Tag: Coming Kingdom

We Are Hupernikao

Romans Chapter 8

 

I am thrilled that I will be sharing my thoughts on Paul’s letter to the believers in Rome.  Romans is my favorite book of the Bible due to the sheer amount of truth, enlightenment and encouragement that is contained within.

 

Pages and pages can be written on any given chapter within Romans, but I plan to touch on only one or two (or three) portions of each chapter I am covering.

 

Romans chapter 8 is right in the middle of this amazing book, and it should be an amazing encouragement to any believer who is struggling with the weight of life.

 

Have any of you watched the news any time recently?  The old adage, “No news is good news” is often very true.  If the news didn’t have BAD news to talk about, they wouldn’t have much to say at all it seems.  Our world is fallen, and sinful behavior thrives in this fallen world.  But you don’t have to watch the news to know that.  We can see the adverse effects of living in a fallen world on a day to day basis within our own lives.

 

We are reminded in this chapter that all of creation groans and waits in eager expectation to be made perfect and freed from the bondage of decay.  Me too!  I’m not too old yet, (47 is the new 40), but I know my body is slowing down.  Much worse, I have seen loved ones pass away as a result of their bodies failing.

But that will all end!  We will be made perfect in the coming Kingdom!  That is the hope talked about in this section, and it is a hope that can not be taken from us.

 

Until that day comes, be encouraged, fellow believers, in the words Paul shares here.  Verse 28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”  That’s encouraging!  That doesn’t mean everything will be perfect as we want it to be, but God, in His infinite wisdom knows what is best for our own good even if do not.

 

Verse 31b – “If God is for us, who can be against us?!!!!”  (I added the exclamation marks – it SHOULD have them in my Bible.)  That is one of the best lines in all of scripture in my humble opinion.  What God has put in motion is unstoppable.  No one will stop God’s plans, and God’s plans include YOU!

 

Yes, we all face hardships in this fallen world today, until we are made perfect in the Kingdom.  But we have a certain hope in that coming day, and nothing can take that hope away or prevent that day from coming.  Likewise, these momentary troubles can not separate us from the love of Christ.  Paul tells us  in verse 37 that in regards to these troubles we are “more than conquerors.”  The Greek word for that phrase is hupernikao.

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We learned that word in a Sunday School lesson last year, and it was fun to shout “Hupernikao!” if we demolished the other team in volleyball after church on Wednesday nights!  It feels great to be hupernikao.  That is what we are intended to be with God and Christ on our side.

 

Finally, this chapter concludes with more incredible encouragement in regards to the possibility of being removed from the love of God:

 

“38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

 

I hope that is as encouraging for you as it is for me.  Take these passages to heart.  Remember them when the world seems to be against you.  Remember that your creator, your Father, your God is FOR YOU!  And nothing can take that, or His future promise for you, away.

 

-Greg Landry

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

Alf – Strangers in this World

John 14

emoyer alf

In 1986 Gorden Shumway, more familiarly named Alf, crashed into the garage of the Tanner family.  Each week the Tanner’s had challenges to disguise Alf and teach him about planet Earth. He would hide in strange places or put on all types of costumes when nosey neighbors and friends would pop in.

 

In the show, the Tanner family knew and actually saw Alf.  They always had to hide and disguise him when company arrived. In contrast, the disciples and people in Bible time are the only ones who have seen and experienced Jesus.  But we as believers need to hold firm to what is unseen and have faith in knowing that Jesus will be coming again.  We know that the Tanner family hid Alf from the outside world in the 80’s sitcom.  We don’t want to hide Jesus from others.  We want to share his love and the promise of his Father’s coming Kingdom.  We want to spread his love over and over until we hear the last trumpet sound. Jesus promises us so much as long as we are loving and obedient to his call.

-Emily Moyer

HOPE

Isaiah 51-53

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Tuesday, February 21

These three chapters go together much better than some of the other chapters, in my opinion, so they are easier to write about all together, instead of chapter by chapter. Again there is SO much hope in these chapters, you just have to know where to find it. Throughout these chapters, God is comforting his people, and reminding them that he is always there for them, that he always knows what is best for them, and that he always comes through on his promises. He reminded them, and is reminding through these words that we can look to our ancestors and the promises that he made to them. He reminds his people of what he did for Abraham and Sarah, by giving them children and promising Abraham many children-we are all known as children of Abraham. How super cool is that promise! God is still fulfilling the promise that he made to Abraham even though Abraham has been gone for many many many years. He later in 51 says that the heavens will vanish and the earth will diminish and the people will die, but there is more in store for us as believers. God’s salvation will last forever and his righteousness will never fail. This is an amazing promise that talks of the promise of the coming kingdom. 52 talks about the history of the people of Jerusalem. He talks about how his people were forced into Egypt as slaves-they were bought with no money, and with no money they will be freed, because God has always known what would happen and had a plan to get them to freedom, God knows our hearts, and he knew that we would all go down a path of destruction, just like Adam and Eve-this is in human nature. This is why God sent his one and only begotten son into the world- that we might live. God knows everything; he knows your heart and mine, and he put a plan in place thousands of years ago for us to be saved. We need to heed all of the warnings in Isaiah, but we also need to rejoice in the good news this book carries as well.

A song for today:

“This Is Love” by Aaron Winner

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbjSTo3lYc&list=PL0v5rBOVXt3yiPNooFzmz_JxdInamLeIK

-Devotion by Jana Swanson
(photo credit: http://hiswordinpictures.blogspot.com/2011/08/isaiah-516.html)