You Can Submit Yourselves To Lord Jesus Now

Welcome back, readers and fellow believers of the Lord!

It is a long-running tradition that the world we live in remains twisted, divided and chaotic. Apart from the persistent political divisions magnified by the dishonest mainstream news media, people around the world have differences in terms of culture, social classes, lifestyles, identity and geographic norms. Along the way, Satan keeps on influencing people to become his agents of evil, lying and division. The chaos just goes on and on.

Being worldly is unholy. Wordliness – which includes wickedness, corruption, idolatry, homosexuality, immorality, dishonesty, theft and a lot more negative elements – is twisted and it often leads to deterioration, division and destruction. Is it any wonder why are there so many brainwashed and paid political activists causing chaos in societies? Why do you think Islamic terrorism keeps on happening? Why do you think the Islamo-Leftists keep on empowering mass migration, illegal immigration and multiculturalism against nations of the world? Did you notice people are being deceived by the zealots of social justice, identity politics, climate change, diversity and inclusion? Satan is responsible and he has a lot of the sinners, the lost, the anarchists and the terrorists who don’t even realize they are his pawns.

No matter what happens around us and to us, we the faithful should never lose hope and we should keep on moving forward in faith and with the Holy Spirit. Lord Jesus is our Savior, our Redeem and the Hope of ALL nations! No matter how much chaos happens to us, we should never lose faith in Him and we can do His will by spreading God’s Word. God is the eternal Creator and we should remember why He redeemed us with His Son Jesus.

We should always keep worshiping the Lord wholeheartedly. Worshiping God protects your heart from going astray. Worshiping and honoring Him puts us in His path and this includes the guiding light of the Holy Spirit which shows us the way to follow. Lord Jesus achieved victory over death as well as victory over evil.

The truth is this…Satan can be defeated by having uncompromising faith in the Lord, in His Word and following the ways and commands of the Lord. Lord Jesus Himself defeated Satan long ago and you can find out how in the bible verse below.

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

But He answered and said,

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

and,

‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to him,

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him,

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Matthew 4:1-11 (NKJV)

As seen in the above scripture, the Lord defeated Satan and by following Jesus and God’s Word, we can be protected from whatever attacks or tricks Satan throws at us the faithful. With the Lord, nothing is impossible!

Resisting the devil involves complete submission to God. Learn from the scripture below.

So be subject to God. Resist the devil [stand firm against him], and he will flee from you.

James 4:7 (AMPC)

It is clear that we the faithful should never open doors that lead to evil. We should follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and let it guide us so that we do not make mistakes. Never give any edge nor space to evil. Meanwhile, the lost, the chaotic and the unsaved who spent their lives committing evil under Satan’s influence still have time to turn around and come to Lord Jesus for submission and repentance. Learn from the scriptures below.

Jesus answered him,

John 3:3 (AMPC)

For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying:

“I will declare Your name to My brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

And again:

“I will put My trust in Him.”

And again:

“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.

Hebrews 2:10-15 (NKJV)

As seen above, there is indeed hope for the lost and unsaved to come to the Lord. This is why we are reminded to preach God’s Word to others and pray for them to realize the light of hope and salvation from Jesus. There are indeed a lot of people out there who rejected God or did not prioritize Him, but they have time to turn around and come to Him. After surrendering to Him, they will learn to praise, honor and thank Him eternally in His Kingdom. Learn from the scriptures below.

It is a good and delightful thing to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises [with musical accompaniment] to Your name, O Most High,

To show forth Your loving-kindness in the morning and Your faithfulness by night,

With an instrument of ten strings and with the lute, with a solemn sound upon the lyre.

For You, O Lord, have made me glad by Your works; at the deeds of Your hands I joyfully sing.

How great are Your doings, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep.

A man in his rude and uncultivated state knows not, neither does a [self-confident] fool understand this:

That though the wicked spring up like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to be destroyed forever.

But You, Lord, are on high forever.

For behold, Your adversaries, O Lord, for behold, Your enemies shall perish; all the evildoers shall be scattered.

Psalm 92:1-9 (AMPC)

The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible].

Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.

[Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment].

[They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Psalm 92:12-15 (AMPC)

O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights and strength of the hills are His also.

The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and supplication].

Psalm 95:1-6 (AMPC)

O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless (affectionately praise) His name; show forth His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; He is to be reverently feared and worshiped above all [so-called] gods.

For all the gods of the nations are [lifeless] idols, but the Lord made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O you families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Give to the Lord the glory due His name; bring an offering and come [before Him] into His courts.

O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; tremble before and reverently fear Him, all the earth.

Say among the nations that the Lord reigns; the world also is established, so that it cannot be moved; He shall judge and rule the people righteously and with justice.

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all the things which fill it;

Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it! Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy

Before the Lord, for He comes, for He comes to judge and govern the earth! He shall judge the world with righteousness and justice and the peoples with His faithfulness and truth.

Psalm 96:1-13 (AMPC)

Our Lord is not just all-powerful. He is also a very caring and loving Lord, the most definitive Leader and Authority we can follow with all our hearts. For as long as our faith in Him remains uncompromising, Satan, the idols and his evil influence cannot win and will end up isolated with defeat. Those who are still trapped by Satan can be freed by leading them to Jesus for repentance, submission and hope. The Lord reigns eternally and we the faithful can help the lost and unsaved realize that! Learn from the scripture below.

The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of isles and coastlands be glad!

Clouds and darkness are round about Him [as at Sinai]; righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Fire goes before Him and burns up His adversaries round about.

His lightnings illumine the world; the earth sees and trembles.

The hills melted like wax at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory.

Let all those be put to shame who serve graven images, who boast in idols. Fall prostrate before Him, all you gods.

Psalm 97:1-7 (AMPC)

O sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him.

The Lord has made known His salvation; His righteousness has He openly shown in the sight of the nations.

He has [earnestly] remembered His mercy and loving-kindness, His truth and His faithfulness toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have witnessed the salvation of our God.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth and sing for joy, yes, sing praises!

Psalm 98:1-4 (AMPC)

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all you lands!

Serve the Lord with gladness! Come before His presence with singing!

Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:1-3 (AMPC)

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits—

Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!

Psalm 103:1-5 (AMPC)

All the praise, all the glory, all the thanks and all the honor to God! We the faithful are eternally secured in Heaven as we are faithful Jesus our Lord and the Hope of all nations! We the faithful can help the lost and unsaved make their way to the Lord for light and hope they need.

From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists and secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious fanatic? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a toxic person? Are you fed up with being promiscuous and living with sadness? Have you spent an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, paintings and relics? 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. Declare your love for Him as well!

Now that you are living a new life as a Christian (devoted follower of Lord Jesus), I highly encourage you to visit Israel someday. It is in Israel where the Holy Land is, and you should go there to deepen your faith in the Lord. I myself had been to Israel and I brought the Holy Bible with me to many holy sites there such as Nazareth, Galilee and its sea, the Pool of Siloam, Magdala, Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem, the Upper Room, the Temple Mount, the Jordan River and the Southern Steps to name some. I did my part deepening my faith in our Lord and praying to Him. I also did my part blessing the Jewish people during my time there, and I assure you all that the ties between Jews and Christians are biblical. Go to Israel with the Holy Bible and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

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 on 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, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at  @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/ and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

I was at the Southern Steps in Jerusalem

Welcome back, readers and fellow followers of the Lord! This is the 10th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel tour articles, click hereherehere, here, herehere, here, here and here. No matter what happens in this twisted world we live in, I will always stand with Israel and my faith in the Lord remains uncompromising!

In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you what I experienced when our pilgrimage tour group visited the Southern Steps (also referred to as the Southern Stairs and Rabbi Stairs) located at the lower part of the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Thanks to our dedicated local tourist guide, our tour group had a meaningful visit there and we spent several minutes observing the place. Our time at the steps concluded with a bible teaching led by New Life Philippines Pastor Edwin Tugano. In my personal experience, I felt something from the Lord there as I realized the biblical relevance of the holy site as well as insight regarding what the place was like thousands of years ago.

This is me at the Southern Steps in Jerusalem, Israel.

The site is very significant as it is the place that served as one of the main entrances from the south to the Temple Mount during the time of Lord Jesus. In fact, people coming from the City of David going north to the Temple Mount used the Southern Steps very long ago. Also, the Southern Steps became a useful place where rabbis and their disciples gathered for faith lessons and this explains why the said steps are also called the Rabbi Stairs. Physically, the steps were hundreds of feet wide which provided abundant space for congregating and teaching.

As many centuries had passed since Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven, there were physical changes that happened at the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount and this is evident as visitors today cannot access the mentioned sacred site above (where the Jewish temples used to be) using the Southern Steps. This is because there is noticeable expansion of the Southern Wall blocking the steps’ upward access to the Temple Mount. I myself had touched that wall and noticed how its stone quality and colors differed from the rest of the Southern Wall.

I brought the Passion Translation Holy Bible with me at the Southern Steps. After taking this image, I climbed up the steps, reached the Southern Wall and touched it.

Regardless, the step themselves – composed of the original stones from Jesus’ time (those steps with the rougher stones) plus newer ones (added to fill the gaps) leading to the Southern Wall – are still there and climbing them required methodical walking. The Southern Steps today are widely visited by faithful Christians from around the world as it is a holy site and it is very likely that Lord Jesus Himself climbed the steps going to the Temple Mount. There is no doubt that Lord Jesus and His disciples also gathered at the steps for teachings. The holy site should remind you about the significance of Lord Jesus’ presence in Jerusalem.  

In my experience there at the Southern Steps with my tour companions, I felt the holiness of the place and that became more evident as I opened the Holy Bible during the bible teaching led by our pastor right there. During our time there, I noticed another pilgrimage tour group was present with us several feet away.  

Did Pentecost happen at the Southern Steps?

Our pilgrimage tour group in the foreground, and another group in the background. The Southern Steps is an essential place for Christians to visit in Israel.

By reading the biblical reference of Pentecost and connecting it with my observations of the holy site, I can say that the Southern Steps is a possible place where Pentecost may have happened. I can even say that it is a more suitable place –  where about three thousand Jews got baptized after the apostle Peter preached the good news – than the Upper Room (itself a popular location in many paintings and artworks dramatizing Pentecost).

Take a close look at the biblical record of Pentecost below…

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.

And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean?”

Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.”

But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 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.’

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:

‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,

For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.

Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;

Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.

For You will not leave my soul in Hades,

Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.

You have made known to me the ways of life;

You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. Therefore being exalted [j]to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:

‘The Lord said to my Lord,

“Sit at My right hand,

Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:1-41 (NKJV)

Take note that verse 2 of Chapter 2 in the Book of Acts specifically mentioned “house” which is not limited to houses. In fact, in the Old Testament of the Bible, the Jewish temple is referred to as the house – as in the house of the Lord. The place of worship of the Lord!

Still within biblical context, “house” – as seen in verse 36 with “house of Israel” – also symbolizes family and lineage in the Holy Bible. “House of Israel” refers to the entire nation descended from Abraham through Jacob and Isaac and that includes the Jewish people (descendants) who were present in Jerusalem during Pentecost. For relevance of the house of Israel, read 2 Kings 7:1-16 in the Holy Bible – God’s words for King David passed through the prophet Nathan.

In the foreground are the Southern Steps and the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount. In the background is more of Jerusalem. (source – screenshot taken from the Instagram video of Hananya Naftali)

As it was an essential form of access into the Temple Mount, the Southern Steps also served as a natural place of gathering, spacious enough to accommodate thousands of Jews. As mentioned earlier, these wide and spacious holy stairs are a more suitable place than the Upper Room for Pentecost to happen.

Also take note that verse 41 of Chapter 2 of the Book of Acts mentions that there were around three thousand Jews who got baptized and helped the church of Lord Jesus grow a lot on the day of Pentecost itself (for relevance, read John 3:3 in the Holy Bible). This also means that there were between fifteen thousand to thirty thousand people in Jerusalem who witnessed Pentecost happen. Having been at the Southern Steps myself, I can easily visualize the whole place – from the steps themselves and the space between them and the City of David in the south, plus the whole stretch of the Southern Wall – being filled with lots of people on that very day. Having attended the bible teaching led by our pastor who stood at the steps facing us south, I can visualize the apostle Peter preaching to thousands of Jewish people there long ago.

Our pastor Edwin Tugano (standing on the ancient steps facing us) led the bible teaching for me and my pilgrimage group companions.

There is absolutely no way that the 3,000 people who received Christ and got baptized would fit inside the Upper Room at the time of Pentecost. When the apostle Peter preached, he was not surrounded by only a tiny group of people but by a huge crowd who listened. The other apostles were with Peter back then. This should remind you that the artists responsible for the paintings and artworks portraying Pentecost happening inside the Upper Room or within an indoor place with walls and a roof did not fully understand the biblical record of Pentecost. In other words, those artists got it wrong and the Bible proves they are wrong. This should remind you to maintain faith in God’s Word, not in man-made artworks.

Once again, the Southern Steps is a possible site of Pentecost. It may not be definitive but it definitely is more suitable than the Upper Room for congregating and preaching in front of thousands. The other possible places where Pentecost may have happened include the Royal Stoa (which was intact at the Southern Wall covering its length and was located high above the Southern Steps) and at the Jewish Temple itself.

While the exact location of Pentecost remains unresolved, I encourage you all to always keep faith in the Lord and His Word knowing that Pentecost truly happened as it was an anointed by the Lord to happen. Location is one thing, but the Holy Bible and the Holy Spirit are always essential to our faith in Lord Jesus.

Conclusion

It was destiny from the Lord for me and my pilgrimage tour group to visit the Southern Steps. I felt the unction from the Holy Spirit to capture this very moment upon arrival there.

I can say that me and my pilgrimage tour group companions were blessed by the Lord during our time at the Southern Steps. Simply thinking about Lord Jesus teaching His followers at the steps is uplifting  There clearly is a lot to learn and discover by being at the holy site and having the Bible for reference. I thank Lord Jesus for blessing us, for our pastors and our local tour guide, and for the anointed experience at the Southern Steps. I definitely will revisit those steps when I return to Israel.

Israel is a great and holy place to visit! Visit Israel with the Holy Bible! Pray to the Lord wholeheartedly and reveal to Him your heart’s desire to visit Israel to deepen your faith in Him. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Follow the light of Lord Jesus, keep on praying to support Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel articles here. There is more to come!

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

Be the Fearless and Aggressive Church of Lord Jesus!

We are Christians living with strong faith in the Lord. The day each of us got born again and willingly accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we truly became children of God and we each live with holiness while deepening our respective personal relationship with Him.

We Christians pray in tongues, we tithe, we study God’s Word (the Holy Bible) and apply its lessons into our lives no matter how screwed up the world we live in is. We Christians don’t need religion at all and we reject idolatry, religious traditions and religious rituals. We also are defiant towards unbelief and whatever tricks Satan tries to bring us down with. As believers of Jesus, we already have His victory and not even Satan can defeat us. We are led by the Holy Spirit which we received in our hearts when we got saved.

We are the Body of the Christ. We Christians are the church who follow Jesus! As such, it is only expected that each and every one us be fearless and aggressive under Christ.

To be fearless and aggressive as Christians were key lessons from pastors I learned from. As such, let me share to you how we the Body of Christ can keep on being strong under Lord Jesus starting with being a fearless church and as a fearless Christian. Heed the words of Jesus Himself.

Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.

John 14:1 (NKJV)

Don’t worry or surrender to your fear. For you’ve believed in God, now trust and believe in me also.

John 14:1 (TPT)

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

John 14:15-17 (NKJV)

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace, I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

John 14:26-27 (NKJV)

The above scriptures from the different parts of Chapter 14 of the Book of John emphasize Jesus talking about the promise of the Holy Spirit. For that alone, there really is no reason for us believers to fear at all. We only need to fear the Lord because that is essential to gaining wisdom from Him. Other than that, for as long as we stay faithful, we don’t need to fear even the most unpredictable turnout of events in this screwed up world we live in such as poverty, crime, unemployment, terrorism, violence, corruption, idol worship, atheism, religion, uncontrolled emotions, panicking, temptations and the like. Because with the Holy Spirit we are not only protected but also guided and the Lord is watching us from high above. He will not abandon us nor let evil take us away from Him. The words of Jesus in John 14 are not only still strongly relevant but are indeed living words for us to follow! Jesus, who died on the cross, came back to life, spent time with people and ascended to Heaven with the promise to return, is clearly alive!

We children of God are no longer living in sin because, clearly, Jesus redeemed us all from the darkness that started with Adam’s rebellion towards God. We are not only saved by Him but we are also new creations under Him. We Christians really have to be fearless and we are citizens of God’s kingdom! To learn more about who we are in Christ, let’s move on to the next holy scriptures.

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His might power,

Ephesians 1:17-19 (NKJV)

I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation[a] to know him through your deepening intimacy with him. I pray that the light of God will illuminate the eyes of your imagination, flooding you with light, until you experience the full revelation of the hope of his calling—that is, the wealth of God’s glorious inheritances that he finds in us, his holy ones! I pray that you will continually experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power made available to you through faith. Then your lives will be an advertisement of this immense power as it works through you! This is the mighty power,

Ephesians 1:17-19 (TPT)

And now we, his church, are his body on the earth and that which fills him who is being filled by it!

Ephesians 1:23 (TPT)

See? We really have reasons to be the fearless church of Jesus. By having faith, we will experience the immeasurable greatness of God’s power not occasionally, not sometimes but continually! As Christians driven by faith (not religion), we are indeed God’s special people (refer to 1 Peter 2:9) and there definitely should be no room for us to fear. God’s guidance and enlightenment for us are already tremendous making fear irrelevant! No fear, no panicking, no trembling and no doubting! We the fearless church of Christ can move forward with holiness and defeat Satan again and again!

To put things in perspective, after getting born again and growing with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, the Lord, who made plans for each of us since before birth, really planned for us Christians to be joined together as His Body and we the members are meant to be strong, fearless and aggressive! Believe not in your feelings, not in fear but in the Holy Spirit and remember that God and Lord Jesus are watching us. Remember also Jesus’ ultimate sacrifice for humanity.

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

1 Peter 3:18 (NKJV)

Suffering affects everyone. There is no doubt about that. Jesus suffered tremendously so that we will all be saved and pave the way for us into God’s kingdom. It takes faith, not religion, in the Lord for salvation to be realized. We Christians should always remember that our existence is clearly not limited to living in the flesh but also in the spiritual realm. As saved souls, we will go straight to Heaven once we die in the flesh here on Earth. We will go straight to God’s kingdom and take our respective places in it. There is no such thing as purgatory, an ancient deception of religious and evil nature! Purgatory is a lie created by the enemy who clearly influenced religious teachings and religious traditionalists which resulted distorted teachings of Christianity (by religion-driven people and institutions). We Christians have the Word of God (the Holy Bible) as the definitive and ultimate reference of faith! Upon death in this world, we the children of God will go straight to Him in His kingdom! There is nothing to fear!

Let’s move on.

And they were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Acts 2:4 (NKJV)

And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:18 (NKJV)

With the Holy Spirit in us, God made a way for us to know Him and His presence. We Christians get to know Him as individual members and as a church gathered together. Even when we have nobody around us, we Christians are never really alone because we have a living personal relationship with God. We can communicate with God privately when alone and the effective way to do it is to be in our respective rooms with the door shut and pray to Him (refer to Matthew 6: 6). We have access to Him! Again, there is no room for fear nor despair here. With God, nothing is impossible and this leads me to the next holy scripture.

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

2 Corinthians 4:7 (NKJV)

Treasure refers to the knowledge of God in the face of Christ. Earthen vessels are weak and breakable. The above scripture emphasizes how weak we are living in the flesh and yet we can live spiritually strong under the Lord. See the paradox? As our pastor taught us, we can only live in the flesh up to one hundred and twenty years maximum. Of course, being children of God living here on Earth, we have the Holy Spirit in our hearts and we really have missions to live in holiness, spread God’s Word and save the many billions of unsaved and lost souls before we expire and go to Heaven to join Him. Remember, with God, nothing is impossible and our being fragile as fleshly beings here on Earth should never be taken as a hindrance nor should we let it prevent us from being the fearless church of Lord Jesus!

Now that being fearless Christians has been discussed a lot already, we can move on with discussing being aggressive Christians! Let’s start with the armor God provides us in the next holy scripture.

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

Ephesians 6:11-13 (NKJV)

With God’s armor provided, we are already protected in the fight against evil. As members of the Body of Christ, we have the means to move forward strongly, defeat Satan and saved the many unsaved souls. Take note that in the above scripture, our battle is spiritual and not physical. We should always be able to discern between the spiritual struggle and the personal, the political and the social difficulties. We should focus on defeating Satan and his force of evil, not human adversaries. That means being aggressive with our prayers, and becoming established prayer warriors of Lord Jesus! We have the spiritual resources, the authority of Christ over evil and the Lord’s will to display His wisdom through the church (that means us Christians). No place for fear here and we have a lot of reasons to be aggressive as Christians!

Next scripture…

The LORD shall go forth like a might man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.

Isaiah 42:13 (NKJV)

Isaiah 42:13 emphasizes that we the Children of God already have a leader (the Lord Himself) to follow as well as strength to rely on so that we can strive forward. That being said, we really have to be aggressive with our prayers, our faith and spirituality since we also have the Holy Spirit in us. There is simply no room for weakness nor fear for Christians. This should also serve as a reminder, especially to the new Christians (and the souls that need to be saved) reading this, that we Christians need to be edified. Edification itself requires aggressiveness with our faith and dedication under the Lord. Apart from studying the Holy Bible and praying in your room with the door shut, you can also do other things to strengthen yourself spiritually like praying in tongues while walking around the block or around your house.

To be aggressive with our Christianity is not a seasonal thing but rather a truly, more regular thing in our lives under the watch of God. Be a prayer warrior, a Holy Bible-oriented Christian, a preacher, a tither, a helper and spread goodness to save the unsaved souls for the rest of your life in the flesh while waiting for the return of Lord Jesus. Be a doer of the Word of God! Now on to the next verse.

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

Colossians 4:2 (NKJV)

As mentioned in the previous paragraph, be a prayer warrior with God’s Word as your definitive reference and your heart remaining open always to the Lord. We need to pray daily and this includes praying in tongues (for enlightenment read the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts in the Holy Bible). Don’t waste your time and energy on repetitive prayers (read Lord Jesus’ own words in Matthew 6:7-8) and remember the Model Prayer from Lord Jesus. Don’t give up praying to the Lord no matter what the situation is around you. Be aggressive with prayer! Be a prayerful Christian who is truly connected with the Lord! On to the next verse…

Then God said, “Let us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”

Genesis 1:26 (NKJV)

Those were powerful words from God Himself, declared before Adam rebelled against Him (which was preceded by Satan as a serpent tempting Eve). Right from the start, God made tremendous plans for us – His creations – to populate the Earth and have His authority to rule over the creatures. Thousands of years after Adam’s rebellion, Jesus came and sacrificed Himself to redeem humanity and restore mankind to fulfill God’s plan. As Christians who got born again and saved, we are God’s children and He wants us to save the lost and unsaved souls around us using His Word. Being a fearless and aggressive church is in accordance to God’s plan.

Once your goodness and holiness have been noticed by others, they will have the opportunities to pause, reflect and eventually decide to be saved without any force imposed on them. Heed the words of Lord Jesus in the following scripture…

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

Matthew 5:16 (NKJV)

To be fearless and aggressive as Christians is inevitable. We are the children of God and we are the church of Lord Jesus. We are the Body of Christ and under His holiness, we have common purposes to live up to even as each of us maintains (and deepens) our respective personal relationship with God.

Go to work with the Holy Spirit! Be led by the Holy Spirit! Defy darkness, unbelief, religion, idols, relics, images, traditions and rituals. Move forward as a fearless, confident and aggressive Christian! Force is not necessary, but the Word of God is essential to shed light on the world that has long been darkened by Satan. We the children of God have the means to defeat Satan again and saved the unsaved souls! We the children of God have the Lord’s authority!

Now, I’d like to reach out to the lost souls and the unsaved souls reading this. Please read closely and open your hearts.

If you seek salvation now, learn that the first step is to receive Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Never be fooled into believing that your past defined you and your future. With Jesus, you will become a child of God and a whole new creation complete with your sins from the past washed away! You will become a true Christian with a holy purpose!

Once you are ready, pray this simple prayer (I learned from my pastor) in sincerity from your heart:

Dear God,

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

Congratulations! You are now a child of God! Praise the Lord and always be faithful to Him! No more darkness in your life caused by unbelief or religion (and the idolatry, images, traditions and rituals that come with it). Your new life has begun and you are now a member of the Body of Christ. Now find a Christian church in your local community to connect with.

In ending this, here are some videos of Christian worship music for you to enjoy and praise the Lord with.


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

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Christian Music Appreciation: King of Kings

King of Kings is one of my favorite Christian praise-and-worship songs right now. The first time I saw it performed was inside a Christian church in Alabang Hills Village, Muntinlupa City and it resonated with me a lot ever since.

Checking out the song online, it is best identified with Hillsong Church’s musicians. To get things started, here are two YouTube videos about King of Kings embedded for you.

And now below are the lyrics. The song was written by Jason Ingram, Brooke Ligertwood and Scott Ligertwood. To make a point here, King of Kings highlights us Christians praising God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

VERSE 1:
In the darkness we were waiting
Without hope without light
Till from heaven You came running
There was mercy in Your eyes
To fulfil the law and prophets
To a virgin came the Word
From a throne of endless glory
To a cradle in the dirt


CHORUS:
Praise the Father
Praise the Son
Praise the Spirit three in one
God of glory
Majesty
Praise forever to the King of Kings


VERSE 2:
To reveal the kingdom coming
And to reconcile the lost
To redeem the whole creation
You did not despise the cross
For even in Your suffering
You saw to the other side
Knowing this was our salvation
Jesus for our sake You died


VERSE 3:
And the morning that You rose
All of heaven held its breath
Till that stone was moved for good
For the Lamb had conquered death
And the dead rose from their tombs
And the angels stood in awe
For the souls of all who’d come
To the Father are restored


VERSE 4:
And the Church of Christ was born
Then the Spirit lit the flame
Now this gospel truth of old
Shall not kneel shall not faint
By His blood and in His Name
In His freedom I am free
For the love of Jesus Christ
Who has resurrected me

Praising the Lord directly and very highly is undoubtedly essential. To truly live in holiness under God, we must reject all sins for they separate us from the Lord. Among those many sins that keep many from being saved is idolatry (refer to idolaters as sinners as written in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 in the Holy Bible) which is still being practice worldwide by those living with religion and those living as unbelievers.

As I already wrote separate pieces about idolatry (click HERE and HERE), idols, both people and those man-made objects (paintings, statues, statuettes, relics, etc.) are forms of abomination to the Lord. We are supposed to worship God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit directly and exclusively. Forget about that human idol (who does NOT deserve worship at all) and get rid of those relics, statues, statuettes and images because all of those are Satan’s tools to separate us from the Lord. Religion, unbelief and idolatry are all tools of Satan against us and the Lord.

Our praise is only meant for the Lord and this involves faith!

Going back to the song, the chorus of Praise the Father, Praise the Son, Praise the Spirit three in one, God of glory, Majesty, Praise forever to the King of Kings is a very lively reminder of a key aspect being a real Christian. The Lord deserves ALL of our praise! Here are the holy scriptures.

I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Psalm 145:1 (NKJV)

Daniel answered and said: “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His.”

Daniel 2:20 (NKJV)

Sing to the LORD! Praise the LORD! For He has delivered the life of the poor From the hand of evildoers.

Jeremiah 20:13 (NKJV)

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.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one of all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on Earth-in Him.

Ephesians 1:3-10 (NKJV)

He is your praise, and He is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things which your eyes have seen.

Deuteronomy 10:21 (NKJV)

The LORD I 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 15:2 (NKJV)

Back to the song, Verse 2 emphasizes Lord Jesus’ sacrificing Himself to save humanity from sin, paving the way for us to get into God’s kingdom. Jesus paid the price for our salvation. Before His sacrifice, Jesus made clear that people need to be born again. Refer to the holy 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)

Verse 3 of King of Kings refers to the resurrection of Jesus and this alone should remind you that idolaters, as well as those who make idols, often highlight Jesus hanging on the cross which easily distract people from realizing the truth that He conquered death and He ascended to Heaven alive. Jesus is really alive!

The resurrection of Jesus as well as his ascension to Heaven are meant to be strongly believed in. There is no exception to this! Refer to the holy scriptures below.

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

John 11:25-26 (NKJV)

But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here! See the place where they laid Him.”

Mark 16:6 (NKJV)

For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 4:14 (NKJV)

He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, ‘The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.’”

Luke 24:6-7 (NKJV)

Verse 4 refers the start of the Church of Christ which was recorded in the Book of Acts which I strongly recommend you read from chapter to chapter. When you hear the words ‘the body of Christ’, it is not a reference to Jesus’ flesh but rather to the church which, in the most universal sense, refers to people who believe in the Lord. Of course, I’m not referring to any hierarchy nor an organization pretending to be the chosen authority of the Lord. People who truly have faith in Jesus, opened their hearts to God, allowed the Holy Spirit to occupy their hearts and then live on with the Word of God (the Holy Bible) are the definitive Christians. Definitely no place for idolatry, religion, unbelief and Satan here.

Here are a few more holy scriptures for you relating to Verse 4 of the song. After these, I highly recommend reading Acts 2:1-47 in the Holy Bible to grasp and understand the beginning of the Church of Christ through the coming of the Holy Spirit, the response of the crowd and Peter’s sermon.

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)

And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.

Matthew 16:18 (NKJV)

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-where Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free-and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.

1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NKJV)

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Matthew 28:18-20 (NKJV)

Ultimately, King of Kings is a very beautiful Christian praise-and-worship song and it is easily worth performing in any church activity (especially Sunday worship services) that needs music. It is the holiness of the Lord that makes the song beautiful and it is the faith in the Lord that makes King of Kings great!

Very truly, the Lord blessed Jason Ingram, Brooke Ligertwood and Scott Ligertwood who wrote King of Kings for the world and for Christians to worship Him with.

In ending this, here is an embedded video showing King of Kings (starting at 15:00 on the timer) by the musicians of Hillsong Church in Australia during its December 29, 2019 Sunday morning service. Thank the Lord and enjoy this! Praise the Father, Praise the Son, Praise the Spirit, three in one!


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