It is time to honour Hold in great respect, esteem, have high regard, reverence, worship, cherish.
A week after the birth of the economic release that took place on April 30 in Cape Town, the Lord led a couple of intercessors and marketplace professionals in Johannesburg and Cape Town to go on a time of fasting and consecration.
During this time, the Lord revealed a couple of things that were not in order that needed urgent attention. The first entailed repenting for the ill-treatment of workers, especially domestic workers, security guards, cleaners, gardeners, car guards, etc.
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The second was about giving — the intercessors were led to urgently take gifts and offerings to the poor, the widow, the priest, and the orphans.
But why all this, after the birth of the economic freedom had already taken place?
The Lord said It was because He was aligning and realigning things, bringing order, before the outpouring of the blessing that comes with the economic freedom — before the fulfilment of prophetic words that He had released over the nation for 2018.
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Thereafter the Lord spoke about having a series of honourary gatherings around the country, from villages, to towns, to cities and in the whole nation, giving honour everywhere it is due.
It became clear that this was not going to be through prayer only, but it would also be in deed. One example was to honour freedom struggle veterans, especially the undistinguished, the unknown, and the almost forgotten ones, who have played a great role in the liberation movement of our nation.
One Sunday I visited a church in Goodwood, Cape Town, and the pastor was preaching about honour and dishonour. At the end of the service, one of the elders led the congregation in repentance for dishonouring our parents and our leaders. This was such a precious moment, even though a couple of people were already leaving, since it was towards the end of the service. I understood that the Lord was speaking to His people, and was confirming His word, everywhere.
“Children obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honour your father and mother’ this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may leave long in the land’” –Ephesians 6:1-3
“Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those who labour in preaching and teaching.” — 1 Timothy 5:17
Honouring the first nation fathers
Exactly three weeks later, on July 27 2018, Vuka Africa Foundation received a word from the Lord that, in this time of restoration of families and the fathers, we must honour the first nation fathers (the Khoi and the San). The honour should be done urgently, and it shoulf be real, because they were dehumanised and stripped of their dignity.
The word also specified that these fathers should be clothed again to restore their dignity, and various gifts should be given to them, e.g. blankets, jackets, coats, scepters, hats, monetary gifts, etc.
The Lord gave clear instructions on how this should be done. Many people took heed of this call from the Lord, and those who believed that it is time to honour the first fathers of the land, in order for all the fathers to be restored to their rightful place, joined in to fulfil what the Lord asked from His people.
Vuka Africa held this honorary gathering on August 8. This act of obedience and faith brought an overshadowing of honour over the city and the nation, that very same day. More grace was extended to the people of God to recognise and give honour where it is due.
Like Shem and Japheth, the sons of Noah, who refused to look at the nakedness of their father, but took a garment, walked backward and covered the nakedness of their father, our Heavenly Father, our God and King, is requiring that His children should do the same, regardless of the shortcomings of our fathers.
In stark contrast, his son Ham, did not only look at the nakedness of his father, but he also told others about it. He exposed his father, and as a result, a curse was released upon him, while Shem and Japheth received a blessing and an increase upon their lives. Genesis 9:22-27
Honour one another. Honour everyone
“Honour everyone. Love the brethren. Fear God. Honour the emperor” — 1 Peter 2:17
“Let the marriage be held in honour among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulterous.” — Hebrews 13:4
The overshadowing of honour was almost tangible over the city. The series of events that took place from that moment onwards, one after another, were endless.
The Lord said: “Honour one another,” — including, husbands and wives, sisters and brothers, friends and colleagues, etc. Everywhere from homes, to church services and ministry events, there was an awakening to honour, repentance for dishonour, etc. This grace is still flowing over the nation at this moment, and we need to catch it.
“Do as he says”, honouring the children
One thing I kept on receiving as we continued to pray and exercise honour was, to honour our children.
Most of the time, we talk and we pray about children having to honour their parents, but we do not talk about parents honouring their children.
But I understood that, when God is turning the hearts of the fathers towards their children, and the hearts of the children towards their fathers, the wrongs must be made right, so that the Lord may not strike the land with a curse.
The children had now covered the father’s nakedness (as in the act of covering the Khoi and San fathers); therefore, it was now the time for the fathers and mothers to honour their children.
The Lord said: “This action involves the parents understanding who their children are, and how God sees them.
At the time of Jesus’ first recorded miracle, when the wine ran out at the wedding, Mary, His mother, knew who to call, to come and resolve the little problem that the wedding hosts encountered. This was because Mary knew who her son was.
Even though Jesus still felt it was not yet time for Him to begin His ministry, He gave in to the mother’s request, and He gave instructions for the jars to be filled with water.
Mary just said: “Do as He says.” And the miracle came. Here we see the mother holding her son in high esteem.
Honouring the workers
Going back to the repentance prayer that the Lord led the intercessors to pray, for the ill-treating and dishonouring of domestic workers, gardeners, etc, a sister of mine was privileged enough to interview a male security guard at an event venue in Cape Town.
This gentleman said that the security industry was in great danger, because more than 90% of the workers in that industry are highly unhappy. They work 12-hour shifts, with one day off per week, and they earn R80 a day. Some of them are married and have families and children. They travel far to work at times, and they are very angry.
The security guard asked: “How do you entrust your safety to an angry person, who is a time bomb, waiting to explode?”
This was a sobering question, exposing just how ignorant we can be in thinking we are safe, and yet not even knowing the state or condition of the person to whom our lives are entrusted.
These kinds of injustices and dishonour of the workers are one of the things that hinders the flow of God’s blessing over the nation, and the church needs to be at the forefront of addressing them.
Honouring God during difficult times, and until the end of the age
I can never forget a time in my life where I had made a major decision, and was about to follow through with it, and in His mercy, God intervened, just in time.
I had honoured God for a very long time with my trusting and waiting upon His promise. While approaching the finish line, where the fulfilment of the promise was waiting for me, I had grown tired and weary, and the enemy capitalised on my weariness. He brought in a counterfeit of what God had planned for me.
The dawn was about to break into the real promise, but I had now received this counterfeit thing, and had convinced myself that it must have been from the Lord.
By His grace, on one faithful Sabbath, I received a sms from a pastor who lead a church in Parow, inviting me, to attend a Sunday service at his church the following day.
At the service the pastor shared what the Lord had showed him in a vision — that many of His children are approaching the finish line, but there is an attack from a far distance, that is aimed at breaking their legs and crippling them a few seconds before they get to the finish.
I immediately had a clear vision of this race, as one would imagine a athletic race. I was a person in the race, and the lie I had believed as the “fulfilment of God’s promise” was actually the attack from a far distance, to move me away from the real crown, the true honour.
The message was very clear. I repented immediately before the Lord, and I changed my decision about the situation.
Many children of God run the race well, but miss entering into eternal glory, because of the difficulties of life and temptations, that prevent them from honourin God till the end, and finishing strong.
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.” — 1 Corinthians 9:24
In the absence of honour
It is important to honour people even when they do not honour you. The Bible tells us that the consequences of dishonouring are that, curses will come. In most cases I have realised that one needs to intercede and repent wherever there is an element of dishonour, even if it means praying, repenting and forgiving those who are dishonouring you, while they are doing it. Proverbs 8:12
South Africa will not miss her time of visitation and of fulfilment of promise
The Lord has spoken through many of His servants in the body of Christ with regards to what He has in store for the nation. He has promised that South Africa is in the prelude of a move of God, with deep cleansing and purification taking place; signs, wonders and miracles following; healing, deliverance and restoration flowing; and righteousness, truth and grace established.
He has said that there will be a shift and a change in government and that the Church will be awakened to take its position and lead, where worldly systems have failed.
The Lord said that Isaac will be born in 2018, and that His people will no longer walk bent over. Luke 13:10-17.
We have seen many of these promises being fulfilled already. However, the greater news is that the current overshadowing of honour and grace over our nation, is ushering in, the rest of the remaining promises that God has made. For He who begun a good thing in our nation, will surely bring it to completion. Now let there be honour.
Yes, this is a valid message, backed up from Scriptural commands. “Respect” is a forgotten virtue … in society, even in the church. One of the first things that impressed me in the 1950s, when I lived among the (loin-clothed topless!) people in deep-rural Africa, was the culture of RESPECT, HONOUR that prevailed. Their culture of Honouring “Marriage” put my Western culture to shame. Sex outside Marriage was punished by a heavy fine. I believe that many evils in today’s society can be traced in part to the official trashing of Marriage in favour of ‘partners’ – of any sex. Most instances of domestic violence occur in relationships that are outside of Marriage. Listen to Clementia Pae’s appeal for HONOUR – it echoes the will of God!
Thank you Hugh.
God bless you.