Tag: church

Behold the Light of Lord Jesus

Behold the Light of Lord Jesus

carlocarrasco

Have you been living in darkness? A life of darkness is always filled with unending trouble, deep loneliness, sadness, frustrations, temptations, sin and wasting your life away in the company of the wrong people as time passes in this screwed-up world we all live in. Darkness is a tool of Satan who also uses religion, unbelief, idolatry, poverty, wickedness, corruption, war, terrorism, and homosexuality to name some, all meant to separate people away from God.

I know exactly what living in darkness is like. My old life was composed of a meaningless period of religion which was so full of bondage, arrogance, idols, traditions, rituals and the influence of a very corrupted religious hierarchy (note: headquarters in Rome, Italy). After religion, unbelief came into my life and still no positive changes happened. I was still living in darkness.

The turning point in my life happened in early 2018 when my dearest friend in life invited me to a church where she and her family were part of. It was a night-time, spirit-filled seminar that I attended and the first time I witnessed the pastor teach the Word of God, I started to not only get enlightened but also started to see light shining through the darkness that dragged me for so long. It was God’s calling for me!

Over a month later, I got born again and accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior, and received the Holy Spirit in my heart. The darkness has ended! My new life as a faithful Christian since started and the Lord blessed me, lifted me up and continues to guide me and lead me until now. Truly Jesus is the light of the world and there is no denying that. Behold the powerful words of Jesus in these translations of John 8:12 in the Holy Bible.

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (NKJV)

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)

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”

John 8:12 (MSG)

Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, “I am the light of the world. If you follow me, you won’t have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life.”

John 8:12 (NLT)

Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, “I am the Light of the world; the one who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.”

John 8:12 (NASB)

I do confirm that Lord Jesus is truly the light of the world. I progressed forward a lot in many ways since I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior. I follow the Holy Bible a lot more and kept feeding me with the Word of God. I joined a local church and found my place in the Spiritual Family (God’s Family). I pray in tongues regularly and always kept coming back to the Holy Bible for the Lord’s guiding light! I got rid of the poison of religion and unbelief, and now am led by faith and I now have a personal relationship with God. As such, I preach the Word of God and do my best to help Him save the many lost and unsaved souls around.

Going back to the holy scripture of John 8:12, Lord Jesus presupposed that the world is in darkness apart from Him. Without Jesus, the already screwed-up world we live in would have been much worse and it would have been filled with a lot more sinners, lost souls and unsaved souls living in flesh. That being said, Jesus is everyone’s hope and His light will overwhelm the darkness when the sinners, the lost and unsaved submit to Him and get born again.

Jesus is truly the light of the world and in Him is the light of life! His light brings sight to both the spiritually and physically blind. With His light realized, you can join Jesus on the same path He is taking! Why go for darkness when Jesus showed the light and the way to God’s kingdom? Behold the light of Lord Jesus!

To put things in perspective, the believers of Lord Jesus and the children of God are citizen’s of God’s kingdom. Kingdom citizens – we the faithful Christians who got born again – have responsibilities and must immediately follow the Lord’s directions and commands. We have missions to spread God’s Word around no matter how difficult and how dark the world is. Learn from the scripture below which contains the words of Lord Jesus…

“You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.”

“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV)

In Matthew 5:13-16, the essential character of kingdom citizens has been emphasized, and the metaphors of salt and light indicate the citizens’ influence for good as they penetrate societies that have been secularized. Secularism, no matter what its defenders and promoters say, is morally bankrupt, worldly and definitely unholy. Christians living in such societies must always maintain unwavering faith in the Lord, keep on following His commands and live responsibly to bring glory to God. That being said, we who are God’s children and believers of Lord Jesus led by faith must keep on persevering to bring light to the dark world, spread His Word, spread faith and help God establish holiness on the world as it is in Heaven. Lord Jesus is in Heaven and in our hearts, and knowing that we must spread His light around and make the world shine, overwhelming the darkness and defeating Satan. We do the good works in serving God who made plans for each and every soul since before the beginning of time!

Going back to getting born again which is essential (heed the words of Lord Jesus in John 3:3), the light of the Lord is undeniably true. Learn from the following scriptures below which are clearly connected to each other.

For you were once darkness, but now you are the light in the Lord. Walk as children of light,

Ephesians 5:8 (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)

But you are God’s chosen treasure—priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.

1 Peter 2:9 (TPT)

Therefore, since we have this ministry, as we have received mercy, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 4:1-6 (NKJV)

I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.

John 12:46 (NKJV)

As seen in the above scriptures, the Lord loves people so much He comes to save them, bless them and put light into their lives and free them from darkness once they get born again and submit themselves to Him. Faith, not religion, is essential. Worshiping the Lord directly and specifically is essential, while the worship of idols is unholy and should not be done. Below is one last scripture for this bible lesson.

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 4:6 (NKJV)

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

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

Father God,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.

If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com

Christian Music Appreciation: Great Outpouring

Christian Music Appreciation: Great Outpouring

carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! In this newest edition of my ongoing Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we are about to examine the holiness and relevance of another worship song by the great musicians of Planetshakers Church (Australia) titled Great Outpouring.

Great Outpouring is one of the songs included in Planetshakers’ most recent album Over It All. Its title alone is a great reminder of the truth recorded in the Holy Bible…there truly is a significant outpouring of the Holy Spirit which is something that Christians, each and every member of the Body of Christ, can always keep living with while being faithful to the Lord.

Here are the lyrics for your viewing and musical learning. The analysis of key parts of the lyrics will follow afterwards.

[Verse 1]

Come upon me

Overwhelm me

Overshadow

In Your glory

I am ready

I am willing

Heart surrendered

To Your leading

–

[Pre-Chorus]

You said to wait

For power to clothe me

You’d send a flame again

–

[Chorus]

So come now

Lord resurrect us

In Your power

Fill us afresh

And here now

Pour out Your Spirit again

Pour out Your Spirit again

–

[Verse 2]

There’s a stirring

Things are moving

There’s a hunger

You’re restoring

We are counting

On Your Spirit

Send Your rushing

Wind again

–

[Pre-Chorus]

Oh You said to wait

For power to clothe me

You’d send a flame again

–

[Chorus]

So come now

Lord resurrect us

In Your power

Fill us afresh

And here now

Pour out Your Spirit again

So come now

Lord resurrect us

In Your power

Fill us afresh

And here now

Pour out Your Spirit again

Pour out Your Spirit again

–

[Bridge 1]

I can hear it

The sound of a rushing wind

I can feel it

The flame of Your fire again

I receive it

The power that raised the dead

This is the great outpouring

–

[Bridge 2]

Can you see it?

Revival is in the air

There is freedom

Let churches be filled again

In this season

Heaven is rushing in

This is the great outpouring

–

[Refrain]

Woah

This is the great outpouring

Woah

–

[Chorus]

So come now

Lord resurrect us

In Your power

Fill us afresh

And here now

Pour out Your Spirit again

So come now

Lord resurrect us

In Your power

Fill us afresh

And here now

Pour out Your Spirit again

Pour out Your Spirit

–

[Bridge 1]

I can hear it

The sound of a rushing wind

I can feel it

The flame of Your fire again

I receive it

The power that raised the dead

This is the great outpouring

–

[Bridge 2]

Can you see it?

Revival is in the air

There is freedom

Let churches be filled again

In this season

Heaven is rushing in

This is the great outpouring

–

[Refrain]

Woah

This is the great outpouring

Woah

–

[Outro]

For analysis, let’s start with Verse 1’s lyrics – Come upon me, Overwhelm me, Overshadow, In Your glory, I am ready, I am willing, Heart surrendered, To Your leading. Verse 1 is about making the decision to submit to the Lord, repenting to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to come not only to you but also into your heart – receiving the Holy Spirit! From that point on, being led by the Holy Spirit and being faithful to the Lord become the new ways of living. This also means living as the new creation under Christ which is the result of getting born again (that Lord Jesus Himself made clear)! All of these happen when the seeker willingly decides to be Christian and get baptized spiritually (note: water baptism does not save anybody). Learn from the following holy scriptures below…

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

Matthew 3:11 (NKJV)

Peter replied, “Repent and return to God, and each one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to have your sins removed. Then you may take hold of the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:38 (TPT)

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God freely gives to all who believe in him.

Acts 5:32 (TPT)

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

John 3:3 (NKJV)

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

2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)

Moving on, the following lyrics from the longer version of the Chorus, I believe, is the very heart of the song as it deals with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which goes as follows – So come now, Lord resurrect us, In Your power, Fill us afresh, And here now, Pour out Your Spirit again, So come now, Lord resurrect us, In Your power, Fill us afresh, And here now, Pour out Your Spirit again, Pour out Your Spirit.

Let’s get straight to the point here…the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is real and here are the holy scriptures that confirm it is indeed true…

And it shall come to pass afterward

That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your old men shall dream dreams,

Your young men shall see visions.

And also on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

Joel 2: 28-29 (NKJV)

And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the Lord

Shall be saved.

For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,

As the Lord has said,

Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

Joel 2:32 (NKJV)

For I will pour water on the thirsty land

And streams on the dry ground;

I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring,

And My blessing on your descendants;

Isaiah 44:3 (NASB)

When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)

But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

And on My menservants and on My maidservants

I will pour out My Spirit in those days;

And they shall prophesy.

I will show wonders in heaven above

And signs in the earth beneath:

Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

The sun shall be turned into darkness,

And the moon into blood,

Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.

And it shall come to pass

That whoever calls on the name of the Lord

Shall be saved.’

Acts 2:16-21 (NKJV)

“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”

John 14:15-17 (NKJV)

In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,

Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV)

As seen in the above verses, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was prophesied in the Old Testament by the prophets Joel and Isaiah. The Old Testament prophecies got fulfilled within the New Testament on the Day of Pentecost and the apostle Paul, in front of many people, confirmed that the prophecy of Joel was fulfilled. By believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we get saved and allow the Holy Spirit to occupy our hearts. Jesus Himself referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper from the Heavenly Father, and the Spirit of Truth. Getting saved (born again) makes us children of God and as such we must allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, let Him guide us, reform us, restore us, prosper us and ensure we each have a personal relationship with the Lord. Along the way, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit for us manifests and becomes clearly true.

Going back to the lyrics in the longer chorus, I believe that the line Pour out Your Spirit again is about urging the Holy Spirit to make its presence felt not only for faithful Christians who continue to pursue the Lord but also to those who are still lost and unsaved which our screwed-up world is so full of. It should be noted that there are also Christians who, unfortunately, backslid and lost faith due to circumstances (example: the current pandemic that brought down societies and economies worldwide) at a time when their faith was not strong enough nor refined enough.

That being said, I believe the song Great Outpouring can help deepen the faith of the faithful ones while also working as an invitation to the lost and unsaved souls who have not realized that they can stop suffering by becoming born again and submitting themselves to the Lord for true reform. I assure all of you reading this that there are still lots of people who did not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior because of religion, unbelief, idolatry (which is truly unholy), traditions, rituals, homosexuality, anarchy, terrorism, socialism, Communism, racism, Leftism, feminism, corruption, immorality, critical race theory, rebellion, political correctness, anti-Semitism, dishonesty and other negative elements used by Satan all over the world. There are lots of people who remain lost and unsaved because of their failure to have true fellowship with the Lord, because they did not believe nor prioritized the Word of God (the Holy Bible), because they allowed themselves to be consumed by evil forces in this world, and because they embraced religion or unbelief instead of getting into a relationship with the Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Obviously, the lost and unsaved souls have not realized the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and they can have it by simply deciding to submit themselves to the Lord. That being said, we Christians should keep on persevering with praying for the lost and unsaved souls, and help them realize God’s Word is always true. Again, the song Great Outpouring can be used to reach out to the lost and unsaved souls around us.

Musically, Great Outpouring is indeed beautiful to listen to and, more importantly, its lyrics are truly holy. I believe that Planetshakers’ music team were led by the Holy Spirit in composing the song and formulating its music before officially recording it. Take note of the following lines from different parts of the lyrics – Let churches be filled again (Bridge 2), The flame of Your fire again I receive it (Bridge 1), There’s a stirring, Things are moving (Verse 2) – and you should see that they are all based on the Holy Bible.

When it comes to playing Great Outpouring at church during Sunday worship service, I would suggest to church music teams/bands to consider playing the song as the conclusion if they want to set solemnity with the church attendees after playing the more energetic songs during the early part of the musical performance. Planetshakers’ Great Outpouring is highly recommended!

In conclusion, posted below is the official music video of Great Outpouring performed by Planetshakers. While listening to it, remember to be faithful and thankful to the Lord. Always remember to realize the good life from the Lord, practice Christian habits , get yourself planted in a local church (be led by Him) and remember the truth that He rewards the faithful abundantly. Continue to be people of the Word 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.

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: My Strength

Christian Music Appreciation: My Strength

carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my fellow faithful Christians, pursuers of our Lord and readers who love music. This is the latest edition of my ongoing Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series and today we will examine together the holiness and beauty of the worship song My Strength.

My Strength was performed live at EpicLife Church during a Sunday worship service in 2020 with Pastor Martha Munizzi leading the singing with their church music team (including her two very talented and anointed daughters). The video of the said performance is posted near the end of this article.

That being said, we can start looking at the official lyrics of My Strength and analyze them afterwards. Here are the lyrics for your reference and faith in the Lord…

Verse 1

My strength My strength

Oh, the joy of the Lord is

My strength My strength

Oh, the joy of the Lord is

My strength that is enough to overcome the world

–

Chorus

You’re the joy no one can take away

You’re the joy no one can take away

You’re the peace inside I can’t explain

You’re the strength I need you will always be

–

Verse 2

My strength my strength

Oh, the joy of the Lord is

My strength my strength

Oh, the joy of the Lord is

My strength that is enough to overcome the world

–

Bridge

Stronger stronger, I’m getting stronger

The joy of the Lord, it makes me stronger

Greater, greater, my God is greater

His power, His power it make me stronger

What is easy to point out here for analysis are the following lyrics that served as the first and second verses of the song: My strength My strength, Oh, the joy of the Lord is, My strength My strength, Oh, the joy of the Lord is, My strength that is enough to overcome the world.

So more than once, the joy of the Lord is our strength was expressed. It is about strength that is so abundant, it is enough to overcome the world. Overcome the world not in the political sense and certainly not in the militaristic sense. It is all about faith in the Lord that will heal people in our screwed-up world, restoring them to God’s original plan for each of them, blessing them, uplifting them from the darkness of the world and leading them to His kingdom. There is one notable holy scripture that easily comes to mind…

Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)

Nehemiah 8:10 in the New King James Version (NKJV) emphasized the cultivating and promotion of the joy of the Lord among the people of God as a powerful source of spiritual strength. As Christians, we are meant to be strong, optimistic, fearless and aggressive since we are led by our faith in the Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord as our strength is a key part of our growing into Godliness. In fact, understanding and obeying scriptures in the Holy Bible (the Word of God) brings joy to our lives and orients us to acknowledge His hand in our success. This is something we can do to help all the unsaved and lost souls find their way back to the Lord. Now let’s take a look at Nehemiah 8:10 in two other translations…

And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)

Then he said to them, “Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your refuge.”

Nehemiah 8:10 (NASB)

Nehemiah 8:10 in the New Living Translation (NLT) has the exact same nine last words as the same scripture in the New King James Version. In the North American Standard Bible (NASB) translation, the joy of the Lord is described as the Christian’s refuge, meaning a spiritual stronghold. Stronghold obviously reflects our strength in God.

In Nehemiah 8, Ezra (the associate of Nehemiah) read God’s Word to His people who suffered through severe consequence for their rejection of the Lord, rejection of His covenant and because they did not live in accordance to God’s law. Rebellion was also a defining value of the people Ezra read to. Still, God was willing to forgive the people and restore them. This was emphasized by what Ezra declared to them in Nehemiah 8:10, which ultimately lifted them up. They were told not to grieve as the joy of the Lord is their strength. Along with strength came restoration, forgiveness of sins, and a greater understanding of God’s will for them. The joy of the Lord provided people strength to reach for the provision of love and salvation from Him. Learn from the following scriptures…

Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 12:3 (NKJV)

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephania 3:17 (NKJV)

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)

Going back to the song, the lyrics used in verses 1 and 2 make sense and are indeed holy with their composition. The joy of our Lord is our strength and with it, we can spread His Word around the world, help Lord Jesus save the lost and unsaved souls, and free them all from the darkness of unbelief, religion, idolatry, traditions, rituals and Satan.

Furthermore, other lines from the lyrics such as You’re the joy no one can take away, You’re the peace inside I can’t explain, You’re the strength I need you will always be and The joy of the Lord, it makes me stronger, Greater, greater, my God is greater, His power, His power it make me stronger seamlessly connect with the holy scriptures mentioned here.

Now that we know the truth about the joy of our Lord, here is one more holy scripture to help deepen your faith in Him.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

Ephesians 1:3-6 (NKJV)

Going back to the song My Strength, I can declare that its lyrics are indeed holy and written in close attention to the Holy Bible. Musically, My Strength is a smooth yet motivating worship song and Pastor Martha Munizzi’s lead performance of it is indeed lively. It is such a good song, I would suggest to church leaders and ministry organizers reading this to consider have their church band play My Strength as an opening song during Sunday worship services.

Finally, in concluding this CMA, embedded below is the official church performance video of My Strength held at EpicLife Church in Florida with Pastor Martha Munizzi leading the song with their church band. It is a very fine performance and it should help you get motivated in worshiping the Lord. For your strong faith in the Lord, always remember to have fellowship with the Lord Himself in private, practice Christian habits (click here and here), get planted and stay planted in a local church, and always 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.

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

What to watch today for Christmas

What to watch today for Christmas

carlocarrasco

Merry Christmas to all of you my readers and my fellow Christians! We honor and remember our Lord and Savior Jesus whose birth, life, sacrifice and resurrection remains highly significant to this day. It is during the Christmas season we should focus mainly on Lord Jesus and not allow ourselves to be distracted by the elements of this screwed-up world we live in. Christmas is all about Lord Jesus, nothing else and nobody else!

That being said, it is time for us all to take the opportunities of today to deepen our faith in the Lord and this is about what to watch this Christmas.

No, I am not talking about the venomous Hollywood movies that pretend to be about Christmas, nor those movies that used Christmas as a backdrop or a setting. In fact, I am not talking about movies at all.

What I am talking about are Christ-centered events and presentations that we can find online and easily access. For starters, we can warm up ourselves with the many Christmas musical performances by Hillsong Worship and a few from Planetshakers below.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=TjMpAjfIPT8
https://youtube.com/watch?v=d2iEjt92q_U

Now we can focus on upcoming Christmas events. In fact, a few of them will happen today – December 24, hours from now to be precise! Let’s start with Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) and its Christmas Eve service which will start live streaming via YouTube today at 2:45 PM Manila Time (5:45 PM in Australia). For the newcomers reading this, HopeUC is headed by the famous pastor Darlene Zschech and her husband Mark.

Next is the Christmas Eve service of Hillsong Church which will start live streaming via YouTube at 3PM Manila time (6PM in Australia) today. Expect to see Brian and Bobbie Houston.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=dyAq3Q7fip0

Tomorrow, Hillsong Church will have its Christmas Day service. It will start live streaming via YouTube at 6:30 AM Manila time (9:30 AM in Australia).

Another Christmas Eve event you should pay attention to is Yugto, to be organized and presented by Church of God, World Missions Philippines. This special event will start streaming live via the megachurch’s Facebook page and its YouTube channel tonight at 10PM in the Philippines (1AM of December 25 in Australia).

Each of the scheduled Christmas special events of HopeUC, Hillsong and Church of God, World Missions Philippines will include teachings of the Word of God, musical presentations, prayers and other special activities that viewers can focus on and deepen their faith in Lord Jesus.

In ending this, posted below are YouTube videos of the recent Christmas-related events that you might have missed. Enjoy them and remember to take steps when you want to deepen your faith in the Lord. Merry Christmas to you all and remember to keep on being the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=q21SA_n8Y4M
https://youtube.com/watch?v=CI0PsFl88uM

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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

Hope Alive Conference by New Life Church on December 11 and 12, 2020

Hope Alive Conference by New Life Church on December 11 and 12, 2020

carlocarrasco

Are you looking for an event online to deepen your faith in the Lord and adjust yourself accordingly? If you are seeking such an event, then you should know that the Hope Alive Conference soon to be organized by New Life Church is all set to happen on December 11 and 12, 2020 online.

The good news here is you still have time to prepare for it.

Hope Alive Conference will be held online on December 11 and 12, 2020. (credit: Hope Alive PH and New Life Philippines)

To put things in perspective, the Hope Alive Conference is an online event that will bring words of fresh hope right in the comfort of your home. There will be pastors who will speak out the Word of God and share their insights about Christianity. The activities will be streamed live through Facebook and YouTube. You simply should look for New Life Philippines’ channels to avail of the livestreaming.

Day 1 of the conference is on December 11. There will be a morning online rally set for 10AM local time with pastors Paul and Shoddy Chase (the founder and senior pastors of New Life Church) leading it. On the evening at 7PM is another online rally led by pastor Lawrence Lim of the New Creation Church based in Singapore.

Day 2 of the conference on December 12 will see the morning online rally at 10AM which will be led by pastor Chad Mansbridge of the Australia-based Bayside Church. The evening rally set for 7PM will be led by New Life Philippines lead pastors Jocel and Mylene Evangelista.

The Hope Alive Conference will mark the culmination for the campaign to share hope, speak hope and give hope to those who seek it during this time of pandemic. It will also provide troubled Christians inspiration, enlightenment and the holiness of the Lord that they need.

You still have time to prepare for the conference and you can start by visiting  https://www.facebook.com/events/1449121155478971/

Once the Hope Alive Conference finally happens, be sure you have good Internet connection, your mobile device or your personal computer fully operating (with the Facebook and YouTube apps already running), and you have your notebook, your pen and the Holy Bible with you. For the faithful reading this, always keep on being the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Take part in the Hope Alive Conference!

Note: Images here are properties of Hope Alive PH and New Life Philippines.

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

Christian Music Appreciation: That’s What We Came Here For

Christian Music Appreciation: That’s What We Came Here For

carlocarrasco

Hey everyone! Welcome back to this newest edition of my ongoing Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series. Are you ready to pursue God our Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit through holy music? You need a worship song to keep your faith enhanced right now? This website is the place!

Today I am about to review That’s What We Came Here For, a worship song from the 1998 Hillsong Worship album Touching Heaven, Changing Earth (which also includes You Are Holy and The Potter’s Hand). Responsible for the words and music of this particular song were Darlene Zschech and Russell Fragar.

With the details made clear, we can start with the lyrics displayed for you all below. The analysis of the lyrics will then follow. Enjoy the lyrics…

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Verse:

We come into Your presence

With singing

Come into Your presence

With praise

And enter Your gates

With thankful hearts

We are going to celebrate

All of heaven’s waiting

Power is on its way

So we shout hallelujah

Lifting to You

A mighty roar of praise

–

Chorus:

You deserve the highest praise

That we can give and more

Lord we give You our praise

That’s what we came here for

–

Bridge:

Everything within me

Reaches out to You

Your power Your majesty

Grace and mercy too

There’ll be singing and dancing

Hearts and voices raised

You have set Your people free

Now the house is filled with praise

–

You deserve the highest praise

You deserve the highest praise

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So you have now read the lyrics. Now we can examine lines and analyze its their connections with the Holy Bible starting with: We come into Your presence, With singing, Come into Your presence, With praise, And enter Your gates, With thankful hearts. To start with, singing to the Lord is recorded in many parts of the Holy Bible. Singing is one of the more definitive forms of praising Him, honoring Him and thanking Him for being our provider, protector, creator and our eternal refuge. Learn from the following scriptures below…

I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

Psalm 7:17 (NKJV)

Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacod, And glorified Himself in Israel.

Isaiah 44:23 (NKJV)

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”

Exodus 15:1-2 (NKJV)

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

Acts 16:25 (NKJV)

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.

Psalm 100:1-2 (NKJV)

The above holy scriptures relating to singing and praising the Lord in His presence with thankful hearts are just some of the many related scriptures recorded in the Holy Bible. I recommend you study the Bible in and out, especially when it comes to singing and praising to Him.

Now we proceed to the chorus of the song with the lines as follows: You deserve the highest praise, That we can give and more, Lord we give You our praise, That’s what we came here for. There is no doubt that the Lord deserves the highest praise we, His children, can give. There is no denying that each of us were created by God with plans already written even before we got created. We were NOT created to worship idols (the carved, the living and other things) and allow Satan to harm us and separate us from God by embracing evil. The truth is the Lord created us to glorify Him, serve Him, praise Him, honor Him and live by His Word (the Holy Bible), preach His Word and help Him save the many lost and unsaved souls here on Earth. Going back to the above lines from the chorus, the most relevant holy scriptures I found relating to them are posted below. Read closely…

Oh sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge peoples righteously.” Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the people’s with His truth.

Psalm 96:1-13 (NKJV)

I will extol You, my God, O 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 greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your might acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on You wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.

Psalm 145:1-7 (NKJV)

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His might firmament! Praise Him for His might acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:1-6 (NKJV)

As seen in the above scriptures, we are mandated to not only praise the Lord but give Him the highest praise! Do your very best in praising Him! Always remember that as this is indeed essential in Christian living.

Now we can proceed with further lines as follows: Everything within me, Reaches out to You, Your power Your majesty, Grace and mercy too. Reaching out to the Lord, submitting to Him, seeking His forgiveness and establishing a personal relationship with Him by being faithful (not religious) are inevitable and they can start by seeking Him. Seek God wholeheartedly! Learn from the following scriptures below…

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

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.

Hebrews 11:6-7 (NKJV)

But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.

Deuteronomy 4:29 (NKJV)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 1:14 (NKJV)

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sings, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.

Ephesians 1:7-8 (NKJV)

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

John 3:3 (NKJV)

As seen above, God will always welcome people who seek Him and get born again by submission to Him and accepting His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior. A real seeker of the Lord is one who is not merely interested but really seeks Him wholeheartedly and with everything from within. It is by becoming born again a seeker can truly become a child of God. Getting baptized by water does NOT really save anybody, rather it is the baptism by the Holy Spirit (receiving the Holy Spirit after getting born again) is the way to be saved, followed by receiving God’s grace, mercy, guidance, protection and more!

This leads me to one more line for analyzing: You have set Your people free. Part of seeking God and becoming His child by getting born again includes getting freed by Him from the darkness of religion, unbelief, idolatry, traditions, rituals and the wickedness of Satan. As you should know, Adam’s rebellion against the Lord set everyone back until Lord Jesus paid the tremendous price to free humanity from sin which marked God’s victory over Satan. There is a reason why each and every lost and unsaved soul around us needs to get born again even though they don’t realize it. They need to seek God wholeheartedly and make their own decision to get born again. We the children of God can help by praying for them and preaching God’s Word around. They can still be saved. Once they get saved, then it means the Lord set them free.

Indeed, That’s What We Came Here For is a really holy song. Musically, it is a fast-paced song and that makes it ideal to be played early during a local church’s Sunday worship service as it can really motivate church members to praise and pursue the Lord. Darlene Zschech’s singing of this song is unsurprisingly great and wonderful. That’s What We Came Here For is highly recommended to all!

In concluding this article, posted below is the official Hillsong Worship performance video from 1998. Enjoy the song, enjoy Darlene Zschech’s lead and always be faithful to the Lord. Always remember to realize the good life from the Lord, practice Christian habits and remember the truth that He rewards the faithful abundantly. 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: 247 365

Christian Music Appreciation: 247 365

carlocarrasco

Hey everyone! Welcome back to the latest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series. Previously I published CMAs of worship songs of the Australia-based Planetshakers Church and so far I’ve seen that their songs are not only greatly composed and very nicely performed, their musicians and creators are indeed anointed by God. For easy reference, check out my CMAs of How I Praise, So Good, Encounter Song and All.

For the newcomers reading this, Planetshakers was established as a church by the couple Russell and Sam Evans in Melbourne, Australia back in 2004 out of a deep desire to see more people encounter Lord Jesus. Before even the church’s establishment, Russell Evans had a radical encounter with the Heavenly Father and this compelled him to establish a conference called Planetshakers in 1997. That conference went on to become renowned for the passionate praise and worship done. The rest became history.

In this CMA, we are about to take a close look at one of Planetshakers’ recent worship songs which has been played a lot this year during their Sunday worship services. That song is called 247 365 (pronounced twenty-four seven three-six-five) and it is the opener of their brand new album titled Over It All. The said album – released November 6, 2020 – was recorded during the pandemic and for encouragement, Planetshakers referred to Psalm chapter 96 in the Holy Bible.

Going back to the song for review, Planetshakers confirmed (via the official description of the official music video also released on November 6, 2020) that 247 365 was birthed as a soundtrack to Psalm 118: 24 in the Holy Bible. It is a declaration to praise God all twenty-four hours each day, and for each day of the year regardless of what situation you are experiencing. For holy insight, refer to the different translations of the holy scripture below…

This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)

This is the very day of the Lord that brings gladness and joy, filling our hearts with glee.

Psalm 118:24 (TPT)

This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24 (AMP)

Now that the holy inspiration for 247 365 has been made clear, below are the lyrics of the song. Follow it and enjoy.

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[VERSE 1]

What a beautiful day that You have made

I will praise ‘ya

What a glorious day that You have made

I will praise ‘ya

–

[PRE-Chorus]

Lord, I bless ‘ya

Lord, I bless ‘ya

In all things, my soul will sing to You

–

[Chorus]

Everybody sing

Everybody sing unto the king

Let the praises ring

Let the praises ring

It’s all for Him

It’s all for Him

–

[VERSE 2]

Every moment I wake

I’ll lift up Your name

I will praise ‘ya

Not a day goes by without lifting You high

I will praise ‘ya

–

[PRE-Chorus]

Lord, I bless ‘ya

Lord, I bless ‘ya

In all things, my soul will sing to You

–

[Chorus]

Everybody sing

Everybody sing unto the king

Let the praises ring

Let the praises ring

It’s all for Him

It’s all for Him

–

[BRIDGE – x2]

I got a 24/7, 365 kind of praise, yeah!

I got a love so deep

It’s flowin’ out like a river

–

[Chorus]

Everybody sing

Everybody sing unto the king

Let the praises ring

Let the praises ring

It’s all for Him

It’s all for Him

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Now we can start with the analysis of the lyrics. The opening lines What a beautiful day that You have made, I will praise ‘ya, What a glorious day that You have made, I will praise ‘ya can be easily traced back to Psalm 118: 24 in the Holy Bible. In my experience having attended many Sunday worship services at church, the words “the day the Lord has made” is occasionally repeated and our pastor emphasized that the day God made is one that should be treasured always as it is the time that we – children of God led by faith – must use in praising Him, honoring Him, thanking Him and exalting Him without any hesitation. It is also a day for us to rejoice in His presence. Also we must remember that when we attend worship service, gather together as a spiritual family (we are part of God’s family) and praise Him, we do it out of willingness and with firm decisions. Because really, worship of the Lord is not meant to be done by obligation and certainly not to be done out of tradition. That being said, He created us to worship Him, follow Him, be faithful (not religious) to Him and more. Praising the Lord is itself meant to enjoyed, hence the rejoicing. The Lord loves not only the faithfulness and willingness of His children, He also loves their cheerfulness.

Next are the following lines: Lord, I bless ‘ya, In all things, my soul will sing to You. While we His children are blessed, guided and protected, we should always bless the Lord in return. Take note of the holy scripture below.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places of Christ.

Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)

The apostle Paul praised God for all the blessings He has bestowed on His people. The said blessings are ours because of our relationship with Lord Jesus. There is also the spiritual blessing which refers to divine privileges and resources available now. It is essential that we bless our Lord willingly and wholeheartedly.

Next lines to analyze: Everybody sing unto the king, Let the praises ring, Let the praises ring, It’s all for Him. Singing to the Lord is an expressive and lively way of praising Him. Refer to the following holy scriptures.

I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.

Psalm 89:1 (NKJV)

Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy.

Psalm 132:9 (NKJV)

Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!

Isaiah 42:10 (NKJV)

The above scriptures are just a few of the many scriptures related to the singing to the Lord found in the Holy Bible. That being said, the lines of Everybody sing unto the king, Let the praises ring, Let the praises ring, It’s all for Him are indeed relevant and holy. Lastly, singing rises out of the essence of our souls.

Next lines to tackle: I’ll lift up Your name, I will praise ‘ya, Not a day goes by without lifting You high. As Christians, we don’t just keep on worshiping the Lord, we must also magnify Him. By magnifying the Lord, we can help Him save the many lost and unsaved souls living with us in this divided world. We can also help other Christians who are backsliding (losing their faith) and help them strengthen their faith and keep on being in the path of God and be with Him. Learn from the following scriptures…

Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His might firmament! Praise Him for His might acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150:1-6 (NKJV)

I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful message of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved—the Jew first, and then people everywhere!

Romans 1:16 (TPT)

Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the LORD with the harp; Make a melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

Psalm 33:1-5 (NKJV)

The final lines to be analyzed are as follows: I got a 24/7, 365 kind of praise, yeah! I got a love so deep, It’s flowin’ out like a river. The first line clearly reflects the title of the song. It essentially expresses unending endurance of praising, honoring and exalting the Lord. We don’t praise the Lord out of tradition nor obligation, rather we do it out of very deep love and a whole lot of heart. The last line referring to flowing and the river can be linked to the holy scripture below with the words of Lord Jesus…

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”

John 7:37-38 (NKJV)

So there you have it! As I analyzed in accordance to what was written in the Holy Bible (God’s Word), 247 365 is indeed a very holy song and its lyrics were written by anointed people. Musically, the song is very hip and highly energetic. It is so energizing, it is ideal to motivate worshippers at church with it and it will help boost them to keep on praising the Lord, pursing Him and reaching up to Him even more! It’s no wonder why 247 365 was played a lot during Planetshakers’ Sunday worship services this year. I personally love this song. The worship song is indeed great and you should consider buying the album Over It All.

In concluding this article, embedded below is the official music video of 247 365. Watch it, enjoy it, share it to others via social media and praise the Lord with it. Keep on praising the Him and always remember to 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 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/

Christian Music Appreciation: I Live To Know You

Christian Music Appreciation: I Live To Know You

carlocarrasco

Hello everyone! Welcome back to my ongoing series called Christian Music Appreciation (CMA). Today we will take a close look at an old worship song from the 1990s titled I Live To Know You which was released years before social media started. As of this writing, the official video of a live performance of the song is available for viewing at the YouTube channel of Hillsong Worship.

Written by Darlene Zschech, I Live To Know You was part of Hillsong Worship’s 1997 album titled All Things Are Possible.

Now we can start with the lyrics of the song presented below for your reference…

Standing in Your presence

Lord, my heart and life are changed

Just to love You and to live to

See Your beauty and Your grace

–

Heaven and earth cry out Your name

Nations rise up and seek Your face

And Your Kingdom is established

As I live to know You more

–

Now I will never be the same

Spirit of God, my life You’ve changed

And I’ll forever sing Your praise

I live to know You, Lord

I live to know You, Lord

–

You’ve called me, I will follow

Your will for me I’m sure

Let Your heart beat feel my heart’s cry

Let me live to serve Your call

Now we can start analyzing parts of the lyrics and find out how they are related to the ultimate authority of reference, the Holy Bible (God’s Word). Standing in Your presence, Lord, my heart and life are changed, Just to love You and to live to, See Your Beauty and Your grace – These lyrics easily relate to our true purpose as Christians. Being creations of the Heavenly Father, we are truly meant to praise Him, glorify Him, love Him and take our rightful place by Him. We were never made to be separated from God. Follow the scriptures below…

This people I have formed for Myself, They shall declare My praise.

Isaiah 43: 21 (NKJV)

“But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

John 4: 23-24 (NKJV)

Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! You who stand in the house of the LORD, In the courts of the house of our God, Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.

Psalm 135: 1-3 (NKJV)

Of course, before people can enter His kingdom, everyone needs to be born again. For the newcomers reading this, this is about submitting yourselves to the Lord, ask for forgiveness and then making the sacred decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Getting saved and become new creations under the Lord are what the line Lord, my heart and life are changed is about. Learn from the following scripture below…

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)

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

2 Corinthians 5: 17 (TPT)

Next lines to analyze – Nations rise up and seek Your face, And Your Kingdom is established. These lyrics symbolize the realization of people who decide to seek the Lord and be willing to do His will instead of their own will. It is a fact that we all live in a screwed-up world because Satan (a long-time loser who is immortal because Adam gave him dominion by betraying God) continues to deceive a lot of people trapping them with unbelief, religion, idols, traditions, rituals, fear, strife, violence, poverty and more of what is worldly. It was with the victory of Lord Jesus over Satan that humanity got saved and brought real hope to everyone. It is up to people to decide to rise up, seek the Lord, submit themselves to Him and get saved. Once saved, they will become true children of God and be willing to do His will as He has a plan for each and everyone! Learn from the 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 peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen.

Hebrews 13: 20 (NKJV)

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

Matthew 6: 33 (NKJV)

Next lines to analyze – Now I will never be the same, Spirit of God, my life You’ve changed, And I’ll forever sing Your praise, I live to know You, Lord. While the first three lines are connected with Isaiah 43: 21, John 4: 23-24, Psalm 135: 1-3 and other related verses in the Holy Bible, the line I live to know You, Lord is itself highly significant and very in-depth.

For people who have yet to be saved, knowing is based on the academic approach of this world which itself is not spiritual. To know the Lord truly is not limited to just reading books…it is about having an established personal relationship with Him and having fellowship with Him by means of privately praying in tongues to Him, being totally faithful to Him and living on with the Holy Bible as the ultimate authority of reference of their lives. To know the Lord truly involves personal interaction and communication with faith in Him as the foundation. Of course, anyone who has yet to really know the Lord must first decide to open his or her heart to Him and get saved (born again). Be open to the Holy Spirit. Learn from the following scriptures below… 

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12: 2 (NKJV)

We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

1 John 4: 6-9 (NKJV)

“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel and those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”

Jeremiah 31: 33 (NKJV)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”

John 14: 26 (NKJV)

God revealed to the prophets that their ministry was not for their own benefit but for yours. And now, you have heard these things from the evangelists who preached the gospel to you through the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—the gospel containing wonderful mysteries that even the angels long to get a glimpse of.

1 Peter 1: 12 (TPT)

Finally, the next lines to be analyzed are as follows – You’ve called me, I will follow, Your will for me I’m sure, Let Your heart beat feel my heart’s cry, Let me live to serve Your call. It is very clear we are all God’s creations and long before we were even created, He made plans for each and every one of us. Long before we were even born, the whole world and humanity declined since Adam rebelled against God who later sent His Son Lord Jesus to save humanity and defeat Satan. As creations of God, it should not be surprising that He calls out to us. The calls He made, we must answer immediately and with the utmost priority. Learn from the scriptures below…

So never be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor be embarrassed over my imprisonment, but overcome every evil by the revelation of the power of God! He gave us resurrection life and drew us to himself by his holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done, but by his divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began! This truth is now being unveiled by the revelation of the anointed Jesus, our life-giver, who has dismantled death, obliterating all its effects on our lives, and has manifested his immortal life in us by the gospel.

2 Timothy 1: 8-10 (TPT)

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who call you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are not the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

1 Peter 2: 9-10 (NKJV)

So there you have it. The lyrics written by Darlene Zschech for I Live To Know You are truly holy in accordance to what was written in the Word of God. Very clearly Zschech, who leads Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) with her husband Mark, was anointed by the Lord to compose this song during her time with Hillsong Church. When it comes to the music, I Live To Know You is played with a medium pace and is soothing to listen to. It also makes for easy singing and praising to the Lord.

In ending this piece, posted below for your faith and viewing is the official Hillsong Worship video of a live performance of I Live To Know You. Enjoy it, share it to others, prioritize God and His Word and remember to 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 Habits (Part 1)

Christian Habits (Part 1)

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As children of God, being faithful is essential. Along the way, we must ensure that our faith in the Lord is always strong. It is understood we study the Holy Bible (God’s Word), apply its lessons into our lives no matter what situations we are in, worship the Lord together as a spiritual family on Sunday worship services, and pray in tongues to Him every day.

To add to those, we must also develop Christian habits. As you can see in the title of this article, this is the first of a short series of literary pieces about living with Christian habits. For this article, we will focus on having habits meant to strengthen our faith in God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Having Christian habits will keep a Christian strong, protected from the enemy and stay victorious. More on gaining habits that will keep us stay strong in faith and lead us on His path, we’ll start off with the following holy scriptures.

Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:6-10 (NKJV)

Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving ourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in the mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:21-25 (NKJV)

But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness.

1 Timothy 4:7 (NKJV)

In Galatians 6:6-10, the apostle Paul applied the general principle of sowing and reaping to the support of those who teach Christianity, to moral behavior and to Christian service. Flesh is mentioned and it is the opposite of the spirit, which is why as Christians still living in the flesh on this screwed-up world we live in, we must strive hard to be very faithful to God and live with His Word in our respective lives in a disciplined and rightful manner. As such, this means we must develop habits not of the flesh but of Christianity. Christian habits will help prevent us from falling off the path of the Lord. People who are trapped by religion, by comparison, practiced unholy habits and rituals like idol worship for example. James 1:21-25 meanwhile is a very lively reminder that we must be doers of the word and never be limited to hearing only. Verse 21 explains that salvation comes not from the use of worldly methods, but from a meek, gentle acceptance of the implanted word. Verse 22 explains that salvation leads to service and that it is self-deceiving to believe that God’s goal for church attendance is merely hearing the word instead of experiencing a transformation of life that results in ministry. Verse 23 to 25 emphasizes that those who act on the word (implementing God’s Word in life) will be blessed while those who are limited to hearing or listening won’t be blessed. 1 Timothy 4:7 is about rejecting godless myths and other forms of falsehood that will get in the way of following the Lord. Developing Christian habits will remind us to live with God’s Word.

Now that we’re done with Galatians 6:6-10, James 1:21-25 and 1 Timothy 4:7, we can proceed with the ways on developing Christian habits by remembering always that we were created to serve the Lord, glorify Him and do His will! We are all meant to follow the Lord! Let’s start with the following scripture…

Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoever finds me fines life, And obtains favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 8:34-35 (NKJV)

Christian Habit – prioritizing God and His Word.

The above holy scripture should remind each of us to listen to the Lord, discern and make decisions carefully. To make decisions and take action that are not in accordance to the will of God will only lead to hardship and even unholiness. It does not matter that we experience feelings in each of our respective circumstances because God’s Word is essential. Feelings are misleading and we can suffer or even drift away from Him if we rely on them for guidance. As Pastor Donna Crouch of Hillsong Church stated before, we Christians are not the sum total of what we feel! We are not supposed to be prisoners of our feelings! Feelings should never separate us from the Lord! The truth is, whether you are in joy, in pain, in disappointment, in anger, in confusion or in an optimistic state, you must always prioritize the Lord and follow Him. This is why we have the Holy Bible which is a truly living publication that never fails to guide faithful Christians.

This brings me to another point within the first Christian habit – always feed on God’s Word. You should make it a daily habit each morning ahead to grab the Holy Bible, open it and read it. Do not reach for your smartphone, reach for the Holy Bible first and foremost. After reading, take time to pray to Him. Pray in tongues while you are in your room with the door shut as you have fellowship with God who is in the secret place. Let this be how you start each new morning ahead of you. Be assured that doing this will keep you strong and be able to resist the devil and his wicked ways.

More on feeding on the Word of God, let’s look at the following scriptures below…

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4 (NKJV)

Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

Jeremiah 29:12

Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know.

Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV)

Matthew 4:4 above is one of the most powerful expressions in the Holy Bible that God’s Word is truly essential, and Lord Jesus spoke those words as He rejected Satan who tried to tempt Him. Truly, we are the creations of God and without Him we really cannot survive and cannot enter His kingdom. The scripture also marks Lord Jesus’ appeal to Scriptures which provides the clue for interpreting the Temptation narrative. Using God’s Word, Lord Jesus triumphed over the same temptations to which Israel had succumbed during the time in the wilderness, when they forced a test upon God in time of need. As this was one of Lord Jesus’ early victories, we the faithful Christians must follow His example and keep feeding on the Word of God.

Jeremiah 29:12 and Jeremiah 33:3 make it clear that communication with the Lord by means of praying wholeheartedly is essential. We must pray to Him every day and such communication is a top priority! Do not limit your fellowship with God to Sunday worship services and meal prayers. Pray to God every day! Are you busy at work? You can pray to Him during your free time and somehow you can find yourself some privacy somewhere when you are out of your home. To pray to Him is to feed on God’s Word.

As mentioned earlier, having Christian habits will keep you strong and protected from the enemy. Learn from the scripture below…

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, ‘I have overcome the world.’”

John 16:33 (NKJV)

John 16:33 makes clear that even in the midst of a crisis or persecution, there is indeed joyful peace in the certainty of the victory Lord Jesus achieved long ago. Tribulations are part of this screwed-up world we all live in and remember that Adam’s rebellion towards God granted Satan dominion. As such, prioritizing God and feeding on His Word always will keep you strong spiritually and you will be able to overcome opposition as well as any crisis. As long as we are edified and stand with God, nothing is impossible! Next scripture…

For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.

1 John 5:4 (NKJV)

The above scripture reconfirms that the victory of Lord Jesus is true and very real for as long as we have faith! Religion is not mentioned at all. It is faith that will ensure our rightful place in the kingdom of God as His children as well as the citizens of His kingdom. This brings me to the next point – spending time with the Lord and having fellowship with Him every day is essential. Each of us faithful Christians must make time for the Word of God by reading the Holy Bible. Are you busy with video games or a sports activity during your free time? Put God’s Word first before you enjoy those. It should be noted that due to all the hectic activities of local societies, Christians encounter a lot of problems because they failed to make it a daily habit to prioritize God and His Word. Now, you know better.

Christian Habit – build up your faith.

Let’s start with the scripture below…

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.

1 Samuel 30:6 (NKJV)

The above scripture shows that David took great responsibility with his faith in God. Even though he was grieving to the point of exhaustion, he did not give up. Instead David used the occasion to strengthen himself in the Lord, and this was at the same time when many other people gave in to their feelings (grief) and decided to take his life.

The point here was that even in a very difficult situation, David built up his faith and looked up to the Lord. That being said, we Christians must always take responsibility with the faith we have. Remember that God gave us His grace and our faith is clearly our responsibility. We must always strive hard to deepen and strengthen our faith in Him. It is also clear that it is according to your faith what you will receive from God. In the case of David, God gave him strength.

Powerful faith can make tremendous differences in your life. That includes miracles. All the more reason to build up your faith and be very responsible as well. Learn from the following scripture below…

who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Hebrews 11:33-34 (NKJV)

As confirmed above, the power of faith in the Lord is undeniably true. How can you build up your faith? By hearing the Word of God and implementing the lessons learned into your personal life. Symbolically, faith is the seed in your heart. The Word of God is the water of life for the seed (faith). As such, studying the Holy Bible all over again is essential and when you live by it, God’s additions to your faith will be added and then blessings, guidance and enlightenment from Him will manifest! I know because I personally experienced these since I got born again.

Keep hearing on God’s Word again, again and again. It sounds repetitive but be assured that each time you learn from God’s word, you will learn something new and refreshing. You should listen carefully to pastors whom God has chosen to spread the Word through churches and its members who have been planted. As you implement the lessons into your daily life, you will not only get blessed by the Lord, you can become a blessing to others.

Be lively with your faith. Be discerning. Be led by the Holy Spirit. Guard your faith well by guarding the Words of God from other words that are contrary. Clear your heart and make sure that it will not get filled with unholy and wicked influences. By building up your faith as a habit, you will be able to follow the Lord all the way!

Christian habit – speak the Word of God

Let’s start with these holy scriptures…

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21 (NKJV)

“For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Mark 11:23 (NKJV)

There is indeed a need for each of us Christians to speak God’s Word to others wholeheartedly. Preach the Word verbally or do it online by means of blogging, tweeting, messaging and emailing to others. Before doing these, however, each of us must be very careful about what to say. As Christians, we are a peculiar people (refer to 1 Peter 2:9) that the many unsaved and lost souls we co-exist with in this screwed-up world cannot understand. There will be opposition towards Christianity, so be ready to brace yourselves.

That being said, once you are ready for the world, maintain unwavering faith in the Lord to gain courage and go out saying God’s words, preaching the truth, the good news and help strengthen the faith of your fellow Christians (note: be a blessing to others).

Along the way, you must not waste your tongue to speak death. Certainly you should not add to the negativity that exist around us for it is not God’s way. Again, you must keep on-track with the Lord’s path by saying His words. Truly, when you say what God says, He will make good things happen in response to what you declared.

For clarity, what Lord Jesus said in Mark 11:23 was about the power of faith in the Christian’s heart and such power can help one overcome great obstacles or challenges (which the mountain mentioned in the scripture symbolizes). Faith is indeed the key that releases the resources of heaven into a faithful Christian’s situation. In Proverbs 18:21, the tongue’s power is greatly emphasized because with it, a person can make declarations and influence others. To speak death is to declare life’s negatives as well as defeat or constant complaining. To speak life is to speak God’s perspective on any issue of life.

Ultimately, we must be very careful with the way we use our tongue. As Christians, the real and definitive way of using our tongues is by declaring God’s words and the truth as recorded in the Holy Bible.  

So there you have it! The first three Christian habits emphasized here are: Prioritizing God and His Word; Building up your Faith; and Speaking the Word of God. No matter what happens, you must always have strong, unwavering faith in the Lord and that includes putting God’s Word in your heart on a daily basis. As mentioned earlier, having Christian habits will keep you strong under the Lord, protected from the enemy and help prevent you from going off the path of the Lord. Sometime in the future, another set of Christian habits will be presented here. To end this teaching, here is one final holy scripture for you all…

Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (NKJV)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. You can save yourselves by submitting to the Lord willingly. No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from our pastor.

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

Dear God,

I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now, I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.

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

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

With your new life realized, make an effort to acquire a copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a Christian church near you and find your place in the spiritual family.  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God.

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

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

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there. Also please consider making a donation to support my publishing of faith articles and CMAs (Christian Music Appreciation 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/

Why You Must Be Planted in a Local Church

Why You Must Be Planted in a Local Church

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Have you heard of the term church hopping? To put things in perspective, church hopping is the act of going from one church to another church to worship the Lord. Church hopping also indicates a believer’s inability to find a definitive local church to belong to.

As children of God, we are supposed to listen to Him and let Him direct us which church to be planted in. This means surrendering ourselves to Him, letting go of the hassles of our lives, and leaving up to the Lord to decide which church to join for the years to come.

As we live in this world filled with problems, challenges and confusion, it is natural for us to think of convenience about being part of the local church. Some people go to the church nearest to their homes. Some go to the church located in a community filled with lots of commercial joints to enjoy after attending services and activities. And some go to the church that has the least amount of problems with regards to traffic and parking spaces.

When it comes to joining a local church for the medium to long term, we must keep in mind the Lord who laid out plans for each of us. It is the Lord, not the conveniences and certainly not the other worldly factors that affect many, whom we must prioritize when it comes to being planted in a local church. Also remember always that the church is not just a building and certainly it is not an overgrown, corrupted worldly religion-led hierarchy…it is the community of people who believe in the Lord and live by the teachings of the Holy Bible (God’s Word) always pursuing Him and His holiness.

If God sends you a message (directly to you personally or by having one of His believers invite you to join the church) to join a local church, be assured that the said church is not only the right place for you but also has pastors who are very spirited in teaching His Word (the Holy Bible) and its members are sure to be welcoming, loving, caring and devoted as well. That being said, you should follow God’s instruction without question and do it without hesitation.  Learn from the holy scripture below.

Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.

Psalm 92:13 (NKJV)

As you can see in the above scripture, God already laid out plans for you when it comes to joining a church whose community members will be your brothers and sisters in Christ! God always has good plans and He always keeps His promises for you. Once you get planted in God’s designated church for you, you will flourish! I know, because I myself experienced the love, direction and blessings of the Lord after getting planted by Him in a local church He chose for me. Church hopping has, literally, been buried in my past.

As mentioned earlier, whatever local church God chose for you is sure to be a really good one. Its pastor is sure to be anointed and in constant communication with the Lord, and this means he or she will teach you deep lessons from the Holy Bible as they are written. Their church members will welcome you with open arms, take care of you, help you in deepening your faith in the Lord, teach you how to pray in tongues, learn and perform the lessons of the bible and pray a lot with you. As the newly planted member, you will realize faith in the Lord is essential, having a personal relationship with Him is also essential. You will also learn that religion, unbelief, idols, traditions and rituals are unnecessary when it comes to having faith and the personal relationship with the Lord. Together with the pastor and church members, you will flourish and prosper with them. These I personally experienced.

That being said, it is notable that a good local church will teach you prosperity with ways to manage your finances in accordance to biblical principles. Not only that, you will get opportunities to tithe (give back 10% of your income to the Lord through the local church) and wait for God’s supernatural set-up for your prosperity to follow. Tithe, be patient and believe the promised blessings from Him will arrive. In other words, you sow (seeds) and you will reap under God. Learn from the scripture below.

Do not be deceived. God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Galatians 6:7 (NKJV)

To put things in perspective, Galatians 6:7 emphasizes seed faith. God has a timetable for every seed we plant. His holy timetable is not the same as our respective timetables. With seed sowing in the local church, think of the way seasons move. You will want to wait for God and not lose patience because His timing is perfect and the promised blessings will come…they will be worth the wait! While you keep on pursuing the Lord in your local church, keep on tithing/giving, keep on sowing and NEVER lose faith and patience in Him. The holy harvest of the God will come! Trust in Him! Learn from the words of Lord Jesus in the holy scripture below in the New King James Version (NKJV) and the Passion Translation (TPT).

“Give, and it will given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Luke 6:38 (NKJV)

“Give generously and generous gifts will be given back to you, shaken down to make room for more. Abundant gifts will pour out upon you with such an overflowing measure that it will run over the top! Your measurement of generosity becomes the measurement of your return.”

Luke 6:38 (TPT)

Luke 6:38 clearly emphasizes that God truly gives in return after you give. It is the law of divine reciprocity and this also means the Lord’s abundance. Think about this example: you put money in the bank and in due time the bank returns interest. You give 10% of your income back to God through the local church, and you will receive His abundant blessing in due time. When it comes to tithing, never look at it as an additional expense on your part. Instead, tithing is truly essential as it is part of your responsibility as a child of God. The Lord expects you to receive a harvest from your giving. That being said, do NOT follow the examples of others who do not even give back to God and still expect Him to give them something. Again, tithing is key in receiving blessings from Him and your local church will explain to you why it is part of prosperity. Kingdom wealth is real and so is heavenly income.

Now for the next point about getting planted in a local church: The local church will help you on your relationships. Read the holy scripture below…

Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Psalm 92:13-15 (NKJV)

The above scripture is another confirmation about God’s plans for each and every one of us. He made those plans before we were even created. In return for our unwavering faith and service to Him, God will bless us with prosperity, good health, happiness, love and a whole lot more. Going back to the plans He made, the restoration of our relationships with our biological family and other people in this world will manifest and the local church is part of the restoration process! In the local church, the pastor and other members can help you if you are willing to seek the Lord’s help through them. Do you have a strained relationship with your parents or your siblings? Did you break up with someone you once loved? Were you a victim of harassment or bullying? Do your classmates hate you in school? Whatever strained or trouble relationships you have, pray to the God in private, share the details and ask Him for help. In due time, the Lord will choose someone in the local church to help you. Trust Him on that and be ready to receive His help through a chosen instrument (someone faithful) of His.

Be aware that God does not want His children to live with strained relationships. For one thing, when one gets born again, he or she becomes a child of God and established a personal relationship with Him. Life for the child of God would not be complete without the restoration of relationships here on Earth. By simply being faithful and trusting in Him, restoration of relationships will transpire. Do not doubt, nor hesitate, let the Lord work on the restoration. With restoration, forgiveness, renewal of love, renewal of trust and peace between you and others will be realized.

God also does not want His children to be divided nor isolated. He is our Heavenly Father and the definitive creator. God also has His family and we the children who got born again, restored and blessed are the one who fill it. This is the spiritual family you will learn about. The spiritual family is God’s family, and the local church you plant yourself in is the spiritual family (on the local level, a branch of God’s family here on Earth). Being isolated, being self-centered, being filled with superiority over others and being filled with pride definitely will prevent you from earning your place in the spiritual family. Learn from the following scriptures below…

Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good words, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more you see the Day approaching.

Hebrews 10:23-25 (NKJV)

A man who isolates himself seeks his own desire; He rages against all wise judgment.

Proverbs 18:1 (NKJV)

The confession of our hope written in verse 23 of Hebrews chapter 10 relates to hope of the future consummation of our salvation will never waver as long as it is grounded on the faithfulness of the Lord who promised (and always fulfilled His promises). Verses 24 and 25 emphasize the love for one another in Christ must manifest itself in works of love and gathering together in His name, especially in light of His Coming.

Hebrews 10:23-25 reflects the truth that God uses His believers to reach you with the intention to help you, bless you, and invest in your life to become what God wants you to be. In the local church, your presence is need so the Lord Himself will guide you, command you and bless you. Be aware that – as a planted believer – when you attend Sunday worship services at the local church in the presence of the pastor and other members (note: your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ), you are not a mere spectator but are member of the spiritual family in attendance! This truth makes clear that church hopping will limit you to being a spectator than a true church member. You want your membership in the local church to validated with holiness? Be planted, be faithful, open your heart to God and be in harmony with your brothers and sisters in Christ! It is the local church that the Lord blessed before you get planted. As such, be committed to God in the local church and live up to your responsibilities as His child.

Going back to what I mentioned earlier about isolation and the related factors, Proverbs 18:1 makes clear that being isolated will only lead you the wrong way and will lead you far away from God. If you are an isolationist, you certainly cannot commit yourself to the Lord in any church. Being an isolationist also makes you vulnerable to temptations by Satan and you will not even notice that. Don’t be an isolationist because being one will keep you out of the family of God.

As children of God, we go to church to please Him, not people. We follow His Word through learning and application. We humble ourselves to Him and open our hearts to Him. That being said, it is clear that we open ourselves to fellow faithful Christians in the local church who can offer spiritual assistance when needed. Learn from the scripture below…

As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.

Proverbs 27:17 (NKJV)

Proverbs 27:17 clearly emphasizes that it is beneficial and helpful for children of the Lord to be support each other as God is always watching us. If a certain member in the local church is backsliding (losing faith), another member can offer to provide support needed to strengthen the faith. If a member is doing Christianity the wrong way, another member can offer correction. If you are already a member of the local church and got problems with regards to faith and practices, do not hesitate to reach out the pastor or other members already strong and edified. That being said, the truth about these is made clear in the holy scripture below…

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians 6:2 (NKJV)

In the local church, the pastor is you mentor. He or she is to be followed in accordance to the Word of God. The pastor is NOT to be worshipped for that constitutes idolatry which is unholy. Follow the pastor and all the biblical teachings, but always focus your worship exclusively to the Lord. We were created to serve and worship God, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Going back to the pastor, he or she will not only constantly study the Holy Bible, communicate with God and teach bible lessons to you. The pastor, along with the other members of the spiritual family in the local church, will pray for you.

Moving on, there is the truth that the local church will help you spiritually.

To put things in perspective, church attendance itself is great but it is not the definitive purpose because church is where we are planted to grow spiritually under the Lord. Each faith-led Christian and member of the local church has his or her own responsibilities to live up to, and spiritual growth is one of the requirements. You yourself want to be involved in the local church because your purpose is to grow spiritually, deepen your faith and establish your personal relationship with the Lord.

As members of the body of Christ (the church) and God’s family, we the children must come together to worship Him, learn His Word, do His will, and always maintain an unwavering faith in Him no matter what happens. The more you understand all the teachings of the Holy Bible entirely, the more you will understand the nature of the Lord and what He wants you to do in serving Him and helping Him save the many lost and unsaved souls around the world.

Understand that being planted is also about being obedient to the Lord. Keep on pursuing the Lord no matter what happens. Keep on tithing. Keep on being active in the local church with the goal of growing spiritually. Never limit yourself in honoring the Lord because in due time, He will allow something supernatural to happen to you. Great change will happen in your life. Learn from the final set of scriptures below…

If they obey and serve Him, They shall spend their days in prosperity, And their years in pleasures.

Job 36:11 (NKJV)

Within your heart you can make plans for your future, but the Lord chooses the steps you take to get there.

Proverbs 16:9 (TPT)

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

Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)

Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)

I hope you have learned why you must be planted in a local church through this article of mine. Always seek God’s kingdom, His righteousness and you will be blessed, protected, guided and go on to live holy under Him. Remember that church hopping is detrimental and won’t help you on establishing your relationship with God.

At this point, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. You can save yourselves by submitting to the Lord willingly. No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide. For those who have decided to get born again now, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from our pastor.

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

Dear God,

I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now, I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to acquire a copy of the Holy Bible (New King James Version is recommended), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a Christian church near you and find your place in the spiritual family.  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God.

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

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

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Yx7KgxFw-k0%3Fstart%3D900

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