Knowing God – Pastor Jack

You’re not here by accident.
God loves you. He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus, His Son. There is just one thing that separates you from God. That one thing is sin.
Sin is our failure to measure up to God’s holiness and His righteous standards. The Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. We are all sinners.
But there is good news for you! God loves you! And because of His great love, God sent His only Son Jesus to die for our sins, providing the way for you to have a personal relationship with Him.
“God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

 

Pastor Jack on Knowing God

You’re not here by accident. God loves you. He wants you to have a personal relationship with Him through Jesus, His Son. There is just one thing that separates you from God. That one thing is sin. Sin is our failure to measure up to God’s holiness and His righteous standards.

40 Holiness in The Kingdom

This 40th message of Zechariah concludes the book. Now God characterizes the holiness that will characterize the Messianic Kingdom. Zechariah uses the illustration of bells of the horses. What he is illustrating is celebratory gladness as the horses have their bells ringing on their harnesses. There will be an inscription on those bells that proclaim “HOLY UNTO JEHOVAH.” This is the same inscription, which is on the gold plate of the turban of the High Priest (Exodus 28:36; 39:30). Holy in this sense is dedicated for the use of the Lord. The earth and its entire population will be holy …

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Genesis Message 63 The Lord Blesses Jacob with Wealth

Laban was concerned that this God who was unknown to him would stop blessing him after Jacob left. He counters with a negotiation.
Laban says to Jacob, “Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it.” Jacob seems to ignore Laban’s request for a fee and goes on to describe how he had made Laban wealthy. This is a well-known negotiation tactic. One takes the lead and affirms their benefits to this deal in order to broker the best arrangement. Jacob was in a great position to get a good deal from Laban. So Laban listens to this negotiation tactic and says “what do you want then?” Jacob says that he does not want anything. What he meant was anything in advance. He wanted an opportunity. He needed the opportunity to provide some material accumulation. Up to now he only received room and board for all his efforts and Laban became wealthy as a result. Jacob said that he would continue to keep Laban’s flocks. In addition he asks Laban to give him a certain type of animals from his flock while he took care of them. There were three categories he asked for:

1. Every speckled one (generalizing the characteristics)
2. Every black one among the sheep
3. Every spotted and speckled among the goats

Jacob made a bonafide fair offer and Laban was trying to prevent Jacob from being successful. This is the second time Laban has successfully deceived Jacob. However, Jacob succeeds in outwitting Laban in the course of the next six years.

We have to view the increase as God given which today is called selective breeding. It originated with Jacob and clearly was a blessing in knowledge as part of the Covenant. In the face of adversity with Laban God is going to prosper Jacob as He promised.

A New Life

2 Corinthians 10:5 “…casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ…” In Chapter 8 of the book of John, we are told of a woman who was caught in the act of adultery. The Pharisees came with the woman in tow and began asking Jesus what should be done to her. They knew that the law said that she should be stoned to death, but they asked Him nonetheless. Jesus then stooped down and began to write in the sand. They continued to …

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Keeping Focused

Keeping Focused ~ Keep me focused Lord, when going through the fire keep my eyes straight on You so I’ll know, Your heart’s desire. Keep me focused Lord, when I’m full of dread and fear keep me looking heavenward so You can draw me near. Keep me focused Lord, when the storm is raging on keep my mind centered upward so to Your will, I can be drawn. Keep me focused Lord, when everything’s falling apart keep my faith, horizontally intact so You’ll always be in my heart. Keep me focused Lord, no matter what I’m going through help me …

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Joy From Out of Pain

Reflections A woman when she is in travail has sorrow because her hour is come. But as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembers no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the world. And you now therefore have sorrow. But I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man takes from you. (John 16:21-22) Jesus said these things to His disciples right before He was arrested and crucified. They had hoped for an immediate kingdom with Jesus as the Messiah, and it was all about to …

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39 Feast of Tabernacles & Egypt

In message 39 of the book of Zechariah we see the results of Egypt mistreating Israel for many years. As punishment they will receive a forty-year period of desolation at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. They will be scattered throughout the world and then regathered. They will be brought back to their land but will never enjoy the political power they once had. They will make peace with Israel after they are destroyed and then converted to become a part of the Millennial Kingdom of believers. One of the requirements for Israel during the Kingdom will be to keep …

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God With Us Always

Reflections I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. (John 14:18) I am with you always. (Matt. 28:20) These are not merely sentimental promises meant to stir emotions. Rather, they are concrete promises of God based on the reality of Christ in us. The idea that God is floating around, comes and goes, is with us one day, and far away the next, is contrary to the Truth. We may FEEL like God is that way, but the Truth is not determined or apprehended by how we feel. Indeed, even if we feel like God is with …

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The People God Uses

God doesn’t need highly skilled experts; He uses His power to accomplish great things through ordinary people 1 Corinthians 1:26 – 1:31 26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, [are called]: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to …

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“I am a stranger with thee.” Psalm 39:12

Yes, O Lord, with thee, but not to thee. All my natural alienation from thee, thy grace has effectually removed; and now, in fellowship with thyself, I walk through this sinful world as a pilgrim in a foreign country. Thou art a stranger in thine own world. Man forgets thee, dishonours thee, sets up new laws and alien customs, and knows thee not. When thy dear Son came unto his own, his own received him not. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. Never was foreigner so speckled a …

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“I have glorified You on the earth by completing the work You gave Me to do.” John 17:4

Jesus is the only man who has ever lived—so as to be able to say this! The best lives are but fragments, leaving many things unfinished. Yet we ought to take a lesson from Christ’s finishing of His work. He did it, simply by doing each day—the will of His Father for the day. He was a young man when He died—only thirty-three. We think of those who die young—as dying before their work is completed. We learn, however, that even a young man, dying, may leave a finished work. The truth is, enough years are given to each one—in …

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