“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” – Isaiah 40:29

Difficulties come to all people throughout their lifetime and at times can be overwhelming.

Recently published author and Kingfisher native Rev. Kevin P. Hopkins wants people to know there is overwhelming power available to conquer anything.

In his book, “Revelation - Authentic Power in an Overwhelming World,” Hopkins walks his readers through the power presented to believers in the final book of the Bible.

As a pastor in the Church of the Nazarene for over 35 years, Hopkins has studied Revelation and shared his insights with the congregations he has worked with throughout the years.

About 20 years ago after preaching a series on Revelation in Sterling, Colo., a man enthusiastically suggested he write a book about Revelation and Hopkins promised he would.

The years passed and he still hadn’t gotten around to writing the book. “I carried that around

“I carried that around in my heart for 22 years.” Hopkins said. “The man to whom I made that promise passed away and I regretted not having written the book.”

During the Christmas holiday with his parents, John and Gladys Hopkins, and other family members, he mentioned the regret and his family urged him to remedy it.

He did.

At the start of 2020, Hopkins began to spend daily time meditating on passages of Revelation and transferring his thoughts into words. Seven weeks later, the manuscript was ready and delivered to the publishing company.

With an outline already developed, Hopkins said, “It was a process of meditating on it each day, spending some time in the book and then just letting it out.”

The apocalyptic writing style of Revelation can be confusing and sometimes scary for the reader, he commented.

Hopkins’ book is written in a simple, conversational and storytelling style.

“I’ve tried to make it very accessible and straight from me to you,” he said.

Revelation is a book of how to understand the authentic power available in the face of wherever you live and whatever you are going through, Hopkins said.

As shown to John during the first century, Revelation is written in symbolic terms to Christians in a vast Roman Empire, who much like our world today, at times felt overwhelmed by their government’s actions, their culture and their world at large, he said.

But, he said, the encouragement from the writing of John is to remind Christians they have all the power to endure and overcome.

“We live in an empire, but we belong to a kingdom if we are believers and the kingdom holds all the power the empire wishes it had,” Hopkins said. “Ultimately the empire can’t hurt us and we are marked for God’s preservation whatever happens in the world.”

Real power does not lie in the things we see, but in the kingdom of God, he said.

It is authentic power in every circumstance to make choices, to self-determine, power to recover from addiction or dependency, power to overcome grief and loss, power to stand back up after you have been knocked down by divorce or loss of a job, Hopkins said.

“If you believe, God’s ultimate power is available to you to conquer, to overcome, to cope, to heal from and through anything,” Hopkins said.

Hopkins received a bachelor’s degree in music education from Oklahoma State University, a master’s in religion from Southern Nazarene University and is an ordained elder in the Church of the Nazarene.

During the past 37 years, he has served as a music educator, worship pastor and senior pastor, as well as held a position in the commercial energy efficiency industry. His career has taken him

His career has taken him to Cushing and Choctaw, as well as Minnesota, Colorado and Seattle. He recently moved back to Kingfisher from Seattle to be near his parents.

Hopkins also is a father of four grown children - Kristen, Kendra, Erin and Braden.

A book release and signing event is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, July 18, at Interbank Community Room.

Through his book, he hopes to reach out to people who feel overwhelmed, Hopkins said, and wants them to know they don’t have to be.

“The ultimate power doesn’t exist in all the things overwhelming you,” he said. “It exists within you and your relationship with God.”