True Honor

Who Do You Honor?

John Bevere

Who Do You Honor?

John Bevere

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the Holy Bible, New King James Version. Copyright 2008 by Messenger International Ministries All rights reserved.

In my twenty-five years of ministr y, Ive noticed that the believers who are most fulfilled, peaceful and successful are those who honor God and honor others around them. The benef its of showing honor are clearly spelled out in Gods Word. Unfor tunately, I have also seen many people who dont understand honor and, as a result, have caused hear tache in their lives. Once youve asked God to put honor in your hear t for all people, your whole life will change. Youll treat the waiter or waitress differently . . . the neighbor who never speaks to you . . . the manager who mistreats you. A hear t of honor star ts with genuine prayer and obedience to the Word of God. John Bevere

True Honor
Who Do You Honor?

Those who honor Me I will honor, and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed. I Samuel 2:30

to

value, to esteem, to respect, to treat favorably, to have a high regard for.

Honor :

honoring

[ Everyone ]
Honor all people (1 Peter 2:17). When we receive this charge to honor all

produce fruit. Every deed and word can minister life. As ambassadors of God, we can have faith for this. If you lack this in your life, ask God to put honor in your heart for those He died for. Hell do it, because its His desire . . . for everyone.

people, we start following the Spirit of God, and everyday life becomes continuous ministry. When we honor all, we will not ignore or speak rudely to those who cross our path; rather, we walk in a divine flow that brings the living waters of heaven to the thirsty in heart. Is it hard to smile at people? Difficult to say kind words to strangers? I believe a simple, kind word in passing can sow eternal seeds that will

We dont honor just to get a reward; we honor because it is the heart of God and it is our delight.

We are instructed to honor

not just for the sake of those we honor, but for us as well. We personally lose if we withhold

honor
from whom honor is due.

honoring your

[ Parents ]
Dishonoring our parents has become a normal

good times and in bad, we can proclaim, Ive honored my mother and father. Gods covenant promise to me is that I will live a long life, and it will go well with me! To honor our parents is not a suggestion, nor a recommendation; its a commandment. Honor can be displayed in deed, word and even thought, but all true honor originates from the heart. So if men or women speak in a flippant, careless or irreverent way on a regular basis to their parents, they are outwardly displaying a lack of true honor for their parents. For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34).

way of life. Even some of the popular family movies promote this. The story lines are often touching, but the children treat their father or mother disrespectfully. The movie concludes with the children getting their hearts desire, even though they treated their parents with contempt. You may think Ive gone too far, but hear what God says: Cursed is he who dishonors his father or his mother (Deuteronomy 27:16 AMP). On the other hand, if we honor our parents, Gods promises are made sure in our life. So in

All true honor

originates
from the heart.

honoring your

[ Wife ]
You husbands must give honor to your wives.

To lead in the Kingdom is to serve, not to dominate. As a husband, you are to lead your wife and to lay down your life for her. You will be blessed and rewarded, and your prayers will not be hindered. We are equal partners joint heirs of the inheritance of grace. God withholds His favor from families and churches that view women as being spiritually inferior to men. A church without a mothers voice is just as incomplete as a family without a mothers voice. It is time to encourage women in the home and the house of God to walk in their unique calling.

Treat your wife with understanding as you live together . . . Treat her as you should so your prayers will not be hindered (1 Peter 3:7 NLT). In the final part of this verse, we see a startling and remarkable statement: if a husband dishonors his wife, his prayers will not be heard. Wow, thats sobering! Peter says that the man is to honor his wife. This instruction applies to the simple, tangible things, such as opening doors for her or pulling out the chair in the restaurant before shes seated.

My husband has always honored me by encouraging the gift of God in my life. Lisa Bevere

In marriage, we are equal partners joint heirs of the inheritance of grace.

honoring your

[Husband ]
Let the wife see that she respects and

the home, she will be rewarded with honor. It may come directly through her husband, or other avenues. A wife who truly honors her husband is making an investment for Gods Kingdom. When she refuses to gossip about her husband, when she prays for God to give him wisdom, when she treats him as a leader, God will reward her . . . often through the transformation of her husband into the leader he was meant to be.

reverences her husband [that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly] (Ephesians 5:33 AMP). The husband is the head of the home and leads the way in honoring God and others. It is impossible to have true peace and blessing in a home where a wife leads or dominates and the husband is not respected as the head. When a woman of God values her husband as the leader of

God gave us a charge to honor all.

A wife who truly honors her husband is making an investment for Gods Kingdom.

honoring your

[ Children ]
When I served as a youth pastor, I was given

If not, chances are good theyll seek it in the wrong places. If children are valued they will flourish, and God will have certain rewards to give to those whove honored them. It is His Word, it is His plan, it is a spiritual principle given by Jesus Himself . . . there will be joy in our latter years rather than sorrow.

a window into the homes of numerous families, and it wasnt long before I detected a pattern. The parents who focused their energy on correcting their childrens negative behavior found their children only growing worse. However, the kids whose parents spoke the promises of God over them eventually grew into what was spoken. Children require frequent encouragement, direction and affirmation. They need to be told, as well as shown, they are loved and valued.

We constantly tell our sons they are

disciples taught by the Lord and born for signs and wonders.
John & Lisa Bevere (Isaiah 54:13 & Isaiah 8:18)

If children are valued they will flourish.

honoring

[God ]
Only in our relationship with God should our

When we honor people above God, we dishonor Him and make ourselves vulnerable to severe consequences. Nothing, or no one, is to be honored above Him. He is God and our Savior. We must always keep this in the forefront of all we do. The only way to walk in true honor is to always honor God first. Enduring honor is found only in valuing Him above anything or anyone else. He is the Great King; He is worthy to receive all our respect, not just a portion.

honor transcend to worship. When honoring people supersedes honoring and obeying God, it falls under the label of fading honor or idolatry, rather than enduring honor. Sometimes its easier to honor those we see than the One we cannot see. However, we must set convictions in our lives to regulate our responses. So if someone we respect or love asks us to go against the Word of God, we cannot honor their wishes above Gods.

Proverbs 3:9 commands us to Honor the LORD.

WhyPartnership?
Before Jesus left the earth, He commissioned us to make disciples of all nations. We believe this means not only taking care of peoples tangible needs, but more importantly, reaching their hearts. God has specifically called Messenger International to reach the lost and empower the Body of Christ by communicating life-transforming truth. Our cause is to help believers and local churches around the world fulfill their destiny in Christ. We know our global mission is impossible to accomplish alone. Thats why we are committed to establishing and nurturing ongoing relationships with people like you who are also passionate about living a life of power and purpose in Christ. As our partner, you will receive bi-monthly teachings from John and Lisa, monthly updates on ministry development and daily prayer from the Messenger International staff. You are a vital part of Gods plan for this ministry, and we believe those who support our cause and those who receive these truths will be forever changed. We firmly believe that we can make more of an impact together than any one of us could make alone. Partnership is so important because, first, in giving to the Kingdom of God it allows us to take the earthly and convert it to the eternal (Luke 16:9, Philippians 4:17). Second, it brings a harvest into our lives (2 Corinthians 9:6-8). And finally and most importantly, we will all be rewarded for eternally impacting the multitudes this ministry reaches. We love you!

I thank God for John and Lisa Bevere who are not afraid to speak Gods truth in a loving and uncompromising way! Partner, G.M., South Africa
To find out more about partnering with Messenger International, call us at 1-800-648-1477, go online at www.MessengerInternational.org, or email us at partners@MessengerInternational.org.

ost of us dont have as much time as wed like to read about Gods purpose and plan for our lives. Have you ever wished that you could find the godly principles that are spread through an entire book in a more concise and power-packed source? Thats why we developed our Powerbook series. These Powerbooks are the most powerful points from our books, in an easy-to-read and condensed format. With a Powerbook, even in the middle of your daily rush, you can still benefit from the message each has to share.

What is the key to loving people as Christ does?

We honk our horns when the cars in front of us dont move fast enough. We roll our eyes when our parents give us instructions. We give our spouses the silent treatment when they disagree with us. Is this really how God means for us to act toward one another? If we want our lives to reflect the attitude that Christ displayed for us, there are some things we will have to change in the way we treat the people around us. This Powerbook will give you a glimpse of how to look at others through a life-changing lens: honor.

Best-selling authors and popular speakers John and Lisa Bevere reach millions worldwide through Messenger International. They live with their four sons in beautiful Colorado.
United States: 1.800.648.1477 Australia: 1.300.650.577 Europe: 44 (0) 870.745.5790

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