{"id":399,"date":"2019-10-02T09:43:55","date_gmt":"2019-10-02T09:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thesoundoflight.org\/blog\/?p=399"},"modified":"2019-10-15T08:33:55","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T08:33:55","slug":"the-hidden-dangers-of-the-culture-of-honour","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thesoundoflight.org\/blog\/the-hidden-dangers-of-the-culture-of-honour\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hidden Dangers in the Culture of Honour"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s been on my heart for a while now. As a prophet on the Walls of Zion, I have felt this disturbance coming for some time. Like the sound of a low rumble. Not quite distinguishable – but out there in the distance, in the dark of the night. For in the dark it has been born. And its singular purpose is to bring error<\/em> and divination<\/em> into the Church. Your church. <\/em><\/strong>

It has a catchy title in modern church settings. It makes for a great hashtag. It\u2019s called “Culture of Honour”<\/strong> – and it\u2019s going to hurt your church!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I tried to trace where this all started and to the best of my knowledge it came to the fore of evangelical culture from a book of the same title. I\u2019ve read the book. I’ve read Scripture. They don\u2019t tally.

There is an authentic culture of honour that does exist! It is one that honours God. Above all. Above everything. <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The authentic version of a Culture of Honour is a culture wherein honour and esteem is actually synonymous with humility and self-disregard! <\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Jesus taught us this quite clearly in John 18 when some of the disciples came to him and asked him who is the greatest or most venerated (honoured) in the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus responded by calling a little child to sit with him while they listened intently to what was about to become an object lesson.

Jesus then explained that true greatness and esteem in the Kingdom paradigm is cultivated through humility and servanthood.
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We\u2019ve missed this somehow!<\/em><\/strong>

Maybe we\u2019ve missed it because satan has infiltrated the church with this “culture of honour\u201d hype. Maybe we\u2019ve missed it because the modernistic adaptations of Jesus\u2019 teachings appeal more to our egotistical natures than does truth and light?

Whatever the reason, it\u2019s time we fixed it by exposing the counterfeit to the authentic!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve long held the view (which I learned from the writings of Derek Prince) that you don’t need to expose satan! All you have to do is hold up the authentic and soon enough satan’s counterfeit will be exposed up for what it is: a cheap imitation that cannot compete with the power of the Living God.

<\/em><\/strong>Roughly translated that simply means – let the Light shine and the darkness will fade away!<\/em><\/strong> And that light is the Word of God.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is Honour in the Kingdom?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are told to honour our father and mother<\/strong>. A scriptural injunction with an associated promise of long life for those who do. I believe this extends to those who \u201cfather and mother\u201d us in the Kingdom as well. (Exo 20:12)

We are told to honour those in authority over us<\/strong> in terms of natural order and leadership. (Rom 13:1-7) In this context, verse 7 says that you should:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honour<\/span>, then honour.”<\/p>(Notice that this verse makes a distinction between respect and honour)<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

We are told to honour those in spiritual leadership of us.<\/strong> This includes the men and women who labour in the Body of Christ (called the Church) to bring us to maturity by exercising their<\/em> calling and function within the Body to bring the Saints to maturity through discipleship and instruction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Honour in scriptural terms means to show proper reverence and almost always holds the connotation (derived from the root Greek word usage tim<\/strong><\/em>\u0113<\/strong>) of paying or gifting what is proper to show adequate homage and value!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the Kingdom, Jesus honoured his Father by submitting his own Will to the Will of the One who sent him.

He honoured his own mother by submitting to her request to assist her relatives at the wedding when they had run out of wine.

He honoured the requirement to pay the temple taxes (albeit through supernatural provision) imposed by the spiritual leaders of Israel.

He honoured his disciples by washing their feet in humility and servanthood!

Jesus modelled it perfectly.<\/em> Who is man to try and change it?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Actually the question to ask yourself is this: Who is it that twists the things God has spoken? Who is it that stands to benefit from beguiling and bewitching the Church by adulterating the word of the God?<\/em><\/strong>

It doesn\u2019t take a P.hD from a seminary or a certificate of completion from your bible school to answer this. The answer is satan<\/em>, that dragon of old who deceives the world and comes amongst us disguised as an angel of light!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a false culture of honour?<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A false culture of honour seeks to promote the gifts<\/strong> (not the Giver) operating in the lives of Believers and the callings<\/strong> (not the One who Calls) distributed within the ecclesiastical order to the point where it becomes objectionable to object!

Simply put the new fangled \u201cculture of honour\u201d teaching brings us to the point where we are no longer permitted to discern, question, clarify, correct, or yes even that dirty word rebuke what we are hearing, seeing, and being proffered when it doesn’t line up with Scripture!<\/strong><\/em>

It is false because its objective is to foster an ecclesiastical environment in which anyone and everyone who claims to have a spiritual gift, revelatory insight or   personal talent should be embraced and celebrated without being subject to any discernment, testing, scrutiny or another of those swear words – judgement<\/em>!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the scriptures admonish 1 John 4:1 (ESV) “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but <\/em>test<\/em><\/strong> the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.<\/em>“

The original phrase used is “try the spirits.<\/em>” This means to exercise spiritual discernment<\/em><\/strong> so that we might determine and distinguish between soul and spirit and between dark and Light.

Why are we told to do this?<\/strong> To safeguard the flock from deception through false teachings and practices.

But to exercise discernment will at times entail us having to offer correction (in love) and in some scenarios even rebuke. However this does not sit well with the proponents of the “culture of honour” mandate. 

Essentially what this boils down to folks, is a teaching that asks you to embrace so called gifted people amongst us without those same people requiring any accountability for expressing their giftings and anointings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case in Point<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let\u2019s take the rise of prophetic art as an example. I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard of this. I have nothing against it. I wish I could paint. But as I do not have a flair for it nor a propensity toward it – I paint with words by the brush of my voice instead. But there are great artists amongst us who can express their thoughts through paintings. So far so good?

<\/em>Now if that artist believes God has spoken to their spirit, then instead of conveying it through words they could convey it through a picture that captures the essence of the thought\/s that God spoke to them. You still okay with this?

<\/em>So essentially prophetic art is still prophecy sans vocalised words! It\u2019s the painting that speaks.

Now if we are called upon to judge all prophecy, then surely it stands to reason that we are to judge prophecy in whatever form it is expressed whether paintings, dance, mime, poetry, writings, song or soliloquy – and by the same standard<\/em>?

Yes? Then why don’t we see that happening?<\/em><\/strong> Because a culture of honour (just love each other and accept everyone’s gift and even the word from the pulpit) is conditioning us not to!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enthusiasm is not Enough<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

I am an advocate of discipleship and am called to raise and inspire a generation to embrace the supernatural and the prophetic order . So I am acutely aware that the uber eagerness of many who attend our teaching courses and activation sessions to move in the arena of the supernatural – can also (in their eagerness) display premature<\/strong> expression. It\u2019s just presumptuous enthusiasm.

This does not make the person a false prophet or apostate! It simply means that they have a road ahead of them in which they will undoubtedly fall, miss the mark or \u201cget it wrong\u201d. But in as much as this is guaranteed to occur, the Grace of God is guaranteed to rescue and restore them.

However<\/strong> maturity is the key to good stewardship! And maturity comes through discipleship and instruction. Yet it seems the modern church does not desire to come to spiritual maturity through a process of refinement instead opting for a diet of fast food and drive through spirituality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Culture of Honour Will Hurt You<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As mentioned earlier, I recently read a book promoting and advancing this topic of a “culture of honour”. I read it twice. I was disturbed both times.

The book describes what a culture of honour ought to look like and advances that all churches who don\u2019t have this culture are second rate and have missed the boat<\/em>! 

Let\u2019s see if your church looks like what this book depicts:-<\/p>\n\n\n\n