Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following videos I found.
#1 President Marcos talks about troublesome Russian vlogger Vitaly Zdorovetskiy – It has been weeks since Russian vlogger and live streamer Vitaly Zdorovetskiy caused trouble and harassed people here in the Philippines which resulted in his arrest. While he is in prison as the local authorities prepare to press charges against him, no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., noticed Vitaly during an official vlog via the Bongbong Marcos YouTube channel. Marcos begins to talk about Vitaly during the 2nd half of his video. The mere fact that the President of the Philippines notices and shares his views about Vitaly should send a strong signal to troublesome live streamers/vloggers overseas that they will be punished here in the Philippines if they cause trouble for the sake of entertaining a live audience.
#2 In-depth analysis of the interrogation scene in 1984’s The Terminator – The Terminator from 1984 is the subject of multiple video reviews, reaction videos, retrospective and film analysis on YouTube. After digging through several analysis videos, I found one that is very focused on the interrogation scene of Kyle Reese and the YouTuber shared some really compelling views about it. Watch the video below.
#3 Why Tron still looks great explained – I saw Tron many times in my life from the first time seeing it on home video in 1983, on cable TV and on DVD. Even until now, the 1982 film – which used computer-generated graphics mixed with other forms of cinematic visualizing – still looks great and has aged like fine wine. The video below explains exactly why and it is a must-see.
#4 VKunia and Ashleigh Burton react to Captain America: Civil War – Back in 2016, there was a local cinema that actually organized an unusual gimmick to accommodate moviegoers…by playing Captain America: Civil War on a 24-hour basis. I saw the movie at a 5:30 AM showing back then. While it definitely was the third Captain America movie (note: I will not count the fake Captain America movie subtitled Brave New World), it was actually more of a mini-Avengers movie which clearly took some of the spotlight away from the titular character. It was fun to watch and I encourage you to see how it impacted VKunia and Ashleigh Burton in their respective reaction videos below.
#5 PatmanQC examines the history of Batman Returns video games – Batman Returns was a big hit in cinemas around the world, although it never came close to matching the global ticket sales of its 1989 predecessor. Regardless, there was a lot of merchandising related with the movie as well as several video game adaptations. I played the Konami-developed Batman Returns game on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) but never got to play the movie-based games on the Sega Genesis and Sega CD. To know more about the games based on the 1992 movie, watch PatmanQC’s in-depth video below.
#6 Minty Comedic Arts’ trivia video about What About Bob? – Back in 1991, the comedy film What About Bob? was released in cinemas and it attracted mostly positive reviews from the critics. Many people were impressed by the performances delivered by Bill Murray and Richard Dreyfuss. Recently, Minty Comedic Arts posted a trivia video about the film which you can watch below.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Larry Bird’s memorable big game of 1992 – If you love American basketball and the modern day NBA does not appeal much to you, then you should go back to the year 1992 when the legendary Larry Bird had his last big game before retiring. During his final years in the NBA, aging and a serious back injury hounded Bird as he kept on leading the Boston Celtics. In March 1992, the Celtics hosted the strong Portland Trailblazers and this was the game when Larry Bird scored 49 points and even registered a triple-double at the age of 35. That being said, watch the highlight video below…
#2 Score PN’s Terminator 3: Before The Rise video – Score PN, a YouTube channel that is best known for its in-depth videos about the Resident Evil entertainment franchise, also produced videos related to The Terminator. Back in 2003, Arnold Schwarzenegger had a big cinematic comeback with Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines which I saw inside the cinema when it opened here in the Philippines. Back then, I was not even aware that a prequel comic book limited series of Terminator 3 was published and Score PN has a video about it which you can watch below. By the way, Score PN also produced videos about comic book adaptations of Batman movies which I highlighted previously.
#3 Vizconde Massacre explanatory videos – Previously, I included Viva’s video showing the entire 1995 movie The Jessica Alfaro Story. For the newcomers reading this, Jessica Alfaro (played in the movie by Alice Dixson) was the star witness of the trial of the shocking Vizconde Massacre and it took her around four years to come out publicly. For legal reasons, The Jessica Alfaro Story film made alterations (creative liberties) to make a reference to the massacre without the Vizconde name. That being said, if you want to know more about the Vizconde Massacre of 1991, the trial that happened and the big decision the Supreme Court made in 2010, then you should watch these two explanatory videos. The third one analyzes the legal aspect of 2010 Supreme Court decision related to the massacre.
#4 RoboCop 2 reaction videos plus arcade/console game documentary – Back in 1990, my friends and I got to watch RoboCop 2 inside the movie theater here in the Philippines and almost all the seats were filled at the time. While the movie was not memorable as it never came close to matching the uniqueness and cultural impact of the 1987 original RoboCop, it still managed to entertain enough people who eventually became fans. Like its predecessor, RoboCop 2 also had game adaptations for the arcade and consoles. Watch the videos below…
#5 A look at the history of Area 51 arcade/console games – Back in the mid-1990s, Area 51 by Atari was a huge hit in the arcades in the West and was perceived as a comeback for the said company. Area 51 was so successful, it prevented Atari from falling into financial disaster and versions of the game were released for Windows PC, PlayStation and Sega Saturn. Not only that, a spiritual sequel to Area 51 was released in 1997 with Maximum Force. To learn more about Area 51’s place in gaming history, watch the video below…
#6 Stand by Me movie reaction videos plus trivia video– If you are fond of movies based on the writings of Stephen King, then Stand by Me (1986) should have been part of your watch list a long time ago. It was an acclaimed coming-of-age film directed by Rob Reiner and has been described by some as one of the most defining movies of the 1980s. It is no surprise that there are retro movie reviews, movie reaction videos and trivia videos about it. You can watch the selected movie reaction videos plus a movie trivia video below…
#7 The liar and manipulator Abby Martin crushed by son of Hamas!– It is very sickening that there are still people here in this world who chose to be evil and do the works of Satan. I am talking about Abby Martin, a self-declared journalist who is actually a liar and manipulator. Do not let her good looks and media style fool you. Abby Martin constantly condemns the nation of Israel as she clearly took sides with the terrorists and supports the Palestinian agenda of wiping out the Jewish state. She might as well be working with wicked leaders of Iran. Watch this video of Abby Martin getting crushed by the son of Hamas. Remember that Abby Martin is clearly working with the terrorists and murderers. Never let Abby Martin poison your minds!
#8 The disappointing interview with the Xbox president– Since early this year, gamers’ trust in Xbox weakened due to unexpected developments such as Microsoft deciding to release four Xbox-exclusive games to other consoles. Since then, a lot of Xbox fans have been speculating that in due time Xbox itself will change for the worse and eventually end to pave the way for Microsoft to become a multi-platform game publisher. That being said, the downward trend of Xbox continued as four of its game studios – Tango Gameworks, Alpha Dog, Roundhouse Studios and Arkane Studios – were suddenly shut down which sent shockwaves throughout the industry and attracted negativity to Xbox. Not only that, there was this very disappointing interview with Xbox president Sarah Bond which made things worse. Posted below is the video of the very interview itself plus one reactionary video from Geeks and Gamers.
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on The Coming King, another original worship song from New Life Music. For the newcomers reading this, the previous New Life Music worship songs I examined and analyzed were Touch From Heaven, Now I’m Alive and God of the Breakthrough.
If you want to discover and learn more about New Life Music, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). New Life Music is part of New Life Philippines whose main church is located inside Alabang Hills Village in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. To know more about New Life Philippines itself, visit https://newlife.ph/
Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of The Coming King, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Kyle Ruelo, Chynna Cuna and MJ Malubay.
VERSE 1
The Son of God who’s seated on the throne
Abandoned all to make my heart His home
No sin and shame could ever separate
His love for me will always make a way
–
CHORUS
Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty
Worthy Worthy is the Lamb who overcomes
Glory, honor, power to the One
The King who was, who is, and is to come
–
VERSE 2
Jesus conquered death, He’s risen from the grave
Oh abundant life to us He freely gave
The King of kings and Lord of lords, He reigns
Oh Jesus is the name above all names
–
VERSE 3
In the moment that we hear the trumpets ring
Every eye behold the beauty of the King
With a joyful shout to Him the Church will sing
Jesus Christ, the King above all kings
–
To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: The Son of God who’s seated on the throne, Abandoned all to make my heart His home, No sin and shame could ever separate, His love for me will always make a way.
The above lines emphasize the authority of Lord Jesus who came to us here on Earth to save us, love us and lead us to salvation that only comes from the Heavenly Father. Knowing that, those who are spiritually lost must let go of their old lives come to Jesus, submit to Him, repent and establish a personal relationship with Him by becoming born again. With an established personal relationship with Him, there absolutely is no more room for sin nor shame nor darkness. We are meant to be very faithful to the Lord and to be living by His Word. As children of God, we are certified members of His family (the spiritual family) as well as citizens of His Kingdom. Learn from holy scriptures below…
And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”
Matthew 28:18 (ESV)
When the Son of Man comes in His glory (His majesty and splendor), and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.
Matthew 25:31 (AMPC)
And I heard every created thing in heaven and on earth and under the earth [in Hades, the place of departed spirits] and on the sea and all that is in it, crying out together, To Him Who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be ascribed the blessing and the honor and the majesty (glory, splendor) and the power (might and dominion) forever and ever (through the eternities of the eternities)!
Revelation 5:13 (AMPC)
For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will [a]rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (NASB)
For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.
John 3:16 (TPT)
Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (ESV)
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”
John 14:6 (TPT)
And every curse will be broken and no longer exist, for the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there in the city. His loving servants will serve him;
Revelation 22:3 (TPT)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from the Chorus: Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty,Worthy Worthy is the Lamb who overcomes, Glory, honor, power to the One, The King who was, who is, and is to come.
The above lines explain that the holiness of the Lord God is true, absolute and eternal. He created all of us and we are meant to worship Him, glorify Him, execute His commands and spread His Word here on Earth so we can help the lost and unsaved souls find their ways to Him through His Son Lord Jesus who is the definitive savior. In relation to this worship song’s title, the coming or the return of Lord Jesus in this world is something we should already be prepared for. His coming has been declared long ago and there is no denying that preparing for it is essential because it means we will be with Lord Jesus Himself and with the Heavenly Father in His Kingdom. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You; there is no Rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2 (AMPC)
Come worship the Lord God wearing the splendor of holiness. Let everyone wait in wonder as they tremble in awe before him.
Psalms 96:9 (TPT)
And one called to another and said:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;
the whole earth is full of his glory!”
Isaiah 6:3 (ESV)
And as I watched, all of them were singing with thunderous voices: “Worthy is Christ the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive great power and might, wealth and wisdom, and honor, glory, and praise!”
Revelation 5:12 (TPT)
My Father’s house has many dwelling places. If it were otherwise, I would tell you plainly, because I go to prepare a place for you. And when everything is ready, I will come back and take you to myself so that you will be where I am.
John 14:2-3 (TPT)
“Behold, I come quickly! Wonderfully blessed is the one who carefully guards the words of the prophecy of this book!”
Revelation 22:7 (TPT)
Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit.
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Revelation 22:12-13 (AMPC)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from Verse 2: Jesus conquered death, He’s risen from the grave, Oh abundant life to us He freely gave, The King of kings and Lord of lords, He reigns, Oh Jesus is the name above all names.
The above lines emphasize further the undeniable power and eternal holiness of Jesus. The resurrection of Lord Jesus is victory over death and it symbolizes the hope and salvation that await those who are faithful to Him. As God’s only begotten Son sent to us here on Earth, Jesus is definitely the ultimate king of all kings, the lord who is always higher than all those other lords, and the one who rightfully deserves our glory, trust and praise. His resurrection strongly symbolizes God’s love and plan for us all. In return, we His children must live with unwavering faith in Him, honor Him always, remain grateful to Him and preach His Word while we are still here on Earth. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
“Martha,” Jesus said, “You don’t have to wait until then. I am the Resurrection, and I am Life Eternal. Anyone who clings to me in faith, even though he dies, will live forever. And the one who lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Then Martha replied, “Yes, Lord, I do! I’ve always believed that you are the Anointed One, the Son of God who has come into the world for us!”
John 11:25-27 (TPT)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10 (ESV)
“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father!”
John 14:12 (TPT)
Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”
Matthew 28:18-20 (TPT)
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
1 Corinthians 15:3-8 (NKJV)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from Verse 3: In the moment that we hear the trumpets ring, Every eye behold the beauty of the King, With a joyful shout to Him the Church will sing, Jesus Christ, the King above all kings,
The above lines further the greatness and holiness of our Lord. They also serve as reminders that as His children, we are living in victory because of Lord Jesus. That being said, when we go to the local church on Sundays, we do it not because of tradition, not because of religion nor because of worldly influences, and not because of obligations. We go to the local church on Sunday to be with the spiritual family (His Family) and worship Him together (note: praise and music do come together), to hear the pastor teach His Word, and strengthen our personal relationships with Him. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power!
Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness!
Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp!
Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes!
Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Psalm 150:1-6 (AMPC)
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.
1 John 5:1-4 (ESV)
Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If you truly want to follow me, you should at once completely reject and disown your own life. And you must be willing to share my cross and experience it as your own, as you continually surrender to my ways. For if you choose self-sacrifice and lose your lives for my glory, you will continually discover true life. But if you choose to keep your lives for yourselves, you will forfeit what you try to keep. For even if you were to gain all the wealth and power of this world—at the cost of your own life—what good would that be? And what could be more valuable to you than your own soul? I, the Son of Man, will one day return with my messengers and in the splendor and majesty of my Father. And then I will reward each person according to what they have done. But I promise you, there are some standing here now who won’t experience death until they have witnessed the coming of the Son of Man in the presence and the power of the kingdom realm of God!”
Matthew 16:24-28 (TPT)
As for me, I will call upon God,
And the Lord shall save me.
Psalms 55:16 (NKJV)
Exalt the Lord our God,
and worship at his holy mountain;
for the Lord our God is holy!
Psalm 99:9 (ESV)
Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”
Luke 11:28 (MSG)
Very clearly, the New Life Music team were led by the Holy Spirit in composing The Coming King. Its lyrics are truly holy and anointed and the music is expectedly beautiful. The Coming King will surely motivate your hearts and move you to come closer to Lord Jesus and the Heavenly Father. As such, The Coming King is a worship song worthy of Sunday worship as well as church special events. The Coming King is a lively reminder of not just about the pending return of Lord Jesus here on Earth but also of His undeniable presence in the hearts of God’s children, His victory and His eternal holiness.
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.
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on a decades-old worship song that pastor Darlene Zschech composed during her time with Hillsong Church and the Hillsong Worship team – I Will Run to You.
As for Hillsong Worship, follow them by clicking here (Facebook), here (Instagram) and here (Twitter).
Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of I Will Run to You, posted below for your reference are the lyrics. Words and music of this song were credited to Darlene Zschech.
Your eye is on the sparrow
And Your hand, it comforts me
From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart
Let Your mercy and strength be seen
–
You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For Your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand
–
And I will run to You
To Your words of truth
Not by might, not by power
But by the Spirit of God
Yes, I will run the race
‘Till I see Your face
Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace
–
You call me to Your purpose
As angels understand
For Your glory, may You draw all men
As Your love and grace demand
–
To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of the first paragraph of the song: Your eye is on the sparrow, And Your hand, it comforts me, From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart,Let Your mercy and strength be seen.
The above lyrics emphasize that the Lord is ever present and He will never abandon His faithful children no matter how divisive and chaotic this world is. As long we keep faith in Him, honor Him and follow Him, the Lord will keep us up with His mercy, strength and peace. This also means we should keep on pursuing Him wholeheartedly and without hesitation! To be with God requires being with His Son Jesus who is our Lord and Savior! Learn from the holy scriptures below…
And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14 (NKJV)
Do not fear, for I am with you;
Do not be afraid, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you, I will also help you,
I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’
Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)
And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.
Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)
But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh, for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!
Psalms 73:28 (TPT)
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”
John 14:6 (TPT)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from the 2nd paragraph: You call me to Your purpose, As angels understand, For Your glory, may You draw all men, As Your love and grace demand.
The above lyrics is a lively reminder that as creations of God, there is absolutely no way we could fully separate ourselves from Him. To be separated from Him is futile and only leads to darkness. When the Lord calls you, it is your destiny to answer His call which is undeniably a high call. Without the Lord, we are nothing, we won’t have glory and we would fall into darkness, sadness and wickedness. Answer the Lord’s call and come to Him. Run to Him and be with Him wholeheartedly! Never forget that God sent Jesus to save humanity and that alone shows how much He loves us and how faithful He is. We only need to answer the high call from our Lord and come to Him decisively with love and obedience. The Lord is always the holy one we must connect with. Learn from the scriptures below…
Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.
1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)
When he calls to me, I will answer him;
I will be with him in trouble;
I will rescue him and honor him.
Psalm 91:15 (ESV)
But as for me, I will call upon the Lord to save me, and I know he will!
Psalms 55:16 (TPT)
By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),
Ephesians 1:18 (AMPC)
With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that [a]leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).
2 Thessalonians 1:11 (AMPC)
“Loving me empowers you to obey my commands. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you know him intimately because he remains with you and will live inside you. “I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans—I will come back to you! Soon I will leave this world and they will see me no longer, but you will see me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too. So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you. Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him.”
John 14:15-21 (TPT)
There is no one holy like the Lord,
Indeed, there is no one besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2 (NASB)
Exalt the Lord our God,
And worship at His holy hill;
For the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 99:9 (NKJV)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from the 3rd paragraph: And I will run to You, To Your words of truth, Not by might, not by power, But by the Spirit of God, Yes, I will run the race, ‘Till I see Your face, Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace.
The above lyrics collectively emphasize the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, His grace and our union with Him. The said lyrics, in my view, are the very essence of the Hillsong worship song. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12 (AMPC)
Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”
Luke 11:28 (MSG)
Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (TPT)
May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.
Romans 15:13 (AMPC)
He gave us resurrection life and drew us to himself by his holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done, but by his divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began!
2 Timothy 1:9 (TPT)
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)
But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.
Romans 5:8 (AMPC)
For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted, and everything he does is reliable and right.
Psalms 33:4 (TPT)
Jesus answered him, I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
John 3:3 (AMPC)
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC)
Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.
John 15:9 (NASB)
And it’s true: “Everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will experience new life.”
Romans 10:13 (TPT)
Indeed, the lyrics and title of I Will Run to You are holy and anointed! This Hillsong worship song is also musically beautiful and written to motivate your heart of worship of the Lord. That being said, I strongly recommend the playing of I Will Run to You during Sunday worship services as well as during church special events. I Will Run to You is clearly all about us – the children of God – to always come to our Heavenly Father through Lord Jesus no matter what happens. This Hillsong worship song is also a great reminder of our union with the Lord.
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.
Have you been paying more for pandesal at your local bakery? In my experience, I love the pandesal of Mang Pandesal located along Tropical Avenue, BF International in Las Piñas City. When I first visited them in 2019, they sold pieces of pandesal at P2 each. That is no longer the case anymore. Two days ago, I visited Mang Pandesal ang bought 20 pieces of pandesal at P2.50 each. That’s a total of P50.
Do the math, P2.50 is a notable increase of 25% over the previous price of P2 per pandesal which lasted for years at Mang Pandesal. While I still will buy pandesal from Mang Pandesal (note: they’re still the best in the BF Homes community), I am more conscious about how many pieces to buy each time I visit them.
Even as our country continues to struggle to recover from the COVID-19 crisis socially and economically, we have no choice but to face the new normal of bread from the local bakeries…a new normal of higher prices and/or smaller sizes of bread. There are both internal and external economic forces that have been affecting the many local bakeries around the Philippines. High fuel prices are just the tip of the iceberg, literally.
Expect local bread to get smaller but become more expensive at the same time.
Albay 2nd district Rep. Joey Salceda made this rather depressing prediction as wheat, eggs, and sugar–all vital ingredients to breadmaking–have all shot up in price.
Salceda even has a clever word for it: “shrinkflation”.
“Bread will probably be the hardest hit by shrinkflation. Wheat prices have increased by 165 percent. At that point, breadmakers will probably both increase prices and shrink sizes,” the economist-solon said in a statement Sunday night, July 17.
Last March, Salceda warned of higher bread prices amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, which affected the trade of wheat.
“Egg prices are also threatening to go out of control. Sugar supply is already problematic, noted the Bicolano.
“What we are likely to see us shrinkflation. Goods getting smaller instead of higher prices,” he noted.
Salceda said that while the government continues to try to control price hikes and resolve supply issues, manufacturers and millers can “fortify their products with vitamins and minerals”.
“Nutrition should be part of Science for Change, which is the DOST’s (Department of Science and Technology) flagship program. This should be one of the most relevant and immediate applications.
“Secretary [Fortunato] dela Pena also asked millers and breadmakers to consider other alternatives and additives to maintain nutritional value without increasing prices or reducing sizes significantly…So, in the meantime, while we solve the structural issues affecting price and supply, we can adapt,” the lawmaker said.
Community bakers have lost 20 percent of their members due to the twin effects of the pandemic and rising raw material prices.
Princess Lunar, director of the Asosasyon ng Panaderong Pilipino, told the Balitaan sa Maynila yesterday, the fair price of pandesal should be P4 per piece to maintain its quality but bakers continue to sell at P2 to P2.50 but the size has considerably shrank to 18 grams.
Lunar said at P4, pandesal size can be restored to 30 g.
While pandesal is not a regulated commodity, community bakers cannot increase their prices because of competition among themselves as well as with commercial and industrial bakers which have economies of scale.
She said the group plans to come up with variants of pandesal at a much bigger size enhanced with more nutritious ingredients from agricultural crops like potato, cassava and other starches. The group plans to sell this at P8 to P10 per piece.
The value-added product can help elevate the stature of the pandesal which Lunar has termed as the “pambansang tinapay.”
She appealed to government to assist the group in conducting trainings to improve further the quality of their breads especially pandesal and ensure its sustainability.
Lunar said prior to the pandemic, about 40 percent of the flour requirements for bread go to community bakers. This has since shrank to 19 percent.
Lunar said from P785 per bag, the price of flour has gone up to P1,000. Since January when the Russia-Ukraine crisis started, the price of flour has gone up by P100 to P150 per bag.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Have you been paying more for pandesal at your local bakery? Does each pandesal piece look smaller in terms of size and content in relation to what you paid for? Are you willing to pay P4 per piece of pandesal? Are there any bakeries in your local community that shut down recently? Apart from pandesal, what other types of bread do you buy from your local community bakery?
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As a long-running anime franchise, Macross is well remembered for not only its portrayal of war, action-packed transforming machines (mechas) and engaging storytelling but also for its use of love triangles to emphasize the human element of the saga.
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime TV series (1982-1983) would have ended up looking generic with other robot anime series had it not featured the love triangle of Hikaru-Misa-Minmay. That love triangle was clearly the centerpiece of the saga and each member got developed individually throughout the 36 episodes.
Over a decade later, the sequel Macross Plus was released in the form of a 4-episode original video animation (OVA) (and in reimagined form via a theatrical version in 1995) and it featured a brand new love triangle with Myung Fang Lone, Isamu Dyson and Guld Bowman.
Spearheaded by the legendary Shoji Kawamori as co-director and mecha designer, Macross Plus was a more challenging story to sell to fans and anime enthusiasts given the fact that it had no conflict of good-versus-evil nor hero-versus-villain. There was not even a war to focus on. Instead its conflict was more centered on the love triangle.
Guld. Myung and Isamu.
The background is like this. In the year 2033, Myung, Isamu and Guld were close teenage friends until something terrible happened to them which not only destroyed their friendship but led them to taking separate paths carrying pain and unforgiveness deep inside.
In the present day of 2040, military pilot Isamu got re-assigned to his home planet of Eden as a test pilot for the prototype fighter plan the YF-19. This re-assignment happened because Isamu was too reckless and dangerous to be in active duty. Shortly after arriving he encounters Guld who is also a test pilot assigned with the stealthy YF-21. Right from the start their bitterness and rivalry intensifies.
The stakes grow even higher when Myung returns to Eden as a producer of Sharon Apple, a powerful computer designed to project holograms of a digital lady who could not only sing but also express emotions. She’s described by her handlers to be a living artificial intelligence but behind the scenes her programming is incomplete and Myung herself has to provide the emotions and singing.
Enough with the plot. Let’s move on to my analysis of the love triangle.
The love triangle
A close encounter between them.
Let’s start with Isamu. On face value, he’s a handsome young guy who has achieved a lot when it comes to flying and combat but he is too risky to be with due to his impulsive nature, love for danger and recklessness. His cocky personality reminds me somewhat of Maverick (played by Tom Cruise) from Top Gun but the difference is that Isamu is much more dangerous.
Oh yes, Isamu also acts childish. This is evident during the first test flight of the YF-19 and most of the time he was playing around, cheering and expressing himself instinctively. The very ironic thing about his childish act is that he got to push hard the technical and technological capabilities of the YF-19 with regards to how it moves, how fast its speed is and how efficient its functions are.
But is Isamu an ideal man for a lady to spend her life with? Absolutely not. He loves fun too much and his being a loose cannon is a headache for his military superiors. His lack of self-control alone will make any relationship end quickly. At least in the context of Macross Plus, Isamu is not meant for marriage nor love but for dangerous fun. Still there are certain aspects of him that show he can still change for the better such as daring to find answers to be certain and pushing forward with life even though painful times strike along the way.
Next is Myung. She is an example of a very talented young singer who failed to become a professional artist. As a teenager she loved to sing and was described to have sung during her sleep. Somehow the violent falling out she experienced with Isamu and Gul impacted her ability to make it big in the world of entertainment. Think about it. While there are many talented wannabees who made it as singers but did not achieve super stardom, there are others who never qualified to be singers.
In the present day, Myung still carries pain and unforgiveness deep inside. She deals with her pain by burying herself with her work as a producer and rides along the tremendous success of Sharon Apple who is not even real. As such it is no wonder why she felt uneasy being reunited with Guld and Isamu. During her time in the forest with an injured Isamu, she got to try a fruit (which she suspected to be sour) after being told by him (who already had a fruit) to do it. Upon tasting the sour thing, she expressed that she always hated how Isamu dared people to try something even though he already knew the answer or what would happen. Before going to the forest, however, Myung was the first person Isamu saw after sleeping for days in the hospital due to a test flight accident. The mere fact she attended to him proves that she has feelings for the hot shot pilot.
Finally we have Guld, the half-human half-Zentradi person with grayish skin. Like Isamu, he has the passion and skill for flying. He does not have the recklessness and impulsiveness of Isamu, but he could be very violent due to the warlike tendencies (example: rage or outburst) he inherited from his Zentradi heritage. Remember in Macross, Zentradi was a race of artificially made giants produced through cloning and because they were bred for war and militarism they were devoid of culture.
As test pilot of the YF-21, he is oriented to control the plan mentally and this allows him to actually feel the machine as if it was his own body. Remember how Guld sped right into a barrage of rockets and got away untouched with the YF-21? That was the result of not only the YF-21’s stealth features and ability to predict the direction of the missiles but also of Guld’s extension with the aircraft.
Still Guld has feelings and he is far from being a living killing machine. Right from the start of his reunion with Myung, he expressed his feelings for her and swore to protect her (even though she did not need such protection). This shows that he was willing to adjust for Myung, forget the past and move forward. Guld does not have the charisma of Isamu but that does not make him less human nor does it make him an undesirable person. He also does his best to be something that Isamu cannot be – an honorable pilot.
When things get way too personal, Isamu (right in YF-19) and Guld (left in YF-21) violated military protocol to fight each other.
Overall the love triangle of Guld, Myung and Isamu is still engaging to follow whether you watch Macross Plus in its OVA format or in its theatrical version (titled: Macross Plus: The Movie, Macross Plus: Movie Edition). At the same time this triangle is geared towards adults and one of the themes behind Macross Plus is growing up or coming-of-age. Other moral lessons worth learning: dealing with the painful past, maintaining discipline while doing your duty and learning how to forgive.
In reality, unforgiveness or the unwillingness to forgive truly causes more harm than good. There really is no escaping the negative effects. Repenting and forgiving each other go together and only then will healing happen. Forgiveness is emphasized in the Holy Bible. Below is a scripture for you all.
bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do.
Colossians 3: 13 (NKJV)
Thank you for reading. If you enjoyed this article, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. 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.
Author’s Note: This article was originally published at my old Geeks and Villagers blog. What you read on this website was an updated and expanded version. In other words, this newest version you just read is the most definitive version.
Author Carlo Carrasco 