Last night we were at church and the Pastor was teaching about honor. The word honor in the Hebrew (Kabad) means to be heavy, be weighty. So when you honor God, His Word has more weight in your life than anything else. For example it’s like a weighted scale you put the Word on one side, and anything else on the other side, and the Word should outweigh it every time. So if someone does you wrong you put what they did on one side of your scale, and forgiveness on the other. Forgiveness should outweigh it every time because that is what the Word tells you to do.
This morning as Daryle and I were in prayer the Lord started speaking to my heart and a heaviness came upon me, and He started showing me the sacrifices people have given in His name and the ways they have honored Him, He reminded me of people in Africa that will walk 50 or 100 miles for a church service, He showed me people in Asia that have to meet in secret because it is against the law to have your own Bible studies or meetings. He showed me the people that have been put to death in other countries and thrown into holes and buried alive all because they would not denounce Jesus. As He was showing me this a sadness came, and it wasn’t for these people that sacrifice daily to honor God, it was for us here in America who if we don’t get our favorite seat at church, or we have to sit in the overflow area, we would rather just go home and forget it. It’s for people that think that it’s crazy to drive over an hour to get to church, and will take anything that is not any further then 10 minutes away from their house. It’s for people that would rather sit at home and watch the service by internet because they have other things to do. It’s for people that are more worried about what people are wearing at church, then what the Pastor is saying. It’s for the people that clap and get excited when the Preacher says money is coming to your house right now, but turn their ears off as soon as the Pastor says it’s time to honor God with our tithes and offerings.
God showed me that as Christians in America many of us have exalted ourselves above Him. We wouldn’t walk 1 mile to get to church, let alone 50. If the government said we couldn’t meet privately to hold meetings or have midweek service, many people would say “oh well, it’s the law, I guess going to church on Sundays will be enough.” How many of us here if we had a gun to our head and the person said I will let you go if you denounce Jesus, how many people would denounce Jesus so they could go home and see another day, and just think they can repent when they get home.
We need to get back to a place where the apostles were at in the book of Acts. They actually rejoiced because they were beaten by the council for preaching the word of Jesus.
Acts 5:41
And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
Many of us don’t even like to read the Bible except on Sunday’s. I could only imagine what we would do if we were put in a real life or death situation for his name.
Some of you might be mad right now with me for posing these questions or for saying any of this, you might be saying well we don’t have to walk to church, and our situation is different than theirs, and yes that may be true, but if you are thinking that way you are missing what I am saying. The point is their passion, their commitment, their honor to God in every situation. So if you want to be mad that’s ok because it’s not coming from me, it’s what is on God’s heart. He is putting us in check. He is saying that it is time to honor Me! I am your Head, I am your Creator, I am your Lord, I am your savior, I delivered you from drugs, I delivered you from alcohol, I delivered you from sickness, I delivered you from abuse, I delivered you from death! I have been here every moment, now my children where are you?
Therefore the LORD God of Israel says: ‘I said indeed that your house and the house of your father would walk before Me forever.’ But now the LORD says: ‘Far be it from Me; for those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. 1 Samuel 2:30
God will honor those who honor Him, who make Him a priority, who make His Word, and His directions weigh more than anything that we want to do, weigh more than any situation or circumstance. You might have been praying and praying for something and you’re like, man what is happening, why isn’t God answering my prayer right now, well ask yourself this…have I been honoring God with my life? He said “those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed”, which means to be of little account. That is serious people of God. It’s time to take a look at ourselves, and rework something’s. It’s time to find a passion for God like never before. It’s time to start reaching out to Him and saying Father forgive me for I have not honored you as I should have, please help me to always honor you. Help me to always remember that your Word and your direction weighs more than anything in my life.
It’s time to put all pride aside, go to the feet of Jesus and become completely surrendered to Him, it’s time to relinquish control, and let the one that is greater then you begin to tear down everything in you that doesn’t need to be there, and build up everything He desires to be there. I know it’s not easy because I’m right here in this with all of you. For some of you, fear may try to rise up, pride may try to rise up, whatever it may be, quickly put it down, for nothing that may come up in us is greater than God, and He can help us in any situation. God bless!
Tracy Houston
Kingdom Vizion Ministries
No comments:
Post a Comment