For The Honor of the King

Holy art thou oh God and worthy to receive honor, glory and obedience.  The entire world is your O God and we have been given great and precious promises to walk in your love.  To those who fail to walk in your love, who would become your enemies, your love and long suffering grace has limits.  Receive your honor in my life oh God.  Let me be an instrument of your honor.

Matthew 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

GOD is in Heaven, He is not a figment of your imagination or invented by men of old.  He is beyond time, beyond ancient, wise and loving.  He chose to be known as a Father and not merely as King.  Satan always attacks the roles of fatherhood so we will not have proper role models.  Satan is the great deceiver. 

GOD’s name is hallowed, holy, set apart and worthy of reverence.  When we blaspheme, curse and speak evil of His name we have removed ourselves from His divine protection. 

GOD’s kingdom WILL and HAS come.  Even today in the midst of all this world’s sin, His kingdom is alive and well.  It lives in each of us and thrives in some of us.  He leads and guides and adds to the best.

THY will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.  Of course it will.  No matter how bad it looks, all this was prophesied eons ago in His Word.  It is expected and necessary for all to come to pass.

Heaven operates exactly as He sees fit and the earth is His footstool.  God’s grace, mercy and patient attitude toward mankind is offered so we might come to ourselves and approach Him in peace while there is still time.  It doesn’t pay nor is it wise to continue to ignore the grace God offers us.  This season of grace will one day end and as short as our lives are it is better to come to Him now and meet Him in peace than to come to Him later and be cast into Hell. 

We are supposed to pray that God will give us each day our portion of food, grace and assistance.  He has promised to provide and there is a reason for this provision and grace.  God will have His honor.  The Egyptians fought against His will and He had His honor.  His honor was their destruction.  If we serve Him, His honor toward us is our preservation throughout all eternity.  God destroys His enemies and gives grace and mercy to thousands who love Him.

If you ask why we must forgive those who owe us or have trespassed against us, it is because we all have trespassed against God and through Jesus He has forgiven us. We who are forgiven are required to forgive.  We who are blessed are required to bless in return.  In Christ we are expected to render good for evil so it is apparent we are to render blessing for blessing.

It is not God who tempts us to fail but Satan.  God tests us but only to make us strong.  A smoking wick is safe in His hands.  He will not extinguish it.  God takes great joy in delivering His children from all their distresses.  We need to take as much pleasure in trusting Him in the midst of these distresses.

No matter what congress says, no matter what the supreme court says, no matter what anyone says, all glory and honor is given to God and will be given.  The enemy seeks to destroy us each day, but God will have glory in our lives lived by faith or fire.  You must choose which.

Exodus 14:15 And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: 16 But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. 17 And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them: and I will get me honour upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gotten me honour upon Pharaoh, upon his chariots, and upon his horsemen. 24 And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, 25 And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. 27 And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. 28 And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them

God receives honor through our respect.  This is shown in Romans 14:11 which says, “Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.”  Whether you confess God or Jesus as Lord now with a willing heart or after you die and are in agony, you will confess.  No man, no demon, no angel will fail to bow and confess.  God will have his honor.  In the case of the scripture above, God received His honor over Pharaoh’s destruction.  In the Bible’s often repeated mantra of first natural then spiritual, this Pharaoh was the one who did not honor the late Joseph and then did not honor the God of Israel; in fact he called himself a god.  This stand cost him everything.

Exodus 22:28 Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. 29 Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. 30 Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. 31 And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

As Moses continued to write down the rules God gave Him, certain ones stood out and require our full attention.  Some affect us today and others have been answered by the redeeming work of Christ.  Exodus 22:28 says, “You shall not revile the gods.  This is an inaccurate translation in light of the work of Jesus.  It should say, “You shall not revile  the (Elohim) Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”  The word Ruler is nasi which can mean prince, sheik, king or ruler.  Since we are kings and priests in Christ, it is not wise to curse Christians.  The very fact we are to behave as kings and priests ought to trouble those who do not respect their fellow saints or the people around them.  If you mock me as a fellow saint, you mock a king and a priest who God has placed in position.  It also means the secular leaders around us ought to be respected for the sake of God who put them in office.  You may disagree and you may even argue with those around you, but it is extremely dangerous to curse fellow saints or sinners.  There is sufficient proof that God punishes those who deliberately speak evil of His people.  The roads of history are littered with the broken lives of such blasphemers and fools.  God WILL have His honor.  Because He insists on it and takes an active interest in it, threats against those who name the name of God or Jesus are unwise and dangerous. 

Malachi 1:2 I have loved you, saith Jehovah. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother, saith Jehovah: yet I loved Jacob; 3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness. 4 Whereas Edom saith, We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places; thus saith Jehovah of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and men shall call them The border of wickedness, and The people against whom Jehovah hath indignation for ever. 5 And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, Jehovah be magnified beyond the border of Israel.

I have read lessons from great leaders that say God does not love mankind and that He is beyond understanding of the concept.  How do we dare say that the God who loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son does not understand love and sacrifice.  God is love.  Scripture says so and scripture is NEVER wrong.  When I read the writings of such great leaders as Mamonidies who said God does not really love mankind because He is too far above us, I wondered how they could be held in such reverence by the Jewish people in particular and mankind in general.  God Himself gave us the definition of love, we did not invent it.

Esau lived by his own desires and Jacob lived…for the most part…by faith.  God hated Esau for his lack of honor and respect and loved Jacob for the respect he had for God in spite of his many flaws.  When Esau knew his marriage to a Canaanite was making his father angry he went out and found another one.  God’s honor always came to Him, one son of Isaac honored God in a positive way and the other honored God through his destruction.  Esau (Edom) is no more.  Israel lives.  First natural and then spiritual.  Israel the man sinned often but remained in love with God.  Israel the nation sins often but remains one nation under God. 

6 A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? 7 Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar. And ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of Jehovah is contemptible.

God says in Roman chapter 8 that we may call Him Abba (daddy) Father.  He wants to know where is the honor of a Father or the fear for a Master.  Even if you do not love God He expects your fear because He IS your master.  He holds the power of life and death.  In John 19:10-11 Pilate was trying to tell Jesus that HE had the power of life and death.  Jesus informed him that he would have no power at all unless His Father gave it to him.  That statement backed by a voice full of faith terrified Pilate.  It never pays to be an instrument of cruelty to one of God’s children, especially His only begotten son, Jesus.  The truth is that Pilate tried to wash his hands of the responsibility and it did not work.  History records that he either died in prison or killed himself.  God did not hold him blameless.  Because of his involvement in the death of Jesus and failure to give God glory, King Herod was cursed by God.  Acts 12:23 says he was eaten by worms and died.  Medical science says he may have contracted Fournier’s Gangrene which affects his private parts.  It is a gruesome and agonizing way to die.  If we offer God polluted bread he will not hold us innocent.  Our whole life will become polluted.

Mark 3:27 No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house. 28 Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme: 29 But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation: 30 Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.

God is the ultimate STRONG MAN.  Every assault, every insult He allows against His kingdom and people is motivated by grace and longsuffering patience for our ultimate good.  Even the attacks suffered by the church are for our own good to build us up in our most holy faith.  You CANNOT bind God so you cannot spoil His house.  The most you can accomplish is to wound a few saints and manage to make God angry which is not to your benefit.  Many have said, “God is not real and I need not concern myself with Him. 

Hitler made a personal and national attack against the Jews and Germany became a nation divided.  God got His honor.  King Zedekiah refused to listen to Jeremiah’s instructions and was told that he would be sent to Babylon but that he would not see it (Jeremiah 34:3).  All the religious leaders of the king mocked Jeremiah when he gave his prophecy.  When Zedekiah ignored the Word of the Lord and fought against the king of Babylon the king of Babylon killed all his sons, put out his eyes and sent him to Babylon.  His lack of honor for God cost him his family and his eyesight.  He went to Babylon but did not see it (Jeremiah 39:6-7).  God got His honor.

Salvation comes from the blood of Jesus through the operation of the Holy Spirit.  If you mock the Holy Spirit you may ask for the blood of Jesus but there will be no agency to apply it to your life.  Only the Holy Spirit can do this.  Not one of God’s promises will ever fail.  All of his warnings will come to pass.  His Word is sacrosanct and must prevail because it is alive and powerful.  God WILL have His honor.

1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

God is love.  He truly cares.  Paul distilled the basics of the attributes of God in 1 Corinthians 13.  Love is longsuffering and kind.  It does not envy anyone for having something it doesn’t.  Love does not try to show itself superior even if it is, because love is humble.  Love doesn’t act foolishly toward others because love seeks only the well being of the other.  If this sounds foolish or alien to you then you are not perfected in God’s love.  It may well be that you are tormented by fear and doubt which causes God’s peace to flee from you.  Only God’s love can grow beyond this torment and give you peace.

Love cannot provoke to anger because love provokes mercy, peace and hope.  Love is not lust, sex or natural passions.  Love is giving, upholding, nurturing, blessing and cherishing for the sake of the God we serve.  Love cannot think evil because love always seeks to make the other’s life better.  Love is not a false judge, but love always judges and acts righteously.  Love is always truthful because the truth forces us to be free.  Truth will assault and destroy a lie; it will steal it’s power and make it nothing.  A lie needs darkness to lend it power but is blinded and destroyed by the perfect light of God.

Love upholds.  It is stronger than fear; climbs higher than doubt and will flow to the deepest dungeon and flood it with hope.  Love does not try to dilute the Word of God but it holds it pure, filled with great power and truth.  God will not hold you innocent if you dilute His scripture with doubt and fear.  God always works to perform His Word.  We need not think our current state is permanent because only the love of God is permanent.  Hope for the change because it is coming.  Hope for the future because it is certain.  Hope for the life of God because it is given and it is eternal.

Finally, your current trials, distresses and difficulties are temporary.  They will not last forever.  Some of them are tests and trials to determine your faith.  Some are assaults by the evil one and cannot stand.  God will not allow it.  His will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven.  Lord I BELIEVE!  I Honor the KING!

1 Timothy 1:19 Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck: 20 Of whom is Hymenaeus and Alexander; whom I have delivered unto Satan, that they may learn not to blaspheme.

“And having done all to stand, stand.  Stand therefore…(Ephesians 6:13-14).  Our walk is difficult.  Satan and his servants do all in their power to make our lives miserable.  We have the greater weapons and armor but his are still powerful.  Even a child can kill a great warrior if the warrior does not fight.  We must fight!  We must fight Satan and sin to honor our King.  We must fight Satan and sin to honor our brethren.  We must fight or die spiritually.  We will WIN!  We must win for the honor of the King of kings and Lord of Lords.

Revelation 13:4 And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5 And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6 And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven.

Notice the dragon (Satan) gave power to the beast.  He is trying to act like God.  Millions will worship the beast who against the spirit of the love of God will speak swelling words and great blasphemies.  He will brag continuously and ultimately come to nothing.  His reign will only last 42 months.  As it says in 1 Kings 20:11, he might have power to blaspheme against God, His Holy Name, His church and all the saints in heaven, but the one who puts on his armor is not the same as the one who lives to take it off again in peace. 

In three and a half years he will be destroyed and all those who stood up and praised him will discover that the God who has been alive and reigning for an eternity is still on the throne.  We in the kingdom of men have chosen to believe that any new idea which comes out of our fevered brains is a good and noble thing but God says the wisdom of our greatest thinkers cannot compare with God’s foolishness.  His lowest thoughts are eternal.  Our greatest thoughts rarely outlive us before they are proven wrong.  Honor the TRUE King!

7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. 8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Oh!  Look!  Look!  Those Christians are getting theirs!  Kill them!  Kill them!  Go beast! Go beast!  Hurrah! 

Hogwash.  Fools will rejoice when Christians go through trials because they have not read and understood the book.  They will choose to believe it will last and world peace has come.  The truth is that on the day they cry, “Peace, peace,” sudden destruction and death will come upon them (Jeremiah 8:11-13).  They will worship the creature more than the creator.  They will choose a eraser of willfulness and sin to remove their names from the Lamb’s book of life.  They will die in their sins and none will save them. 

9 If any man have an ear, let him hear.

Honor the King of kings and Lord of lords.  He will have his honor…one way or the other.

Beloved, I encourage you to make it willingly and often.  Honor the King!

Bishop J.