While I witnessed Planetshakers perform live here in the Philippines as part of Jesus Global Youth Day in 2019, I was unable to watch them during their live performance (also here in the Philippines) this past January.
As it turned out, a whole lot of Filipinos bought tickets and attended the January 2020 event with Planetshakers performing great music and leading them to worshiping the Lord. No less than pastor Sam Evans was there. Among the many songs they performed, I noticed one new song that was not only beautiful but also holy. That song was simply titled All.
The song All performed by the anointed musicians of Planetshakers was commercially released as part of their album Glory Part Two.
To start with, here are the lyrics.
+++++
I want to, to know You
I want to hear Your voice
You are my, desire
I want to be so close
–
Close To You
–
I tune in, to listen
To hear You speak to me
I reach out, believing
That You are all I need
–
All my attention
Is set on You now
You are the centre
–
Jesus all, all
All I want is You
And my heart and soul
Is longing just for You
–
You are, You are
Everything to me
You are, You are
Everything to me
–
Your presence, Your power
Your glory’s all I seek
I’m hungry, I’m thirsty
Your love is all I need
–
All my affection
Is set on You now
You are the centre
–
Jesus all, all
All I want is You
And my heart and soul
Is longing just for You
–
Jesus all, all
All I want is You
And my heart and soul
Is longing just for You
–
You are, You are
Everything to me
You are, You are
Everything to me
–
You are the desire
Of our generation
We want You, we need You
Holy Spirit
–
So pour out Your presence
In our generation
All we want is You
–
You are the desire
Of our generation
We want You, we need You
Holy Spirit
–
So pour out Your presence
In our generation
All we want is You
–
Jesus all, all
All I want is You
And my heart and soul
Is longing just for You
–
Jesus all, all
All I want is You
And my heart and soul
Is longing just for You
–
You are, You are
Everything to me
You are, You are
Everything to me
You are, You are
Everything to me
You are, You are
Everything to me
+++++
For biblical relevance, let’s start with the lines Jesus all, all, All I want is You, from the lyrics. Those lines really established the actual meaning of the song’s title. And then there are other lines in the lyrics that relate with it such as You are, You are, Everything to me. The Holy Bible itself has a lot of holy scriptures about wanting Lord Jesus more than anything. We can start with this holy scripture with Lord Jesus’ own words for your reflection.
And everything I’ve taught you is so that the peace which is in me will be in you and will give you great confidence as you rest in me. For in this unbelieving world you will experience trouble and sorrows, but you must be courageous, for I have conquered the world!
John 16: 33 (TPT)
The above holy scripture makes clear that with Jesus, nothing is impossible for us Christians and the Lord will never abandon us nor forsake us. The Lord is not only our reformer, our provider, our defender and our mentor but also the source of genuine peace! These are blessings and miracles that we can only receive from Jesus. For that alone, Lord Jesus is all we want and need for He is everything to us. Never forget that it has always been Jesus who redeemed us from darkness. It was the blood of Jesus that purified us and paved the way into becoming His body! Next scripture…
Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
2 Peter 1: 2-4 (NKJV)
In the above scripture, the apostle Peter emphasized that true knowledge is found in the God of Christ and in the holy scriptures recorded in the Holy Bible (the Word of God). By knowing Lord Jesus (God in the flesh as well as His Son), His tremendously great and precious promises become available to those who believe in Him. This includes entrance into Heaven, being part of His body (we the Christians are the church and are part of the spiritual family), getting our inheritance from God and the promised return of Jesus (the Second Coming). Along the way, as noted in the last line of the holy scripture, we the Children of God must always maintain our defense from the wickedness and temptations of the eternal loser Satan. For as long as we are faithful to the Lord, we can always defeat Satan and free the billions of unsaved souls here on Earth to lead them to Jesus. Really, all we want and need is Jesus!
Going back to Planetshakers’ song All, the lines You are, You are, Everything to me as well as Jesus all, all, All I want is You and I want to, to know You, I want to hear Your voice, You are my, desire, I want to be so close make perfect biblical sense for faithful Christians. Truly the writers of the song knew the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus and God the Father. To say the least, the song is a blessing, produced by Planetshakers people who were anointed by the Lord! All is a song that musicians of Christian churches should consider playing during Sunday worship service!
To end this article, here is the official video of the live performance of All held here in the Philippines during Planetshakers’ January 2020 special event. Enjoy and always keep praising the Lord! Remember that we Christians are the Body of Christ and we are the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
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 souls out there.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced by means of interviewing Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) chairperson Mariel Angela Tumang. 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.
Youth group organizes private donation-driven assistance for the needy affected by ECQ in key areas of Barangay BF Homes
The Oplan SendNudels team together. (contributed by Mariel Angela Tumang)
Like the rest of Luzon, families residing in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City have no choice but to stay at home to avoid any risk of getting infected with coronavirus COVID-19 under the rules of the Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). With the exception of stores, food businesses and groceries, most businesses have been shut down which negatively impacted a lot of people leaving them jobless and with no new income of their own.
Under the ECQ, families can designate one authorized household member (if he/she has a quarantine pass) to go out and buy the essential food and household materials. Unfortunately in Barangay BF Homes, there are families who are poor and don’t even have the means to shop. Adding more to their problems is the recent extension of the Luzon ECQ until April 30.
As such, a private donation-driven assistance project called Oplan SendNudels is being implemented in the above-mentioned community by Barangay BF Homes Sangguniang Kabataan (BFSK) chairwoman Mariel Angela Tumangand her friends. To be clear, this is NOT a project nor an operation of the BFSK even though one of the SK Kagawads joined in to help Tumang and friends. Here are the details I received straight from her.
“My friends and I formed this project. While it does not necessarily target the whole of Barangay BF Homes, we are selecting the families who are the poorest among the poor based on the volunteers. We also helped families and individuals who are now struggling because of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Enhanced Community Quarantine,” Tumang elaborated. “Our donation drive is divided into the Barangay BF Homes areas of Villonco, Estrada 1, Estrada 2, Masville, Warerfun and Goodwill 2.”
Tumang stated that the current Oplan SendNudels (#OplanSendNudels) donation-driven assistance project for poor families is not the first but the latest of an ongoing series. She confirmed that the most recent donation drive they organized helped one hundred and twenty of the poorest families they found plus seventy frontliners and fifty street dwellers.
“The Oplan SendNudels project has helped a large number of families and persons who got hit hard by the pandemic. These families are trying hard to make ends meet because they lost their capability with the low-income jobs due to the Enhanced Community Quarantine,” she added.
Donations are being accepted as of this writing.
How to donate
Mariel Angela Tumang (standing 3rd from left) and her many friends plus BFSK Kagawad Jerry Dalmero (standing 4th from right) are dedicated with their private donation drive to assist the poorest of the poor in key areas of Barangay BF Homes. (photo contributed by Mariel Angela Tumang)
Donations are accepted in the form of packed lunches (for the frontliners, the volunteers and street dwellers), in-kind goods and toiletries and cash donations.
Anyone who wants to donate cash to Oplan SendNudels and the BFSK take note of the following bank details:
Metrobank account number 6423642207491 (Mark Anthony Luzano)
BDO account number 0035-5034-7213 (Mariel Angela Tumang)
UCPB account number 101480131018 (Marilou Babatio)
GCash 09176436467 (Aira Mae Vargas)
If you have enough resources and you are interested to help Mariel Tumang and her pals keep organizing Oplan SendNudels to help others, take time out to go to the bank or contact the above recipients via Facebook Messenger.
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 and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
Note: Pictures above approved for publishing by Mariel Angela Tumang.
We are Christians living with strong faith in the Lord. The day each of us got born again and willingly accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we truly became children of God and we each live with holiness while deepening our respective personal relationship with Him.
We Christians pray in tongues, we tithe, we study God’s Word (the Holy Bible) and apply its lessons into our lives no matter how screwed up the world we live in is. We Christians don’t need religion at all and we reject idolatry, religious traditions and religious rituals. We also are defiant towards unbelief and whatever tricks Satan tries to bring us down with. As believers of Jesus, we already have His victory and not even Satan can defeat us. We are led by the Holy Spirit which we received in our hearts when we got saved.
We are the Body of the Christ. We Christians are the church who follow Jesus! As such, it is only expected that each and every one us be fearless and aggressive under Christ.
To be fearless and aggressive as Christians were key lessons from pastors I learned from. As such, let me share to you how we the Body of Christ can keep on being strong under Lord Jesus starting with being a fearless church and as a fearless Christian. Heed the words of Jesus Himself.
Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.
John 14:1 (NKJV)
Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also.
John 14:1 (TPT)
“If you love Me, keep my commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 (NKJV)
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace, I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:26-27 (NKJV)
The above scriptures from the different parts of Chapter 14 of the Book of John emphasize Jesus talking about the promise of the Holy Spirit. For that alone, there really is no reason for us believers to fear at all. We only need to fear the Lord because that is essential to gaining wisdom from Him. Other than that, for as long as we stay faithful, we don’t need to fear even the most unpredictable turnout of events in this screwed up world we live in such as poverty, crime, unemployment, terrorism, violence, corruption, idol worship, atheism, religion, uncontrolled emotions, panicking, temptations and the like. Because with the Holy Spirit we are not only protected but also guided and the Lord is watching us from high above. He will not abandon us nor let evil take us away from Him. The words of Jesus in John 14 are not only still strongly relevant but are indeed living words for us to follow! Jesus, who died on the cross, came back to life, spent time with people and ascended to Heaven with the promise to return, is clearly alive!
We children of God are no longer living in sin because, clearly, Jesus redeemed us all from the darkness that started with Adam’s rebellion towards God. We are not only saved by Him but we are also new creations under Him. We Christians really have to be fearless and we are citizens of God’s kingdom! To learn more about who we are in Christ, let’s move on to the next holy scriptures.
that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His might power,
Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV)
I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation[a] to know him through your deepening intimacy with him. I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling—that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power,
Ephesians 1:17-19 (TPT)
And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and that which fills him who is being filled by it!
Ephesians 1:23 (TPT)
See? We really have reasons to be the fearless church of Jesus. By having faith, we will experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power not occasionally, not sometimes but continually! As Christians driven by faith (not religion), we are indeed God’s special people (refer to 1 Peter 2:9) and there definitely should be no room for us to fear. God’s guidance and enlightenment for us are already tremendous making fear irrelevant! No fear, no panicking, no trembling and no doubting! We the fearless church of Christ can move forward with holiness and defeat Satan again and again!
To put things in perspective, after getting born again and growing with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the Lord, who made plans for each of us since before birth, really planned for us Christians to be joined together as His Body and we the members are meant to be strong, fearless and aggressive! Believe not in your feelings, not in fear but in the Holy Spirit and remember that God and Lord Jesus are watching us. Remember also Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for humanity.
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,
1 Peter 3:18 (NKJV)
Suffering affects everyone. There is no doubt about that. Jesus suffered tremendously so that we will all be saved and pave the way for us into God’s kingdom. It takes faith, not religion, in the Lord for salvation to be realized. We Christians should always remember that our existence is clearly not limited to living in the flesh but also in the spiritual realm. As saved souls, we will go straight to Heaven once we die in the flesh here on Earth. We will go straight to God’s kingdom and take our respective places in it. There is no such thing as purgatory, an ancient deception of religious and evil nature! Purgatory is a lie created by the enemy who clearly influenced religious teachings and religious traditionalists which resulted distorted teachings of Christianity (by religion-driven people and institutions). We Christians have the Word of God (the Holy Bible) as the definitive and ultimate reference of faith! Upon death in this world, we the children of God will go straight to Him in His kingdom! There is nothing to fear!
Let’s move on.
And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:4 (NKJV)
And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)
With the Holy Spirit in us, God made a way for us to know Him and His presence. We Christians get to know Him as individual members and as a church gathered together. Even when we have nobody around us, we Christians are never really alone because we have a living personal relationship with God. We can communicate with God privately when alone and the effective way to do it is to be in our respective rooms with the door shut and pray to Him (refer to Matthew 6: 6). We have access to Him! Again, there is no room for fear nor despair here. With God, nothing is impossible and this leads me to the next holy scripture.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
2 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV)
Treasure refers to the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. Earthen vessels are weak and breakable. The above scripture emphasizes how weak we are living in the flesh and yet we can live spiritually strong under the Lord. See the paradox? As our pastor taught us, we can only live in the flesh up to one hundred and twenty years maximum. Of course, being children of God living here on Earth, we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and we really have missions to live in holiness, spread God’s Word and save the many billions of unsaved and lost souls before we expire and go to Heaven to join Him. Remember, with God, nothing is impossible and our being fragile as fleshly beings here on Earth should never be taken as a hindrance nor should we let it prevent us from being the fearless church of Lord Jesus!
Now that being fearless Christians has been discussed a lot already, we can move on with discussing being aggressive Christians! Let’s start with the armor God provides us in the next holy scripture.
Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Ephesians 6:11-13 (NKJV)
With God’s armor provided, we are already protected in the fight against evil. As members of the Body of Christ, we have the means to move forward strongly, defeat Satan and saved the many unsaved souls. Take note that in the above scripture, our battle is spiritual and not physical. We should always be able to discern between the spiritual struggle and the personal, the political and the social difficulties. We should focus on defeating Satan and his force of evil, not human adversaries. That means being aggressive with our prayers, and becoming established prayer warriors of Lord Jesus! We have the spiritual resources, the authority of Christ over evil and the Lord’s will to display His wisdom through the church (that means us Christians). No place for fear here and we have a lot of reasons to be aggressive as Christians!
Next scripture…
The LORD shall go forth like a might man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.
Isaiah 42:13 (NKJV)
Isaiah 42:13 emphasizes that we the Children of God already have a leader (the Lord Himself) to follow as well as strength to rely on so that we can strive forward. That being said, we really have to be aggressive with our prayers, our faith and spirituality since we also have the Holy Spirit in us. There is simply no room for weakness nor fear for Christians. This should also serve as a reminder, especially to the new Christians (and the souls that need to be saved) reading this, that we Christians need to be edified. Edification itself requires aggressiveness with our faith and dedication under the Lord. Apart from studying the Holy Bible and praying in your room with the door shut, you can also do other things to strengthen yourself spiritually like praying in tongues while walking around the block or around your house.
To be aggressive with our Christianity is not a seasonal thing but rather a truly, more regular thing in our lives under the watch of God. Be a prayer warrior, a Holy Bible-oriented Christian, a preacher, a tither, a helper and spread goodness to save the unsaved souls for the rest of your life in the flesh while waiting for the return of Lord Jesus. Be a doer of the Word of God! Now on to the next verse.
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
Colossians 4:2 (NKJV)
As mentioned in the previous paragraph, be a prayer warrior with God’s Word as your definitive reference and your heart remaining open always to the Lord. We need to pray daily and this includes praying in tongues (for enlightenment read the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts in the Holy Bible). Don’t waste your time and energy on repetitive prayers (read Lord Jesus’ own words in Matthew 6:7-8) and remember the Model Prayer from Lord Jesus. Don’t give up praying to the Lord no matter what the situation is around you. Be aggressive with prayer! Be a prayerful Christian who is truly connected with the Lord! On to the next verse…
Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)
Those were powerful words from God Himself, declared before Adam rebelled against Him (which was preceded by Satan as a serpent tempting Eve). Right from the start, God made tremendous plans for us – His creations – to populate the Earth and have His authority to rule over the creatures. Thousands of years after Adam’s rebellion, Jesus came and sacrificed Himself to redeem humanity and restore mankind to fulfill God’s plan. As Christians who got born again and saved, we are God’s children and He wants us to save the lost and unsaved souls around us using His Word. Being a fearless and aggressive church is in accordance to God’s plan.
Once your goodness and holiness have been noticed by others, they will have the opportunities to pause, reflect and eventually decide to be saved without any force imposed on them. Heed the words of Lord Jesus in the following scripture…
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)
To be fearless and aggressive as Christians is inevitable. We are the children of God and we are the church of Lord Jesus. We are the Body of Christ and under His holiness, we have common purposes to live up to even as each of us maintains (and deepens) our respective personal relationship with God.
Go to work with the Holy Spirit! Be led by the Holy Spirit! Defy darkness, unbelief, religion, idols, relics, images, traditions and rituals. Move forward as a fearless, confident and aggressive Christian! Force is not necessary, but the Word of God is essential to shed light on the world that has long been darkened by Satan. We the children of God have the means to defeat Satan again and saved the unsaved souls! We the children of God have the Lord’s authority!
Now, I’d like to reach out to the lost souls and the unsaved souls reading this. Please read closely and open your hearts.
If you seek salvation now, learn that the first step is to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Never be fooled into believing that your past defined you and your future. With Jesus, you will become a child of God and a whole new creation complete with your sins from the past washed away! You will become a true Christian with a holy purpose!
Once you are ready, pray this simple prayer (I learned from my pastor) 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! Praise the Lord and always be faithful to Him! No more darkness in your life caused by unbelief or religion (and the idolatry, images, traditions and rituals that come with it). Your new life has begun and you are now a member of the Body of Christ. Now find a Christian church in your local community to connect with.
In ending this, here are some videos of Christian worship music for you to enjoy and praise the Lord with.
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.
COVID-19 Crisis: 1,191 displaced workers in ECQ employed by Muntinlupa City Government thru TUPAD
Some displaced informal sector workers are now doing work for the City Government of Muntinlupa. (contributed by City Government of Muntinlupa)
1,191 informal sector workers who were displaced by the enhanced community quarantine were employed by the City Government of Muntinlupa through the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program.
TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for displaced workers including transport drivers of tricycles, jeeps, and pedicabs for a minimum period of ten (10) days.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi said the City Government recognizes the plight of daily earners and marginalized workers who have lost their livelihood and whose livelihoods are affected by the community quarantine.
“We are providing a temporary wage employment for our displaced workers in the city since they are one of the most hardly-hit sectors in the COVID-19 pandemic. The first batch were already deployed to aid the barangays in the repacking and distribution of relief goods as well as disinfection activities within the respective barangays,” Fresnedi noted.
A total of P6.396 million were allocated for the program under the Local Disaster Fund. The program is facilitated by the local Public Employment Service Office and will be implemented by batches.
The City Government is also set to roll out the DOLE-TUPAD #Barangay Ko, Bahay Ko Disinfecting/Sanitation (#BKBK) Project fund which will add another 184 beneficiaries from the barangays and additional 522 informal beneficiaries through the DOLE funding from the Office of Congressman Ruffy Biazon. Under the TUPAD #BKBK program, workers shall participate in the disinfection/sanitation of their houses and immediate vicinity of their houses.
In a bid to help affected workers, Mayor Jaime Fresnedi also requested lessors of commercial establishments and residential units to waive rental fees and charges of tenants and partners in Muntinlupa City amid the COVID-19 emergency.
The mayor implored the lessors to extend consideration to tenants and renters considering the huge impact of the closure of business establishments during the quarantine period. Fresnedi hopes for the full support of lessors in the local government’s battle against COVID-19.
As of April 7, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 71 confirmed cases in Muntinlupa with eight deaths and four recovered cases. According to CHO, there are also 290 persons under monitoring (PUM) and 195 patients under investigation (PUI). While confirmed COVID-19 rises in the city, the number of cleared cases also improve with over 321 cleared PUM and 120 cleared PUI.
For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.
This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. 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 and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced directly from Dante Pacheco, the officer-in-charge of the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs of Parañaque (OSCA-Parañaque). 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.
Parañaque, a city with over one hundred fifty confirmed cases of COVID-19 (as of April 5, 2020), has something coming for its senior citizens who are legitimate members of the OSCA Cares program under the Office of Senior Citizen Affairs of Parañaque (OSCA-Parañaque).
Today OSCA-Parañaque officer-in-charge Dante Pacheco confirmed to me that an estimated fifty-seven thousand (57,000) members of OSCA Cares in the city will soon be receiving from the City Government gift certificates of SM Hypermarket.
Each SM Hypermarket gift certificate is worth P1,000. Do the math, the value for the declared number of OSCA Cares beneficiaries is worth at least P57,000,000. Based on the current foreign exchange rate with the United States Dollar, that is worth over $1,000,000.
Pacheco further said that each gift certificate will be delivered to the homes of the beneficiaries via Air21. He also stated that this move is the brainchild of mayor Edwin Olivarez.
If you are a senior citizen in Parañaque (or if you live with a senior citizen in the same city) and you have something to say about this breaking development, please reply to me via the comments below.
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 and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
Planetshakers is an evangelical Christian Pentecost church based in Australia driven by a desire to empower generations to win generations. Planetshakers confirmed it believes that the Holy Bible is God’s Word which is accurate, authoritative and applicable to people’s daily lives. Founded in the form of a conference 1997, Planetshakers has a long-lasting pursuit for the presence of God and already they helped many people come to the Lord and establish personal relationships with Him. Planetshakers also has a contemporary worship music band which has several internationally acclaimed albums on its record of achievements.
I am thankful to the Lord that I personally watched live the performance and worship leading of Planetshakers during one of the nights of Jesus Global Youth Day that was held here in the Philippines. Since then, I followed them on Facebook and viewed many of their Sunday worship services. Planetshakers returned here in the Philippines on January 2020 and was unsurprisingly successful in attracting a huge audience and leading them to worship the Lord.
The one Christian praise and worship song that always remind me of Planetshakers is their hit song How I Praise, which is highly energetic, has a cool sound and very holy lyrics. The title of the song itself is a nice reminder of how we Christians should praise the Lord.
Before teaching a bible lesson, let’s read first the lyrics of How I Praise. The song is part of their album Glory, Part One.
+++++
[Verse 1]
This is how I praise You
I throw my hands up
To You my Saviour
I’m gonna stand up
And give You everything, everything, everything
All that I am
–
[Verse 2]
This is how I praise You
I’m going all in
Yeah I’m on fire
I’m gonna dive in
And give You everything, everything, everything
All that I am
–
[Pre-Chorus]
‘Cause I’m in love with You
Yeah I’m in love with You
For all You’ve brought me through
My praise belongs to You
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
–
[Chorus]
This is how I praise You
This is how I praise You
–
[Verse 3]
This is why I praise You
‘Cause You’re amazing
And You are greater
You’re everlasting
And You are everything, everything, everything
Jesus You are
–
[Pre-Chorus]
‘Cause I’m in love with You
Yeah I’m in love with You
For all You’ve brought me through
My praise belongs to You
Woah, oh, oh, oh, oh
–
[Chorus]
This is how I praise You
This is how I praise You
–
[Bridge]
Glory to the King, glory to the King
To the one who reigns on high
Everybody sing, let the praises ring
To the one who reigns on high
Glory to the King, glory to the King
To the one who reigns on high
Everybody sing, let the praises ring
To the one who reigns on high
–
[Chorus]
This is how I praise You
This is how I praise You
+++++
I really love How I Praise. Many times I saw them perform it during their Sunday worship services and also during their January 2020 stop here in the Philippines (via YouTube). I not only enjoy the song every time, I also lift my praise to the Lord.
The lesson we can focus on in relation to this song is the praising of the Lord which the Holy Bible is full of. Christians as well as unsaved souls who could become Christians, will always learn the ways and value of praising Him. Let’s start with this holy scripture.
Sing to the LORD, all the earth; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place. Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come before Him. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved. Let the heavens rejoice, and the let the earth be glad; and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns.”
1 Chronicles 16: 23-31 (NKJV)
The above scripture has lines about the Lord and glory which instantly remind me of the lines Glory to the King, Glory to the King, To the one who reigns on high from the lyrics of How I Praise. The scripture’s lines of Give to the LORD relates well to the song’s lines of I’m gonna dive in, And give You everything, everything, everything, All that I am. Ultimately, both the holy scripture and the song strongly emphasize praising the Lord in very lively ways which is the least we Christians can do since it is God who created the heavens and created us, and He is the ultimate one that idols (gods of the people) can never ever match. Defy idols, reject idolatry and don’t worship people, relics and images. It’s all about focusing strongly on the Lord and praising Him strongly. Worship the Lord directly! God is great!
Let’s check the next few scriptures.
I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up hands holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
1 Timothy 2: 8 (NKJV)
Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psalm 63: 4 (NKJV)
We lift up our hearts and hands To God in heaven.
Lamentations 3: 41 (NKJV)
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, And bless the LORD.
Psalm 134: 2 (NKJV)
Uplifted hands are an integral part of Christian worship. It is done not in tradition (other churches do it as their tradition) but as a definitive part of worshiping Him with all your heart, honoring Him and blessing Him. The above four holy scriptures about lifting hands to the Lord are related to key lines in Verse 1 of the song which read: This how I praise You, I throw my hands up, To You my Saviour.
God is our creator and eternal father. For all the good He made, for all the provisions He made, for all the promises He made and kept, and for sending His Son Jesus to save us all, God deserves all of our praise. Planetshakers’ hit song is a lively reminder of this.
Overall, How I Praise is a praise and worship song I encourage you all to listen to with the Lord in your heart. We Christians who got born again are the Body of Christ. We are the church! As such, I recommend you approach your church musicians to consider playing How I Praise during Sunday worship service or during holy seminars (for as long as live music is needed). If you need an excellent song that will surely energize your church members on worshiping the Lord, How I Praise is it!
In ending this, here are a few YouTube videos of How I Praise for your enjoyment and faith in the Lord! Be led by the Holy Spirit, always!
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 souls out there.
Muntinlupa City approves COVID-19 Anti-Discriminatory Ordinance
This passed Monday, the City Government of Muntinupa passed an anti-discrimination ordinance protecting patients with confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), persons under monitoring and investigation, including frontliners serving in medical facilities.
Mayor Jaime Fresnedi signed Ordinance No. 2020-085 known as the “COVID-19 Anti-Discrimination Ordinance” penalizing acts of discrimination, harassment, violence or any action that causes stigma, shame, humiliation, disgrace or harm against COVID-19 infected persons, PUMs, and PUIs.
Fresnedi said the since the rise of COVID-19 cases in the country, infected persons including PUMs, and PUIs are presently experiencing stigma because of the perceived danger they pose in spreading the virus.
“To arrest the worsening fear of people against confirmed patients, PUMs, and PUIs, we shall penalize individuals that cause humiliation, harassment or discrimination against such persons through a local ordinance,” the local exec noted.
Under Ordinance No. 2020-085, it shall be unlawful for any public official, public employee, or essential service provider to refuse assistance or deny service to a confirmed COVID-19 patients, close contacts, PUMs, PUIs, health workers and frontliners.
Further, spreading of rumors, uttering information or any communication that causes unnecessary fear, anger, panic or violation of rights of such person shall be prohibited. It shall also be unlawful for any person to maliciously disclose information of patients including their actual names, address and other information that reveals their identities.
Those caught violating the ordinance would be fined P5,000 or face imprisonment of up to six months. If the offender is a public official or public employee, the maximum penalty shall be imposed.
The Muntinlupa City Council also passed a resolution honoring all frontliners, especially city residents, who are rendering service in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic by placing the Philippine Flag in half mast.
As of April 6, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 64 confirmed cases in Muntinlupa with four deaths and one recovered case. According to CHO, there are also 278 persons under monitoring (PUM) and 212 patients under investigation (PUI).
While confirmed COVID-19 rises in the city, the number of cleared cases also improve with over 319 cleared PUM and 100 cleared PUI.
For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.
This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. 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 and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
COVID-19 Crisis: Muntinlupa City to start second wave of distribution, targets to give 94,847 food packs
In the third week of the Luzon-wide Enhanced Community Quarantine, the City Government of Muntinlupa is set to provide its second wave of relief packs to an additional 94,847 families in the city.
Muntinlupa Public Information Officer Tez Navarro said the second wave of the local government’s distribution aims to saturate at least 85% of the city’s total population, including residents in subdivision and gated communities.
Navarro added that the Social Service Department and barangays have initially distributed relief goods to 111, 585 indigent families and priority groups in the previous weeks translating to 70% of Muntinlupa’s population.
Each relief pack consists of five kilos of rice, 12 pcs of canned goods, coffee packs, and sugar. Navarro noted that the distribution of relief goods will be conducted twice a month for four to six months.
Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi recently assured city residents that the City Government is prepared to provide food assistance for as long as four months should the enhanced community quarantine be extended.
Fresnedi said that the City Government has adequate supply of basic commodities for distribution to indigent residents and daily earners affected by the disruption of work. He also ordered the early release of Muntinlupa City Hall employees’ monthly salary to help them tide over the COVID-19 crisis.
Further, Muntinlupa City Council passed ordinances providing two-month payment extension on real property taxes and business taxes without penalties given the strict measures implemented during the enhanced community quarantine.
Lessors of commercial establishments and residential units were also requested to waive rental fees and charges of tenants and partners in Muntinlupa City amid the COVID-19 emergency.
As of April 5, the Muntinlupa City Health Office recorded 62 confirmed cases in Muntinlupa with four deaths and one recovered case. According to CHO, there are also 287 persons under monitoring (PUM) and 187 patients under investigation (PUI).
While confirmed COVID-19 rises in the city, the number of cleared cases also improve with over 298 cleared PUM and 88 cleared PUI.
For concerns related to community quarantine and COVID-19 testing, Muntinlupa City residents may reach hotline nos. 0977-240-5217 or 0977-240-5218.
This is an official Press Release issued by the City Government of Muntinlupa. 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 plagiaristsand NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
For the past few weeks, the coronavirus disease COVID-19 halted much of the world’s societies and economies compelling families to stay at home as the authorities struggle to prevent infections from spreading.
Community quarantine and regional lockdown have been implemented which strongly limited people from traveling around and also negatively affected truck deliveries which really hurt manufacturing and other key economic sectors like food production (and the businesses that sell food), retailing and more.
Unsurprisingly, special events that attract a lot of people as attendees have been postponed or cancelled. In the city of Parañaque here in the Philippines, the planned 2020 cityhood anniversary celebration had to be scaled down dramatically because of COVID-19-related fear. The said celebration’s most popular events such as the Bb. Parañaque beauty pageant and the Sunduan Festival could not be organized and as of this writing, no new dates for organizing such events have been announced. Under the current quarantine procedures, mass gatherings have been prohibited.
That being said, it would be best to forget about crowded fun events for the short term and just focus on being safe at home, managing your precious funds and maintaining faith in the Lord (note: study the Holy Bible and pray in tongues to Him).
Let’s focus on this excerpt from Comic Book Resources:
Comic conventions long have been an integral part of fan communities. Before comic-book movies and TV shows were a multibillion-dollar enterprise, fans looked forward to these annual gatherings as a chance to be surrounded by people who shared their interests. They (were) a sacred place where fans could collectively celebrate something they were really passionate about.
And they were fun. Really fun. Fans from across the country would make the pilgrimage to get up close and personal with the writers and artists they idolized. It was a dream come true for members of what was then a tight-knit community.
Over the years, that’s all changed. The conventions that were so beloved by a small group of people have ballooned into massive undertakings, drawing thousands of people from all over the world. They’re not so much fan-driven conventions anymore as much as they are trade shows for the entertainment industry.
That’s not to say these super conventions aren’t fun in their own right; they absolutely are. They offer fans a chance to witness major announcements, take part in Q&A’s with their favorite stars and celebrate pop culture on an unprecedented level. They’ve become an annual staple for the promotion of the latest film and television franchise projects, and big names continuously turn up.
Now, however, with the justifiable closure of these conventions due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it’s unclear how much we really need these super conventions.
To put things in perspective, any convention that is focused on fun would not be possible without the strong interest of multiple fans or enthusiasts who are not only willing to make time to attend such an event but also bring a good amount of money with them and spend on their respective interests.
The San Diego Comic-Con in California, the New York Comic Con in New York, and the AsiaPop Comicon here in the Philippines all require paying a fee (for the ticket or badge) in order to enter the venue which has most entertainment events and booths that fans can go to.
When it comes to special activities, private screenings of trailers of upcoming blockbuster movies occasionally get organized as well as Q&A panel sessions with entertainers or industry professionals, press conferences and more.
However, we are now living in the age of social media, wide access to the Internet and smartphones which enable users to take pictures or videos in high-definition and upload them for people to see online. Think about it carefully.
What good is a closed-door press conference with celebrities when a fan in attendance can capture everything on video and beat the bloggers and members of the press by releasing content on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram?
What good is a private screening (which restricts attendees from taking footage) of a trailer or a short scene from a highly anticipated blockbuster movie when such content will only be released by the movie studio on YouTube, Facebook and other sites where Internet users can watch for free at the comfort of their homes?
What good is a fan convention if attendees post pictures/videos of embarrassing moments (example: someone throws a pie on the face of a movie star in front of the fans) online within minutes and become viral?
What good is buying classic comic books at the comic convention when the comic publishers themselves failed to wipe out the widespread online piracy (note: entire issues of comic books in digital form) of their comics which people can find and read for free?
One key point here is that fan conventions and other fun-oriented events that attract a lot of people are slowly losing their relevance. Convention organizers will have to come up with ways not only to stay relevant, not only to ensure exclusive stuff in their event is truly exclusive, but also innovate and raise the convention’s overall quality.
Going back to COVID-19, it is clear that the said virus is highly infectious and this alone defeats the purpose of organizing a huge event for as long as the risk of infection remains. As of this writing, local authorities are struggling to clean and disinfect places. Killing the virus is a costly and time-consuming affair.
Think about those words: digital events. Digital events can be done by companies to make a special presentation of their products or services in the form of a lengthy and detailed pre-recorded video or by organizing privately their showcase event (held in a venue that the company has all to itself) live via livestreaming. With the access of the Internet and the massive reach that social media provides, digital events can make fan conventions even more unnecessary. Digital events are also very useful for companies because they not only have complete privacy but also a lot more control in terms of creativity as well as amount of information to be released. This also spares companies from the hassles of crowd control as well as rampant questioning from members of the news media.
Together, COVID-19, wide Internet access and social media are factors that make organizing crowded fun-oriented showcase events more challenging than ever before. Why bother attending a local beauty pageant live in Parañaque City when viral infection, live-streaming and even crime incidents could happen?
Even after the end of this COVID-19 crisis, the community quarantine and regional lockdown, I foresee that it will take a lot more time before life really goes back to normal.
By then, I don’t think enthusiasm for crowded fun-oriented events would be restored to high levels immediately. Sports events, in my opinion, have a better chance of resuming given the nature of sports competition which remains very important with Filipinos. Other events like food fairs and shopping bazaars are more important to people in the local communities than beauty pageants or fan conventions. What people clearly want once this current crisis is over is worshiping the Lord together at church on Sundays.
Attending church is more essential than a crowded beauty pageant or a fan convention. There is no doubt about that!
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.
In early 1994, I was still in high-school. There was a time when I passed by a local comic book store that showed a new What If? comic book displayed among the many new titles. That particular comic book caught my attention because of its key question: What if the Punisher had killed Spider-Man?
That comic book was What If #58published by Marvel Comics with a story by Chuck Dixon and art by Gordon Purcell. Check out the cover below.
The cover of this comic book took a lot of inspiration from that of Amazing Spider-Man #129.
To put things in perspective, Spider-Man and Punisher are both heroes in the universe of Marvel Comics but with very drastic differences between them. Spider-Man/Peter Parker fights crooks and other types of bad guys while maintaining a lawfully good nature even as he struggles to live a normal, personal life. Punisher, who is privately Frank Castle, is a killer who is driven to fight criminals beyond the boundaries of the law. The Punisher resorts to extreme forms of violence and guns are his main weapons. Due to the tragic loss of his wife and children, Punisher lives to wage a one-man war against criminals which only reflects the huge loss of his humanity.
Spider-Man and the Punisher first encountered each other in Amazing Spider-Man #129. Through the years, the two would face-off again and again. In the mid-1980s, the Punisher went on to rise in high popularity with comic book readers as Marvel Comics published three regular series: The Punisher, The Punisher War Journal and The Punisher War Zone.
That being said, we take a look back at What If #58.
Early story
Without involving Marvel’s galactic Watcher, the comic book begins with the Punisher aiming his gun at a man seated behind his desk. It turns out Punisher is waiting for the police to arrive at the place they are in.
From this point, the story is told in flashback with Punisher narrating. He is with the Jackal on the roof top of a building in New York City. Even as the Jackal pushes him to shoot a certain target already, the Punisher decides not to do it. He stressed he wants to study the target.
“It seemed right. Taking down a high profile outlaw like Spider-Man looked like the right way to go,” Punisher thought. “And Jackal promised unlimited funding of my war on crime if I succeeded.”
Punisher doing research.
Gradually, the Punisher prepares himself to kill Spider-Man…
Quality
Let me start with the concept of this comic book. Exploring what would happen had the Punisher actually killed Spider-Man (note: this is so obvious from the cover) is a bold and clever story to tell. To put things in perspective, the Punisher’s attempt to kill Marvel’s iconic superhero happened way back in Amazing Spider-Man #129 which was published way back in 1974. Very clearly, Punisher failed and Spider-Man went on to live and fight for good.
When it comes to storytelling, Chuck Dixon delivered a strong script and carefully crafted a standalone story that looks at the Punisher’s first-ever attempt to shoot Spider-Man but the narrative was more on the vigilante’s point-of-view. The dialogue was solid and the narration gives readers a good look at the personality of Frank Castle. I also liked the way the story was paced.
What also makes this comic book really good is that it shows in convincing fashion what else would have happened after the successful assassination of Spider-Man. Without spoiling the surprise, you can ask yourself how would Punisher react once he learned who Spider-Man really was, how would the many people who personally knew Spider-Man (whether good or evil) would react and what the state of crime in New York would be like.
The Punisher anticipating Spider-Man outside The Daily Bugle.
As for the art, Gordon Purcell did a decent job. He captured what was back then modern day 1990s look of the Punisher (completely rejecting the way the character looked in Amazing Spider-Man #129) and he knew how to present him from different angles regardless of what action was taken. On drawing Spider-Man, Purcell proved to be good. I noticed in some parts of the comic book, he tried hard to make Spidey look dynamic while traveling high above the streets of the city. The big money shot (in terms of illustration) for me was the moment Spider-Man got killed.
Conclusion
Overall, What If #58 is a good and fun comic book to read. Historically, this was released at a time when Spider-Man and the Punisher were both wildly popular. The decision to tell an alternate reality off Amazing Spider-Man #129 was inevitable and ultimately was nicely pulled off.
If you are thinking about acquiring What If #58, as of this writing MileHighComics.com shows that a near-mint copy of the regular edition is at $26 while the near-mint copy of the newsstand edition is at $77.
What If #58 is recommended.
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
Author Carlo Carrasco 