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Jack Hayford
"And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” - Matthew
16:19
Keys represent privilege, trust, and authority.
When a teenager receives the keys to the family car, a
distinct turning point has been reached.
Growth, preparedness, training, and trust converge in the
release of this expensive and potentially dangerous vehicle into the care and
use of a son or daughter.
It’s a big day, but also a weighty moment, for the
authority being granted could be as destructive as it is beneficial. Is the
child ready?
When Jesus said He would give His
disciples “the keys of the kingdom of heaven,” He based it on
each one’s coming to the same place of understanding Peter had reached when he
said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (verse 16).
In other words, “the keys” are given to
people who fully recognize Jesus as their King, and who yield to His rule as
the mandate for their own lives.
As keys give access, Jesus opens new arenas of possibility
for us.
As keys verify trust, Jesus entrusts arenas of service to
us.
And just as keys ignite, lock, and loose, Christ sends us
to people and circumstances waiting to be ‘turned on,’ ‘closed in,’ and ‘set
free.’
Let’s keep learning about these keys.
Jack Hayford knows the awesome
power of God firsthand. When he was a baby, he was gripped by a
life-threatening illness. But as a result of the earnest prayers of friends and
family, he was miraculously healed. The doctors had no other explanation except
that the grace of God snatched him back from the brink of death. Several years
later, Jack was struck down again by sickness. This time it was polio. The
church elders anointed him and prayed for his recovery. God heard their
petitions and granted a second miracle. These two extraordinary events ignited
in Jack’s heart a passion for God and convinced him that the Holy Spirit is
alive and active in the contemporary church. “Contrary to our preconceptions,
God is not economical with healings and miracles. Such wondrous works are
frequently attending the proclamation of truth in Jesus’ name,” asserts Pastor
Jack.
Jack Hayford serves as Chancellor of The
Kings University (formerly The King’s College and Seminary) in Los Angeles and
Dallas, which he founded in 1997. From 2004 to 2009, he also served as
President of The International Church of the Foursquare Gospel. He is probably
best known, however, as “Pastor Jack,” founding pastor of The Church On The Way
in Van Nuys, California, where he served as senior pastor for more than three
decades. A prolific and best-selling writer, Pastor Hayford is the author (or
co-author) of more than fifty books and has composed 500 hymns and choruses,
including the internationally known and widely recorded “Majesty.”
He is an acknowledged “bridge-builder,”
helping to forge healthy bonds among all segments of the Body of Christ. He is
recognized for his balance in preaching the Word, avoiding extremes while not
diluting or compromising the demands of truth. Pastor Jack’s heart to bring
unity across all denominational and racial boundaries has given him an open
door to minister in all kinds of settings
On March 8, 2017, Pator Jack’s wife of more
than 60 years, Anna Hayford, passed away and peacefully stepped into the
presence of the Lord at the age of 83, with Pastor Jack by her side. Together,
they had four children, eleven grandchildren, and a growing number of great
children.
Today, Dr. Hayford and his new wife, Valarie,
reside in Van Nuys, California.https://www.jackhayford.org/teaching/devotional/the-keys-to-the-kingdom/
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