WHEN HONOR IS RESTORED

With most of August spent in Vietnam, I found myself gripped by the gap demonstrated by the generation of believers who have served as pioneers to those now benefiting from the significant sacrifices made by their pioneering forebearers. 

Recent harsh renewals of restrictions and monitoring by authorities has been faced by a continued fervor of faith by some, but by others, a subtle embracing of the comforts that accompany being a believer in the West. 

This has been reflected in some, who in being sent to the West to prepare to assume the mantles of their pioneering parents, find reason to stay. In one instance, with each of his kids settled in the West, an influential and prominent pastor is considering “retiring” …..to the West ….to be closer to his kids.

Jesus warned of the seductive nature of the love of the world, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. No one is able to reach their own people like those of their own culture. Missionaries and Zoom programs are meant to augment, not replace those who are anointed to be game-changers at the cultural level ….as those who would take a closer look at the Great Commission ….and fully embrace the mandate to “disciple a nation.” Which infers influencing the culture in the process of gathering souls.

Since this last return from Vietnam, I’ve grappled with this issue in prayer, searching for a key, the basis of triggering and imparting the right focus to this vital, emerging generation. What I’ve been discerning is the need for HONOR restored. 

Despite the amazing results Vietnam has had economically, politically and spiritually due to the costs paid to regain these freedoms by the pioneers who have shaped the current spiritual atmosphere  ….as the generation of believers shifts, the gaps point to the need for a reset ….not unlike that faced by Job, who struggled with the same issue with the focus of the emerging generation. 

Join me in believing for the restoration of this vital factor of honor. May the Lord help us all to impart the right priorities and fervor to the generation that is to assume our mantles.

FOR FULL ARTICLE, CONTINUE READING BELOW:

 ****************************

These are times of restoration. Isaiah wrote of a time when darkness would cover the earth and deep darkness the peoples. Yet, these also would be the times in which the Lord dramatically would begin restoring His order, as the Glory of the Lord comes upon His people, those walking in the fear of the Lord.

Similarly, Ezekiel foresaw such a time when every vision would be fulfilled without delay. (Ezek 12:23)

Then Malachi also prophesied a time of restoration in the face of great reprobation, a depravity which would impact even the household of faith. 
“But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. In that day, He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” Mal 4: 2, 6 

This prophecy foretells a day of judgment, but also a day of preparation that restores key elements to the foundations established between the generations of God’s people. At the crux of the elements restored, triggering the turnaround of God’s order, is honor.  

The Dynamic of Honor
What we refer to as “knowing” the Lord is a progressive thing. The life of Abraham illustrates this truth. It is an unfolding, interactive process that takes place over a lifetime. Even for those like Abraham who keep their hand to the plow, the depths of knowing Him are such that there is always more.

Central to knowing Him is the factor of honor. The book of Hebrews reveals that we cannot take this true honor to ourselves, but rather it is granted only by God. Job, an honorable man by his own accomplishments, went through a major life-transition to find that when, stripped of the things this life was able to offer, he was able to see God for the magnitude of Who He truly is. When that happened, God bestowed an honor upon Job that far outweighed Job’s previous honor.

It only takes a glimmer of His presence.

The honor bestowed by God changes everything. Jesus spent His earthly ministry conveying the dynamics tied to honoring the Lord and the secrets to abiding in His presence. From that honor and abiding we begin to grasp the principles Jesus imparted on how the Kingdom of God operates, of how we employ righteous power in a corrupt world.
“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. “ John 5:21-23

The Sphere
Certain missionary friends accepted a position in a region with extremely hard ground spiritually. Their first two years were grueling and exhausting. They were filled with what seemed as constant reversals and steep, uphill challenges.
“Many will be offended, betray one another and hate one another. False prophets will rise up and deceive many. Because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold.” Matt 24: 10-12

Yet they persisted in upholding the fear of the Lord. They never fell short in praying, which they sometimes did just to survive. They likewise never gave up.

Then they were invited to minister in a distant province from the locale of their assignment. The difference was startling and dramatic. This province was one of two in this nation known to be populated with Christians. They ministered in the same way as they did where they had been arduously attempting to plow new ground, but instead miracles took place at every turn. It provided the impetus to return to their assignment and expect more largely from the result of the anointing and spiritual authority that they wielded.

Many are those called to plow new ground. So it is with the hard ground of the times we have entered.

Paul wrote that to each is given a sphere or a boundary in which to operate. It is a boundary of authority, a sphere of influence. Within that sphere we have the potential of great power as agents of change. That change when employed according to the Kingdom model, and not a religious model, will impact the culture, as well as the economy and the power structures of that sphere.

Yet, there are places where the forces of darkness are so entrenched that it takes time for the change to take root. It will. It requires establishing the fear of God.
“Your words have been arrogant against Me, says the LORD. You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God; and what profit is it that we have kept His charge, and that we have walked in mourning [repentance] before the LORD of hosts?'” Mal 3: 13-14

Establishing the fear of God involves upholding the magnitude of God’s honor. It is not about us, but Him. When we get it reversed, we broach the realm of making an idol out of our ministry and the anointing given to pave the way for our calling. Jesus outlined the principles by which we would not be ensnared by this deception.

They are the principles of the Kingdom. Most are paradoxes to the way the world thinks and employs power. We live by dying. We gain by giving. We bless those who curse us. Wisdom comes from simplicity. Humility is a protective armor. We lead by serving. Honor comes from humility. The principles of the Kingdom are the keys to employing His power in unrighteous settings.

A Warrior’s Honor
Throughout the Word of God, reference is given to military people. Those who have repeatedly faced life and death battles hold to a code of honor. They are ones who recognize one another quickly and just as quickly differentiate the phonies, the braggarts and the glory hounds. They understand the serious risks of employing great power.

Jesus was amazed in His encounter with the Centurion who drew the parallel between his authority and how faith operates. God saw Cyrus long before his birth and relished in what He would do through Cyrus on behalf of His people Israel.

What is it about the warrior’s honor? They understand authority. They are people of faith and strategy. They understand how to steward power. They are people of discipline. They respond to duty and know how to operate in unity. They are calculated risk-takers and people of action. They are willing to sacrifice for a cause. They have a willingness to die for what they believe in. They lead by serving.

Honor is at the core of the warrior’s life-tenets, the warrior’s way of thinking.

Understanding that we are agents of change requires a grasp of the honor of the warrior. Stewards of God’s power must grasp and embrace this level of honor.

The Snare of the King’s Tantrum
Agents of change embracing the code of the warrior understand the importance of the big-picture and the long-term.

The story of Hezekiah is a story of the long-term being sacrificed for the short-term. Hezekiah was a righteous king. During his life there had been exploits as he had honored the Lord in the way he ruled Judah. His standoff against Sennacherib king of Syria (2 Kings 19:36) was striking. He restored the temple worship and Passover (2 Chron 29:20, 30:1) Yet, in his final days, he fell short in embracing the honor of the warrior.

Responding in a tantrum of bitterness when the prophet told him his days were concluding, scripture says after being healed, Hezekiah became proud. In his final days, Isaiah rebuked his spiritual short-sightedness and prophesied ripples of impact from his actions on future generations (2 Kings 20:14). The difference impacted his son of that time-frame, who became one of the most evil of Israel’s kings.

Restoring the Generation Link
Among the mysteries in God’s Word is the link between generations. The restoration of the honor — bestowed by God — must begin with the restoration of honor within the community of God’s people. It is the glue that will bring the unity and maturity Paul explained to the Ephesians. It is the catalyst in rebuilding the broken walls in the eroded values undermining our society.
“You will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the foundations of many generations. You will be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of the streets in which to dwell.” Is 58:12

Honor restored is what Malachi prophesied in terms of the hearts of the children being restored to the fathers so that the land would not be smitten with a curse.

It is what Gabriel told Zacharias of his coming son John who would operate in the spirit and power of Elijah, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. The honor that links the generations releases an exponential power within the community of God’s people. It is the reason for the importance given to the father’s blessing in the days of the Patriarchs. When the generations link together, then unity will come.

One of the facets of the spiritual turmoil of the 1960s in the West was the cultural war against authority and honor. Duty was ridiculed. The media mocked the authority of fathers, in their scorn of TV shows such as “Leave It to Beaver.” Honor was the bulls-eye target in the undermining of the accepted righteous values of that day.

When honor is in evidence, it draws the attention of the Lord, as in Jesus’ response to the Centurion and God’s calling of Cyrus. Abraham was a man of honor, which attracted the presence of the Lord. It was the honor of the warrior in Daniel, in the face of adversity, that brought angelic intervention.
“The angel touched me and strengthened me and said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” When he spoke I was strengthened and said, “Let my lord speak for you have strengthened me.”  Dan 10: 18-19

It was the honor that emerged in the face of calamity when jailed (Acts 12:7), when Peter’s heart finally became undivided, that brought the angel to free him.

Triggering the Path of Restoration
When that level of honor is restored merely a remnant in the household of faith is all it will take to release the turning into God’s order. When the hearts of the children once again can adhere to the authority of the fathers, with the honor of the warrior being restored to the fathers, it will mark the turning of the restoration of all things.

Honor and authority, God’s authority, are linked. God’s honor in the face of tribulation actuates an authority that will change the spiritual climate of a nation.
“He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.” John 7:18-19

Many are called, but few are chosen. It is an hour in which even the elect are subject to being deceived. Yet, those who prevail will be given a mantle of fire, an authority that dispels darkness and brings the disruptive spiritual change that opens the gates to His presence.

Jesus indicated that His message of abiding would bring great joy. From that would come the heart of the warrior that would love as Jesus loved and be willing to lay down their lives for their friends. Peter once bragged that he would be of that heart, but braggadocio fails. He did. Similarly, when he tried to respond in his own strength in the Garden of Gethsemane with a sword, he again failed.  

Peter had to get past himself. For Peter to assume the mantle of fire and authority that he was called to operate with took a level of humility and honor that accompanies the heart of a seasoned and tested warrior.

There is a righteous remnant that has been prepared. These are ones who have been tested, who have emerged from the fires without the smell of smoke. It is why humility and honor are the brandmarks of true warriors. It is these who will be the catalysts for the spiritual awakening who will wield the mantle of fire that brings the change and restoration being orchestrated by God in this hour.
“I came to send fire on the earth and how I wish it were already kindled. But I have a baptism to be baptized with and how distressed I am until it is accomplished.” Luke 12:49-50

______________________________

If you have been blessed, or in any way helped by this message then please consider posting it on your Facebook page. If you have received it on your Facebook page, then please SHARE it with those on your page. Previous articles and videos are available for you to peruse on this web-site. 

Thank you for those who partner with us to donate. We are set up to process donations internationally with most major credit cards or by Paypal by clicking the following link:

https://www.paypal.com/donate?hosted_button_id=EPUUZEZQP28SC

Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner of the Joseph-calling and God’s economy message, being an international voice for the higher dimensions of spiritual game-changers and intercessors since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation, the Strategic Intercession Global Network [SIGN] and designer of the God’s Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program and the Jewish Business Secrets YouTube series, Mr. Ruddick’s messages equip leaders and economic community builders with strategy where God’s light is dim in diverse regions around the globe.

He is author of “The Joseph-Daniel Calling;” “Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;” “The Heart of a King;” “Something More;” “Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;” “Leadership by Anointing;” and “Mantle of Fire,” which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders with destinies to impact their communities. They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.com, www.apple.com/ibooks and www.BarnesandNoble.com.

Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts mobilize economic community builders imparting influence and the blessings of God. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to 3838 South Wabash Street, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card at https://strategic-initiatives.org/donate/

2026 Copyright Morris Ruddick — info@strategic-initiatives.org

Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since early 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check: http://www.strategicintercession.org