Honor One Another

ok, I have a bit of a rant in me…forgive me…whilst I step onto my soap box for a bit…….

I despise it when I see people pick ministers apart. I have heard people IN THE CHURCH bad mouth Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn, Paula White, T. D. Jakes, Rick Joyner, Joyce Meyer, Ken Hagin…and many, many, many, others.

Even heard pastors badmouth other denominations…from the pulpit.

…and I confess, I have been guilty of being critical at times myself

I wonder, how can we be like that? Why would we be like that? What good will it do? When Jesus taught us a house divided will fall? How dysfunctional is that?

It releases a fear of judgement that prevents people from stepping into ministry. I know I was SCARED when God called me. I cried because I feared the judgement I knew would come against me if I began to be “seen.”

Sure, there may be things they do not do perfectly…and we all make mistakes…Lord knows…I DO!!!!!

But, can’t God handle it? Does He know how to chasten them? Does He not raise up and pull down? Doesn’t Jesus say to Pilate, “You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above.” How much more so in the church?

When I look at Joel Osteen, I just love him. I love his smile, and positive gentle way. I love that he is carrying on his Father’s legacy…so faithfully. I don’t see how anyone could say something mean about him…

To me, it says MORE about the PERSON being critical, than it does about Joel.

I remember running from the parking lot into Joyce Meyer’s meetings in the 90′s, when she was first starting her ministry: I wanted to get the best seat I could…because the anointing was stronger than anything I had ever felt in a meeting. I even got my gift of tongues there, and one time she actually stopped to speak to my friend and I…then got up and told everyone how we had encouraged her.

How could anyone say anything about a woman that has truly laid down her life to feed so many people?

The other day, I was talking ugly about a minister…I still don’t agree with what they do, but then I realized, the minister I was talking about was precious to that person I was speaking to.

I ALSO realized, these leaders…they are our PARENTS in the Lord.

God says, we are to HONOR them, so we will live a long life…and it will go well with us in the land God is giving us. Dishonor brings dishonor…

When I was little…people always picked on my sister, and when they did, I would beat them up. She was my sister!!!! And I hated them talking about her like that!!!! I would fight for her HONOR. When my son was little, if someone said something evil about my him, I would not agree with it. I would defend him. He was my family…so I had his back. To me, it did not matter in that moment if what they said was right or not. I wanted my son to know I was standing with him. To me, that is what HONOR does.

The bible says:
Brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

I would add…we need to talk about “such things” too. Let no unwholesome speech come from our mouths.

When you are a child, you learn, “if you can’t say anything nice, then don’t say anything at all!” I would add to that…just pray, pray to your Father in Heaven in secret. Pray for those parents to be brought to repentance if you think they are wrong…OR for YOU to be…because it just might be YOU and not them that needs to repent! Jus’ saying….

Ok…I am stepping off now…

Honor

Honor.

Some people will honor you, and others will not.

Last night I was with a group of women that honored one another, and me. Honestly, can I tell you, it messed me up? So much LOVE.

I go to a lot of churches to paint. Some churches are so honoring, not just to me, but to everyone…and honestly, other churches have treated me like dirt. Talking down to me, ordering me around, being rude and condescending…etc.

One leader’s wife came to me in private, and apologized, because they had mistreated me horribly, and right in front of the whole group. When I went to tell her, how I felt about what she had done, she clamped her hand over my mouth forcefully. She would not even let me express myself. 

Yes, I have stories. Some places I cry when I leave, because I don’t want to go, and others I cry because…well…because my heart is broken from the lack of love and honor in that “church.”

All my life I have had a deficit of honor. I was not honored as a child, and learned to allow myself to be dishonored by others. I repeated this pattern all my life. Once I got saved, I figured it was just my “condition” for being prophetic and called of God. But, now, I am not so sure. I have been healed recently from some deep roots of self hatred, planted when I was just a child; and since I have been set free, I realized, I should be treated with honor. Every person should have that. Not because I am special…or I deserve it. But, because I am a daughter of the King of KINGS. AND the precious, beautiful, amazing Holy Spirit lives INSIDE of me.

One thing that is so amazing about God…is He will honor His servants. So many times, people have dishonored me, mocked me, made fun of me, belittled me…
But God…
Time and time again He would honor me to that very same person. I did not have to do a SINGLE thing except keep my heart pure; forgive that person, and release the situation to Him. THEN He would honor me in ways that would cause me to fall prostrate on the floor and cry out…worshiping HIM with all my heart. Undone by His GRACE! Once I asked Him, “why do you honor me, Lord?” and He just said, because “you honor Me.”

I see so many women that allow themselves to be dishonored. Yesterday I was thinking about Rachel, and how Jacob was willing to work for her all those years. I was saying in my Spirit, “Lord, where are the men willing to work for a woman today?” And then I had the thought, “where are the women that KNOW they are worth working for?” So many women allow themselves to be so dishonored, and it just grieves me…and I know it grieves God too.

Lord, make us people of love and honor I pray. That we would love and honor ourselves, and others. But most of all, we would love and honor you as the King of Kings, because it is only because of you that we are worthy to be honored and loved!!!!

It makes me think of David. He was so dishonored by his family, so much so, they did not even bring him before Samuel. They mocked and belittled him constantly. But David spent his time with God. Out in the fields at night, tending the sheep. I imagine it was scary at time for a young boy to be out there alone. He would play his music, worship God and encourage himself in the Lord. When he got to the camp that day with food for his brothers, they mocked him again. Then David heard that giant Goliath mocking God, and a righteous anger rose up in him. He killed that Giant. He understood honor, and he knew who he was in God! He knew it so well, he was able to honor Saul, even when Saul was trying to kill him.

Want to be a giant slayer?

 

 

 

Where do you find your strength, courage and direction?

Where do you go to when you are in danger, distressed, upset, and afflicted?

1 Samuel 30
God has had me looking at this bit of scripture for a week or so. David and his men just came from battle, to discover their town burnt; all their children, wives and valuables taken. They were so upset they wept until they could not weep anymore. The men were so bitter and mad at David, because he was the leader, that they wanted to stone him.

Now it says, David was in great danger, distressed, upset, and afflicted.

So, what did David do, in that moment?
Did he call a prophet?
Did he plead his case?
Did he fight those men?
Did he explain himself?

NO…

David found and drew strength in the LORD his God.
He took courage from, and encouraged himself in Him.

Selah ❤

Then he sought God, asking Him what to do. God gave him direction, and a promise. “Pursue them, you will certainly overtake them and succeed in the rescue.”

On their way they find a slave that was part of the raiding party, but left behind, he has not eaten or drank for 3 days, he agrees to lead David right to them…as long as David promises not to kill him or give him back to his master.

They fought from dusk until night the next day, and none got away, except 400 young ones that rode away on camels. David recovered everything the Amalekites had taken, including his two wives. Nothing was missing: young or old, boy or girl, plunder or anything else they had taken. David brought everything back. He took all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock.

Now 400 of these same men, that had wanted to kill him, were saying… “This is David’s plunder.” Praising him for the success.

200 had stayed behind, too tired, and the 400 that went were saying they should not have the same reward, but were called evil and wicked for being like that. David said “NO! We will all have the same reward, we will all share alike.”

Then David even took some from what they recovered and sent it to villages all around to those in all the other places where he and his men had roamed. And listen to what he said:
“Here is a gift for you from the plunder of the Lord’s enemies.”

He did not say, my enemies, or my people’s enemies. But the LORD’s enemies! His men had been calling the plunder his, but David called it God’s.

David was one with God, and he knew he was, that is why he was strong and courageous. He knew he could ask God what to do and God would tell him, not only that, but God would also give him a promise, and deliver!

This is why David won battles and the reason he was loved by those he served and led.

If you want to be a giant slayer, you need to hang out with Someone bigger, stronger and smarter that any giant.

You need to learn to draw your strength and courage from Him. To think like God and not like the wicked men that did not want to share the plunder. And you need to KNOW that you and God are one, everything you do, you do in Him, by Him and for Him. Peace will be yours, because you know, if someone comes against you, they are coming against Him, and for that reason, you are forever safe and secure.