gain a tremendous advantage and win an overwhelming victory!

This month we would like to offer you our book, The Holy Spirit is a Genius, and our 4 CD set, The Holy Spirit: My Best Friend for your offering of $20 or more. We believe these resources will give further light and revelation of the help and strength that come from the Holy Spirit.

FAITH TO FAITH AND GLORY TO GLORY

We are thankful to be celebrating 50 years of preaching and teaching the Word of God around the world this year. We are also excited that our new MHM Conference Center is over 75% completed and will help expand our reach even further in 2023. We are so thankful for our wonderful partners who pray for us, give, and are a constant encouragement to us as we take this message of faith to many nations. We declare this blessing to you, “You can be sure that God will take care of everything you need, his generosity exceeding even yours in the glory that pours from Jesus,” Philippians 4:19 (MSG).

In Christ,

Mark & Trina Hankins

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