Footsteps to Zion

Joseph of the Bible is probably most famously known today as “Joseph the Dreamer.” But more than being just a dreamer, Joseph was also described as a “fruitful bough (branch)” by his father, Jacob. “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a well; His branches run over the wall.” Genesis 49:22 But what does it mean to be fruitful? A person is said to be fruitful if he bears the fruits of the Holy Spirit such as love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). A person is also said to be fruitful if he bears good fruits or brings excellent results in his workplace, community, family, or ministry. Joseph was described as a “fruitful bough” because he was so fruitful both in character and in his calling as a leader in Egypt. 1. Joseph was fruitful in character We can read in Genesis 39:1-6 that when Joseph had been taken down to Egypt as a slave, Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, bought him and made...

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 ...

We love to hear stories of how God is a God of love, merciful, gracious, longsuffering and abounding in goodness and truth. While all of these are true, we must also realize that God is also described as a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:29). There is an aspect of God’s nature that is strong and powerful as fire , putting holy fear in our hearts. However, the fire of God may be one of the most misunderstood aspects of His nature. Man’s tendency is to stay away from fire as we think it will hurt us. But as we search the Scriptures about what the fire of God really is, we will come to understand that His fire is meant for perfecting us. First, the fire of God’s jealousy. “Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. ” (Deuteronomy 4:23-24) Here, the Lord’s jealousy was...

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...