Category: Building a Faith-filled Life

Happiness vs. Joy

Joy

Joy is the foundation for a positive life.  Our world lacks joy and has way too much fear, worry, discouragement, and depression these days.  We need to fully trust God and have joy even in the hard moments and seasons of life. It we are not fully trusting our Father, then we will never be able to experience pure joy.

Biblical joy, the true joy, comes from filling the spiritual void with good relationships, mostly the intimate relationship with the One who is pure joy.  Jesus put it this way: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit” (John 15:5). That fruit includes much joy!

The Bible speaks much more often of joy than of being happy. “Hap” means chance and is the root of several words— happen, happening, haphazard (dependent on mere chance), hapless, happenstance (a chance circumstance) and happy.

Happiness is a glad feeling that depends on something good happening. God wants you to experience happy times (as long as God approves of what is happening). But His greater desire is that you have unconditional joy. Jesus said His joy would “remain in you” and “your joy no one will take from you” (John 15:11; John 16:22).

Think of joy as a strong foundation that supports a variety of healthy emotions, including happiness. The long-range evidence of joy is general gratitude, contentment, optimism, a sense of freedom and other positive attitudes.

-Katie-Beth Fletcher

A Character Defined by Love

Fruit of the spirit

The Holy Spirit produces these things in our life.  It is important that we know and understand them well, so that we can apply them to our lives.  When the fruit of the spirit is at work in our lives, amazing things happen. Your whole life blossoms and bears fruit.  One of the most wonderful fruits of all is the giving and receiving of love.

The word love can mean many different things, as you can see from the many different dictionary definitions.  We also find different kinds of love throughout the Bible, four of them specifically. Eros is the Greek word for sensual or romantic love.  Even though the term is not found in the Old Testament, Song of Solomon vividly portrays the passion of erotic love.  Storge is a term for love in the Bible that you may not be familiar with. This Greek word describes family love, the affectionate bond that develops naturally between parents and children, and brothers and sisters.  Philia is the type of intimate love in the Bible that most Christians practice toward each other. This Greek term describes the powerful emotional bond seen in deep friendships, this is the most common type of love.  Agape is the highest of the four types of love in the Bible. This term defines God’s immeasurable, incomparable love for humankind. It is the divine love that comes from God. Agape love is perfect, unconditional, sacrificial, and pure.

There are so many people who go through life without feeling human love.  However, God’s plan is for every person to eventually experience His love flowing through them, so that each person can say “my cup runneth over with love.”  The funny thing is that when people are trying to feel love they often forget to read the greatest book ever written about relationships, the Bible. The Bible reveals how we can experience love for God and people that exceeds human capability.  The highest and purest form of God’s love is God’s divine and sublime love that He offers to share with us!  The perfect example of the ultimate nature of God is, “He who does not love does not know God, for God is love” (1 John 4:8).  God wants to transform us so that our character is also defined by love.

-Katie-Beth Fletcher

Keep Racing!

matt 24 13

In the wonderful theological “comparison” that’s the parable of the sower (Matt. 13; Mark 4; Luke 8), Jesus said that salvation is a process which must begin, continue and persist to the end. It all depends on an initial intelligent acceptance of the “seed” Gospel of the Kingdom as Jesus preached it. Only those who maintain faith and obedience to the end will be saved (Matt. 24:13).

Salvation for New Testament Christians is like a race. The goal, salvation, “is now closer to us than when we first believed” (Rom.13:11). We are “being saved” now (1 Cor.1:18; 15:2), and we were saved “in hope” (Rom. 8:24), and we will be saved at the return of Jesus.

You don’t win a gold medal when the starting gun goes off and you don’t graduate from the university at orientation. Salvation is a race to the end and the stimulus which gets us started is the Gospel of the Kingdom, which imparts to us the energy of God Himself (1 Thess. 2:13; John 6:63; Gal. 3:2).

-Anthony Buzzard of Restoration Fellowship (http://focusonthekingdom.org/)

Sharing the Pearl of Great Price

Matt 13 45 46

Matthew 13:45,46 – the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price

We applied this parable to Our Hope of the Kingdom. Now let’s think about applying it to the hope of others for the kingdom. When we go out to preach about the kingdom we should realize that we’re holding the pearl of great price. It is so valuable because everybody needs it and everybody wants it, they just don’t know where to find it. We have it and we should be bold to show them where it is. To explain the kingdom to them and teach them about the kingdom. It is the pearl of great price it’s what everybody wants and everybody needs. So let’s preach without fainting or without looking back to what we have had in this world.

Just like the one who sold all he had to get the kingdom we should be willing to sell all we have to tell others about the kingdom. Hebrews 12 verse one tells us to lay aside every weight and run the race. God has given us this world not that we should enjoy it as if it were the kingdom but that we should use it to bring others to God’s Kingdom. So let’s abandon our desire for enjoyment now in the search for the joy that comes in finding the kingdom whether it be us that finds it or whether it be through our effort others that find it.

-Larry Rankin

How Remote are You Willing to Go?

acts 1_8 earth

“…you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

 

Going to the remotest part of the earth can sound overwhelming and scary.  But with the new Roman road that God prepared for us, it doesn’t have to be.  When you reach out to people online you have time to think about what you want to say.  You can look up verses and you can consult with others before replying.  You don’t even have to get out of your pajamas!

Are you up for the challenge?  Are you willing to give a little of your video watching and game playing time to God?  Imagine sharing Jesus’ gospel in Muslim countries without the risk of getting put in prison!  I was thrilled the other day to connect on a 3-way Skype call with a man in Russia (Pastor Maksim) and an Indian in Oman (Majo).  It was awesome hearing their joy as they met one another and heard each other’s stories (with me translating) and how they both love the One True God and His kingdom hope, even though they have no other Christians in the cities where they live.  They were both so encouraged in their faith and in their kingdom work and evangelistic outreach!

Read Matthew 25:14-30.  Which servant will you be?  In America we have been given many “talents” or things we can invest – time, money, opportunities and freedom.  It would be quite arrogant to think that we deserve more than our brethren in third world countries or those who live their faith out in Muslim countries.

As the verse says, much is expected when much is given.  How will you use what has been given to you?

-Tracy Zhykhovich

Where is Your Judea and Samaria?

Acts 1_8 JS

“…you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

 

Yesterday we got started in you and your home town.  Obviously, in order to be a witness, one must have something to witness about, and it is natural to start closest to home.  Take some time to read Peter’s sermon in Acts 2:14-36.  He addressed the important doctrines (teachings) and gave the people hope.

Jesus’ disciples must be able to teach what Jesus and his apostles taught.  When we become passionate about this kingdom hope, there is no greater joy than sharing it with another person!  I was an All-American athlete and had many highs on the soccer field and on the basketball court, but nothing comes close to the high you get sharing your faith that you have in such a wonderful hope!  God’s words are alive and they not only pierce to the inner most being, but they also empower and ignite an inner flame in the speaker.

Now consider how this might help you not only share with those closest to you who haven’t heard this Great News, but how it might help you share in your Judea and Samaria, the cities and states around you.

This summer some friends and I are going to rent a space at the county fair and have a survey for people to take.  This will open things up for people to talk and we may find a genuine truth-seeker!  If you or your youth group would like more information on that or would like our questionnaire, please get in touch with me and I would be happy to pass it on!

-Tracy Zhykovich

What’s Your “Jerusalem”?

Acts 1 8

“…you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8

Today we are going to consider what is your Jerusalem and how do you witness there.  The disciples were told to be Jesus’ witnesses first in Jerusalem.  Jerusalem was where they were at, their home town, their local churches.

What is your Jerusalem?  That is where you should start doing the Great Commission.  The mission conference I mentioned yesterday will help, but what can you do today to prepare?

To get started it is necessary that you know and are passionate for the message Jesus gave us to preach.  You should know this message so well that it just rolls off your tongue without hardly thinking.  But how does one get to that point?  It is just like any other area of study or favorite hobby.  You must read about it, talk about and talk more about it.  We do this naturally with things that we are interested in.  How many of you know all about your favorite musician or sports team and can recite trivia any time the topic comes up?

I have found that the more we talk about things, the more we know and internalize them.  What we put in will come out. What we invest our time and energy in, shows what we love.

What did the early church do to prepare for the kingdom work they were given?  “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” (Acts 2:42)

Read Acts 2:37-47 to get a taste of the excitement and results of God’s spirit at work in the people after they heard a great sermon!  Be encouraged and dialog with other believers about what you read in the Scriptures.  This will put you on the right path to doing your part of the Great Commission in your Jerusalem and onward.

-Tracy Zhykovich

Today’s “Roman Road” – the Internet

matt 24 14

God had prepared the way at just the right time for His Messiah.  He not only prepared people and governments, but He prepared a way for this Good News to travel to the nations.  Up until this time, most ancient roads were dirt paths, but Roman engineers had discovered how to make roads last a long time and they interconnected the entire Empire.  At the time of Jesus, the Roman roads were great highways that went out in many directions from Rome that linked many roads and connected vast territories and kingdoms.  They literally paved the way for the Good News to travel around the known world.

God has once again prepared the way at just the right time.  In Matthew 24 Jesus warns his disciples what the end of this age will be like and what signs to look for as they wait for him to return.  But once again, he lets them know that they don’t need to worry about when it will happen because he has a job for them to do!

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”  (Matthew 24:14)

In fact, they, and we, have a great responsibility and privilege!  We get to help bring about the return of Jesus!

Up until the last twenty years, people have done their best to “go into all the world”, but, going was quite limited.  Even if we sent a few missionaries to every country in the world, we would hardly scratch the surface and wouldn’t reach that many people.

Multitudes have heard about Jesus, but they don’t know him.  Less people have heard about the coming kingdom that Jesus preached throughout his ministry and spent his last 40 days talking about with his disciples.  But God has once again prepared the way!  There is a new road that goes into all the nations!  This road is the internet.

Internet evangelism is how the nations will have an opportunity to hear and receive the Good News.  No longer can one person reach only as many as he knows or comes into contact with.  Today one person, right out of the comfort of his home, can reach millions of people in places he has never been and most likely, never will go.  One person can invest a little time, without investing thousands of dollars in travel expenses, and can do much more, plant more seeds, and encourage more brethren than if he were to board a plane and go somewhere.

We are called to be good stewards of our time and our money.  God has prepared the way!  Can you imagine if the disciples didn’t use the Roman roads and just kept walking the little dirt paths?  As faithful disciples and good stewards, we must use what God has given us if we desire to obey the Great Commission and help bring the return of our anticipated savior!

Read the exciting chapter of Matthew 24 and allow God to convict you for the need to preach this kingdom message to the world.

Whether you are called to missions or not, as a disciple of Jesus, I challenge you to give God and the Great Commission 30 minutes a week and invest in internet evangelism.  Not sure how to do that?  Please reach out to me and I would be happy to help!

I, along with some other experienced missionaries and internet evangelists, will be having a national missions conference and we would love to have you attend!  You can find more details at: http://kogmissions.com/kingdom-missions-academy-conference-training

Come if you are just curious about missions or if you are seriously considering mission work!

-Tracy Zhykovich

The Exciting World of Missions!

Matt 28_ 19-20a

What is missions?  To better understand what missions is, we need to understand what it is not.  Although humanitarian aid is good and needed, it is not missions.  Acts of service are kind and necessary, but they are not missions.  Although we must keep in mind that when Paul was on his missionary journeys and saw brethren in need, he let the churches back home know so that they could help their brothers and sisters.  And this we should be doing locally and globally, but it is not missions.

We must remember that the Great Commission did not send people to feed and clothe the nations; it sent people to preach the good news of the coming kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus, His chosen Messiah.  The Great Commission commissioned believers to go into all the world and to preach, teach and baptize.  (Matthew 28:16-20)

And what a blessing!  We are given power to do this. The purpose of the power given by the holy spirit is to be Jesus’ witnesses in your home town and to all the ends of the earth.  “…you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)

The disciples had asked Jesus if now was the time that he would establish the kingdom, God’s righteous government, on the earth.  Jesus basically told them not to worry about the “when”, but that they had a job to do.  Read Acts 1:1-11 and see what that job is.  Make note of what Jesus had spent his time talking about and emphasizing his last 40 days with them and what he was preparing them for.  Notice the end promise.  Meditate on what this means for you!

-Tracy Zhykhovich

 

For the Love of Truth

Deut 4 29

What is going to keep you in your church or in this movement – Church of God General Conference?  The nice people that go there?  The music?  The youth group?  Fuel?

If you really think about it, I can pretty much guarantee that most churches in your neighborhood have nice people in them, maybe they even have bigger bands and bigger youth groups.  But, do they have biblical truth?  Unfortunately, I have seen many people leave our movement for “better” music and bigger youth groups.  They sacrifice the truth that will save them for temporary pleasures and personal preferences.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 says that people refused to love truth and so be saved. “and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.  For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,”

If people do not love truth enough to genuinely seek for it, then God will allow them to keep believing what is false.

But, God promises to be found if we truly seek Him! “… from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”   (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Is our attitude that of Daniel’s?  “… I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3)

Hosea 4:6 tells us that the Israelites were destroyed for lack of knowledge.

The road is narrow that leads to life, and truth and righteousness are what that road is paved with.  Most likely your church or this movement will not be able to provide all that other churches or mission’s organizations can provide, but please never forget what they do provide.  Truth is a treasure and if you have to choose between popularity, great worship music or bigger youth groups, never settle for less than that which can save you!

Don’t take the easy road and leave when something “better” comes along.  If you want different music or bigger, more active youth groups, then don’t compromise truth, just do something about it!  No organization or group will be perfect, but if there is solid truth as a foundation, you can build anything you want, as high as you want.

Here are a few more verses to consider and meditate on.  Read them and consider the result of seeking God with all your heart.  Psalms 63:1; 2 Chronicles 15:12, 31:21

Will you make a covenant to always seek God?

-Tracy Zhykhovich

 

Tracy went to Oregon Bible College and then spent 17 years in Russia as a missionary.  She is passionate for biblical truth and that is why she went alone to Russia and not with another mission organization.  Upon returning to the United States she remains very active in evangelism and global missions and continues working as a missionary through internet evangelism and partnering with indigenous missionaries that are doing mission work overseas.   She currently partners with people in Russia, Pakistan and the Middle East.  She is president of the MN Missionary Society and is a member on Lord’s Harvest International missions board, and is the co-founder of Kingdom of God Ministry & Missions.  http://www.kogmissions.com