Footsteps to Zion

2 Timothy 1:1 - 9 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, a beloved son. Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved u...

The Lord promised that He will come back. But He tells us in James 5:7 that we ought to wait in patience like a farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth. In Isaiah 51:1-3, we are called to look to the rock from which we were hewn. The rock referred to is Abraham - a man who was given a promise of countless descendants and yet had to endure much waiting before the promise came to pass. These two passages are a reminder to us of how before fruitfulness comes, we are called to patiently wait. Isaiah 51:3 is an excellent promise of how Zion will not be desolate forever because a time is coming that her waste places and deserts will be like the garden of the Lord. We can look forward to a time when barrenness will be transformed to fruitfulness, sorrow into joy, and mourning into singing! Promises Come with Instructions In Gen. 12:1-3, Abraham was given a promise by the Lord that He is going to bless him and make him a great nation. God’s keeping will be upon him si...

Adapted from the book True Christianity by Dr. Paul Caram In Mark 10:35-45, it details the conversation of Jesus, James, John and the rest of the apostles. They are asking the Lord who among them will sit beside Him when He goes to heaven. What does it mean to be great? Is a man great because of his works and legacy or is it because of something else? In the account mentioned in the book of Mark chapter 10, one gets to think of what James and John could have already accomplished for them to ask Jesus if they could sit beside Him when He is enthroned. As for the rest of the disciples, they were greatly displeased with what the two had asked. In this day and age, being great (or popular) is nothing new. In fact, a lot of people today are doing things so that they could be recognized. Politicians make projects ensuring that their names are written on each accomplishment. There is a tendency to look for one's name being listed or mentioned in some popular place or s...

God desires His people to be strengthened, established, and stable in their personal walk with Him. His will is for His saints to know their calling in life. For some, He longs for them to be restored back to the ministry. While for others, God is teaching them to establish right relationships with others. Whatever you are going through you need to remember that your life may be the only Bible some people read. The Schemes of the Enemy In Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat.” Sifting means to examine and separate something from other things, particularly those that need to be discarded. Satan wants to separate unto himself those who are unfaithful and hypocrites. He wants us to doubt that we are doing the will of God. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. The main target of the enemy is our faith in God. If Satan can destroy our faith in God then he can destroy everything in our walk. We need to bear in mind that...

The story in Luke 5:1-11 tells us about Jesus teaching to a multitude while on a boat in the lake of Gennesaret. He commanded Simon to launch out into the deep water and to cast down his nets for a catch. Simon had done so and they caught a great number of fish. The story ended with Jesus calling the four fishermen to become His disciples. These four fishermen at this point had already heard about Jesus Christ and had accompanied Him on several of His preaching tours, but they were still doing their own thing. They were too busy working with their livelihood, but in the sovereignty of God, Jesus Christ came and said to them, "FOLLOW ME" . There also comes a point in one’s life when Jesus just appears and turns up with a calling. But what exactly does it mean when we say or hear the word "calling"?  As described by Bob Yandian in his book, Calling and Separation, it is the will of God for our lives, the work God wants us to accomplish while we are here on e...

Have you ever watched a boxing match wherein both fighters were on the defensive? How long will you think the match would last until somebody finally gets to score? CH Spurgeon once said, “To be a Christian is to be a warrior. The good soldier of Jesus Christ must not expect to find ease in this world: it is a battle-field. Neither must he reckon upon the friendship of the world; for that would be enmity against God. The Christian’s occupation is war.” Christians were given the armor of God to be used in war and these weapons are to pull down strongholds, to cast down every high thing that exalts itself against God. It brings every thought into submission and obedience to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). The “belt of truth”, “breastplate of righteousness”, “feet shod with the gospel of peace”, “shield of faith” and “helmet of salvation” are all used as a defense against the attacks of the enemy. But there is one piece of the armor that is offensive, the “Sword of the Spirit”. Th...

Mark 1:1-8 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” 3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’” 4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” This passage in Mark talks about John the Baptist, from whom we can learn how to live the call ...