Tag: Bible Study

Only God can lift up the persecuted and restore them fully

Only God can lift up the persecuted and restore them fully

carlocarrasco

As I write this, many people around the world are focused on the 2022 Winter Olympics (AKA Beijing 2022) as it is a sports spectacle. Along the way, I read two notable articles recently published by CBN News relating to not just the Olympic games but also the persecution towards Christians in China as well as other people which has been happening for years now. That being said, there is a need to pray to God for the sake of those who are being persecuted by the wicked forces of this world we live in.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the February 4, 2022 article (an analysis by Bob Fu) published by CBN News. Please pay close attention to the details below. Some parts in boldface…

The upcoming Olympics in Beijing are putting a spotlight on China’s human rights abuses, and rightfully so. Religious freedom conditions are continuing to deteriorate in China. Things were so bad for one house church, that they fled together to South Korea. Now, that same group of Chinese Christians could be repatriated.

This is the dangerous reality for the 60 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, nicknamed the “Mayflower church.” South Korea has chosen to deny these asylum-seekers, but they deserve a place in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

In China, Pastor Pan Yongguang and his congregation faced increasing pressure. By 2014, authorities were often interrogating him multiple times a week, urging him to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Yet, refusing to teach Party-approved doctrine, Pastor Pan resisted.

Chinese authorities targeted the church for extra surveillance. Soon, the church-run elementary school was evicted. It was devastating for parents in the church who simply wanted to educate their children with a Christian worldview.

Pastor Pan explained the situation to Radio Free Asia, saying, “Our church would educate our children about our religious beliefs, and the police would come along and force them to enroll in school so they could be brainwashed. They didn’t want us to teach our children the Bible, and children are banned from attending church. This went against our faith and our consciences.”

The church held a vote in 2019, the majority choosing to leave the country together to start over in a place that would afford them religious freedom. They fled together to Jeju Island in South Korea and applied for asylum. Sadly, South Korea — a country that accepts almost no refugees — has denied their asylum applications multiple times. Members of the group have appealed the decision to the highest court and were again rejected. Now, they have less than 14 days to leave the country.

Pastor Pan said, “I have been charged with subversion of state power, colluding with anti-China foreign forces and human trafficking. [That’s because] I took these believers out of China, so now I’m suspected of trafficking or smuggling them. Just one of those charges would be enough to send me to jail for a very long time.” Pastor Pan’s friend, Pastor Wang Yi is currently serving a 9-year prison sentence for “subversion of state power” for his uncompromising and outspoken allegiance to God’s Word. If he’s forced to return to China, Pastor Pan could face something similar.

The hopes of the Mayflower church members were modest. They wanted to educate their children as they thought best — incorporating biblical teachings — and live peacefully with their families and attend their church. Yet, under the CCP, this is not guaranteed in China.

The Mayflower church no longer feels safe in South Korea, and that is not an unreasonable fear. Church members have received repeated calls from someone claiming to be from the local Chinese consulate, trying to entice them to come to the consulate. Multiple church members who remained in China were arrested and threatened by Chinese State Security agents accusing the church members who fled to South Korea of committing “treason.” Now, without legal status in South Korea, the congregants will be largely vulnerable without state protection.

Chinese authorities can make the lives of people whose religious beliefs the government disapproves of very uncomfortable. I know from experience. Before the United States accepted me, I was a leader in a house church in China. I was forced to flee to Hong Kong before finally making it to America. This country has afforded me and my family the freedom and opportunity to flourish. Now, the Mayflower church needs the same refuge and generosity America has so often extended.

Pastor Pan and the church members have expressed a desire to come to the United States. The United States is well-positioned to help them. Will the State Department step up?

The Mayflower church has exhausted all options in South Korea. The State Department should admit Pastor Pan and his congregants as humanitarian parolees and offer them asylum in the United States. American churches and resettlement agencies are already prepared to help give this group a fresh start. The State Department’s own annual religious freedom report details the CCP’s brutal religious persecution; it’s time for the U.S. government to act with that reality in mind and help this group of persecuted Christians while we have the chance.

The above details truly disturbing. Freedom to worship the Lord and read His Word is restricted in China. It is not surprising, really, because Communism is itself evil and very opposed to God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The same thing can be said about other parts of the Satanic Left like Marxism, Socialism, liberalism and other modern forms like Critical Race Theory (CRT), rabid left-focused feminism, wokeness, Cancel Culture, unrestrained secularism, unrestrained atheism and more. There is also the connection China has with American government leaders who are secretly working for them to weaken America’s sovereignty and rule of law.

Truly we the faithful children of God are living in a very divided and harsh world. What is worldly is unholy. As such, I urge you readers – including those who are lost and unsaved who don’t realize the evil influences of the Left – to look up to God, follow His Word, pray to Him wholeheartedly (not ritually) and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in praying for the persecuted as well as the nations being attacked by China and other evil forces (like terrorist-sponsor Iran).

Before proceeding to the other CBN News article, I encourage you all to watch these related CBN News videos below…

The next article is more news-oriented about China, the Winter Olympics and the persecution towards Chinese Christians and others. For more perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the February 2, 2022 article published by CBN News and I urge you to pay close attention to the details. Some parts in boldface…

Some human rights groups are calling this week’s Olympics scheduled to start on Friday in Beijing the “Genocide Games.”

China is accused of holding more than 1 million ethnic Muslims in concentration camps while continuing to severely restrict religious freedom and trample on human rights.

“They have oppressed basically every dissent in China,” Wu’er Kaixi told AP.

Kaixi is Uyghur, and at just 21-years-old, he fled China for his leading role in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

“It’s a country that uses Olympic as a platform to show muscle to the world, while they’re at the same time oppressing dissent and violating human rights within their own country,” he said.

The Chinese government has denied all accusations of any human rights abuse.

“It creates a situation of plausible denial. It calls these concentration camps vocational training centers to eliminate poverty in the region, to eliminate terror among Muslims, which is absolutely laughable,” says Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute. “Our military is estimated 1 to 3 million of these Muslims have been incarcerated for indoctrination in these camps.”

The United States, along with the U.K., Australia and Canada, are staging diplomatic boycotts of the Games by not sending government officials in protest of Beijing’s human rights abuses.

“We must show that the United States is [an] unyielding and unapologetic advocate for human rights and unafraid of speaking the truth and upsetting General Secretary Xi and his Communist Party thugs,” says Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL).

Activists are urging athletes and sponsors to speak out during the games.

“Your silence is their strength. This is what they want more than anything: that the world will play by China’s rules, that we will follow China’s lead, that we will look away from these atrocities and crimes for the sake of business as usual,” says Lhadon Tethong of the Tibet Action Institute.

Meanwhile, it’s business as usual as Beijing continues its typical crackdown on political and religious activists ahead of sensitive dates, like Friday’s opening ceremonies.

“They round up the dissidents and known critics of the regime or people that they think will speak out, they put them in detention, they’re called black jails, they are hidden detentions, it’s unofficial, it’s extrajudicial, and they do that as a pre-emptive strike so that there is no opportunity to protest,” says Shea.

With the eyes of the world turning toward Beijing, Voice of the Martyrs is launching PrayforChina2022.com to remind people to pray for China’s Christians.

“Christians are seen as a threat, their message is seen as a threat, and the government is doing everything in their power to keep that message from spreading,” says Todd Nettleton, Voice of the Martyrs’ Chief of Media Relations.

China’s President Xi Jinping has severely suppressed religious freedom in recent years, especially going after Christians.

China sits at number 17 on Open Doors’ World Watch List of the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians.

“China is using a blanket of surveillance monitored by artificial intelligence to watch the movements of people of faith. It’s even using facial recognition to monitor those who enter places of worship,” says Open Doors President David Curry.

Thus far, thousands from more than 100 countries have pledged to pray during the Olympic games.

At this point, you my readers should be aware that the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing are not really meant to be celebrated as China’s persecution against Christians and others continue to happen. Never allow yourselves to be fooled. Keep having unwavering faith in the Lord! Resist the dark forces of this world and stand with God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit! Never compromise!

Pray for the persecuted so that the Lord will lift them up and punish the wicked. The wicked will then repent to Him and submit themselves to Him.

As mentioned earlier, we need to pray to God to stop the persecution by China (as well as the persecution done by other dark worldly forces towards others) and lift up all those who have fallen down, help those who are being held in prison and getting tortured, and lift up those who are suffering from terrorism. Never let the Olympic Games distract you! For added insight, watch the videos below about the wickedness of Communism and how it negatively affects people to this day. Yes, it is indeed true – socialism, Communism, Marxism, progressiveness, political correctness, Cancel Culture, authoritarianism, fascism, totalitarian rule, atheism, secularism, terrorism, discrimination, dictatorship, poverty, idolatry, brainwashing, injustice and violence always go together and they truly represent the evil of Satan.

Pray to the Lord to lift up others! Remember that Lord Jesus is the definitive and true Savior for all! Pray also that the faithful who are suffering will retain unwavering faith to the Lord no matter what happens. Preach God’s Word to others and remind people that God will never abandon those who are faithful to Him! Refer to the following scriptures below and let these empower you and others through faith!

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Isaiah 41:10 (AMPC)

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

John 14:6 (NASB)

“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”

John 15:18 (NASB)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9 (NASB)

Why would anyone harm you if you’re passionate and devoted to pleasing God? But even if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you will have the joyful experience of the blessing of God.  And

Don’t be intimidated or terrified

by those who would terrify you.

But give reverent honor in your hearts to the Anointed One and treat him as the holy Master of your lives. And if anyone asks about the hope living within you, always be ready to explain your faith with gentleness and respect. Maintain a clean conscience, so that those who slander you for living a pure life in Christ will have to lie about you and will be ashamed because of their slander.  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is in God’s plan, than for doing evil.

Christ suffered and died for sins once and for all—the innocent for the guilty —to bring you near to God by his body being put to death and by being raised to life by the Spirit.

1 Peter 3:13-19 (TPT)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)

Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”

Revelation 2:10-11 (NKJV)

Little children, you can be certain that you belong to God and have conquered them, for the One who is living in you is far greater than the one who is in the world.  They belong to this world and they articulate the spirit of this world, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and whoever truly knows God listens to us. Those who refuse to listen to us do not belong to God. That is how we can know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

1 John 4:4-6 (TPT)

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:19 (NKJV)

Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,

“I will take revenge;

    I will pay them back,”

    says the Lord.

Romans 12:19 (NLT)

Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:19 (NASB)

Beloved, don’t be obsessed with taking revenge, but leave that to God’s righteous justice.  For the Scriptures say:

“Vengeance is mine, and I will repay,” says the Lord.

Romans 12:19 (TPT)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists deceive you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been persecuting Israel while supporting the terrorist-sponsored Palestinians and the wicked BDS movement? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Have you been condemning churches and people of faith for a long time now? Have you been working as an agent of Iran to cause terror on others? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft?

All of that darkness mentioned above can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!

There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.

Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Father God,

I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.

With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!).  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly  and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God.

We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy. With God, nothing is impossible!

In ending this, here are some Christan worship music videos to stir you all up. Always have unwavering faith in God and always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

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Rejoice with Lord Jesus this Christmas!

Rejoice with Lord Jesus this Christmas!

carlocarrasco

Merry Christmas to all of you readers and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! It is Christmas time once again and that only means that we must keep honoring, thanking, remembering and praising Jesus for He is our Lord and Savior sent by the Heavenly Father.

Previously I blogged that Christmas has always been about Lord Jesus and this new faith piece I am writing is a follow-up to that. In this very divided and screwed-up world we live in, it is simply too easy for people to celebrate Christmas without prioritizing Lord Jesus at all. There are some, knowingly or unknowingly, who celebrate while forgetting or even disregarding Lord Jesus. And there are some who celebrate Christmas in a rather covetous manner, making material gains the top priority of the season instead of prioritizing the Lord. There are also others who celebrate Christmas without Lord Jesus as they were influenced by the works of entertainers who organized or published these so-called Christmas specials with unholy influences. In many cultures around the world, the fictional Santa Claus became the figure of the season instead of the Lord Himself. Christmas is to be celebrated with Lord Jesus first and foremost! To rejoice with Lord Jesus every Christmas season is the definitive way of celebrating the very season!

To understand the truth that Lord Jesus is the definitive reason of Christmas, let’s go to the Holy Bible with the following holy scriptures below…

Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;

All nations shall serve Him.

Psalm 72:11 (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Listen! A virgin will be pregnant, she will give birth to a Son, and he will be known as “Emmanuel,” which means in Hebrew, “God became one of us.”

Matthew 1:23 (TPT)

During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girl named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Rejoice, beloved young woman, for the Lord is with you and you are anointed with great favor.”

Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.”

Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!”

Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month. Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!”

Then Mary responded, saying, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38 (TPT)

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7 (ESV)

As seen above, the prophecy of the birth of Lord Jesus was recorded in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Psalm 72:11 and Isaiah 9:6 are just a few of many references to His birth. God our creator and Heavenly Father already made a plan to save all souls and bring to them peace, wisdom, love and salvation. The prophecy of Jesus’ birth continued in the New Testament and Matthew 1:23 is just one recorded reference.

As recorded in Luke 1:26-38, an angel from God came to Mary and told her she was anointed her with great favor and that she will be pregnant with none other than the Heavenly Father’s own son Jesus. Out of faith, Mary overcame the initial uncertainty (her being a virgin) and accepted her destiny to be God’s instrument on taking care of Jesus whose birth was nearing. Think about that very carefully! Imagine yourselves being approached by God and knowing how faithful you are to Him, He would approach you and trust you to follow His command and that His plans for you are always good. That being said, doubts and fear should easily be set aside to follow God’s command and be a part of His plan manifesting here on Earth. Faith in the Lord truly makes tremendous, positive changes happen! To serve the Lord with deep faith in Him is always an honor!

As recorded in Luke 2:7, Mary, who was accompanied by her husband Joseph, gave birth to the infant Jesus even without the privacy and comfort of an inn. People back then also had to live under the shadow of uncertainty and death in connection to the rules of the time. No matter how difficult their situation was, the birth of our Lord happened! There was no luck nor coincidence involved at all! The birth of Lord Jesus happened according to God’s plan! It was destiny realized with God’s favor!

More on the birth of Lord Jesus and His being the reason of Christmas, pay close attention to the following holy scriptures below…

Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem during the reign of King Herod. After Jesus’ birth a group of spiritual priests from the East came to Jerusalem and inquired of the people, “Where is the child who is born king of the Jewish people? We observed his star rising in the sky and we’ve come to bow before him in worship.”

King Herod was shaken to the core when he heard this, and not only he, but all of Jerusalem was disturbed when they heard this news. So he called a meeting of the Jewish ruling priests and religious scholars, demanding that they tell him where the promised Messiah was prophesied to be born.

“He will be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,” they told him. “Because the prophecy states:

And you, little Bethlehem,

are not insignificant among the clans of Judah,

for out of you will emerge

the Shepherd-King of my people Israel!”

Then Herod secretly summoned the spiritual priests from the East to ascertain the exact time the star first appeared. 8 And he told them, “Now go to Bethlehem and carefully look there for the child, and when you’ve found him, report to me so that I can go and bow down and worship him too.”

And on their way to Bethlehem, the same star they had seen in the East suddenly reappeared! Amazed, they watched as it went ahead of them and stopped directly over the place where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy. When they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell to the ground at his feet and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests full of gifts and presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward they returned to their own country by another route because God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

Matthew 2:1-12 (TPT)

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 (NKJV)

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NLT)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (ESV)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (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)

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV)

With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely. By doing this the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (TPT)

As Christians and children of God, we must always remember and live with the truth that our Lord and Savior Jesus is truly the reason for Christmas. No matter how savage or uncertain this world is right now, we must never lose faith in the Lord and it is only the Lord who can lift us up when we fall down. It is only He who can restore us, bless us and pave the way for us. The birth of Jesus has always been a key part of God’s plan for us all! The Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit love us all and we simply have to do our parts and responsibilities as members of the Body of Christ and the spiritual family (God’s family). That being said, celebrating Christmas with our Lord Jesus is the true way of celebrating the season.

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been persecuting Israel while supporting the terrorist-sponsored Palestinians and the wicked BDS movement? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord ? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Have you been condemning churches and people of faith for a long time now? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Have been a Planned Parenthood supporter or activist? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft? All of that darkness can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!

There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.

Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Father God,

I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.

With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!).  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly  and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.

In ending this, here are some Christmas music videos plus a Christmas worship service short clip for your engagement and immersion. Merry Christmas to all of you and always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

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Thank you for reading. If you find this Christian article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing the love of Christ can make a tremendously positive difference with 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 with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

Pray to the Lord to have Roe v. Wade in America overturned!

Pray to the Lord to have Roe v. Wade in America overturned!

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Since early 1973, the unholy and murderous act of abortion became legal in the United States of America as a result of the highly controversial Supreme Court decision referred to as Roe v. Wade. Since that time, many millions of unborn babies were killed and to this day the issue of abortion remains highly divisive among Americans.

Now there is a renewed hope for America’s people of faith, the pro-life movement and the defenders of the unborn as the established Mississippi state law that bands abortion at fifteen weeks of pregnancy has reached the Supreme Court and it looks like the justices of America’s highest court will uphold it and even go as far as overturning Roe v. Wade at long last.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the detailed report of CBN News. Some parts in boldface…

Constitutional experts were glued to the Supreme Court’s oral arguments Wednesday, looking for any clues as to how the justices might rule in a case that’s considered the biggest challenge to Roe v. Wade in decades.

And the six conservative-leaning justices appear poised to uphold the Mississippi law that bans abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. They could even take it a step further, which would mean overturning the so-called national right to abortion created under the landmark Roe case in 1973.

The Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart argued that the high court should get out of the business of crafting abortion policy and return the issue to the state legislatures to decide.

“Nowhere else does this court recognize a right to end a human life,” said Stewart. “The Constitution places its trust on the people… on hard issue after hard issue, the people make this country work. Abortion is a hard issue. It demands the best from all of us. Not a judgment by just a few of us.”

In Roe v. Wade, the Court declared that a right to abortion can be found within the right to privacy, stemming from the 14th Amendment.

But Stewart argued that the so-called right to abortion is not constitutional.

“A right to abortion is not grounded in the text,” said Stewart. “It’s grounded in abstract concepts.“

If the justices rule in favor of the Mississippi law it would undermine Roe, and if they overrule Roe it would break with precedent.

It’s why much of the arguments focused on the legal principle of “stare decisis,” and whether or not this is the moment to make such a dramatic change.

Some of the liberal justices worried aloud about the country’s trust if the new conservative majority leads the high court to reverse course.

“Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “I don’t see how it’s possible.”

“They’re going to be ready to say, ‘You’re just political, You’re just politicians.’ And that’s what kills us, as an American institution,” Justice Stephen Breyer argued.

Center for Reproductive Rights Director Julie Rikelman defended Roe before the court, arguing primarily that abortion is about women’s “liberty”.

“For a state to take control of a woman’s body and demand that she go through pregnancy and childbirth with all the physical risks and life-altering consequences that that brings is a fundamental deprivation of her liberty,” said Rikelman.

Justice Sotomayor asked about impoverished women who suffer medical complications with unwanted pregnancies.

Stewart responded that both the mother’s and child’s interests are important and so the states should be allowed to decide such a complicated issue in which two lives are at stake.

Justice Amy Barrett also noted that women with unwanted pregnancies have the option of adoption thanks to safe-haven laws.

“Why don’t safe haven laws take care of that problem,” asked Barrett. “That would answer the reliance concern.”

Rikelman contended that women have come to rely on abortion, and need it for success in education and work.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh pursued questions relating to neutrality and said the Court shouldn’t be forced to pick sides.

“Many say the Constitution is neither pro-life nor pro-abortion and should be left to the state or the Congress and that the court should be scrupulously neutral because the Constitution doesn’t give us the authority,” Kavanaugh said.

The above news ended stating that a decision from the Supreme Court won’t be known until June-July 2022. For more insight on this, watch the related news video posted below.

Pray for victory over abortion not only in America but also for the rest of the world

Abortion is truly unholy as it is clearly more about taking life away from the unborn. Never let the Satanic Left and its pawns (abortionists, radical feminists, socialists, Communists, Marxists, liberals, secularists, atheists, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the “My Body My Choice” fanatics and others) fool you! Abortion is absolutely not part of liberty and certainly not about freedom at all…it is a rebellious act against God who Himself made plans for each and every person long before they were even born here on this very divided world. Abortion is murder and there is no denying that! Abortion itself increased immorality in America and caused disruptions and division on countless families it affected. Abortion is truly evil. Learn from the following scriptures below…

You shall not murder.

Exodus 20:13 (NKJV)

There are six evils God truly hates

    and a seventh that is an abomination to him:

Putting others down while considering yourself superior,

    spreading lies and rumors,

    spilling the blood of the innocent,

   plotting evil in your heart toward another,

    gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong,

   spouting lies in false testimony,

    and stirring up strife between friends.

    These are entirely despicable to God!

Proverbs 6:16-19 (TPT)

I was cast upon You from birth.

From My mother’s womb

You have been My God.

Psalm 22:10 (NKJV)

The Lord gave me this message:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)

For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Psalm 139:13-16 (NKJV)

Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward.

Children born to a young couple will one day rise to protect

    and provide for their parents.

Happy will be the couple who has many of them!

    A household full of children will not bring shame on your name

    but victory when you face your enemies,

    for your offspring will have influence and honor

    to prevail on your behalf!

Psalm 127:3-5 (TPT)

With the fate of abortion rights in America on the balance, now is the time for us all to pray to our Lord to enlighten the Supreme Court justices so they will vote decisively to uphold Mississippi’s law and strike down Roe v. Wade once and for all! It does not matter if you are a citizen of the United States or not. What matters is you are a faithful child of the Lord, you faithfully follow His Word and you can help Him save the unborn from certain death. Overturning Roe v. Wade will also be a major push back against the Satanic Left and their members, including the most radical abortionists, will realize their errors, come to Jesus to repent and submit themselves to Him. Pray to the Lord that nationwide legalized abortion in America will end and pray that the followers of Satan will decide to leave him behind, stop being evil and come to our Lord for forgiveness and salvation. Do not cease praying to our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the breakthrough! Live on with unwavering faith in the Lord!

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord ? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Have been a Planned Parenthood supporter or activist? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft? All of that darkness can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!

There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.

Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Father God,

I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.

With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!).  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly  and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.

In ending this, here are some videos of Christian worship music for you to enjoy and praise the Lord with. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

COVID-19 Crisis: Panic and the closing of borders related to the Omicron variant

COVID-19 Crisis: Panic and the closing of borders related to the Omicron variant

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As a growing number of nations closed their borders to foreign travelers due to the fear over the Omicron variant (coronavirus variant B.1.1.529) magnified by secular and liberal news media organizations, CBN News published a related news report highlighting the statement of the head of the South African Medical Association that Western nations are panicking unnecessarily over the said new variant.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from CBN News’ report. Some parts in boldface…

The World Health Organization calls Omicron “a variant of concern,” but admits more needs to be learned about it. 

Initial reports describe it as having very mild symptoms.

But the virus may also be highly transmissible. Two new cases have just been confirmed in Canada, the first known to have reached North America. 

Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of Brown University’s School of Public Health, said preliminary evidence shows that it is more transmissible. “We don’t know for sure. We really have no data on severity, whether it’s more severe, milder, or more significant,” Jha said.

The United States has decided to ban travelers from South Africa and seven other countries in the region.

Israel has closed its borders to noncitizens for two weeks and has authorized cell phone surveillance of anyone confirmed to be carrying the variant. 

Japan also suspended entry to foreign visitors.

But the head of the South African Medical Association, Dr. Angelique Coetzee, said Western nations are panicking unnecessarily. 

“There’s body aches and pain with a bit of a headache, not really sore throat, more of a scratchy type of description and no cough and no loss of smell or taste. And that’s what I call ‘mild symptoms.‘”

South Africa’s Health Minister, Joe Phaala, slammed what he called the ‘draconian’ travel bans.

“The reaction of some of the countries in terms of imposing travel bans and such measures are completely against the norms and standards as guided by the World Health Organization.” 

Here in the Philippines, the Omicron variant news reports sparked calls for ramping up COVID-19 vaccination just as the 3-day nationwide vaccination drive resulted 2.5 million shots administered on the first day. Omicron also brought local stocks down by a little over 1% on November 29 and the Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) recommended to President Rodrigo Duterte the required wearing of face shields (which are unpopular and are really inconvenient to use as they distort vision and make verbal communication more problematic). These local developments show how much of a negative impact Omicron has made through the news and also shows how concerned or panicky people could get.

Anyone who follows Jesus as Lord and Savior should know that no matter what the situation and no matter how much fear and negativity the global new media spreads, they should NOT panic at all and should maintain unwavering faith in Him for protection and lifting.

To all the faithful as well as all others who have not yet accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior reading this…the Lord will not abandon us nor forsake us. Trust in the Lord wholeheartedly and eternally. Submit to the Lord and be led by the Holy Spirit. Learn from the following scriptures below…

Do not yield to fear, for I am always near.
    Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God.
    I will infuse you with my strength
    and help you in every situation.
    I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.’
“All who rage against you will be ashamed and disgraced.
    All who contend with you will perish and disappear.
 You will look for your enemies in vain;
    those who war against you will vanish without a trace!

Isaiah 41:10-12 (TPT)

Fear and intimidation is a trap that holds you back.
    But when you place your confidence in the Lord,
    you will be seated in the high place.

Proverbs 29:25 (TPT)

Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

Then Moses called Joshua and said to him in the sight of all Israel, “Be strong and of good courage, for you must go with this people to the land which the Lord has sworn to their fathers to give them, and you shall cause them to inherit it. And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.”

So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

Deuteronomy 31:6-9 (NKJV)

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/

For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673

Philippine President Manny Pacquiao?

Philippine President Manny Pacquiao?

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After retiring from boxing, the famous incumbent Senator Manny Pacquiao officially filed his candidacy running for President of the Philippines in the next national election which will happen on May 9, 2022.

That’s right, readers! The iconic Manny Pacquiao (AKA the People’s Champion, PacMan and Pambansang Kamao) is aiming higher once again and the challenge is more tremendous as the Presidency is the most attractive post of power in the nation which concerns both political stakeholders and the masses of Filipinos in general. His climb from poverty to prosperity is very well known and often his boxing matches broadcast all over the Philippines attracted lots of viewers from their homes, the public viewing venues and on the local community spots.

While there have been reports of politics-related division over his run for President (click here, here and here), Pacquiao is not a political newcomer as he served his constituents in Sarangani Province for six years as their Representative in the House of Representatives, and he has been serving as Senator of the Philippines since mid-2016.

More important than politics is Pacquiao’s deep faith in the Lord. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the article of Charismanews.com (citing varied sources)…

Raised Roman Catholic, Manny strayed from the church as he rose to fame in his boxing career. “I went to church on Sunday, but from Monday through Saturday I was in the bar drinking,” he told CBN. “I was gambling. Careless words came out of my mouth. I committed adultery. I didn’t care.”

But one day he read a letter that gripped his heart. “I received a letter from my mother saying my sister stopped going to school because I stopped sending them the money. I cried, blaming myself for spending all the money on alcohol.”

That same night in 2011, not long after his third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, God visited Manny in a powerful dream. “I heard the voice of God in my dream. His voice was 10 times louder than thunder. He said to me, “My child, my child, why have you gone astray?” he recounted to CBN.

In the dream, which unfolded in a beautiful forest amid flowers, he also saw two angels, according to an interview with The Blaze. “When I heard the voice of God I felt like I died. … I was in the middle of the forest and I was kneeling and praying with my face on the ground and then I saw a light, a very white light and I heard the voice.”

He said the angels had “white, long, big wings” and said that God revealed to him “about the end of time.”

“I felt I was melting when I heard the voice of God. It was the turning point in my life. God spoke to me and he told me what He wanted me to do and I had to follow (Him).”

For a while, Manny tried to ignore the dream. But one day he felt compelled to pick up the Bible and begin reading it for himself. “I forgot about that dream, but when I started reading the Bible, the first verse I read said that God talked to a man through dreams. I realized, wow, my dream was real,” he told CBN.

As a result of the power of God’s Word, the working of the Holy Spirit in his heart and the compelling dream, Manny surrendered his life to Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior.

“I’m happy because I found the right way, salvation, born again,” he told The Blaze. “We are required to be born again, all of us. Christ said unless we are born again we cannot enter the kingdom of God. So it’s very important to me. Jesus Christ said: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’ There is no other way. The only way is through Jesus.”

“When you accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your Lord and Savior, you have eternal life.”   

God has a purpose for Pacquiao

Going back to his candidacy for President, Pacquiao revealed in an exclusive interview with CBN News that God has a purpose for him and mentioned that he is to provide not only inspiration to the Filipinos but also to help them and fight for them. He also shared his observations about corruption and injustice in the Philippines. Pay close attention to the excerpt from the CBN News article below…

“I just heard the final bell,” were the words of the great boxing icon, Manny Pacquiao as he announced his retirement from his phenomenal boxing career. Over four decades, he became the only boxer to win 12 world titles in eight different divisions.

He thanked the boxing world for getting him and his family out of poverty and for inspiring many people.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced Saturday he no longer intends on running for vice president in next year’s elections and plans on retiring from politics when his term ends.

Pacquiao, who is currently a senator in the Philippines, has announced his candidacy for next year’s presidential elections.

He spoke with CBN News about his decision and what compelled him to run for the presidency.

“I want to focus on a bigger fight in life which is serving the people, fighting against corruption and injustice,” Pacquiao said.

Part of that corruption deals with $200 million in unaccounted-for aid that was meant to fight the pandemic. Pacquiao has questioned four government agencies for alleged misuse.

“I saw the situation of this country is really bad. People are suffering. What I saw is hopeless. Our people deserve a better future,” Pacquiao said.

“I always believe God has a purpose for me. He raised me from nothing into something for a purpose. Not only giving inspiration to the people, but to help them and fight for them,” he said.

What is his answer to people who say this is going to be very difficult as he fights against corrupt people who are in power?

“One of my favorite verses is Isaiah 41:10, ‘Do not fear for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’ Only to God (do) we have fear. I believe He will uphold me with His righteous right hand,” he said.

The above article ended quoting Pacquiao who said that glorifying God in our daily lives is the most import thing. That I personally agree with! In relation to Pacquiao’s mention of Isaiah 41:10 from the Holy Bible, posted below are a few translations of the said holy scripture.

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Do not yield to fear, for I am always near.

    Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God.

    I will infuse you with my strength

    and help you in every situation.

    I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (TPT)

Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.

Isaiah 41:10 (AMPC)

For more references about Manny Pacquiao’s faith in the Lord and his dedication to God’s Word, watch the following videos below…

Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your opinion right now about Manny Pacquiao’s candidacy for the Presidency of the Philippines? Does Pacquiao inspire you to come to Lord Jesus and follow the Word of God? Is boxing still the first thing you think about when Pacquiao’s name gets mentioned? Have you prayed to the Lord for guidance with regards to the May 2022 national and local elections which can impact the direction of the entire Philippines?

You may answer in the comments below. If you prefer to answer privately, you may do so by sending me a direct message online.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Planetshakers’ newest album REVIVAL and latest music videos now available!

Planetshakers’ newest album REVIVAL and latest music videos now available!

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Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and all those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! There is something new and exciting to help you keep worshiping the Lord with and that is none other than the brand-new album of Planetshakers Church (Australia) titled REVIVAL!

REVIVAL was recently released and people around the world can avail of it through multiple online venues such as Planetshakers’ official YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and Deezer.

To understand REVIVAL more, posted below is the excerpt from Planetshakers’ official announcement. Some parts in boldface…

As the world faces one of its most challenging predicaments and the church globally faces restrictions in the free world that are surprising, to say the least, God declared over Planetshakers, as a movement, ‘REVIVAL!’

REVIVAL, the album was recorded live during the Planetshakers REVIVAL Conference held in Melbourne, Australia, during a brief break in the pandemic lockdowns.

“He then opened up a window of opportunity for us to join together as a church to hold REVIVAL Conference…It was raw, emotional and powerful! In the midst of restriction, God was not restricted. He moved in healing power—restoring, renewing, reviving.” exclaims Worship Leader and Pastor Sam Evans.

A view of the REVIVAL conference of Planetshakers and their unwavering worship of the Lord.

Capturing the pent-up, heartfelt roar of praise and worship that erupted during the conference, in perhaps the most raw live recording ever released from Planetshakers, REVIVAL is a full production experience.

“The songs we were singing and the declarations we were making were sothe opposite of what we were experiencing. We want to share this experience with the world with the hope of encouraging and empowering others to stand on God’s promise and believe in His ability to revive any situation with His mighty resurrection power.” continues Pastor Sam.

In relation to what was stated above, it is indeed true that when God’s children fall down, He lifts them up. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on people and societies around the world and the effects include the prohibition of on-site, indoor worship services in churches. Still Planetshakers successfully organized its REVIVAL conference when the situation in their city eased thanks to the Lord’s intervention and I still believe that in due time this pandemic will end because God will make a way for as long as we have unwavering faith in Him and continue to praise Him and glorify Him eternally. Learn from the following holy scriptures…

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13 (NLT)

“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Praise God in his holy sanctuary!

    Praise him in his stronghold in the sky!

Praise him for his mighty miracles!

    Praise him for his magnificent greatness!

Praise him with trumpets blasting!

    Praise him with piano and guitar!

Praise him with drums and dancing!

    Praise him with loud clashing of cymbals!

    Praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals!

Let everyone everywhere join in the crescendo

    of ecstatic praise to Yahweh!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150:1-6 (TPT)

Going back to Planetshakers’ music, REVIVAL’s worship songs include I Know You Can, Way Truth Life, All My Life, I Stand in Awe, Back to Life, Above The Storm, Free Indeed, I Gotta Praise, Running, In Your Presence, and Revival’s Here.

In ending this piece, posted below are the latest music videos of the songs All My Life, I Know You Can and I Stand in Awe from REVIVAL for you to enjoy. All praise and glory to our Lord! Be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

For other Planetshakers-related articles of mine, click here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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.

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

Glorify only our Lord, definitively and eternally!

Glorify only our Lord, definitively and eternally!

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Glory is truly meant only for our Lord. Not people, not carved figures, not images and not man-made creations. We only glorify the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit.

In recent times, South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker glorified God and used her successful achievements at the Tokyo Olympic Games to lead others to Him. The said achievements include establishing new records in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke and also in the 200-meter breaststroke. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the CBN News report. Some parts in boldface…

Tatjana Schoenmaker — an Olympic swimmer from South Africa — has shattered records this week in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, and she’s using her success to point others to God.

The swimmer set a new Olympic record Wednesday in the preliminary round with a time of 2:19.16. Then on Friday, she went on to win the gold in the event, setting a new world record with a time of 2:18.95.

The 24-year-old Olympian broke another record in the preliminary rounds for the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.82. She ended up claiming the silver medal in the Monday event, Sportsnet reported.

In all her competitions in Tokyo, Schoenmaker has worn — under her green South Africa swim cap — another cap proclaiming her faith.

The white Speedo cap the athlete is wearing features a blue Jesus fish under the phrase “Soli Deo Gloria,” which means “Glory to God alone,” printed on the side of it.

Schoenmaker has used her platform to discuss her Christian faith before.

In an Instagram post last week, she posted a prayer as she traveled to Tokyo for the summer Olympic Games.

On the mentioned Instagram post, Schoenmaker wrote: Father God may your will be done, may your peace fill us up, may we praise you no matter what the outcome, may we be empowered by your strength to give it our all and may we forever be in the awe of your goodness! Thank you for bringing us to this very moment 🙏🏻

It is essential to be mindful that inhabitants of this deeply divided world struggle with the temptations of honoring and even worshiping their fellow people who achieved greatness or are simply charming. Think about all the people who idolized movie stars, sports champions, fashion models, dancers, politicians and even fictional characters! Idolatry towards individual persons begins when people get overwhelmed by the would-be-idol’s success or charisma, and this leads them to prioritizing those individuals and forget the Lord as a result. Idolatry is unholy, foolish and will separate people from the Lord! Nobody should ever give in to the temptation of idolizing because that is precisely what Satan wants. Learn from the New Living Translation (NLT) and The Passion Translation (TPT) of 1 Corinthians 6:9:-10 below…

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)

Surely you must know that people who practice evil cannot possess God’s kingdom realm. Stop being deceived! People who continue to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, or extortion—these will not inherit God’s kingdom realm.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TPT)

It is also important to remember that God is our Creator and our Source. Blessings in the forms of heavenly income and tremendous human achievements only come from Him. By comparison, idols will never bless their idolaters no matter how much they idolize! As such, it was right and proper for South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker to glorify God because what she achieved was made possible by Him. Only God can make the impossible become possible. In using her success to honor God, Schoenmaker is also doing her part in helping Him save the countless lost and unsaved souls of this world, and help Him build His Kingdom here on Earth.

Of course, I am not saying that fellow people who achieve greatness should be ignored. They can still be congratulated, rewarded and be celebrated to a certain limit. To worship or prioritize the human achiever over our Lord is very wrong. Glorify God, not people. Follow His Word, not those man-made doctrines or pieces of fiction. Be led by faith in the Lord, not religion, not unbelief, and not by this divided world. Learn from the following holy scriptures below…

Now to God, the only source of wisdom, be glorious praises for endless ages through Jesus, the Anointed One! Amen!

Romans 16:27 (TPT)

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3 (NKJV)

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

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 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 beauty are in His sanctuary.

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 into His courts.

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:1-9 (NKJV)

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:13-15 (NKJV)

Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace.

1 Peter 4:10 (TPT)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Mark 12:30 (NKJV)

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others.

For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One!

Colossians 3:23-24 (TPT)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still addicted to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? All of that darkness can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.

Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Father God,

I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.

With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!).  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits here and there. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly  and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.

In ending this, here are some videos of Christian worship music for you to enjoy and praise the Lord with. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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.

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

I Love Israel: Israel opening up on May 23, 2021 to foreign tourists who got vaccinated for COVID-19

I Love Israel: Israel opening up on May 23, 2021 to foreign tourists who got vaccinated for COVID-19

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Israel (population 9.3 million), which recently celebrated its 73rd Independence Day, announced that it will welcome foreign visitors who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 (China virus) starting May 23, 2021. The opening of the borders for foreigners will be done gradually (by stage). Filipinos or Philippine passport holders may enjoy visa-free access into Israel for up to ninety (90) days.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the recent news article published through Philippine News Agency (PNA). Key parts in bold…

Israel is opening up its borders to foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) starting next month.

The Israel Ministry of Tourism said the initiative will begin on May 23, starting with a limited number of groups that will be increased based on the health situation and progress of the program.

Individual travelers will be allowed into Israel in its “second stage”, with health considerations determining the timeline.

“All visitors will be required to undergo a PCR test before boarding the flight to Israel, and a serological test to prove their vaccination, upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport” it said.

In the meantime, discussions will continue with various countries to reach agreements for vaccine-certificate validation, so as to cancel the need for the serological test.

Israel’s vaccination program has been successful, outpacing much of the world in inoculating its population.

“After opening the economy, it is time to allow tourism in a careful and calculated manner. Opening the tourism is important for one of the fields most hurt during the COVID year. We will continue to look at easing regulations in accordance with the health situation,” said Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s Minister of Health.

This is really great news! Personally, it is my heartful desire to visit the Holy Land in Israel where I can discover places Lord Jesus had been to, realize what I’ve learned in the Holy Bible and deepen my faith in Him even more.

I also strongly value the friendship between Israel and my native Philippines. In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte and his delegation had a groundbreaking visit to Israel. The friendship of the two nations was clearly reflected during the Networking Night of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) of 2019 which I personally attended. It should be noted that Filipino caregivers in Israel were vaccinated for COVID-19 for free. Truly the Israel-Philippines relationship should be treasured forever! For insight about the many Filipinos who got vaccinated in Israel, watch the video below…

For all Christians reading this…if you are looking for spiritual tours of the Holy Land with a credible tour organizer, I suggest Behold Israel. You can check out their Holy Land tour packages online. For those who have yet to know Behold Israel, it was founded in 2001 by Amir Tsarfati who grew up and lived in Israel all his life. After the end of his military service, he studied at Israel’s School of Tourism at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and worked as a licensed tour guide for Sar El Tours and Conferences, and was eventually promoted to CEO (Chief Executive Officer). While guiding dozens of church groups from around the world, God convicted him of the great need – particularly within Evangelical Christianity – to explain Israel and its role in God’s plan. Since 2013, Behold Israel became a major provider of the worldwide, real-time access to reliable sources of news and information about Israel from within the powerful context of Bible history and prophecy. I encourage you to visit https://beholdisrael.org/ and for insight, I recommend watching the videos below (one of which was Amir Tsarfati’s online interaction with my fellow Filipinos).

There is also the organization Christians United for Israel (CUFI) which now has over 10,000,000 members worldwide who are dedicated to defend Israel and fight against anti-Semitism. CUFI is the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States and is the foremost Christian organization educating and empowering millions of Americans to speak and act with one voice in defense of Israel and the Jewish people. The organization is committed to confronting indifference and combating anti-Semitism in all its forms wherever it may be found. CUFI was founded in early 2006 and since grown tremendously. They are accepting donations online and if you believe in protecting and empowering Israel, head on to https://cufi.org/donation/donate/

Going back to Israel-Philippines relations, there is also the online presence of the Israeli Embassy in the Philippines (Facebook page: Israel in the Philippines). Check out their web page welcoming message below…

We will never forget how President Manuel Quezon opened the doors of the Philippines to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe during the Holocaust.

Israel has a great deal of admiration for the approximately 30,000 Filipino caregivers who are working in Israel and have an integral, cherished and respected part of Israeli society.

Israel is considered global high-tech power and a leader in cyber industry. I’m also very proud of the long agriculture cooperation between our two countries. We are excited to promote cooperation in these areas.

Ambassador Rafael Harpaz

On the Facebook page Israel in the Philippines are lots of useful updates related to Israel and its ties with the Philippines. They also publish videos about Israeli culture, cuisine, places of Israel and more. Important or special events are also announced. As such, I recommend you to visit and follow Israel in the Philippines.

In ending this, here are videos related to Israel from the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) and from Hagee Ministries for you to watch. Love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Darlene Zschech and Planetshakers

Darlene Zschech and Planetshakers

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I deeply admire and follow Darlene Zschech. For the newcomers reading this, Darlene Zschech is a long-time worship leader, a great singer of Christian music and she has been following Lord Jesus and living by the Word of God for decades now. I love her worship songs such as Shout to the Lord, You Are Holy, The Potter’s Hand, and In Jesus’ Name to name a few. I also own a copy of her book The Art of Mentoring: Embracing The Great Generational Transition. Apart from listening to Christian worship songs she performed, I also attended worship services of Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) online and learned from her teaching of the Word of God.

From her teaching of the Word during the HopeUC worship service of February 28, 2021, Darlene Zschech stated the following lines that I personally related.

 “Worship is our life before God.”

“Worship gives expression to a life made right with God.”

To this day, Darlene Zschech continues to follow our Lord and help bring countless others to Him. She truly has been anointed by the Lord and lives on by His holiness. I strongly recommend you follow Darlene Zschech via her website and her social media channels. I also encourage you to do the same by following HopeUC online.

Next I want to talk about Planetshakers Church. I often watch them on Sundays. They truly are great with their performances of Christian music (check out my Christian Music Appreciation pieces about their worship songs How I Praise, Great Outpouring, 247 365, Encounter Song, and All) and along the way they actively emphasize the biblical truth, emphasize the Lord presence and help lead people to Him. Planetshakers truly is dedicated with their enduring mission to see generations of people around the world to unite together to worship God.

“Our heart is to see people encounter God, be transformed by His presence and empowered to make a difference in our world,” Planetshakers stated on their Facebook page. I encourage you all to also read their statement of beliefs at their official website.

During their Sunday worship services, pastor Sam Evans leads very powerful prayers (which I love following to deepen my faith in the Lord) between the performances of worship songs. Her husband senior pastor Russell usually teaches the Word of God. I should also state that Planetshakers last visited my native Philippines in January 2020 and organized successful events, attracting a whole of attendees and help lead them to our Lord.

To put it short, our world has been blessed by the Lord with Darlene Zschech (along with HopeUC where she and her husband Mark serve) and Planetshakers serving Him faithfully and passionately.

And then a blessing happened in 2020…

Planetshakers organized their video program titled Friends of Planetshakers and in one of their episodes, they had Darlene Zschech as their special guest! The good news here is that anyone who missed out can watch the said special episode on Planetshakers’ official YouTube channel!

That being said, I posted below for your convenience Darlene Zschech on Friends of Planetshakers! There are lots of great moments of talk and interactions between Darlene Zschech and Planetshakers! So many great moments and wonderful sharing about faith and experiences are there. I will not post any excerpt or quotes from the Friends of Planetshakers episodes here as I want you all to watch and discover them all. Just click, watch, enjoy and keep on having unwavering faith in Lord Jesus, God our Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit!

In ending this piece, here are a few significant scriptures from the Holy Bible for you all. Be led by faith, always worship our Lord and keep on being the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

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)

And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His Mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, and because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Ezra 3:11 (NKJV)

Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.

Psalm 98:4 (NKJV)

For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.

1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. 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.

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

Seek Lord Jesus first!

Seek Lord Jesus first!

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Always seek Lord Jesus first! If you are lost in your life, reach out to Him not for temporary solutions but for a new life of holiness, blessings and salvation! If you had worshiped idols – be it statues or statuettes, images, relics or people – for so long, you can change for the better by rejecting them all and reach out to Jesus who is in Heaven and His Spirit is in the hearts of Christians.

Be aware that we are living in the flesh in the middle of a truly divided and chaotic world. Religion, unbelief, socio-political uprisings and other worldly elements are hindering the lost and unsaved souls from realizing faith in the Lord. It is only Lord Jesus, not those worldly leaders and elements, who can truly save the lost and the unsaved. Our Lord is holy and what is worldly is not holy.

If you want to be saved, you have to be born again because Lord Jesus said so. Read the holy scripture below…

Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3 (NASB)

John 3:3 alone is a compelling reason for you to seek Lord Jesus, submit to Him and gain salvation through Him. Getting born again means starting a completely new life as a believer of Jesus and as a true child of God. After submitting yourself to Him, confessing your sins to Him directly and accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, your sins will be forgiven and you can finally free yourself from all of the sinful elements (influences of Satan) that dominated you in your old life. Live on as the new creation in Christ. Take note of what is written in the holy scripture below…

Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)

The above scripture is closely related to John 3:3. It makes an even stronger case for you to seek and reach out to Jesus, and you have the authority (the decision) to become a new creation as well as a new member of the spiritual family – God’s family!

The truth is that it is not God’s nature to force you to submit to Him. He really wants you to make the great decision to be His child willingly through His Son Jesus. Learn from the holy scripture below…

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NASB)

As recorded in the Holy Bible, Lord Jesus made miracles happen, helped the sufferers, uplifted many people, preached the truth to others, established His ministry, died for everyone’s sins, conquered death to make His presence clear to everyone, and ascended to Heaven with the promise that He will return. This is another reason why you must seek Lord Jesus!

After becoming a new creation, your new life under God truly begins. This is no accident because God brought the new creation to a new life for purposes such as serving Him. How to serve the Lord? Follow His Word (the Holy Bible) and implement the biblical lessons into your life. Have fellowship with the Lord and whatever His command for you is, do it without hesitation. While having fellowship with Him, ask Him about what He has planned for you since before you were even created. Getting yourself planted in a local church that the Lord wants you be part of so that you can be guided by a truly spiritual pastor and connect yourself with other Christians who got born again. Preach God’s Word to others around you and help the Lord save all the lost and unsaved souls of this world.

As a child of God, you get to serve Him and worship only Him. Never aim to be as great nor greater than our Lord because such a desire futile. To be very clear, desiring greatness is not a sin but motivations to be equal or greater than Him, or defying His plans are simply wrong.  

Instead of aiming to be equal or great than the Lord, it is proper to have ambitions that center on the glory of God and on the welfare of the church (not a building, not a fleshly hierarchy but the community of people who believe and follow Lord Jesus) which is a mighty and holy force for good. Within the members of the church and God’s family, the true spiritual leader will not campaign for promotion and instead he or she will always prioritize the Lord and lead his or her siblings-in-Christ to Him! That being said, it is always essential to seek Lord Jesus first! Also, never forget to always respect the authority of our Lord.

In the Holy Bible, servant leadership is emphasized in Mark 10:35-45. Below are some verses about two men who approached Lord Jesus with thoughts about promoting themselves. Read the details closely…

Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.”

And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?”

They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.”

But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?”

They said to Him, “We are able.”

So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.”

And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them.

Mark 10:35-42 (NKJV)

As seen in the above verse, James and John were misguided with their perception of Jesus and with their approach to Him. They wanted to be lifted by Him to be as great as Him, and they did not realize that their desires were wrong. They did not really know what they desired and as a result they asked Him rather carelessly. At that precise point of time within the Holy Bible, James and John did not know their rightful place under the Lord.

All of us, you, me and others, were created by God to worship Him, honor Him, serve Him, glorify Him, prioritize Him and do His will. That being said, we should be aware already about our rightful places under His authority. Again, it is not a sin to desire greatness but there are limits to such desires. If you are to desire for greatness at all, how about aiming high to serve our Lord and respect His authority, fully learning and implementing the Bible’s lessons into your life, preaching the Word of God and relentlessly help lead people to Lord Jesus? You can desire to be a great believer and servant of the Lord! To be clear, seek out Lord Jesus, ask Him how to serve Him and ask what He wants to command you to do. Do not forget that the Lord has plans for you which were made before the beginning of time!

Never forget to respect His authority and never desire to be as great as nor greater than Him. Never let pride dominate you and never desire to be superior over God’s children. Learn from the following scripture below…

Don’t boast in the presence of a king or promote yourself by taking a seat at the head table and pretend that you’re someone important.

Proverbs 25:6 (TPT)

Moving on, another great reason to seek out Lord Jesus is that peace, relief and rest await those who truly believe in Him. Truly Lord Jesus has no intention to lead us to more pain and frustrations. In fact, helping His believers is part of His nature and it is also part of God’s plan for us all. Read the following scripture below…

And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.”

Mark 6:31 (NKJV)

Mark 6:31 pointed back to the time when Lord Jesus withdrew His disciples from the crowds in order to rest and to avoid the hostility of the Jewish religious leaders and the jealousy of Herod. In addition, He also made possible to teach the disciples in solitude. To put it simply, you seek Jesus and join fellow faithful followers of His following Him, He will lead you all to places or opportunities where you can have peace and stability with Him. With the Lord, you do not need to be worried anymore! If you have been born again, there is no good reason to slide back to your old life. After all, Lord Jesus’ way is always the right way!

Moving on, another good reason to seek Lord Jesus is to rely on His authority. While living in the flesh in the middle of this very divided world, varied bodies of authority are plentiful (from the local community to the city, the province or state, the national authority and the global authorities) but each of them is flawed. As such, there will always be dissenters as well as rebels that challenge those bodies of authority.

With the authority of our Lord, we the faithful will always be protected and He is invulnerable to anyone who challenges His authority. Learn from the scripture below…

Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?”

But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.”

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.”

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Mark 11:27-33 (NKJV)

The above scripture shows the limitations of people who have been so oriented with worldly developments and teachings, they failed to realize the holiness, wisdom and the heavenly authority of Lord Jesus. After His authority was challenged by their curiosity, Lord Jesus challenged them (a group of scribes and wise men no less) and ultimately, they failed. Think about that! A group of wise men, local leaders and scribes failed to understand our Lord and saw their questioning of His authority fail. It shows that humanity that focused on and lived by everything worldly (including worldly authority) is severely limited. The same can be said about the people working with worldly authorities as well as the people who question and rebel against the same authorities. Again, this is reason why people who seek salvation and become holy should seek our Lord and rely on His invulnerable authority. In relation to this, read the following scripture below…

I have set the LORD always before me;

Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

Psalm 16:8 (NKJV)

Moving on, another reason to seek Lord Jesus is to seek God’s Kingdom, become a child of God and become citizen of His Kingdom. As already mentioned earlier, getting born again is essential as Lord Jesus stated in John 3:3. After getting born again, you start your new life as a child of God led by faith in Him and living by His Word. It is expected that as a Christian, you must grow and mature spiritually just as your serve the Lord. To be a child of God as well as a citizen of His Kingdom make you exceptional! With your new life and new spiritual status, you must always be ready to perform good works under His commands. Ask God for His plans for your life and also ask Him to command you so you can serve Him rightfully. Do not be reckless. Be led by faith and follow the Lord’s instructions without hesitation! The Lord will bless you, provide for you, protect you and love you as you maintain your personal relationship with Him! Learn from the following scripture below…

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

As a child of God and a citizen of His Kingdom, do good works in serving Him and whatever happens, always maintain unwavering faith in Him and always look up to Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The truth is Lord Jesus is the mediator between us and God our Heavenly Father. That being said, we must only worship God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We must never worship people, statues/statuettes, images and relics. Speaking of the human idols (both the dead and the walking), never worship them and never let religious leaders deceive you to prioritize them as much as our Lord. The walking, white-wearing religious idol in Rome who leads a corrupt religion-led and idolatrous hierarchy is not the mediator between humans and God. Only Lord Jesus is the mediator and our true high priest. Reject all idols and seek Lord Jesus first! Realize the truth in the final two holy scriptures below…

Then they said to Him, “What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent.”

John 6:28-29 (NKJV)

For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.

1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists and secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious fanatic? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you fed up with being promiscuous? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you an anarchist, a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists who has had enough with darkness? Are you addicted to something for so long? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? All of that darkness can end! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord willingly and realize He is the Light! No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.

Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:

Father God,

I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.

With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church near you and find your place in the spiritual family.  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits here and there. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly  and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters and idol makers fool you into making you unholy.

In ending this, here are some videos of Christian worship music for you to enjoy and praise the Lord with. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=D02AuwY-wck

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