Footsteps to Zion

Did you know that our God loves gardens?  In fact, the Bible says that He planted the Garden of Eden Himself (Gen. 2:8-9). He didn’t just create them in an instant as a fully-grown garden. Instead, He planted the trees there and made them grow out of the ground. But more importantly, do you know what is the most precious garden to the Lord out of all the gardens in the world? It is not a physical garden but a spiritual one – it is the garden in our hearts. In a sense, when we become Christians, God plants a garden in our own hearts. It is this garden in our hearts that He carefully tends, protects, and inspects. And as any good gardener, God looks at the garden of our hearts looking for certain characteristics that are well-pleasing in His sight. What then are these characteristics that we should cultivate in the garden of our hearts? 1. It should be enclosed. Song of Songs 4:12 A garden enclosed Is my sister, my spouse, A spring shut up, A fountain sealed. Satan ...

Have you ever heard someone saying that he or she has heard the voice of God? This may be hard to believe at first but it is certainly true that God can speak to each one of us. Yes, it may be easier to believe that God can speak to “spiritual giants” like Abraham, Moses, and Elijah but to believe that God can speak to normal Christians like you and me may seem close to impossible. However, if we read the Bible more closely, we will find that God didn’t just speak to mighty, anointed leaders of His people. When God chose to reveal the birth of His Son Jesus Christ on earth, He didn’t just reveal it to the rich, wise men.  He also revealed it to poor, lowly, unknown shepherds. “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold,...

All of us are waiting for something. It can be as simple as waiting for our turn in the grocery line or waiting for our train to arrive. But it can also be as significant as waiting for the results of a dream school application, waiting for a long overdue promotion, or waiting for a loved one’s physical healing. But as Christians, we wait for so much more .  We wait for God to deliver us from long-withstanding sins. We wait for God to redeem us from our troubles. We wait for God to fulfill His promises in our lives. And we even wait for the day that we will finally see Him face to face. If we pause and honestly ask ourselves, do we know what we are really waiting for in life? And second, how is our attitude in waiting? There was a man in the Bible called Simeon who was tested in this area of waiting. He was an old faithful man who waited for a very long time to see the Savior of Israel and of the whole world, our Lord Jesus Christ, on earth. Luke 2:25-32 And behold...

Based on the message of Pastor Dick Carumba Throughout world history, man has fought countless battles to conquer peoples and lands. But while those battles may be intense, the greatest battle man faces is the one that is spiritual. It is that constant battle against temptations, wrong thoughts, and negative emotions that truly torments man. It is this invisible war in the mind of every person that seems the hardest to fight and win. But for every believer in Christ, God has promised victory according to His Word. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37 However, we often forget this truth. ‭We must hold on to the several Scriptures which testify to us that whether in the past, present or future, we are victorious through Christ:‬‬ We became victorious in the past through what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross according to Colossians 2:14-15 (NLT): “ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by...

The fear of the dark is one of the common fears faced by children. However, this fear of darkness is in adults too – but it’s just a different kind of darkness. Darkness for adults may represent failures, doubts, and worries for their future. Today, this darkness is so apparent all over the world - financial instability, sicknesses with no cures, rising terrorism, and earthquakes to name a few. It’s causing great fear among families, leaders, companies, and countries. So as Christians, how then do we bring light to this increasingly dark world filled with fear? The antidote to fear is courage . First Thessalonians 5:14 tells us, “ And we urge you brethren… encourage the fainthearted… ” To encourage is to literally “ add courage .” It means to give support, confidence, or hope to someone. One way to encourage is through the words we speak because our words can have powerful effects.  What we say counts. Proverbs 18:21 tells us, “Death and life are in the power of the ...

“Now we exhort you, brethren…” (1 Thessalonians 5:14) In the dictionary, the word “exhort” is simply defined as “to encourage.” It originated from the Latin words: “ ex ” (thoroughly) and “ hortari ” (urge). We often see this word in the gospels when the author is trying to warn and strengthen his fellow believers in Christ. Those who exhort the brethren are the ones who can uphold the weak in the body of Christ. The Apostle Paul was one such exhorter. He lived up to being his “ brother’s keeper ” for the church in Thessalonica. Apostle Paul preached in the city of Thessalonica for three Sabbaths but soon after, they experienced great persecution, forcing Apostle Paul to leave. This left the Thessalonians who just received Christ barely knowing the gospel. Thus, Apostle Paul wrote this Book of Thessalonians to encourage them in their faith and to teach them more about God. Whether we are just starting to walk with God like the Thessalonians or we have already known God for ...

In Revelation 14:12, the Bible talks about a specific kind of patience – particularly, the “patience of the saints.” Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. This tells us that there is a kind of patience that is not of this world. There is a patience that is found in mature, real Christians that could only have been imparted from the very nature of God. So what is this true patience? And how can it be developed in us? TRUE PATIENCE IN TRIALS AND DELAYS All of us must be pretty familiar with the word “ patience .” As children, we’ve probably heard from our parents and teachers that we need to be patient when waiting for our food or when waiting in line. We’ve basically been trained to define the word “patience” as simply, the ability to wait. But true patience is much more than that. My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. (...

In Psalm 27:4, King David declared “ One thing I have desired of the Lord, that I will seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple. ” Do we have the same heart as King David, desiring to dwell with the Lord not just in eternity but also here on Earth? In order for us to dwell with Him, our lives first have to become suitable dwelling places for His presence. While God wants to dwell with us, there may still be things in our lives today that hinder this. So how do have the same heart as King David, a heart that will be a home for God? Our lives have to be in order. A house has to be in order and organized for it to be maximized . It cannot serve its purpose well if furniture and appliances are not in their right places. It can also be stressful to live in a house that is filled with clutter. That is why we always ensure that our living spaces are in order and free of clutter so that it is...

In the Bible, we are told of stories of many kings – some good, some evil. We are told of their strengths and also their weaknesses. And though we may not recall all their names and where they came from, what we will probably remember are the lessons we learn from their battles – particularly, why some kings won and why some lost. One story worthy to note is the story of the king who was meant to win a battle and came so close to winning it, but in the end, because of a seemingly small mistake, still lost it. This king is King Joash of Israel. During his reign, a time came when he was about to be attacked by the Syrian army. He was so desperate that he came weeping before a prophet of God, Elisha. “…Then Joash the king of Israel came down to him, and wept over his face, and said, ‘O my father, my father, the chariots of Israel and their horsemen!’” (2 Kings 13:14) King Joash seemed to know the Prophet Elisha well, even calling him “father.” However, despite having close rela...

Based on the Message of Rev. Seth Baluyot Shining forth God’s Light We were taught in Science class that the light of the moon does not come from the moon itself. Its light is but a reflection of the light coming from the sun. This is also mentioned in the Bible in Isaiah 30:26 which says, “Moreover the light of the moon will be as the light of the sun…” Interestingly, this scientific fact actually conveys a spiritual truth. Jesus said in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” However, in another instance, Jesus said in Matthew 5:14, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” In the first verse, He said He is the light while in the other verse He said that we, Christians, are the light. We know for a fact that Jesus was not confused nor contradicting Himself here. His two statements are both true! He is just like the sun while we are just like the moon. J...

Based on the message of Rev. Norman Holmes Each person has his own identity and personality. And the more that we understand the ways of a person, the more we know how that person will think and act in different situations. The same goes with our God and our relationship with Him. He has His own ways of thinking and acting. David prayed to the Lord in Psalm 25:4 to show him God's ways and teach him God's paths. He wanted to know God’s very heart. If we become like King David who knew God's heart , we will begin to understand His ways more.  Not only will we know what He does but we will also understand WHY He does certain things . We will then know how we can be co-laborers with Him. It is written that God made known His ways to Moses and His acts to the children of Israel (Psalm 103:7). Moses knew the heart and mind of God. He knew how God would react in different situations and why. He knew how he could work in harmony with God to lead the Israelites out o...

Based on the message of Rev. Norman Holmes Before Jesus ascended to the Father, we read in Matthew 24:14, “ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come .” One of the conditions to Christ’s return is the fulfillment of this verse. Thus, the Lord Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:18-19, we read, “… Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. ” This is the Great Commission . We must not minimize our part in fulfilling this marching order from Jesus. Something that looked like utter foolishness when Jesus said to His disciples, “ I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it ” has become a success today when Jesus took a handful of ordinary fishermen to start a worldwide movement. He began something not by might, not by human wisdom, but by the power of the Holy Spirit. And now, what...

Have you ever wondered what your purpose is in life? Have you ever asked God why you are where you are right now? First John 3:20 tells us that our God is omniscient. He knows exactly what He is doing. He knows the very reason why we are where we are right now. There is a divine purpose for the family we are raised in, the neighborhood we live in, the job and office we work in, the country we are based in, and even the generation we are born in. Nothing is ever an accident with Him. He has ordained everything for a purpose. The testimony of minister Ken Gaub tells us of how God used him to minister to a woman he talked with in a phone booth in Dayton, Ohio. He was just passing by a road when a phone in a nearby phone booth kept ringing which he felt so compelled to answer. When he picked it up, the operator on the line said it was a long-distance call for Ken Gaub which is exactly who he is. The woman on the line confessed that she was on the verge of committing suicide and...