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