How fast time flies. The much-anticipated launching of the premium Xbox Series X and the budget-friendly Xbox Series S next-generation consoles from Microsoft will launch 9 days from now. Have you already ordered a unit? If you really want to make the jump to the next-generation with Xbox, keep looking at the legitimate online retailers who are open to accepting pre-orders.
Before the end of October, an article was posted at Xbox.com which confirms what has been speculated for some time now – the next-generation Xbox consoles indeed have AMD’s RDNA 2 technology complete with unique technological features.
For the newcomers reading this, RDNA 2 is defined as follows: The custom designed processor in the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S leverages RDNA 2, the latest next generation graphics architecture from our partners at AMD. RDNA 2 provides a significant advancement in performance and efficiency as well as next generation graphics features such as hardware accelerated raytracing and variable rate shading.
More on the article by Technical Fellow Andrew Goossen and Director of Program Management Jason Ronald, Team Xbox congratulated and celebrated their amazing partners at AMD with regards to the announcement of Radeon RX 6000 Series of GPUs (graphics processing units) which use the RDNA 2 architecture. Microsoft and AMD’s business relationship has lasted fifteen long years and it started with the Xbox 360 console which was a very memorable, fun-led console I had.
For the next-generation of console gaming, Microsoft and AMD’s strategic partnership is already making things look exciting. Here’s a big confirmation from the Xbox.com article: Xbox Series X|S are the only next-generation consoles with full hardware support for all the RDNA 2 capabilities AMD showcased today.
Here’s a detailed excerpt: AMD’s latest RDNA 2 architecture delivers a significant increase in performance and efficiency over previous architectures, as well as adding new hardware acceleration capabilities including hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shaders, Sampler Feedback and Variable Rate Shading. Hardware accelerated DirectX Raytracing, showcased at launch by titles such as Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs: Legion, enables developers to deliver a new level of visual fidelity and immersion through techniques such as realistic lighting, shadows, reflections and acoustics. Mesh Shaders can manipulate geometry in real time to provide a high level of fidelity and flexibility that developers have never had before. Sampler Feedback greatly improves memory efficiency by allowing games to load into memory, with fine granularity, only the portions of textures that the GPU needs for a scene, as it needs it, providing an effective 2.5x memory and bandwidth multiplier beyond the raw hardware capabilities. Sampler Feedback also enables efficient creation and shading of textures on-demand.
Finally, Variable Rate Shading (VRS) delivers much finer grain control on how developers can leverage the full power of the Xbox Series X|S by enabling developers to focus their GPU resources on the areas of a frame that most benefit without reducing the overall image quality. By leveraging techniques like VRS, games such as Gears 5 can see performance increases up to 15% and beyond resulting in higher, more consistent frame rates and resolution at the exact same image quality. All of these next-generation capabilities are available via hardware in both the Xbox Series X and Series S and we are excited for them to also come to PC, providing a common set of features that developers can rely on when developing their games across console and PC.
At the very beginning of development of the Xbox Series X | S, we knew we were setting the foundation for the next decade of gaming innovation and performance across console, PC and cloud. To deliver on this vision we wanted to leverage the full capabilities of RDNA 2 in hardware from day one. Through close collaboration and partnership between Xbox and AMD, not only have we delivered on this promise, we have gone even further introducing additional next-generation innovation such as hardware accelerated Machine Learning capabilities for better NPC intelligence, more lifelike animation, and improved visual quality via techniques such as ML powered super resolution.
In our quest to put gamers and developers first we chose to wait for the most advanced technology from our partners at AMD before finalizing our architecture. Now, with the upcoming release of Xbox Series X|S and the new AMD Radeon RX 6000 Series GPUs, developers have a common set of next-generation tools and performance capabilities that will empower them to deliver transformative gaming experiences across both console and PC.
Boom! The two Xbox Series consoles have the complete features of RDNA 2 technology. The wait that Team Xbox had to go through was worth it. In the years to come, the terms DirectX Raytracing, Mesh Shaders, Sampler Feedback and Variable Rate Shading will be more discussed as game designers create more of their projects for Xbox Series S, Xbox Series X and Windows 10 PCs equipped with RDNA 2-based GPUs.
To make things clear to everyone, here are the definitions:
Hardware Accelerated DirectX Raytracing (DXR) – From improved lighting, shadows and reflections as well as more realistic acoustics and spatial audio, raytracing enables developers to create more physically accurate worlds. For the very first time in a game console, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S include support for high performance, hardware accelerated raytracing. Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S use a custom-designed GPU leveraging the latest innovation from our partners at AMD and built in collaboration with the same team who developed DirectX Raytracing. Developers will be able to deliver incredibly immersive visual and audio experiences using the same techniques on PC and beyond.
Mesh Shading – Mesh shading will enable developers to dramatically improve the performance and image quality when rendering a substantial number of complex objects in a scene. As an example, mesh shaders could enable the player to experience asteroid belts and fields of flowers in more pristine detail without seeing a loss in performance.
Sampler Feedback Streaming (SFS) – A component of the Xbox Velocity Architecture, SFS is a feature of the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S hardware that allows games to load into memory, with fine granularity, only the portions of textures that the GPU needs for a scene, as it needs it. This enables far better memory utilization for textures, which is important given that every 4K texture consumes 8MB of memory. Because it avoids the wastage of loading into memory the portions of textures that are never needed, it is an effective 2.5x multiplier on average on both amount of physical memory and SSD performance.
Variable Rate Shading (VRS) – Variable Rate Shading increases GPU efficiency by concentrating shader work where it’s most needed and reducing shader work in areas where it won’t be noticeable. With minimal developer effort, VRS significantly improves GPU performance resulting in more stable and higher resolutions and frame rates with no perceptible loss in visual quality.
Remember when I mentioned many times before that Xbox is an ecosystem composed of Xbox game consoles, Windows 10 PC and smartphones (supported by Project xCloud) backed with the fast-growing Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscription service? With all the technical information and explanations above, the strategic partnership between Microsoft and AMD is much greater than just hardware and features…it also serves as a foundation for supporting Xbox ecosystem users regardless of what hardware they use.
While it is a fact that AMD also partnered with Sony for the PlayStation 5 (PS5) consoles, so far the Japan-based corporation has not boldly stated anything about having full-featured RDNA 2 on their next-generation consoles. While we don’t know what exactly Jim Ryan and Mark Cerny know behind the scenes at PlayStation headquarters right now, it is clear that their team strongly focused on the PS5’s SSD (solid state drive) and tried to manipulate people into believing it is the next big thing. It seems like the PlayStation guys, whose idolaters are still restless and agonizing over the Xbox-Bethesda deal until now, just could not admit that the AMD technology PS5 has is actually inferior to what the Xbox Series consoles have.
Going back to RDNA 2 and Xbox, Ubisoft recently presented Watch Dogs: Legion running on Xbox Series X with raytracing implemented. Watch the video below…
In ending this, here are more gaming-related videos for your viewing pleasure. Right now, the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S are the only next-generation consoles with full hardware support for all the RDNA 2 capabilities and that ensures great value in return for the respective $499 and $299 prices of the consoles.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Do you remember the X-Men animated TV series episode – an adaptation of Days of Future Past – wherein Bishop (who came from the dark future) claimed that Gambit would betray the X-Men and lead them all to darkness? You will see Bishop and Gambit in conflict in this retro review of a Jim Lee-drawn X-Men comic book from the 1990s.
To put things in perspective, back in 1991 Bishop was formally introduced in the Uncanny X-Men monthly series. By that time, Gambit was already wildly popular with X-Men fans. It made sense back then to have the two conflict each other in comic book format as it would add variety and some freshness with the X-Men franchise of the time.
With the short history lesson over, here is a look back at X-Men #8, published in 1992 by Marvel Comics with a story done by Jim Lee and Scott Lobdell. The art was handled by Lee and Art Thibert.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins at the X-Men’s headquarters with Wolverine using the computer to gain access into something until he got interrupted by Jubilee who is accompanied by Cyclops. She tells him that Charles Xavier is about to introduce Bishop to their teammates. Wolverine tells them to go away.
At the mansion, Storm welcomes Bishop in the presence of Xavier who explains to her that the newcomer is from the far future. Slowly Xavier and Storm guide Bishop around the mansion and introduce him to their members. Bishop, who still remembers the legends of the X-Men from his time in the far future, referred to Forge as Genesis. Moments later, Bishop meets Cyclops, Jean Grey, Beast, Rogue, Psylocke, Jubilee and Gambit.
After expressing that there was little know about Gambit, Bishop then claims that a certain someone was the last person to see the X-Men alive before they got betrayed by one of their own. Bishop then tells Xavier to scan Gambit’s thoughts…
Quality
The interaction between Storm and Bishop is great!
What really defines this comic book apart from having art by Jim Lee and the lack of villains are the storytelling and characterization. The good news is that the respective qualities of the plotting (by Lee) and scripting (by Lobdell) were very solid. While there is a lack of a good-versus-evil plot element, characterization alone made this an engaging comic book to read. Without spoiling the plot, the story has a lot more than the promised Bishop-Gambit conflict (I’ll describe it as a short yet sweet part of the story). I also love the big twist that happened in the 2nd half of the story.
More on characterization, I love the fact that Gambit got more developed here complete with a few threads from his past that got visualized efficiently. I also enjoyed the interactions between Gold Team leader Storm and Bishop. Bishop comes from a future filled with violence and desperation which explains why he is always on the edge often thinking of action whenever something happens. Storm meanwhile tried hard to explain to Bishop that their present day society is more peaceful and that he could take things a bit easier, be more reasonable and try to level with others as he became a new part of the X-Men.
As for Jim Lee’s art, his work here is really beautiful to look at which is not surprising at all. As expected, he made the action scenes look dynamic and managed to draw some emotions from certain characters in key scenes.
Conclusion
Bishop meeting the X-Men.
X-Men #8 (1992) is a pretty good comic book to read. At the time of its publication, the integration of Bishop into the X-Men was done months after Chris Claremont’s departure and was clearly an effort by the X-Men creators to modernize the superhero team and keep it fresh. This comic book is not exactly a landmark read but it is pretty entertaining and engaging.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of X-Men #8 (1992), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the regular edition costs $50 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition costs $150.
Overall, X-Men #8 (1992) is recommended.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
Recently the Office of Senator Pia Cayetano donated ten bikes to government workers and frontliners in Muntinlupa City as part of their PILIPINAS in Action Program. Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac received the donation yesterday together with other local officials at Muntinlupa Sports Complex, Tunasan. Mayor Jaime Fresnedi extends his thanks to Sen. Cayetano for her donation and says that it will help local employees in their mobility. Earlier, the Department of Labor and Employment has also provided 22 bicycles to displaced workers in the city through the agency’s Free Bisikleta (FREEBIS) Project. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NOT to distorted views and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, engagements, commerce and updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
As Typhoon Rolly continues to intensify while moving westward towards Luzon, Muntinlupa City Mayor Jaime Fresnedi convened the Local Disaster Risk Response and Management (LDRRM) to discuss the City Government’s preparation and response efforts.
Today Mayor Fresnedi presided the LDRRM council and ordered barangay chairmen to prepare for preemptive evacuation and implement disaster risk response protocols. He also ordered the city and barangay risk reduction and management teams to be put on red-alert. The local exec also urged the public to inspect their houses and have necessary reinforcements especially in their roofs as Typhoon Rolly is expected to bring strong winds.
“Maging handa po tayo sa parating na bagyo dahil mas malakas po ito sa nauna. Dapat ay maging seryoso tayo sa paghahanda,” Fresnedi said.
According to the latest forecast track of DOST-PAGASA, the center of the eye of Typhoon Rolly is likely to make landfall over the Aurora-Quezon area on Sunday evening or Monday early morning.
The typhoon is forecasted to continuously intensify over the Philippine Sea and is likely to make landfall at peak intensity of 175-185 km/h. Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal 3-4 is expected to be raised in Metro Manila.
Already the City Government is preparing for the prepositioning of emergency response resources and equipment such as rescue boats, generators, emergency vehicles, search and rescue equipment, among others.
Pruning of trees at dangerous areas are also being prepared by the local environmental sanitation center. Construction sites are set to be inspected to ensure safety precautions on “cranes” and “construction booms” while billboards in the city will be rolled up this weekend.
As of October 30, the Muntinlupa City Department of Disaster Risk Resilience and Management Department (MCDRRM) recorded the water level in Laguna de Bay at 1.61 meters (normal). The warning level is from 4.5 to 6.75 meters and above. MCDRRM has coordinated with the Philippine Coast Guard for monitoring in Laguna de Bay.
MCDRRM advised the public to be vigilant and monitor advisories from PAG-ASA and the City Government.
Recently, the local disaster response department installed early warning system across the city to inform communities in a timely manner about typhoon signal warnings, severe flooding, and earthquakes, among others.
For emergency concerns, the public may reach the city’s hotline at 137-175.
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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to distorted views and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, engagements, commerce and updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In less than two weeks’ time, the much-awaited next-generation machines Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S will launch in many nations around the world. When compared to what happened in 2013 (the Xbox One launch), the excitement and optimism for the new generation is much stronger for Team Xbox. This is because Microsoft’s lineup of 1st party game studios – which includes Bethesda’s eight studios – is stronger than ever before and each studio is already working on multiple projects of its own. This ensures that there will be a steady supply of exclusive games for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Windows 10 PC and smartphones (supported by Project xCloud) users as well as for Xbox Game Pass (XGP) subscribers. What Team Xbox owns, PlayStation and Nintendo cannot have.
If you intend to make the jump into the next-generation of console gaming on launch day – November 10, 2020 – make sure you have your credit card ready for Xbox Series X ($499) or Xbox Series S ($299) and the launch games. Have you ordered in advance yet?
When it comes to the upcoming consoles, Team Xbox published a new video designed to keep us consumers informed about how to operate them and what results we can expect in return. Watch the video below…
Next is the Xbox Series consoles unboxing done by Windows Central Gaming.
While launch day will sure be busy, Xbox-related commerce may turn busier in the days after. This was because Microsoft CFO Amy Hood told investors that their company expects demand for the two Xbox Series consoles to be very strong. The said demand should drive “supply constrained hardware revenue growth of approximately 40 percent” next quarter.
In its latest financial report, Xbox content and services revenue spiked by 30% and Microsoft as a whole saw its revenue jump 12% to $37.2 billion while its operating income went up by 25% to $15.9 billion. Net income meanwhile went up 30% resulting $13.9 billion. Microsoft surely has more than enough funds to support its Xbox-related interests, including acquiring more game studios to boost Xbox Game Pass! More importantly, the corporation is approaching the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S launches with not only a strong wave of optimism and commercial progress (including a 2nd sellout of pre-orders for the new consoles in Japan) but also with strong financial muscle!
When it comes to the games that you could play, it was just announced that the release of the highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 has been delayed to December 10, 2020. In a statement, CD Projekt Red’s Adam Badowski and Marcin Iwinski wrote: The biggest challenge for us right now is shipping the game on current-gen, next-gen, and PC at the same time, which requires us to prepare and test nine versions of it.
The statement mentioned that their team, like many others around the world, have been working on the game from home as a result of the pandemic. For those who plan to buy and play Cyberpunk 2077 on Xbox Series S or Xbox Series X, be assured that the game will be optimized for the new consoles right from the start and there will even be more enhancements coming sometime in 2021. To learn more about Cyberpunk 2077, watch the videos below.
Have you heard the latest from Xbox chief Phil Spencer? He was interviewed by GameReactor and gave out a lot of details not only about the upcoming consoles but also details about Xbox as a business and ecosystem.
In response to one of the questions, Spencer confirmed the lack of investment Microsoft made to Team Xbox’s own game studios which had a severe effect on them. Spencer’s full answer is as follows:
If I think back during the early Xbox One years and even late in the 360 years, at this time we as a company didn’t invest enough in our creative capabilities with our studios, and it showed. Now, the thing with game production is that it takes a lot of time, so if you underinvest it actually doesn’t show up next year or even in the next two years. It’s maybe three, four, or five years down the road.
I had this feeling or belief that we were underinvesting and I was head of first-party, so I felt it directly. I wanted to invest more, and we weren’t able to. So when I got into this job, I needed to put the business in a good space while getting the support of the company. And then we built a business model that prioritised investing in content knowing that we would have to invest early and wait a while for those investments to pay off.
But there wasn’t kind of a “one morning.” It was something that I felt, as I said through the late 360 and early Xbox One years, it just took us a little time to get into a position to find the right partners and get the support from the company. But I’m incredibly excited. Now with ZeniMax we’re coming up on 23 first-party studios and an amazing line-up. So I’m feeling very good with the support we have.
Below are videos about Spencer related to the GameReactor interview plus the Kotaku interview.
In ending this, here are more gaming-related videos for your enjoyment, including one video review of Ubisoft’s latest release Watch Dogs: Legion. Will you play the newest Watch Dogs on your Xbox One or would you play it on an Xbox Series console on or after November 10?
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
In a bid to strengthen the local testing capacity and COVID-19 response efforts, the City Government of Muntinlupa announced it is set to open its own Molecular Laboratory in Ospital ng Muntinlupa (OsMun) which is expected to process one hundred tests per hour.
OsMun director Dr. Edwin Dimatatac reported to Mayor Jaime Fresnedi and Department of Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade the status of the city’s Molecular Laboratory during a virtual meeting of the local COVID-19 Response Team last October 27.
Ospital ng Muntinlupa director Dr. Edwin Dimatatac (left) and Muntinlupa City Department of Disaster Resilience and Management chief Erwin Alfonso (center) inspect the Muntinlupa Molecular Laboratory located at SAGIP Building, near Ospital ng Muntinlupa, Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
Dimatatac said that the delivery of medical equipment is expected to be finished by the end of this month and the laboratory will be operational next week. He noted that the laboratory can process 100 tests per hour and results may be released as early as six (6) hours. The hospital director noted that they are in close coordination with DOH for the laboratory’s accreditation.
Further, personnel to be assigned in the city’s Molecular Laboratory were already trained by the DOH and Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM). The laboratory is located at the Saklolo at Gabay ng Ina at Pamilya (SAGIP) building near Ospital ng Muntinlupa in Alabang.
DOTr Sec. Tugade vowed to assist Muntinlupa for the accreditation of the laboratory. Tugade noted that Deputy Chief Implementer against COVID-19 Sec. Vince Dizon committed to donate one RT-PCR machine to Muntinlupa’s Molecular Laboratory once the accreditation is approved by the DOH.
A look at part of the equipment in the Molecular Laboratory. (source – Muntinlupa PIO)
The additional equipment is set to double the laboratory’s capacity from 200 tests to 400 tests per day. Muntinlupa City aims to operate two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) machines at the laboratory which can process 500 to 900 samples a day.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi says the construction of the Molecular Laboratory will augment the city’s detection-isolation-treatment strategy in curbing COVID-19. He noted that while the City Health Office records improvement with COVID-19 cases, the City Government will not be lenient in implementing health protocols and other programs.
A sharp drop of active cases was recorded in Muntinlupa from 768 cases in September 1 to 69 cases as of October 26. The city’s recovery rate has further improved to 95.25%, an all-time high since the start of the pandemic.
Muntinlupa City also earned the lowest prevalence among Metro Manila cities with a rate of 0.13. The city’s prevalence rate or the number of cases over the total population is below the ‘acceptable rate’ of 1.0.
As of October 26, the doubling time in Muntinlupa City is at 17.94 days. Doubling time refers to the number of days for COVID-19 cases to double in number and the standard rate of transmission should be at 7-30 days to be considered decelerating.
The City Health Office has also launched a mobile swabbing testing in coordination with barangay health centers. As of October 26, the local health office facilitated 19,307 swab tests equivalent to 3.57% of the city’s population. Muntinlupa surpassed the national target of testing two percent of the population.
Recently, the 144-bed quarantine facility “We Heal As One” COVID-19 patients and suspect cases was inaugurated in Pacwood Site, Barangay Tunasan through the efforts of the Department of Public Works and Highways in partnership with the City Government.
DPWH Secetary Mark Villar, DOTr Secretary Arthur Tugade, and Mayor Jaime Fresnedi led the blessing ceremony of the emergency quarantine facility amounting to P45-million last October 13. During the program, Villar reported that an additional quarantine facility with 200-bed capacity will be constructed in the Filinvest Tent Parking Area.
Isolation Facility manager Dr. Juancho Bunyi said the We Heal As One Center in Tunasan is accommodating 22 COVID-19 cases (12 positive individuals and 10 probable cases) as of October 27. Occupants of the We Heal As One quarantine facility are given free medicine, food, and hygiene kits.
As of October 27, Muntinlupa City has 4,615 confirmed cases with 4,411 recoveries, 54 active cases, 150 reported deaths, 131 suspect cases, and 290 probable cases.
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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NOT to distorted views and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, engagements, commerce and updates, visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
As children of God, being faithful is essential. Along the way, we must ensure that our faith in the Lord is always strong. It is understood we study the Holy Bible (God’s Word), apply its lessons into our lives no matter what situations we are in, worship the Lord together as a spiritual family on Sunday worship services, and pray in tongues to Him every day.
To add to those, we must also develop Christian habits. As you can see in the title of this article, this is the first of a short series of literary pieces about living with Christian habits. For this article, we will focus on having habits meant to strengthen our faith in God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Having Christian habits will keep a Christian strong, protected from the enemy and stay victorious. More on gaining habits that will keep us stay strong in faith and lead us on His path, we’ll start off with the following holy scriptures.
Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.
Galatians 6:6-10 (NKJV)
Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in the mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
James 1:21-25 (NKJV)
But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.
1 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)
In Galatians 6:6-10, the apostle Paul applied the general principle of sowing and reaping to the support of those who teach Christianity, to moral behavior and to Christian service. Flesh is mentioned and it is the opposite of the spirit, which is why as Christians still living in the flesh on this screwed-up world we live in, we must strive hard to be very faithful to God and live with His Word in our respective lives in a disciplined and rightful manner. As such, this means we must develop habits not of the flesh but of Christianity. Christian habits will help prevent us from falling off the path of the Lord. People who are trapped by religion, by comparison, practiced unholy habits and rituals like idol worship for example. James 1:21-25 meanwhile is a very lively reminder that we must be doers of the word and never be limited to hearing only. Verse 21 explains that salvation comes not from the use of worldly methods, but from a meek, gentle acceptance of the implanted word. Verse 22 explains that salvation leads to service and that it is self-deceiving to believe that God’s goal for church attendance is merely hearing the word instead of experiencing a transformation of life that results in ministry. Verse 23 to 25 emphasizes that those who act on the word (implementing God’s Word in life) will be blessed while those who are limited to hearing or listening won’t be blessed. 1 Timothy 4:7 is about rejecting godless myths and other forms of falsehood that will get in the way of following the Lord. Developing Christian habits will remind us to live with God’s Word.
Now that we’re done with Galatians 6:6-10, James 1:21-25 and 1 Timothy 4:7, we can proceed with the ways on developing Christian habits by remembering always that we were created to serve the Lord, glorify Him and do His will! We are all meant to follow the Lord! Let’s start with the following scripture…
Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me fines life, And obtains favor from the LORD.
Proverbs 8:34-35 (NKJV)
Christian Habit #1 –prioritizing God and His Word.
The above holy scripture should remind each of us to listen to the Lord, discern and make decisions carefully. To make decisions and take action that are not in accordance to the will of God will only lead to hardship and even unholiness. It does not matter that we experience feelings in each of our respective circumstances because God’s Word is essential. Feelings are misleading and we can suffer or even drift away from Him if we rely on them for guidance. As Pastor Donna Crouch of Hillsong Church stated before, we Christians are not the sum total of what we feel! We are not supposed to be prisoners of our feelings! Feelings should never separate us from the Lord! The truth is, whether you are in joy, in pain, in disappointment, in anger, in confusion or in an optimistic state, you must always prioritize the Lord and follow Him. This is why we have the Holy Bible which is a truly living publication that never fails to guide faithful Christians.
This brings me to another point within the first Christian habit – always feed on God’s Word. You should make it a daily habit each morning ahead to grab the Holy Bible, open it and read it. Do not reach for your smartphone, reach for the Holy Bible first and foremost. After reading, take time to pray to Him. Pray in tongues while you are in your room with the door shut as you have fellowship with God who is in the secret place. Let this be how you start each new morning ahead of you. Be assured that doing this will keep you strong and be able to resist the devil and his wicked ways.
More on feeding on the Word of God, let’s look at the following scriptures below…
But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)
Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29:12
Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know.
Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)
Matthew 4:4 above is one of the most powerful expressions in the Holy Bible that God’s Word is truly essential, and Lord Jesus spoke those words as He rejected Satan who tried to tempt Him. Truly, we are the creations of God and without Him we really cannot survive and cannot enter His kingdom. The scripture also marks Lord Jesus’ appeal to Scriptures which provides the clue for interpreting the Temptation narrative. Using God’s Word, Lord Jesus triumphed over the same temptations to which Israel had succumbed during the time in the wilderness, when they forced a test upon God in time of need. As this was one of Lord Jesus’ early victories, we the faithful Christians must follow His example and keep feeding on the Word of God.
Jeremiah 29:12 and Jeremiah 33:3 make it clear that communication with the Lord by means of praying wholeheartedly is essential. We must pray to Him every day and such communication is a top priority! Do not limit your fellowship with God to Sunday worship services and meal prayers. Pray to God every day! Are you busy at work? You can pray to Him during your free time and somehow you can find yourself some privacy somewhere when you are out of your home. To pray to Him is to feed on God’s Word.
As mentioned earlier, having Christian habits will keep you strong and protected from the enemy. Learn from the scripture below…
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, ‘I have overcome the world.’”
John 16:33 (NKJV)
John 16:33 makes clear that even in the midst of a crisis or persecution, there is indeed joyful peace in the certainty of the victory Lord Jesus achieved long ago. Tribulations are part of this screwed-up world we all live in and remember that Adam’s rebellion towards God granted Satan dominion. As such, prioritizing God and feeding on His Word always will keep you strong spiritually and you will be able to overcome opposition as well as any crisis. As long as we are edified and stand with God, nothing is impossible! Next scripture…
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:4 (NKJV)
The above scripture reconfirms that the victory of Lord Jesus is true and very real for as long as we have faith! Religion is not mentioned at all. It is faith that will ensure our rightful place in the kingdom of God as His children as well as the citizens of His kingdom. This brings me to the next point – spending time with the Lord and having fellowship with Him every day is essential. Each of us faithful Christians must make time for the Word of God by reading the Holy Bible. Are you busy with video games or a sports activity during your free time? Put God’s Word first before you enjoy those. It should be noted that due to all the hectic activities of local societies, Christians encounter a lot of problems because they failed to make it a daily habit to prioritize God and His Word. Now, you know better.
Christian Habit #2 – build up your faith.
Let’s start with the scripture below…
Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV)
The above scripture shows that David took great responsibility with his faith in God. Even though he was grieving to the point of exhaustion, he did not give up. Instead David used the occasion to strengthen himself in the Lord, and this was at the same time when many other people gave in to their feelings (grief) and decided to take his life.
The point here was that even in a very difficult situation, David built up his faith and looked up to the Lord. That being said, we Christians must always take responsibility with the faith we have. Remember that God gave us His grace and our faith is clearly our responsibility. We must always strive hard to deepen and strengthen our faith in Him. It is also clear that it is according to your faith what you will receive from God. In the case of David, God gave him strength.
Powerful faith can make tremendous differences in your life. That includes miracles. All the more reason to build up your faith and be very responsible as well. Learn from the following scripture below…
who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.
Hebrews 11:33-34 (NKJV)
As confirmed above, the power of faith in the Lord is undeniably true. How can you build up your faith? By hearing the Word of God and implementing the lessons learned into your personal life. Symbolically, faith is the seed in your heart. The Word of God is the water of life for the seed (faith). As such, studying the Holy Bible all over again is essential and when you live by it, God’s additions to your faith will be added and then blessings, guidance and enlightenment from Him will manifest! I know because I personally experienced these since I got born again.
Keep hearing on God’s Word again, again and again. It sounds repetitive but be assured that each time you learn from God’s word, you will learn something new and refreshing. You should listen carefully to pastors whom God has chosen to spread the Word through churches and its members who have been planted. As you implement the lessons into your daily life, you will not only get blessed by the Lord, you can become a blessing to others.
Be lively with your faith. Be discerning. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Guard your faith well by guarding the Words of God from other words that are contrary. Clear your heart and make sure that it will not get filled with unholy and wicked influences. By building up your faith as a habit, you will be able to follow the Lord all the way!
Christian habit #3 – speak the Word of God
Let’s start with these holy scriptures…
Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)
“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”
Mark 11:23 (NKJV)
There is indeed a need for each of us Christians to speak God’s Word to others wholeheartedly. Preach the Word verbally or do it online by means of blogging, tweeting, messaging and emailing to others. Before doing these, however, each of us must be very careful about what to say. As Christians, we are a peculiar people (refer to 1 Peter 2:9) that the many unsaved and lost souls we co-exist with in this screwed-up world cannot understand. There will be opposition towards Christianity, so be ready to brace yourselves.
That being said, once you are ready for the world, maintain unwavering faith in the Lord to gain courage and go out saying God’s words, preaching the truth, the good news and help strengthen the faith of your fellow Christians (note: be a blessing to others).
Along the way, you must not waste your tongue to speak death. Certainly you should not add to the negativity that exist around us for it is not God’s way. Again, you must keep on-track with the Lord’s path by saying His words. Truly, when you say what God says, He will make good things happen in response to what you declared.
For clarity, what Lord Jesus said in Mark 11:23 was about the power of faith in the Christian’s heart and such power can help one overcome great obstacles or challenges (which the mountain mentioned in the scripture symbolizes). Faith is indeed the key that releases the resources of heaven into a faithful Christian’s situation. In Proverbs 18:21, the tongue’s power is greatly emphasized because with it, a person can make declarations and influence others. To speak death is to declare life’s negatives as well as defeat or constant complaining. To speak life is to speak God’s perspective on any issue of life.
Ultimately, we must be very careful with the way we use our tongue. As Christians, the real and definitive way of using our tongues is by declaring God’s words and the truth as recorded in the Holy Bible.
So there you have it! The first three Christian habits emphasized here are: Prioritizing God and His Word; Building up your Faith; and Speaking the Word of God. No matter what happens, you must always have strong, unwavering faith in the Lord and that includes putting God’s Word in your heart on a daily basis. As mentioned earlier, having Christian habits will keep you strong under the Lord, protected from the enemy and help prevent you from going off the path of the Lord. Sometime in the future, another set of Christian habits will be presented here. To end this teaching, here is one final holy scripture for you all…
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV)
From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. You can save yourselves by submitting to the Lord willingly. No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from our pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Dear God,
I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now, I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always uses religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord. With unwavering faith in God, you can defeat Satan and all those forms of evil.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
With your new life realized, make an effort to acquire a copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a Christian church near you and find your place in the spiritual family. Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God.
The Holy Bible is the ultimately authority and nothing else comes close. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there. Also please consider making a donation to support my publishing of faith articles and CMAs (Christian Music Appreciation articles).
In a bid to assist students and teachers during synchronous classes, including employees on a work-from-home set-up, the City Government of Muntinlupa is banning the use of videoke and other activities that create unnecessary noise disturbing residents in their study time and work at home.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed City Ordinance 2020-142 regulating the use of karaokes, videokes, and other similar equipment causing noise pollution in the community during weekdays and limiting its use and operation on weekends.
Fresnedi said the City Government recognizes the challenges of city residents in adjusting to distance and blended learning, as well as the working public, and how loud noises can distract them from concentrating on their activities.
Under the local ordinance, the use of karaokes, videokes, and other sound-making devices will only be allowed from 6:00am to 10:00pm during Saturdays and to 6:00am to 8:00pm during Sundays.
However, public announcements made by local and national government agencies using sound-producing machines/devices are exempted from the implementation of the ordinance. Residents who will violate the ordinance shall be penalized with a fine from P2,000.00 to P5,000.00 or imprisonment of not more than thirty (30) days, or both.
Members of the Philippine National Police-Muntinlupa, Public Order and Security Office, City Security Office, Barangay Chairpersons and their personnel are set to augment monitoring and roving operations in the community to implement the regulation on videokes and other noise-making devices.
Recently, the City Government of Muntinlupa provided the first batch of 2,557 laptops and 28 photocopiers for public school teachers in a bid to help them adapt to distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
All Muntinlupa public school teachers in elementary, junior and senior high schools, including school heads, will each receive a brand new laptop with specifications prescribed by the Department of Education. Students who are in need will also receive tablets to help them access online learning resources.
Further, the Muntinlupa City Council also passed an ordinance imposing relaxed curfew hours in the city from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM until November 30 and 12:00 AM to 3:00 AM beginning December 1 during the Community Quarantine.
The City Council also approved the easing of age-based stay-at-home restrictions allowing persons who are at least 18 and not over 65 years old in Muntinlupa to go out of their residence unless expressly prohibited under the national and local issuances.
As of October 26, Muntinlupa City has 4,609 confirmed cases with 4,390 recoveries, 69 active cases, 150 reported deaths, 114 suspect cases, and 403 probable cases.
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Latest City Government of Muntinlupa details sourced from their official media release. Some parts were edited for this website.
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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Hey Ultraverse fans and superhero comic book enthusiasts! Are you ready for another tale of Prime? What I am about to review is one of the anniversary Ultraverse issues published by Malibu Comics.
What could be new or special to justify the anniversary of the Prime monthly series? We can all find out in this look back at Prime #12, published by Malibu Comics with a story written by Len Strazweski and Gerard Jones, and drawn by the late Norm Breyfogle.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with a young guy named Kuttner who tests his deadly ability to easily cut through solid objects with his powered blades on his hands. He is driven to get revenge against Prime who broke his hand previously. Kuttner, whose career in entertainment had declined, thinks he can establish a new career for himself as a powered being and Prime is his first target.
Meanwhile at school, Kevin Green (Prime) is struggling with the stress over his parents’ separation which he is guilty of. He finds it very weird to be back in school after everything he went through such as his struggles with Colonel Samuels, the Federal Government, Break-Thru and more. After slamming his locker shut, students begin to move away from him…
Quality
Symbolically, Prime meets Norm Breyfogle.
To begin with, the writing by Len Strazewski and Gerard Jones is very solid as expected. That being said, the real heart of the story in this comic book is Kevin Green’s personal struggle with life not just with the difficulty of balancing himself between his personal life and being a superhero, but also his place in local society being tainted as a result of his acts as Prime. The way that the events of the previous issues affected (in negative ways) the local community’s perception of Kevin was very compelling and straight to the point.
The strong writing, unsurprisingly, worked very well with the character development. Kevin was presented to be struggling with making the right decisions and he struggles to analyze what would happen if he presents himself to others as Prime or as simply himself. As for the scene between Prime and Kelly’s mother, there was that touch of awkwardness (through Prime) that was present as the scene raised the disturbing idea of the two possibly getting involved sexually.
When it comes to the spectacle of action, there is little to be seen here but the good news is that Norm Breyfogle illustrated them to be energetic and eye-catching. The late illustrator really knew hot to ramp up the energy for the readers making the most out of what it is limited.
Conclusion
The tremendous strength of Prime!
Prime #12 is a pretty engaging read. Was it worth the anniversary promotion? It is indeed! If you look back at Prime #1 and read all the succeeding issues leading to this one, you will notice how much Kevin Green changed as well as how his personal growth moved. In a way, Prime #12 symbolizes the growing-up pains Kevin keeps on having.
It should be stated that being 64-pages, Prime #12 is actually one of Malibu’s flip issues. The other side of this comic book is Ultraverse Premiere #3 which contains standalone short stories of Prime, War Strike and a certain villain. This comic book also has “A Primo Farewell” which is a nice tribute (by today’s standards) to Norm Breyfogle. For the newcomers reading this, Breyfogle was one of outstanding comic book artists in America and before joining Malibu Comics, he worked for other publishers like Marvel Comics, DC Comics, Eclipse Comics and First Comics. At DC Comics, his work on their icon Batman is widely remembered. Breyfogle passed away in 2018.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of Prime #12 (1994), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy of the comic book costs $8.
Overall, Prime #12 (1994) is highly recommended!
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The Las Piñas City Police Department continues to serve the local constituents by means of securing places, implementing rules and helping those who need assistance. Check out these recent media releases and pay close attention to the details written.
On October 25, 2020, elements of Zapote Sub Station led by PMAJ JOYLENE A BULAN and six (6) others and the strong leadership of PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP Piñas City Police conducted Checkpoint which resulted to seventeen (17) issued OVR including three (3) impounded motorcycle. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On October 25, 2020, personnel of SOU/SDEU led by PLT ELMER ANTONIO, Dep. Chief through the strong leadership of PCOL RODEL A PASTOR, COP while conducting casing/surveillance they chance upon the above suspect who has illegal transactions prompting herein officers to approach them however the above Suspect drew his firearm and shot the arresting officers. Apparently arresting officers retaliate hitting the Suspect while his cohort evade arrest. During arrest recovered from the Suspects possession the above mentioned evidences. Arrested Suspects was brought to Las Pinas District Hospital for medication however he was confined due to his gunshot wound and he was under observation. Inventory of recovered evidences was witnesses by Barangay kagawad Hon. Edward Taberna of Brgy. Manuyo Dos and Media representatives (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
On October 25, 2020, personnel of PS4 SDEU Station Conducted BUY-BUST operation that resulted to the arrest of the said suspect together with the recovery of evidence and was marked at the place of occorence in the presence of Kagawad BERNARDO ABARSOZA JR. of Barangay Daniel Fajardo, Las Pinas City and media men Mr. MARIO JOSE CAO of Peoples Leader News paper. Subsequently, arrested suspect and the recovered evidence was turn over to SIDMS for disposition and filling of a case after he was medically examined at Las pinas District Hospital. (source – Las Piñas City Police Department)
The above information and images were provided by the Las Piñas City Police Station for the purpose of public information and transparency. Some parts were edited for this website.
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