Tag: Book of Philippians

Christian Music Appreciation: How Great is Our God

Christian Music Appreciation: How Great is Our God

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Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on How Great is Our God, a very well-known worship song written by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reeves. The song was part of the DVD release of the live praise-and-worship Hillsong Worship album titled Mighty to Save.

If you want to discover and learn more about Hillsong Worship, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). To learn more about Chris Tomlin, click here (Facebook), here (Instagram) and here (official website).

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of How Great is Our God, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reeves.

Lyrics:

The splendor of a king

Clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice

All the earth rejoice

–

He wraps Himself in light,

And darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice

Trembles at His voice

–

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see

How great, how great is our God

–

Age to age He stands

And time is in His hands

Beginning and the end

Beginning and the end

–

The Godhead Three in One

Father, Spirit and Son

The Lion and the Lamb

The Lion and the Lamb

–

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see

How great, how great is our God

–

Name above all names

Worthy of all praise

My heart will sing

How great is our God

–

Name above all names

You are worthy of all praise

And my heart will sing

How great is our God

–

[3x]

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see

How great, how great is our God

–

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the first section of the lyrics above: The splendor of a king, Clothed in majesty, Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice.

The above lines emphasize the greatness of God in Heaven. In His Kingdom, the Lord is the ultimate which is undeniably true and as His faithful children, we do our part honoring Him, praising Him, serving Him, rejoicing with Him and keep on having an eternal personal relationship with Him. God’s greatness also rewards us as we keep on having unwavering faith in Him. Do not forget that submitting to His Son Jesus is the only way to the Heavenly Father. Learn from the following holy scriptures below…

To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.

1 Chronicles 29:11 (MSG)

And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,”

Nehemiah 1:5 (NKJV)

For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

1 Samuel 12:22 (ESV)

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”

John 14:6 (TPT)

Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (TPT)

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!

Philippians 4:4 (MSG)

Next, take a close look at the next batch of lines from the lyrics: He wraps Himself in light, And darkness tries to hide, And trembles at His voice, Trembles at His voice

The above lines explain that the holiness of the Heavenly Father is true and eternal. God is great and His light shines upon His faithful children as well as the other souls who repented and submitted to His Son Lord Jesus to come to Him in the Kingdom of Light. Darkness, sin, destruction, poverty and other elements of the enemy have no place in God’s kingdom nor in the hearts of the children of God. With unwavering and unbreakable faith in the Lord, you can defeat Satan and his minions and stay high with the Lord’s holiness! Pay close attention to the following holy scriptures.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty—

[You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent,

Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,

Psalm 104:1-3 (AMPC)

Everything I am will praise and bless the Lord!

O Lord, my God, your greatness takes my breath away,

overwhelming me by your majesty, beauty, and splendor!

You wrap yourself with a shimmering, glistening light.

You wear sunshine like a garment of glory.

You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry.

You build your balconies with light beams

and ride as King in a chariot you made from clouds.

You fly upon the wings of the wind.

Psalms 104:1-3 (TPT)

There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You; there is no Rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (AMPC)

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

James 2:19 (NKJV)

Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.

[Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 1:12-15 (AMPC)

Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world, and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”

John 8:12 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the next batch of lines from the lyrics. Specifically, the following are lines from the chorus of the song: How great is our God, Sing with me, How great is our God, And all will see, How great, how great is our God.

The above lines emphasize again the greatness of God. It teaches us that as His faithful children, we should be ready to always recognize true greatness comes from the Lord and no other forms of greatness will ever come close to His. The greatness of the Lord is a lively reminder that we must dedicated ourselves to Him, spread His Word to others and help the lost and unsaved souls come to Lord Jesus to be with the Heavenly Father and realize His greatness. Read the hole scriptures below…

There is none like you, O Lord;

you are great, and your name is great in might.

Jeremiah 10:6 (ESV)

For God is the triumphant King; all the powers of the earth are his. So sing your celebration songs of highest praise to the glorious Enlightened One!

Psalms 47:7 (TPT)

The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me; holy is his name!

Luke 1:49 (TPT)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

Death once held us in its grip, and by the blunder of one man, death reigned as king over humanity. But now, how much more are we held in the grip of grace and continue reigning as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the one and only Jesus, the Messiah!

Romans 5:17 (TPT)

The time came to observe the winter Feast of Renewal in Jerusalem.  Jesus walked into the temple area under Solomon’s covered walkway when the Jewish leaders encircled him and said, “How much longer will you keep us in suspense? Tell us the truth and clarify this for us once and for all. Are you really the Messiah, the Anointed One?”

Jesus answered them, “I have told you the truth already and you did not believe me. The proof of who I am is revealed by all the miracles that I do in the name of my Father. Yet, you stubbornly refuse to follow me, because you are not my sheep. As I’ve told you before: My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands. My Father, who has given them to me as his gift, is the mightiest of all, and no one has the power to snatch them from my Father’s care. The Father and I are one.”

John 10:22-30 (TPT)

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

1 Timothy 2:5 (AMPC)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

The Lord has done great things for us;

We are joyful.

Psalm 126:3 (NASB)

The above lines emphasize that the Lord is eternal and He does not change Himself. He is always present to guide the faithful and provide for them. He is always there to fight battles that are too great for us to handle. God is always present to emphasize His faithfulness to those who dedicated themselves to Him. He is always present to spend time with each of us – His faithful children – and is always ready to welcome the souls who got born again after repenting to Lord Jesus and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. Learn from the scriptures below…

The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy!

Deuteronomy 33:27 (AMPC)

For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death.

Psalm 48:14 (NKJV)

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:28 (NKJV)

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)

“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father!”

John 14:12 (TPT)

Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics: The Godhead Three in One, Father, Spirit and Son, The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb.

The above lines refers to the Holy Trinity composed of God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Trinity is essential in our faith in the Lord as well as Christian living. The lion and the lamb mentioned symbolize our Lord.

Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

Matthew 28:19 (AMPC)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:16-17 (ESV)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29 (NKJV)

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Revelation 5:11-13 (NKJV)

And I wept audibly and bitterly because no one was found fit to open the scroll or to inspect it.

Then one of the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals!

Revelation 5:4-5 (AMPC)

The Lord also will roar from Zion,

And utter His voice from Jerusalem;

The heavens and earth will shake;

But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,

And the strength of the children of Israel.

Joel 3:16 (NKJV)

Finally, we take a close look at the following lines of lyrics of the song in two similar looking batches: Name above all names, Worthy of all praise, My heart will sing, How great is our God and Name above all names, You are worthy of all praise, And my heart will sing, How great is our God.

Our Lord’s name is the ultimate of all names. No name can be greater than the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the only begotten son of God sent here on Earth to lead humanity out of darkness. Jesus died on the cross carrying all of humanity’s sins and trespasses with Him, and a few days later He returned from the dead (conquered death), made His presence felt to the faithful and ascended to Heaven with the promise of returning in the future. Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the King of all kings and the One we must follow in order to be with the Heavenly Father in His kingdom. The Lord is worthy of all our praise! Learn from the following scriptures below…

Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father!

Philippians 2:9-11 (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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:16 (NKJV)

She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21 (NASB)

I will exalt You, my God, the King,

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will praise Your works to another,

And will declare Your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty

And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,

And I will tell of Your greatness.

Psalm 145:1-6 (NASB)

For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this “seed” that he planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For: Human beings are frail and temporary, like grass, and the glory of man fleeting like blossoms of the field. The grass dries and withers and the flowers fall off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever!

1 Peter 1:23-25 (TPT)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is God’s spiritual child and has been fathered by God himself. And everyone who loves Father God loves his children as well. This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God: by having a passionate love for God and by obedience to his commands. True love for God means obeying his commands, and his commands don’t weigh us down as heavy burdens. You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:1-5 (TPT)

Very clearly, the worship song How Great is Our God is a very holy song. Indeed, the lyrics composed by the writers are very biblical and it is safe to say that the Lord anointed them as well as their musicians to make this great praise-and-worship song. Musically, it is unsurprisingly beautiful to listen to and easily it is ideal to lead your fellow faithful Christians at church to the Lord with. How Great is Our God will easily fit in with your local church’s Sunday worship service music as well as during special worship events that involve the church’s music team. Ultimately, How Great is Our God will not only remind you of His everlasting greatness but also inspire you to deepen your faith in Him and help lead the lost and unsaved souls to Him through Lord Jesus!

In conclusion, posted below are YouTube videos of How Great is Our God for your faith and viewing pleasure. While watching it and listening to the music, remember to be faithful and thankful to the Lord. Always remember to realize the good life from the Lord, practice Christian habits (click here and here for reference), have private time with God, get yourself planted in a local church (allow the Holy Spirit to guide you) and remember the truth that He rewards the faithful abundantly and He established plans for you before you were even created! Continue to live with God’s Word, seek God through His son Jesus, follow the light of Jesus, and keep on being 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. Also please consider making a donation to support my publishing of faith articles, CMAs and feature articles.

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/and on Instagram athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

2023

2023

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Happy New Year to everyone!

The year twenty twenty-three – 2023 – is finally here. While we do not know for certain what events will happen to us in the next 365 days, we must always be faithful to our Lord and keep on living on and moving forward with His Word (the Holy Bible).

2022 is officially over and looking back to it, there are miracles and positive events that happened which we must thank the Lord for. I am personally thankful to God for His provision, His guiding light and His love for me in 2022. Along the way were blessings from Him such as my attendance of the Planetshakers worship event in September 2022, breakthroughs in my private sector job, further growth through my local church, having attended Sunday worship and the 17th anniversary of CHAN International Ministries in Bulacan province, and the continued global reach of my website and blog at www.CarloCarrasco.com to name some.

There were also big breakthroughs that happened in this very divided world we live in. I am thankful to our Lord that Benjamin Netanyahu return as Prime Minister of Israel as he and his coalition partners won a clear majority of the seats of the Knesset during their national elections months ago. Over in the United States, the Supreme Court struck down Roe v. Wade (legalized abortion) and I personally refer to that at the June 24, 2022 miracle in America. I prayed for Netanyahu’s return to power and the fall of Roe v. Wade, and the Lord answered! For those reading this, I encourage you to pray to the Lord in your room with the door shut. Pray in tongues to Him always.

Speaking of my website, I am thankful to our Lord and also happy to share with you what was achieved in 2022. For the full year of 2022, www.CarloCarrasco.com attracted over 160,000 hits (page views) worldwide and the Top 5 nations of users/readers were from my native Philippines at followed by Cambodia (the host of the 2023 Southeast Asian Games), the United States, India and the United Kingdom. In terms of online visitors, over 122,000 worldwide were attracted in 2022. The single biggest month in terms of page views was December 2022 with over 17,000 hits.

With regards to how many hits were counted for my website in terms of lifetime (starting January 4, 2019), more than 800,000 hits worldwide were counted as of December 31, 2022. I am aiming for the milestone 1,000,000 hits mark.

As such, I would like to express my thanks to all the readers and Internet users who visited my website and blog for news, Christian teachings, Christian music appreciation, entertainment, special features and other content. I also want to thank the local government units, the homeowners’ associations, local churches, the local news media outlets and other private entities for sharing content and letting me magnify or publicize them through my website. For this new year, I have some new special feature articles planned for publishing.

To those of you who enjoy my website, be reminded that I am accepting donations online to keep it running and to keep more content coming in to not only entertain you but help you and enlighten you all. Visit https://carlocarrasco.com/donate/ to donate online.

For 2023 and the future, I urge all of you readers to never lose faith in the Lord no matter how good or bad your situation is. Jesus is our Lord and Savior and no matter what happens, we must always rejoice with Him.

Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!

Philippians 4:4 (NKJV)

If you are hurting and you need healing badly, come to Lord Jesus with unwavering faith in Him.

Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse.  When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.”

Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’”

And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth.

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”

Mark 5:25-34 (NKJV)

Ultimately, Jesus is the way, the life and the truth that we must follow with unwavering faith.

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”

John 14:6 (TPT)

Always remember to maintain unwavering faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus to move on with 2023 and beyond. Reject the evil ways of the world, push the idols out of the way, and reject religion, atheism and secularism so that you can clear your path of faith in the Lord and make room for Him in your heart. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

Once again, Happy New Year!

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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. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. 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/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/.

Philippines looking forward to triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon at next year’s SEA Games in Cambodia

Philippines looking forward to triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon at next year’s SEA Games in Cambodia

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There is no denying that the Philippines had a big weekend winning 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal and a bronze medal in the triathlon and duathlon events of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) in Vietnam. To be specific, Fer Casares and Andrew Kim Remolino won the men’s triathlon gold and silver medals on May 14 while Marion Kim Mangrobang and Raven Faith Alcoseba secured the gold and bronze for the country in the women’s triathlon event that same day. The next day, Mangrobang won the gold in the women’s duathlon which fully established her as Southeast Asia’s reigning queen of triathlon and duathlon until the next SEA Games in Cambodia.

Deservedly, the medalists and their coaches were warmly welcomed at the airport upon arrival from Vietnam as seen in the following images released by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) through Facebook. Check out the images below…

The Philippine triathlon team welcomed at the airport upon arrival from Vietnam. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
SEA Games gold medalist in men’s triahlon Fer Casares. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
SEA Games double-gold medalist (women’s triathlon and women’s duathlon) Kim Mangrobang. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
SEA Games silver medalist in men’s triathlon Andrew Kim Remolino. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
SEA Games bronze medalist in women’s triathlon Raven Faith Alcoseba. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)

On the future of the SEA Games, the next edition – the 32nd Southeast Asian Games – will be hosted by Cambodia in May 2023. What is significant about next year’s games (promoted as Cambodia 2023) is the fact that it officially has triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon among its many events. In relation to this, the Philippine Star published a report about the Triathlon Association of the Philippines (TRAP) looking forward to winning even more gold medals in the 2023 SEA Games with the three mentioned multisport events in mind.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Philippine Star report. Some parts in boldface…

After coming short of its sweep bid, the Triathlon Association of the Philippines is looking forward to the next edition of the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia where it has chance to rake in more gold medals.

“Next year in Cambodia, there will be three events each for triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon,” said TRAP president Tom Carrasco. “We’re back to the drawing board because we also have to prepare for the World Games Duathlon in July.”

The official logo of the 2023 Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia.

The country came into the Hanoi event eyeing 1-2 finishes in all four events but wound up with just three gold medals, including two from Kim Mangrobang, a silver from Kim Remolino and a bronze from Raven Alcoseba also in triathlon.

Fer (Casares) delivered the other gold in men’s triathlon.

John Leerams Chicano, a two-time triathlon SEA Games gold winner, failed in his SEA Games duathlon debut as he wound up just fourth.

The Filipinos hope to bounce back big in Phnom Penh.

The above report ended with the TRAP president stating that in Cambodia, they were allowed eight to nine events to include duathlon, aquathlon plus mixed relay teams. For the newcomers reading this, aquathlon is a multisport race or activity that consists of running and swimming.

In ending this post, let us all thank our Lord for what the Philippine triathletes achieved in the SEA Games in Vietnam. Thank the Lord that He will bless the medalists and the coaches for their achievements as the government will release cash incentives to them in accordance to Republic Act Number 10699. For future multisport events that the triathlon team will engage in, pray to our Lord for His guidance on them so that they can achieve victories and bring in more glory and honors for the Philippines. Pray to the Lord with the holy scriptures posted below.

I have fought the good (worthy, honorable, and noble) fight, I have finished the race, I have kept (firmly held) the faith.

2 Timothy 4:7 (AMPC)

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 (NASB)

And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.

Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)

O Lord our God, let your sweet beauty rest upon us. Come work with us, and then our works will endure; you will give us success in all we do.

Psalms 90:17 (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. 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/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

Mangrobang wins another gold medal for the Philippines at the 31st SEA Games!

Mangrobang wins another gold medal for the Philippines at the 31st SEA Games!

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The Philippines got a much-needed boost in the medal tally of the ongoing 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) in Vietnam as the region’s reigning triathlon queen Marion Kim Mangrobang pulled off another gold medal victory in the women’s duathlon event today. To put things in perspective, this is the second straight gold medal Mangrobang won for the nation and the duathlon event for women happened just a day after the women’s triathlon took place. That being said, what she achieved for the nation – double gold medals in back-to-back multisport events – is nothing short of amazing!

The official race results of the SEA Games women’s duathlon showed that Mangrobang finished the grueling 10 kilometer run – 40Km bike – 5Km run event in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 12 seconds, securing the gold medal for the Philippines. The silver medal went to Tahira Najmunisaa Muhammad Zaid of Malaysia who finished 2:14:22 while Indonesia’s Zahra Putri Bulan Aprillia grabbed the bronze clocking 2:14:49. Mangrobang’s teammate Alexandra Ganzon finished 8th with a time of 2:23:09.

Kim Mangrobang’s SEA Games women’s duathlon gold medal victory acknowledged. (photo source – Philippine Olympic Committee Facebook page)

Looking at the individual times, Mangrobang had the 2nd fastest time in the 10Km run leg and went on to complete the 40Km bike leg in 1:09:51. Mangrobang excelled in the 5Km run leg clocking 19:51 which was enough to secure the first-place victory. None of her competitors finished the 5Km run in less than 20 minutes.

Kim Mangrobang’s double-gold accomplishments this weekend helped the Philippines a lot in the ongoing SEA Games. As such, she has established herself as the reigning queen of triathlon and duathlon in the entire Southeast Asian region. On social media, the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) acknowledged the newly won women’s duathlon gold medal as the 14th gold the country won as of this writing. What Mangrobang achieved here will be remembered for a very long time and it is worth recording in the history of Philippine sports, Philippine triathlon and the SEA Games itself.

As I mentioned in my previous article, the next edition of the Southeast Asian Games will be held in Cambodia next year already. The 32nd SEA Games (marketed as Cambodia 2023) already has triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon among its official events. That being said, Kim Mangrobang’s reign as Southeast Asia’s best female triathlete and duathlete will last until the next SEA Games happen. If you want to learn more about Mangrobang, read my feature article of her by clicking here.

Going back to the ongoing SEA Games’ duathlon, the Philippines almost won a medal in the men’s duathlon event according to the race results published. John Chicano finished 4th timing 1:57:50. He was just 14 seconds behind the bronze medalist Jauhari Johan of Indonesia. The gold and silver medals were won by the respective duathletes of Vietnam (1:55:58) and Indonesia (1:56:12). Chicano’s teammate Raymond Torio Molano finished 6th with a time of 1:59:49. Those who want to learn more about Chicano – who won the 2019 SEA Games men’s triathlon gold medal and was the top Philippine finisher in the recent Subic Bay International Triathlon – read my feature of him by clicking here.

To view the SEA Games women’s duathlon official race results, click https://triathlon.org/results/result/2022_hanoi_south_east_asian_games._duathlon/559070

To view the SEA Games men’s duathlon official race results, click https://triathlon.org/results/result/2022_hanoi_south_east_asian_games._duathlon/559069

Now that the triathlon and duathlon events of the 31st SEA Games are officially over, the Philippines won a total of 3 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze. Fer Casares and Kim Mangrobang’s gold-medal accomplishments (plus the respective medal victories of Andrew Kim Remolino and Raven Faith Alcoseba) in Vietnam made that clear the Philippines is the best in Southeast Asia in the sport of triathlon until the next SEA Games happen in Cambodia. On duathlon, the Philippines is the best in Southeast Asia among the women while Vietnam is the best in the region among the men.

Considering what the Philippines achieved in the multisport events in Vietnam, we should all be thankful to the Lord for the victories. I encourage you all to congratulate our nation’s best multisport athletes as well as their coaches, the local triathlon officials, the supporters and other stakeholders who helped made the SEA Games events and participation push through.

In closing this post, posted below are two translations of Philippian 4:13 from the Holy Bible which should enlighten you about victory, achievements and accomplishments. Once again, praise and thank the Lord for the triathlon, duathlon and other sports victories the Philippines achieved in the 31st SEA Games.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)

I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

Philippians 4:13 (AMPC)

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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/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

Christian Music Appreciation: Touch From Heaven

Christian Music Appreciation: Touch From Heaven

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Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on the worship song titled Touch From Heaven which is from New Life Music. To follow New Life Music on social media and on their YouTube channel, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page) and here (YouTube). New Life Music is part of New Life Philippines whose main church is located in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. To know more about New Life Philippines, visit https://newlife.ph/

The featured worship song Touch From Heaven is part of New Life Music’s album titled To The Other Side. The official video of Touch From Heaven was recorded live at New Life’s main church in 2021 and you will see it before this piece ends.

Before analyzing the Biblical relevance of Touch From Heaven, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Nash Soliven, Addi Cena, Jazmine Rivera, Jat Bondoc, Daryl Pinon and Kyle Ruelo.

VERSE 1

He is here

Here to lift your burdens

Here to mend what’s broken

Here to ease your fears

–

Here to heal

Heal all your afflictions

Heal you from depression

Heal all your disease

–

PRE-CHORUS

So be still

And know that He is God

He is here

To rescue every heart

–

CHORUS

Jesus, let Your healing come

And let Your will be done

And mark us with a touch from heaven

–

Jesus, let Your kingdom come

And let Your will be done

And heal us with a touch from heaven

–

VERSE 2

He is here

With power, might and glory

Strengthening the weary

His hand upholding me

–

And as I praise

He’s clothing me with gladness

Joy for all my sadness

Hope for better days

–

PRE-CHORUS 2

So it is well

I know that He is God

He is here

There’s freedom in His love

–

BRIDGE 1

There’s nothing too hard for You

No mountain You cannot move

There’s nothing too hard for You

No limit to what You can do

–

BRIDGE 2

We will rise

We will walk

In the strength of the Lord

We will stand

We will see

His salvation drawing near

–

VERSE 3

He is here

He is our protection

He is our provision

He’s the Prince of peace

–

He is here

Here to heal our nation

He hears all our petitions

And wipes away our tears

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: He is here, Here to lift your burdens, Here to mend what’s broken, Here to ease your fears, Here to heal, Heal all your afflictions, Heal you from depression, Heal all your disease.

The Verse 1 lyrics are truthful as there many references to the healing and restoration that the Lord has done and continues to do for those who suffered and had fallen. To experience healing, recovery and restoration, people only need to come to God wholeheartedly and in faith. Refer to the holy scriptures below…

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)

You open the eyes of the blind, and you fully restore those bent over with shame. You love those who love and honor you.

Psalm 146:8 (TPT)

“Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I am going to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.”

2 Kings 20:5 (NASB)

I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!

Philippians 4:19 (TPT)

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

save me, and I shall be saved,

for you are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14 (ESV)

Next are the following lines from the Pre-Chorus part of the song: So be still, And know that He is God, He is here, To rescue every heart. Those lyrics are truthful and are related to the following bible scriptures below…

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

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)

Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

The Pre-Chorus lyrics as well as the above verses emphasize the truth that God our Heavenly Father and true Creator will always love us – His faithful children – and anyone who has fallen, or suffered or got persecuted need to come to Him in faith. We should never let the elements of this divided world we live in prevent us from coming to Him and that being said, our established relationship with Him is never to be compromised. God is faithful and only He can lift up the sufferers and restore them fully.

Next we look at the lyrics in the Chorus which are as follows: Jesus, let Your healing come, And let Your will be done, And mark us with a touch from heaven, Jesus, let Your kingdom come, And let Your will be done, And heal us with a touch from heaven.

Healing by the Lord is once again emphasized. The sufferers who come to the Lord in faith truly get healed. The healing power of God goes way beyond anything that science, technology and medicine can ever explain and ever achieve. The Lord’s healing is truly supernatural and it is way beyond anything worldly healing can produce. Learn from the holy scripture below…

Now, in the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered horribly from continual bleeding for twelve years.  She had endured a great deal under the care of various doctors, yet in spite of spending all she had on their treatments, she was getting worse instead of better. When she heard about Jesus’ healing power, she pushed through the crowd and came up from behind him and touched his prayer shawl.  For she kept saying to herself, “If I could touch even his clothes, I know I will be healed.”  As soon as her hand touched him, her bleeding immediately stopped! She knew it, for she could feel her body instantly being healed of her disease!

Jesus knew at once that someone had touched him, for he felt the power that always surged around him had passed through him for someone to be healed. He turned and spoke to the crowd, saying,“Who touched my clothes?” 

His disciples answered, “What do you mean, who touched you? Look at this huge crowd—they’re all pressing up against you.” But Jesus’ eyes swept across the crowd, looking for the one who had touched him for healing.

When the woman who experienced this miracle realized what had happened to her, she came before him, trembling with fear, and threw herself down at his feet, saying, “I was the one who touched you.” And she told him her story of what had just happened.

Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart, and be free from your suffering!”

Mark 5:25-34 (TPT)

Still on the Chorus, the lyrics about the touch from heaven – which is also the title of this worship song – I believe are connected to this particular holy scripture below…

Step down from heaven, Lord, and come down!

Make the mountains melt at your touch.

Loose your fiery lightning flashes and scatter your enemies.

Overthrow them with your terrifying judgments.

Reach down from your heavens

and rescue me from this hell

and deliver me from these dark powers.

They speak nothing but lies; their words are pure deceit.

Nothing they say can ever be trusted.

My God, I will sing you a brand-new song!

The harp inside my heart will make music to you!

I will sing of you, the one who gives victory to kings—

the one who rescues David, your loving servant,

from the fatal sword.

Deliver me and save me from these dark powers

who speak nothing but lies.

Their words are pure deceit,

and you can’t trust anything they say.

Deliver us! Then our homes will be happy.

Our sons will grow up as strong, sturdy men

and our daughters with graceful beauty,

royally fashioned as for a palace.

Our barns will be filled to the brim,

overflowing with the fruits of our harvest.

Our fields will be full of sheep and cattle,

too many to count,

and our livestock will not miscarry their young.

Our enemies will not invade our land,

and there’ll be no breach in our walls.

What bliss we experience when these blessings fall!

The people who love and serve our God will be happy indeed!

Psalm 144:5-15 (TPT)

Psalm 144:5-15 emphasizes God’s tremendous and unchallenged power, and He is truly able to come to the faithful on this chaotic world for healing, protection, restoration, prosperity, love and salvation. His Son Lord Jesus, who sacrificed Himself to save us all, overcame death and went to Heaven with the promise of returning to us. Rest assured, Lord Jesus never abandoned the faithful and He will always be with the faithful. Going back to the song, I believe that the respective lyrics of Bridge 1 (There’s nothing too hard for You, No mountain You cannot move, There’s nothing too hard for You, No limit to what You can do), Bridge 2 (We will rise, We will walk, In the strength of the Lord, We will stand, We will see, His salvation drawing near)  and Verse 3 (He is here, He is our protection, He is our provision, He’s the Prince of peace, He is here , Here to heal our nation, He hears all our petitions, And wipes away our tears) connect well with Psalm 144:5-15 plus other holy scriptures below…

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me.  To know me is to know my Father too. And from now on you will realize that you have seen him and experienced him.”

John 14:6-7 (TPT)

“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!”

John 14:12-14 (TPT)

Soon I will leave this world and they will see me no longer, but you will see me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too. So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you. Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him.”

John 14:19-21 (TPT)

Let them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually,

“Let the Lord be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Psalm 35:27 (NKJV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)

Indeed, the lyrics of Touch From Heaven are holy and anointed! I can say without hesitation that the essence of this particular worship song from New Life Music is truly based on God’s Word as well as His love for the faithful. Musically speaking, Touch From Heaven is beautiful and solemn at the same time. That being said, the song clearly has a place for musical use and worship of the Lord during Sunday worship services or during church special events. Lastly, I declare Touch From Heaven is immersive and will help church attendees on strengthening their faith to God. Once more, I encourage you readers to visit New Life Music on Facebook and YouTube plus visit New Life Philippines at https://newlife.ph/ and also their official YouTube channel.

In conclusion, posted below is the official music video of Touch From Heaven for your faith and viewing pleasure. While watching it and listening to the music, remember to be faithful and thankful to the Lord. Always remember to realize the good life from the Lord, practice Christian habits (click here and here for reference), have private time with God, get yourself planted in a local church (allow the Holy Spirit to guide you) and remember the truth that He rewards the faithful abundantly and He established plans for you before you were even created! Continue to live with God’s Word, seek God through His son Jesus, and keep on being 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.

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/

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

Hidilyn Diaz wins the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines!

Hidilyn Diaz wins the first-ever Olympic gold medal for the Philippines!

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By the time you are reading this, you should be aware that what was once impossible for the Philippines became a tremendous breakthrough – national weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz (her official Twitter and Instagram) defeated her Chinese competitor in the Tokyo Olympics women’s 55 Kg. weightlifting competition and won for the Philippines its first-ever Olympic gold medal the other night. The mainstream media of the Philippines went full blast with their coverage of the pioneering achievement.

The Manila Bulletin front page.
The hard copy of the Manila times.

That being said, we Filipinos should praise and thank our Heavenly Father for anointing Diaz to win the often-elusive Olympic gold medal for the Filipino people. Her victory is a clear reminder that with God, nothing is impossible. The Olympic gold victory is pioneering for Diaz and also marks the beginning of a new age in the history of the Philippines even as it remains struggling with the COVID-19 crisis. Before checking on the official news story, watch first these three relevant videos.

And now we can proceed with the official story of the Philippine News Agency (PNA), the excerpt of which is posted below. Some parts in boldface…

After 97 years, the elusive Olympic gold has finally been taken by the Philippines.

Hidilyn Diaz became the first Filipino athlete to win it all in an Olympic event after winning the women’s 55-kg. weightlifting competition at the Tokyo International Forum in Japan on Monday night.

Diaz, the 2016 Rio Olympics silver medalist, prevailed in a neck and neck showdown with China’s Liao Qiuyun in the clean-and-jerk lift as their battle for the gold went down the wire.

Finishing tied with Diaz in the snatch with a 97-kg. maximum lift, Liao lifted 126 kg. in her final lift, forcing Diaz to go for 127 to steal the top spot from Liao.

Diaz, however, smoothly cleared the 127-kg. lift to win it all, also setting an Olympic record in the process.

Her 224-kg. total is also an Olympic record.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s a dream come true. I just want to say that we Filipinos are strong. We Filipinos can compete here at the Olympics. We can do it,” a high-spirited Diaz was quoted as saying by Xinhuanet.

The 30-year-old Diaz gave advice to younger Filipino athletes to “please dream high.”

“That’s how I started. I dreamed high and finally, I was able to do it,” she added.

Liao admitted that she was surprised by Diaz’s improvement.

“I feel good today. I can lift 123kg at most due to injuries, and never thought of a successful 126kg lift. I didn’t expect her strength like this,” Liao said.

China’s coach Zhang Guozheng echoed Liao’s thoughts.

“I didn’t expect such a situation,” he said. “Liao has gone all out, so it’s not a huge pity for her to lose the gold medal. It’s just because we did not expect our opponent (Diaz) to be so strong.”

Diaz has also assured herself of a total of PHP33 million from various people who pledged monetary rewards to the gold medal winners.

Zulfiya Chinshanlo of Kazakhstan claimed the bronze with a total of 213 kg. lifted.

Muattar Nabieva of Uzbekistan, despite setting the Olympic record for the snatch with a 98-kg. lift, missed out on the podium as she could only clear 114 in the C&J for a total of 212.

Malacañang joined the entire nation in celebrating the country’s first-ever Olympic gold medal since it joined the most prestigious quadrennial event in 1924.

As you can see in the above PNA story, the first-ever Olympic gold medal won for the Philippines is tremendous and the good news is that, as of this writing, there are still opportunities for other Filipino athletes competing at the Tokyo Olympics to win more medals (even gold) and help lift the nation in the medal rankings. Going back to Hidilyn Diaz (who was born in Zamboanga City in 1991), her pioneering achievement will earn her tremendous (and deserving) financial rewards from both the government and private sector. Check out the respective reports of the Manila Bulletin, GMA News and Nikkei Asia. To nobody’s surprise, a big welcome-back-home for her is being prepared.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of people around the Philippines, notably public officials who enjoy the automatic mainstream media magnification, expressed their admiration for Diaz and congratulated her. Among the many acknowledgements and congratulatory messages for Diaz expressed by lots of people and organizations (both domestic and foreign), Planetshakers Church in Australia and the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines posted their congratulatory messages for her via their official their respective Facebook pages yesterday. Look at the screenshots below.

Facebook post by Planetshakers.
Post of the Embassy of Israel in the Philippines via Facebook.

Hours after her victory, Diaz posted a picture of herself and the Olympic gold medal on her Instagram as a picture story post. She thanked the people for their prayers.

National fame and Olympic achievement aside, Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal achievement shows that nothing is impossible with God. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”

Mark 10:27 (TPT)

Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!

Luke 1:37 (TPT)

I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!

Philippians 4:19 (TPT)

I know what it means to lack, and I know what it means to experience overwhelming abundance. For I’m trained in the secret of overcoming all things, whether in fullness or in hunger. And I find that the strength of Christ’s explosive power infuses me to conquer every difficulty.

Philippians 4:12-13 (TPT)

To our Lord is all the glory and let us praise and thank Him so much for anointing Hidilyn Diaz who not only won the Philippines’ first-ever Olympic gold medal but also all the many medals and honors she achieved in other international events as the representative of the Philippines. She truly deserves the financial rewards and the inevitable long-lasting fame that comes with being the nation’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist. Still you must always remember that worship is only for the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Never let idolatry dominate you for it is not only unholy, not only foolish but also will separate you from the Lord.

Let me ask you readers: How much of an impact did Hidilyn Diaz’s Olympic gold medal victory have on you as a citizen of the Philippines? Did you ever doubt she would win the gold medal in the Olympics? Does her gold medal victory inspire you to improve yourself?

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

In closing this article, posted below is a performance of the great Hillsong worship song King of Kings by Melody Hwang.

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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

Christian Music Appreciation: All Things

Christian Music Appreciation: All Things

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God truly knows the best for us and He knows when to act when we the faithful and the righteous make errors or go the wrong way. As clearly stated in Hebrews 13:5-6, Deuteronomy 31:6 and Psalm 55:22, the Lord will never abandon us, He will never forsake us because He loves us. The Lord is our redeemer, reformer, protector, provider and our Eternal Father.

Truly the Lord knows how and when to work on all things for our good…each and every one of us. This brings me to the next worship song for this latest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series…All Things.

All Things was done by Covenant Worship and it was part of their 2017 album Sand and Stars. The song itself is beautiful and also ideal to stir up the hearts of Christians praying to the Lord during Sunday worship service. It is also ideal for other church activities that will involve the use of music.

That being said, below are the lyrics of the worship song All Things, followed by an analysis of its relevance with the Holy Bible.

This heavy load

Was never mine to bear

So I cast my cares upon You Lord

This weary road

I’ve traveled for so long

Would You take my hand and lead me on

–

You are working all things for my good

You are working all things for my good

When I cannot see it

God, I still believe it

You are working all things for my good

–

When troubles come

And nights are filled with tears

I will fix my eyes upon the One

Whose perfect love has conquered every fear

Hold me in Your everlasting arms

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I see it breaking

On the horizon

The dark of night

Giving way to the dawn

The day is coming

And hope is rising

Your joy will be my strength

Your joy will be my song

–

I know You’re working

I know You’re working

In all things, in all things

To begin with, the following lyrics – This heavy load, Was never mine to bear, So I cast my cares upon You Lord, This weary road, I’ve traveled for so long, Would You take my hand and lead me on – means that under the Lord, we are taken cared of and even though we each have our own challenges and responsibilities as a result of our respective circumstances, we Christians are still part of His family and kingdom. Being a child of God does not necessarily mean to have an easy life while living in the flesh. No matter what happens, we Christians must never lose faith in Him. If you are troubled, come to Lord Jesus and believe in Him always. Truly as Christians, there is no reason for us to worry or to live in pain because the Lord is our protector, provider, savior! As such, the mentioned lyrics point to the following holy scriptures for relevance.

“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)

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6-7 (NKJV)

Don’t be pulled in different directions or worried about a thing. Be saturated in prayer throughout each day, offering your faith-filled requests before God with overflowing gratitude. Tell him every detail of your life, then God’s wonderful peace that transcends human understanding, will make the answers known to you through Jesus Christ.

Philippians 4:6-7 (TPT)

The next lines to examine are as follows: You are working all things for my good, When I cannot see it God, I still believe it, You are working all things for my good. To begin with, we are all creations of God and before we were even created, He made plans for each and every one of us. As such, we must live with His Word (the Holy Bible) and apply His lessons into our lives no matter how complicated living in the flesh in the middle of our screwed-up world is. We must never lose faith in Him. We have to keep trusting Him, honoring Him, praising Him and thanking Him! Whatever plans God made for us – good plans and lots of hope – we must keep believing in those plans even though it has yet to manifest. Never lose patience because God keeps His promises always, and when the time comes, the manifestation of His plans will be greater than you can imagine. As such, the most fitting holy scripture for the above lyrics is presented below…

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV)

The next lines to examine are as follows: When troubles come, And nights are filled with tears, I will fix my eyes upon the One, Whose perfect love has conquered every fear, Hold me in Your everlasting arms. As it is clear that the Lord will NEVER abandon us nor forsake us faithful Christians, keep believing that the Lord always works to spare the faithful from trouble and danger. As seen around the world, there are mobs causing trouble, terrorists attacking people and places, criminals victimizing the innocent, people living in deep poverty and the like. Trouble, danger, wickedness, fear, hatred, destruction, evil, poverty, curses and senseless deaths around the world are all works of Satan who was granted dominion by Adam very long ago. It was Lord Jesus who redeemed the world and defeated Satan, and this is proof of God’s plan for His faithful children to be freed from the curse (of Adam’s rebellion) and live on to be faithful to Him. Do not forget that God will punish severely those who persecute His children. Truly God hates injustice and wickedness! The above lyrics can be pointed to the following holy scriptures below.

No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

1 Corinthians 10:13 (NKJV)

But the LORD is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NKJV)

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)

The next lines to examine are as follows: I see it breaking, On the horizon, The dark of night, Giving way to the dawn, The day is coming, And hope is rising. Lesson? The Lord truly loves us and He will always be our provider, our protector, our Father, and lead the way for breakthroughs for as long as we are faithful to Him and live by His Word. Under the Lord, we the faithful and righteous children of His will be blessed, be defended, be guided, be prosperous and be filled with His peace. Any trouble happening in your life right now is only temporary and the darkness will be overwhelmed by His light in due time. If you are living in darkness (of religion or unbelief, idols, traditions and rituals) then it you can decide to get born again and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  Refer to the following holy scriptures below…

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV)

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13 (NKJV)

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)

“And you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who gives you the power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.”

Deuteronomy 8:18 (NKJV)

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD.”

Jeremiah 17:7 (NKJV)

So there you have it! All Things is truly a very holy worship song, and I highly recommend it be played by your church musicians. It will help lift your church members’ on reaching up to the Lord during worship service.

In concluding this CMA article, embedded below are YouTube videos of All Things in the forms of a lyric video from Integrity Music, a live worship by David and Nicole Binion, and a short video I personally recorded during a Sunday worship service at our local church. Enjoy these videos and remember that the Lord is not only watching us all but also working and taking care of us. The Lord is truly working on all things for our good! 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

Christian Music Appreciation: In Jesus’ Name

Christian Music Appreciation: In Jesus’ Name

carlocarrasco

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the latest piece of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series. This time around, I’ll be reviewing and analyzing another Christian worship song which carries the ultimate name of our Lord and Savior Jesus.

The song featured now is none other than In Jesus’ Name, a very beautiful and popular worship song around the world written by Darlene Zschech and Israel Houghton. The said song is best identified with Darlene Zschech as the performer. Before getting to the lyrics, let’s start with the official live performance video below. Watch and enjoy the song, and remember to praise Him always.

Now below are the lyrics of In Jesus’ Name.

God is fighting for us

God is on our side

He has overcome

Yes He has overcome

We will not be shaken

We will not be moved

Jesus You are here

–

Carrying our burdens

Covering our shame

He has overcome

Yes He has overcome

We will not be shaken

We will not be moved

Jesus You are here

–

I will live

I will not die

The resurrection power of Christ

Alive in me and I am free

In Jesus’ Name

–

I will live I will not die

I will declare and lift you high

Christ revealed

And I am healed

In Jesus’ Name

–

God is fighting for us

Pushing back the darkness

Lighting up the Kingdom

That cannot be shaken

In the Name of Jesus

Enemy’s defeated

And we will shout it out

Shout it out

–

Before analyzing the lyrics, let me start by stressing that the name of our Lord Jesus is not only eternal but truly the holiest and above all names! Learn from the holy scripture below which should help you realize why Lord Jesus’ name is highlighted in the song.

Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Philippians 2:9-11 (NKJV)

In the above scripture, the exaltation of Lord Jesus is in consequence of His humbling Himself by means of His redemptive work. His exaltation is absolute and His lordship is universal although it will not be universally recognized until His promised return.

Now I can start analyzing the lyrics starting with: God is fighting for us, God is on our side, He has overcome, Yes He has overcome, We will not be shaken, We will not be moved, Jesus You are here.

As written in the Book of Genesis, God created all of us and everything. In Genesis 1:26, God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

When God created man and woman (Adam and Eve), He blessed them and told them to be fruitful and multiply, to fill the earth and have dominion over the creatures in the different realms. Through Adam and Eve, God intended to manifest His character and authority (image), and express His dominion over the Earth and display His indisputable power over the works of darkness and subdue His archenemy Satan. As such, God is not only omnipotent but also good natured, a just creator, a very organized planner and a very loving and caring father to His children. Through Adam and Eve, He blessed them and trusted them to take care of the Earth (which points to Him giving them dominion over it). Refer to Genesis 1:26-29 for context.

As we all know, Adam rebelled against God (the Fall of Man) and this led to a downward spiral on the lives of many on earth. Sin became so common among the people. Idols and idolatry spread. Slavery was part of the societies’ systems. Traditions, rituals, unbelief and religion hindered people from realizing faith in God.  

Through the generations, people who proved to be very faithful to God and became willing instruments of His received His guidance, blessings and protection. I’m referring to Noah, Abraham and Moses before the arrival of Lord Jesus. Ultimately, the Lord sent His only Begotten Son Jesus into our world to live among people to spread the good news of faith, died on the cross to redeem everyone, came back from the dead and made final personal interactions with those who believed in Him, and ascended to Heaven (to join our Heavenly Father) with a promise to return to Earth. It was also Lord Jesus Himself who stated that one must be born again in order to see the kingdom of God (read John 3:3) and as such, becoming new creations under the Lord was realized (read 2 Corinthians 5:17).

All of these details make sense with the first section of the lyrics and the truth is clear: our Heavenly Father will always fight for us (we His faithful children who got born again and became new creations), be on our side, be victorious in battles we cannot fight (which is why we must always be faithful to Him), and along the way we will never go down for as long as we remain very faithful and always remember and honor Lord Jesus who redeemed us all. And then there is the truth in the holy scripture below…

“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.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NKJV)

Next are the following lyrics: Carrying our burdens, Covering our shame.

The words Carrying our burdens in reference to our Lord sparing us from hardship is directly related to the holy scripture below which carries the words of Lord Jesus…

“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)

The words Covering our shame is related to the times when God covers His people and proves His compassion when dealing with their guilt. Refer to the very notable holy scripture below. It’s the first of multiple scriptures of the same nature.

Also for Adam and his wife the LORD God made tunics of skin, and clothed them.

Genesis 3:21 (NKJV)

Genesis 3:21 showed how compassionate God is towards Adam and Eve after the Fall of Man happened. Because they sinned, Adam and Eve realized they were naked and made coverings composed of leaf to hide their shame from Him but God went on to provide them with garments of skin which were more protective, thick and provided them warmth. The said garments were symbolic of God providing cover for the shamed. Under the New Covenant, we are required to be clothed in Christ rather than with our good works (refer to Galatians 3:7).

Next are the following lyrics: I will live, I will not die, The resurrection power of Christ, Alive in me and I am free, In Jesus’ Name. In my honest view, these words from the lyrics are related to the following holy scriptures from the Book of John. Each with words from Lord Jesus Himself.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.”

John 10:27-30 (NKJV)

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)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25-26 (NKJV)

When people get born again, it means they have decided willingly to submit themselves to the Lord, repent to Him, receive the Holy Spirit into their hearts and start new lives as Christians as well as children of the Lord. They also became new creations of the Lord, free from sin and the past of darkness or emptiness. With Jesus as Lord and Savior, they are also spiritually alive (related to the mentioned eternal life). Eternal life is more spiritual and is not limited to living in the flesh. Too many people who are living as lost and unsaved souls obsess with the concept of immorality being about living in the flesh, not realizing the eternal life they can have with Jesus as their Lord and Savior. As such, the lyrics I will live, I will not die, The resurrection power of Christ, Alive in me and I am free, In Jesus’ Name do make sense with the Holy Bible.

And now we can go to the final batch of lyrics from the song which read: God is fighting for us, Pushing back the darkness, Lighting up the Kingdom, That cannot be shaken, In the Name of Jesus, Enemy’s defeated, And we will shout it out, Shout it out.

Not only is God on our side and fights the battles that are too great for us – His children – to handle, He will ensure victory which will be symbolized by His light overwhelming the darkness that hounded many. It is through powerful faith in the Lord in which we can be secured by Him, worry nothing, fear nothing and enjoy the eventual victory coming from Him. Really, no matter how hard or how easy life gets, never ever lost faith in God. If you are feeling disoriented, go back to God’s Word by reading the Holy Bible, praying in tongues to Him and edifying your spirit. We can also help Him in other sensible ways like preaching His Word to others who don’t realize they need spiritual saving. We live in a screwed-up world and there are many lost and unsaved souls who believe that Satan is very powerful and has an army of demons working against them and their loved one. The truth of the matter is that Satan is actually a loser and he only looks powerful through deception, lies, manipulation and trickery. The lost and unsaved souls don’t realize that being faithful children of God will enable them to resist Satan and defeat him. Satan lives eternally only because Adam gave him dominion as a result of rebelling against God in the Garden of Eden.

Of course, Adam’s error has already been corrected by Lord Jesus’ redemption of humanity which paved the way for the establishment of His Body (the Church), the truth (with the Holy Bible), the restoration of humanity (getting born again and becoming new creations) and the realization of the Kingdom of Light (God’s kingdom) which we the faithful can help Him establish here on earth. The moment Jesus redeemed the world, He defeated Satan and a new standard was set! A standard involving faith, not religion, not unbelief, not idolatry, not traditions and not rituals. This holy truth is sadly not realized by the many, many lost and unsaved souls around the world but we the children of God can help them get saved in the name of Lord Jesus. Let us remember His words from the scripture below…

John, to the seven churches which are in Asia:

Grace to you and peace from Him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Behold, He is coming with the louds and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the LORD, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelation 1:4-8 (NKJV)

As such, the song In Jesus’ Name is truly holy and I strongly recommend Christian church musicians (and their musical directors) reading this to make it a point to play the song not only during Sunday worship services but also on other church activities whenever applicable. In Jesus’ Name is not only a beautiful song but also very biblical.

In closing this piece, below are additional videos of In Jesus’ Name . Enjoy these and always be very faithful to Lord Jesus. 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

Philippines is the BEST in Southeast Asia in Triathlon!

Philippines is the BEST in Southeast Asia in Triathlon!

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December 1, 2019 will be remembered for a very long time here in the Philippines specifically with regards to the followers and enthusiasts of the multisport of triathlon (swim-bike-run) as the Philippines won two gold medals and two silver medals of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) triathlon events for men and women held at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. As I write this, the triathlon victories continue to generate buzz around the nation through social media and the news media.

Specifically, John Chicano won the gold in the men’s triathlon (1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run) with a time of 1 hour, 53 minutes and 26 seconds! Literally speaking, he upgraded from the silver medal he won in the 2017 SEA Games (2nd to then gold medalist Nikko Huelgas) to gold medal. The silver was won also for the Philippines with the 2nd place finish of Cebu’s prized triathlete and 1st time SEA Games participant Andrew Kim Remolino who clocked in at 1:55:03. Indonesia’s Muhammad Ahlul Firman won the bronze after coming in at 1:57:10.

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Philippines’ Andrew Kim Remolino and John Chicano won the silver and gold medals of the 2019 SEA Games men’s triathlon event at Subic Bay on the morning of December 1. (source – 2019 SEA Games Facebook page)

Among the ladies, the event of which started around 2 hours after the men’s race stated, Marion Kim Mangrobang proved once again she is Southeast Asia’s best female triathlete as she won her 2nd SEA Games gold medal with a time of 2:02:00. The Santa Rosa, Laguna native now has a grand total of three SEA Games medals. She won a silver in the 2015 SEA Games (Claire Adorna won the gold back then) and her first gold medal in the 2017 SEA Games (Adorna meanwhile got the silver).

Mangrobang’s teammate Kim Kilgroe won the silver medal finishing 2nd with 2:05:02. She said to the reporters that she felt so great and happy with her achievement. Like Remolino, this was her first SEA Games performance.

The women’s triathlon bronze medal went to Indonesia’s Nethavani Octaria who finished the race in 2:16:33.

Screenshot_20191201-131927_Facebook.jpg
Kim Mangrobang of Santa Rosa, Laguna won her 2nd straight SEA Games women’s triathlon gold medal! She previously won a silver medal in the 2015 SEA Games and the gold in the 2017 SEA Games. (screenshot of CNN Philippines video)

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Teammates Kim Kilgroe (silver medal) and Kim Mangrobang (gold) during the awarding ceremony. (screenshot of CNN Philippines video)

Notable details

Chicano’s gold medal performance was very notable given the fact that his time of 1:53:26 is noticeably faster than the 1:59:30 Nikko Huelgas achieved in 2017. In an ABS-CBN report, coach Melvin Faustino said that Chicano previously timed 1:56:00 and they were aiming for 1:55:00. Of course, things turned out even better with today’s race and Faustino claims that the 1:53:26 time Chicano achieved is a Southeast Asian record for men’s triathlon.

For the newcomers reading this, the Standard Distance (AKA Olympic Distance) for triathlon is set at 1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run. This is the same distance of triathlon implemented in the Asian Games and the Olympics.

For her part, Kim Mangrobang stated to the reporters that her achievement was meant to inspire youth to get into sports and also contribute to the growth of triathlon here in the Philippines.

With the single-day haul of two gold medals and two silver medals in the two SEA Games triathlon events, the Philippines got boosted in the medal standing. Medal competition aside, rewards from the national government will follow soon.

According to Section 8 of Republic Act Number 10699 (RA 10699 or “AN ACT EXPANDING THE COVERAGE OF INCENTIVES GRANTED TO NATIONAL ATHLETES AND COACHES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9064”), SEA Games gold medalists who won in individual events will be rewarded P300,000 each while the silver medalists will receive P150,000 each.

Gold medal victory in Mixed Relay (December 2, 2019)

The triathlon glory continued for the Philippines on December 2 when the team composed of Chicano, Mangrobang, Claire Adorna (2015 SEA Games gold medalist and silver medalist in 2017) and newcomer Fer Casares won the gold in the Mixed Relay triathlon event of the SEA Games.

Thank the Lord for His blessing of victory!

Let me stress to all of you reading this that these major victories of the Philippines in the SEA Games would not have been possible with God’s blessing.

Before the two triathlon events happened, I made a public call to viewers on my official Facebook page to pray for the SEA Games victories of not only the Philippine triathlon team but also the duathlon team. I also reached out to my church mates to pray as well.

And the Lord answered our prayers! The blessings in the form of twin gold and twin silver medal victories of the two triathlon events plus the gold medal of the mixed relay team triathlon event of the SEA Games prove that the Philippines is the best in triathlon in Southeast Asia and take note that the next SEA Games won’t happen until the year 2021. Apart from being congratulated by many, gold medalists Chicano and Mangrobang, and silver medalists Remolino and Kilgroe will be remembered for many years to come not only among the triathlon enthusiasts of the Philippines but by Filipinos in general and among people all over Southeast Asia!

On her official Facebook page, Kim Mangrobang acknowledged the Lord!

Screenshot_20191201-144330_Facebook.jpg

When it comes to victory, God is the source of it apart from the blessings, opportunities and progress He provides to His creations who are faithful to Him. The Lord rewards the faithful abundantly and there is no denying that!

In closing this, here is a scripture from the Holy Bible.

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Philippians 4: 13 (NKJV)

For continued triathlon and multiport updates, come back here.

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. Also my fantasy book The World of Havenor is still available in paperback and e-book format. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com