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Jack Hayford
Jack Hayford (June 25, 1934 – January 8, 2023) was an American preacher, author, and Pentecostal leader whose calling from God transformed worship and ministry within the Church of the Foursquare Gospel and beyond for over six decades. Born in Los Angeles, California, to Jack Hayford Sr., a former military officer turned switchman, and Anita Dolores Farnsworth, a Bible teacher, he faced life-threatening illness as an infant and polio at age four, both miraculously healed through prayer, igniting his lifelong passion for God’s power. He graduated from L.I.F.E. Bible College in 1956 and earned a second bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in 1970, grounding his ministry in practical theology. Hayford’s calling from God was affirmed in 1969 when he became pastor of First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys—later The Church on the Way—growing it from 18 members to over 10,000 by the 1980s, serving until 1999 with a brief return after his successor’s death in 2003. Ordained in 1956, he preached a balanced gospel, emphasizing the Holy Spirit’s vitality, notably through his hymn “Majesty” (1978) and over 600 songs, alongside founding The King’s University in 1997 and serving as Foursquare president (2004–2009). His sermons and over 50 books, like Worship His Majesty, called believers to Spirit-filled living and unity across denominations. Married twice—first to Anna Marie Smith in 1954, with four children (Rebecca, Jack III, Mark, Christa), until her death in 2017, then to Valerie Lemire in 2018—he passed away at age 88 in Los Angeles, California.
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Jack Hayford delves into the story of Pharaoh in Exodus, highlighting the dangers of heart-hardness and resistance to God. He emphasizes the importance of humility, teachability, and avoiding presumptuous knowledge about the Lord. Through Pharaoh's example, Hayford warns against being unaffected by the miraculous works of God and the tendency towards unbelief and thanklessness despite witnessing God's power. The sermon concludes with a reflection on God's dealings with Pharaoh, showcasing the balance between God's sovereignty and human responsibility, urging listeners to keep their hearts humble before God to fulfill His purposes.
A Good Reminder About a Bad Heart
In some recent studies of Exodus, I have again been impressed with the frightening capacity of the human heart to resist God. Pharaoh, ruler of Egypt and emperor of the most powerful nation of his time, is a case study which ought to be a good reminder to us all. Don’t make the mistake of supposing yourself incapable of heart-hardness. Jeremiah reminds us that all hearts are self-deceiving (Jeremiah 17:9). The lessons distilling from Pharaoh’s self-damning mindset make it unnecessary for anyone to make the same mistake. That’s why I took care in noting a few observations: He supposed he knew everything about the Lord. When Moses first demands Israel’s release in the name of the Lord, Pharaoh’s “Who is the Lord?” (Exodus 5:2) is more a smart-aleck remark than a question. He says in essence, “There’s nothing about that God that I don’t know or can’t beat.” My spirit may not be the same as Pharaoh’s, but I need to guard against the presumption that because I know the Lord, that I know all about Him that I need to know. Heart-hardness is the price of presumed knowledge. A humble heart is characterized by confessed ignorance and teachability. He was unaffected though surrounded by the miraculous. If there is anything miracles do not guarantee, it is obedient faith. The alarming capacity of the human heart to behold the power of God and still remain unchanged is terrible in its potential. Pharaoh watched Moses’ rod become a serpent, consume the magicians’ rods, and then become a rod again in Moses’ hand. He saw the Nile turned to blood. He saw plagues devastate his nation while Israel was protected through divine intervention, and STILL “he hardened his heart” (8:15, 32). What evidences of God’s power do you see as you look around you? You and I are surrounded by phenomenal displays of God’s power, grace, and miraculous operations. Yet unbelief and thanklessness survive too easily. Beware, my heart! He was finally given over to his own devices. When the Bible says, “The LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh” (9:12), we are not dealing with a case of predestined destruction. Let no one misunderstand the Lord’s forecast of this occasion (4:21, 7:3). To the contrary, God never predestines a person’s failure, even when His prescience foresees it. Exodus 9:16 makes clear that God raised Pharaoh up with the possibility of becoming one of the most remarkable rulers ever. He might to this day be remembered as the Great Emancipator, had he taken his hour of opportunity responsibly and obediently before God. But... the sad fact of history is that Pharaoh repeatedly hardened his own heart until God finally said, “Then have it your way!” The Holy Spirit has a gentle yet pointed way of dealing with each of us. Lessons like this, from the eternal Word of God, serve as a strong warning as well as a comforting assurance: If I keep my heart humble before God, I can be certain of His highest purposes being realized in my life. That’s the kind of heart I want.
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Jack Hayford (June 25, 1934 – January 8, 2023) was an American preacher, author, and Pentecostal leader whose calling from God transformed worship and ministry within the Church of the Foursquare Gospel and beyond for over six decades. Born in Los Angeles, California, to Jack Hayford Sr., a former military officer turned switchman, and Anita Dolores Farnsworth, a Bible teacher, he faced life-threatening illness as an infant and polio at age four, both miraculously healed through prayer, igniting his lifelong passion for God’s power. He graduated from L.I.F.E. Bible College in 1956 and earned a second bachelor’s degree from Azusa Pacific University in 1970, grounding his ministry in practical theology. Hayford’s calling from God was affirmed in 1969 when he became pastor of First Foursquare Church of Van Nuys—later The Church on the Way—growing it from 18 members to over 10,000 by the 1980s, serving until 1999 with a brief return after his successor’s death in 2003. Ordained in 1956, he preached a balanced gospel, emphasizing the Holy Spirit’s vitality, notably through his hymn “Majesty” (1978) and over 600 songs, alongside founding The King’s University in 1997 and serving as Foursquare president (2004–2009). His sermons and over 50 books, like Worship His Majesty, called believers to Spirit-filled living and unity across denominations. Married twice—first to Anna Marie Smith in 1954, with four children (Rebecca, Jack III, Mark, Christa), until her death in 2017, then to Valerie Lemire in 2018—he passed away at age 88 in Los Angeles, California.