FINDING PERSPECTIVE

FINDING PERSPECTIVE

ZECHARIAH 6

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. JUDGEMENT [v. 1-8] last of the visions

1. Prophesied [v. 1-3]

2. Directed [v. 4-7]

3. “Satisfying” [v. 8, Acts 24:14-15, Dan. 12:1-2, Ps. 2] in the sense of all things being made right

II. “THE BRANCH” IN ZECHARIAH 6

1. Pictured [v. 9-11]

2. Prophesied [v. 12-13]

3. Participation Offered [v. 14-15]

III. “THE BRANCH” IN THE GOSPELS

1. As King [Jer. 23:5, the Gospel of Matthew]

2. As Servant [Zech. 3:8, the Gospel of Mark]

3. As Man [Zech. 6:12, the Gospel of Luke]

4. As Jehovah’s Branch [Is. 4:2, the Gospel of John]

Influence in Your Home

From: firstlight@billriceranch.org

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The things that you allow in your house will likely spread, whether it be g

Acts 16:32 And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. Influence in Your Home The other day my 15-year-old son, Wilson, said, "Hey, Dad, that face you made looks exactly like Daddy-man." Daddy-man is what my kids call my dad. So I said, "Show me the face you are talking about." He tried to replicate it, and not only did I not know that I ever made a face like that, I don't remember Dad ever making a face like that. Even at this stage of my life, apparently, I do some things just like my dad. The fact is that my sons do some things just like me although I might be the last person to recognize that because I don't see myself. I am the only person I know that has not taken an objective look at me, and you could probably say the same thing about yourself. That is why it is so easy to underestimate the power of our influence in our homes. In Acts 16, a jailer, who had put Paul and Silas into prison, had witnessed the power of God as God freed Paul and Silas from this prison. Famously, he asked them, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." The implication was that if this man believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, his family would be saved as well. Now, this was not a package deal. Paul was not implying that if one person gets saved then everyone in the home will automatically be saved as well, but I do think that God has a working assumption that if a man is saved, his family will be saved as well. We should not think, "I hope that my kids will get saved, but I don't know what God thinks about it." Would God send His only begotten Son to die for our sins yet be indifferent about our children? No, God wants your family to be saved even more than you do, and if they are going to be saved, it is going to begin with you. I am talking specifically to fathers, although regardless of your age, gender, or situation, your influence is broader than you think for good or for bad. The things that you allow in your house will likely spread, whether it be good or bad. Attitudes, worries, and habits can quickly spread from us to those in our home. Parents need to be particularly careful that they only live in a way that they would want their children to copy. While either a cold or a bad attitude can quickly spread in a home, the influence of the gospel can and should make a difference for those under our influence. May the gospel spread to our homes, through our homes, and to this world. Prayer Requests: -Meetings this week in Vandalia, OH; Marana, AZ; and Camden, TN Share Share Read Past Devotionals from the highly recommended Bill Rice Ranch 627 Bill Rice Ranch Road, Murfreesboro, TN, 37128

Remembered through All Generations

from the highly recommended www.icr.org

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March 2016 Remembered through All Generations "I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever." (Psalm 45:17) The 45th Psalm is a beautiful Messianic psalm, speaking prophetically of the coming Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, the psalm is quoted by the writer of Hebrews, calling Him "God" and promising not only eternal remembrance but also everlasting dominion: "But unto the Son, he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy kingdom" (Hebrews 1:8, citing Psalm 45:6). But the writer also said He would be remembered in all generations. That has proved true, so far! As others have frequently noted, this man lived on Earth only 33 years, never traveled more than a few miles from His home, never wrote a book, never raised an army, never ruled over so much as a village let alone a kingdom, never married or had children, never enrolled for any formal education, and finally was executed as a criminal. Yet He has, indeed, been remembered through all generations following His all-too-short career two thousand years ago—and remembered with love and deep reverence and gratitude by millions of people in all nations ever since. Furthermore, though He never wrote a book, others have written innumerable books about Him, while another psalmist assured us that His words would also be preserved "from this generation for ever" (Psalm 12:7). And all this has come to pass! Herein is a marvelous thing! Indeed, He was, and is, God and this was demonstrated by His flawless character, His amazing teachings, His unique miracles, His volitional, sacrificial death, and His mighty defeat of death itself by His bodily resurrection and ascent into heaven. HMM | Print this article | Subscribe

HOAX OR HISTORY?

                                    

ACTS 17:29-34                                                                   

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. THE CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE THE EVENT

1. Reported by Matthew - 27:60 Solid Rock Tomb, 27:60 Stone “Door”, 27:62-65 Roman Guard, 27:66 Roman Seal

2. Reported by Mark - 15:42-45 Jesus was Definitely Dead, 16:9-14 Disciples were Frightened

3. Reported by John - 19:38-40 Jewish burial Customs

II. THE FACTS AFTER THE EVENT

1. The Tomb was Empty [Lk. 24:1-3]

2. The Stone was Moved

-Lk. 24:2 apokulio, to roll away

-Mt. 28:2 “rolled back the stone from” apokulio- lithos; a primary particle; "off," i.e. away (from something near),

-Mk. 16:3-4 apokulio ek; a primary preposition denoting origin, from, out (of place, time, or cause; literal

-Jn. 20:1 airo; a primary root; to lift up; by implication, to take up or away; specially, to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor)

3. The Guard was AWOL [Mt. 28:4]

4. The Grave clothes were Folded [Jn. 20:3-9]

5. The Lord was Appearing [Acts 1:1-3, I Cor. 15:1-8]

III. THE EXPLANATIONS FOR THE EVENT

1. The Disciples Stole the Body [Mt. 28:11-15] not so- they fled while he was alive

2. The Unbelieving Jews Stole the Body - no reason to do so, they never produced a body nor did they deny it was missing

3. The Wrong Tomb - inconceivable that the disciples, the woman, the unbelievers, the Roman guard, the owner of the tomb, etc. would do so

4. The Swoon Theory - medically speaking-no! - the change in the disciples-unheard of unless He arose

5. The Resurrection [Jn. 20:24-31] - the only, true option

Romans 1:4 And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

Matthew 28:6

He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

THE POWER OF A SINGLE VERSE

Pastor Rick Jackson

I. HE IS NOT HERE

1. Jesus is Not on the Cross- that would imply He is dying [Heb. 9:25-28]

2. Jesus is Not in the Tomb- that would imply He is dead [Rm. 6:9-10] Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

3. Jesus is Not in Hiding- that would imply He is afraid [Mk 14:61b-62, Rev. 1:7] Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

II. HE IS RISEN

1. That Declares He Has Conquered Death [1 Corinthians 15:20-26]

2. That Declares He Has Paid for Sin [1 Peter 3:18] For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

3. That Declares He is God Almighty [Rm. 1:3-4] Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead:

III. AS HE SAID

1. He is Omniscient [John 2:19-22] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body. When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

2. He is Omnipotent [John 10:17-18] Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.

3. He is My Lord and My God [John 20:28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God.

What are some of God’s favorite object lessons?

from the highly recommended www.icr.org

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2016 The Higher Ways "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:9)   God's thoughts and ways are by no means equivalent to man's. How, then, can we hope to understand those things that He has communicated to us in His Word? To be sure, God has not told us all He knows, but what He has provided is sufficient for our faith, and He has also given clues as to the nature of many things we can only fully know in eternity. We know enough now to trust Him for the things we can't verify. But the aspect of Scripture that sets it apart from all other "religious" writings is that its truths are surrounded by and based on historical and scientific facts that are verifiable. The fact that we find Scripture to be accurate wherever it can be checked gives us reason to believe that those teachings that we can't check are accurate as well.   What are some of God's favorite object lessons? Certainly His creation is one. A God who can call something into existence that didn't exist before can do anything. "Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things" (Isaiah 40:26). Another standard is God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. "According to the days of thy coming out of the land of Egypt will I shew unto him marvellous things" (Micah 7:15). Yet another is the second regathering of Israel in the last days. "The LORD liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from . . . all the lands whither he had driven them" (Jeremiah 16:15; cf., v. 14). The final great guarantee that He will work on our behalf is the fact of the resurrection. "His power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead" (Ephesians 1:19-20).   Make no mistake! God is capable of solving any problem we have. And what's more, He wants us to know it! JDM     | Print this article | Subscribe

John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

We are God's own dear children. We are dear to His heart. For us He gave His own Son. He has already given us everlasting life and promised to take us home to Heaven. We have never deserved His mercy, and we do not deserve it now; but He loves us still. And so a Christian can confess his sin, safe in the assurance that God has promised to forgive and cleanse, and God cannot lie. We are under a covenant relationship with Him. Our forgiveness is based on His faithfulness, not on our faithfulness. - John R. Rice

You know we need everywhere to have preaching on the Ten Commandments so people will see the awfulness of sin. Everywhere we have a so-called new morality which is rotten, rotten in adultery and lust and in covetousness and the wickedness of people going on to take what doesn't belong to them, and to demand more pay for less work. Oh, we need in America somebody crying out against sin so we will have repentance!
I am one of the old-time evangelists who believes we need to preach on Hell, coming judgment, the wrath of God, be sure your sin will find you out. - John R. Rice

The blessed Word of God teaches you that you are a sinner and that Christ died for you, and then the Holy Spirit of God, who convicts and leads to repentance, works a change of regeneration so that one is born of God. So we say you need to be born again. Do not take that as a figure of speech, do not take that as a pretty little phrase. Actually God has to make a new creature out of a wicked, old, Hell-bound sinner. And that's what the new birth is. - John R. Rice

Somebody says, "I was there when it happened and I ought to know." But you ought to know by the Bible instead of thinking you are so smart. You ought to know by this: "I came to know Jesus. And He promised me everlasting life and I got it, because the Bible says so." One is not to go by feeling. You need a new nature, not a new feeling. - John R. Rice

You can't sin and get by. That is part of God's righteousness. That is part of God's holiness. Nobody has a right to preach about the goodness of God unless he preaches about the righteousness of God. No one has a right to preach about the love of God unless he preaches about the wrath of God on unrepentant sinners. The Bible is true and right, and God is holy and is a just God. - John R. Rice

Some say that everybody ought to reap alike, according to their need whether they work alike or not. No, no, and so a man running for the presidency can say, "Let's soak the guy who makes more money and give it to the fellow who doesn't earn it." That is wrong. That is contrary to the Bible. The Bible plan is if a man won't work, he shouldn't eat. The Bible plan is that whatsoever a man soweth, that should he also reap. - John R. Rice

The Bible plan is that whatsoever a man soweth, that should he also reap. That is why there is a Hell for Christ-rejecting sinners. You need not blame God. Our God does what is right. A man who earns Hell goes to Hell. A man who has sinned gets the wages of sin. And that man who has skeletons in his closet finds that they come out and rattle in his face the sins of his past and bring him to judgment.
I say, don't blame God for the fact of Hell, but blame wicked, Christ-rejecting sinners. Here is a Bible rule- that sin must be punished. - John R. Rice

Looking for the Upper-taker

from Jimmy DeYoung's highly recommended website

http://devotional.prophecytoday.com

March 2016  Thank you for reading my Prophetic Daily Devotionals!   Please visit my website to learn more Bible prophecies being fulfilled in these last days.  I Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For further study - I Corinthians 15:51-58 In my King James Scofield Reference Bible there is a "headliner" above verse 51 in our extended text for today's devotional. It reads "All believers will not die." This is what I call a "blessed hope". I've often said I don't want the "undertaker" to take care of me, I want the "upper-taker", Jesus, at the Rapture, to deal with me at the time of my departure from this world. In other words I want to be in the group of believers who will not die but instead will be "translated" into the heavenlies as Jesus shouts and I am called up to meet Him in the air at the Rapture of the Church. This is my "blessed hope", and yours as well. The Rapture is the focus in these last seven verses of I Corinthians 15. I Corinthians 15 opens with the focus on the "Resurrection" of Jesus Christ. The chapter closes with the "Rapture". I must remind you that it is because of the "Resurrection" that we have the "blessed hope" and assurance of the "Rapture". I Thessalonians 4:13-18 tells us of the procedure of the Rapture. The "archangel" shouts and the "trump of God" sounds and "Jesus shouts". Then the "dead in Christ" rise first and we, which are alive and remain on earth should be caught up to join Jesus in the air, as we enter the heavenlies. Paul writes the Church in Corinth about the Rapture about five years after he introduced the subject to those in the Church in Thessalonica, I Thessalonians 4:13-18. In our devotional passage for today we are given more details about this "blessed event". Paul tells us it will happen "in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye", verse 52a. Remember, the "twinkling of an eye" is much, much faster than even the "blink of an eye". The "dead in Christ" are raised, incorruptible. We that are alive at the Rapture are changed. We put on incorruption and immortality. This all happens faster than you can blink your eyes, and that is fast. We can all then join in the chorus singing in harmony with Jesus, "O death where is thy sting? O grave where is thy victory?", verse 55. We'll also join together to sing the "thank you chorus", "Thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.", verse 57. Paul concludes this passage with our "marching orders". He tells us to "Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord", verse 58. We do this because we know that our labor for Him is not in vain. Prophecy is so very practical. As we better understand the next event on God's timetable for the future, the Rapture, we see how then we should live until He calls us to join Him in the heavenlies. In fact, the Rapture could happen today. Even so Lord, come quickly, even today. PRAYER THOUGHT: Thank you Lord for the promise of the Rapture. Help me to live for You today knowing how close we may be to the Rapture.        Visit our website at http:/www.prophecytoday.com

Shofar Communications, PO Box 2510, Chattanooga, TN 37409 Sent by jimmydeyoung@prophecytoday.com