During his speech at a major business forum held in Miami, Florida, US President highlighted bright spots of the national economy that were realized during his administration this year, according to a news report by Breitbart. It should be remembered that Trump was re-elected last year and there was series of economic hardships (including the worst inflation in decades) during the four years of failed US President Joe Biden.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from Breitbart’s news report. Some parts in boldface…
President Donald Trump touted economic bright spots–including rising wages, lowering costs of goods, and falling interest rates–during his speech at the American Business Forum in Miami, Florida, on Wednesday.
Trump noted that under his presidency, miner wages have risen by an average of almost $5,000, construction worker wages have climbed by $2,200, and factory worker wages are up $1,300.
While wages are up, prices on many key goods are falling. Trump touted Walmart’s announcement that the average Thanksgiving Dinner will see a substantial drop this year. As Breitbart News reported late last month, Walmart’s bundle to feed 10 on Thanksgiving will run just under $40, averaging about $4 per person.
This is down from the average of $7 per person under last year’s pricing, when President Joe Biden was commander-in-chief on the heels of the 40-year-high inflation his and Democrat lawmakers’ economic policies brought upon Americans.
Trump also highlighted that egg prices are down 85 percent since March. In comparison, the Biden-Harris administration oversaw a 147 percent increase from the beginning of their administration through August 2024, just months before Trump’s historic election win on November 5, the first anniversary of which was Wednesday.
Other areas of dwindling costs Trump touted included energy prices and the typical new mortgage costs, which have dropped $3,000 this year. Moreover, interest rates are down to the 3.75-4 percent range after a second-quarter point rate cut this year at the end of October, as Breitbart News reported.
Trump touted job statistics as well on Wednesday, noting that 1.9 million more natural-born Americans are employed since he took office, and all new jobs created under him have been through the private sector.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this development? Do you think the US economy is on the verge of taking off in connection with the many positive economic developments that happened since Trump returned as President? Are Americans becoming better off economically today than four years prior?
Way back in 1983, I had my first-ever 3D viewing experience inside the movie theater here in the Philippines. I saw the movie Jaws 3-D (AKA Jaws 3) on the big-screen using disposable 3D glasses and the theater was packed with lots of moviegoers who screamed from time to time.
If you are not familiar with movie history, Jaws 3-D was the 3rd movie of the Jaws movie franchise which itself started with the classic 1975 movie directed by Steven Spielberg. While the 1978 sequel Jaws 2 did not come close to matching the commercial success of its predecessor, it still managed to gross over $200 million worldwide and arguably influenced Hollywood movie studios to invest in making sequels to achieve summer box office success. Jaws 2 also propelled the rise of movie-related merchandising which paved the way for deals between movie studios and business entities.
When the 2nd Jaws sequel was proposed, producers David Brown and Richard Zanuck had the concept of spoof titled Jaws 3, People 0. National Lampoon writers were even commissioned to make the script. The Jaws 3 comedy project was shot down by Universal Pictures as a result of Steven Spielberg’s threat that he would never work with them again if they approved it.
Along the way, there were technological breakthroughs for cinematic 3D viewing which led to the short revival of showing movies in 3D in movie theaters. The Jaws 3 project was turned into a 3D-focused cinematic experience with a concept about an aquatic amusement park that falls into chaos as a result of a large great white shark that infiltrated it. Prolific production designer Joe Alves was hired as director and the cast includes Dennis Quaid, Bess Armstrong, Louis Gossett, Jr., Lea Thompson and Simon MacCorkindale. Even SeaWorld got involved and allowed the filmmakers to use their brand.
The movie poster.
Jaws 3-D was released in cinemas on July 22, 1983 and had a franchise-best opening weekend with $13.4 million. Its global box office gross was around $88 million.
When I first saw Jaws 3-D inside the movie theater, I was a young boy and simply enjoyed it for what it was. I occasionally replayed the movie through the years on cable TV and home video, and I eventually realized that the film was indeed very flawed and clearly inferior to its predecessors with regards to quality and storytelling. Jaws 3-D was simply made to give moviegoers a thrill ride inside the cinema with 3D viewing in mind as the moviegoers followed the 3D viewing revival trend of the early 1980s. When it was released on cable TV and home video, the movie was re-titled as Jaws 3 to reflect the lack of 3D effects.
Even though it was inferior to the first two Jaws movies, Jaws 3-D remains a popular movie subject to explore and there are several videos on YouTube that reflect that. If you are interested in Jaws 3-D but you don’t want to spend precious time and money watching it entirely, then you should watch the movie reaction video by You, Me and the Movies below.
If you want to learn more about how the movie was made, how it all started and what kind of technologies were used to make the 3D effects happen, watch the two retrospective videos below from Oliver Harper and Layton Eversaul.
If you are into movie trivia, then Minty Comedic Arts’ video below is recommended.
By the way, you must have heard that Jaws 3-D is now available in 4K Blu-ray format. Before you make the decision to purchase it, be aware that Universal used artificial intelligence (AI) to make it. Depending on how you want your movies to appear in 4K resolution, the results could turn you off. Watch the videos below from Jeff Rauseo and MidLevelMedia.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: Have you ever seen Jaws 3-D? If you did, were you able to watch it inside the cinema or at home? Did the movie inspire you to watch movies in 3D? Do you think that the current 4K Blu-ray of Jaws 3-D is not worth purchasing?
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching. Have you been searching for something fun or interesting to watch on YouTube? Do you feel bored right now and you crave for something to see on the world’s most popular online video destination?
I recommend you check out the following topics and the related videos I found.
#1Woke Disney’s discriminatory practices confirmed and caught on camera – Being woke means being foolish and wicked. What was discussed before about the woke Disney Company’s distorted approach on hiring workers as well as promoting their current workers was confirmed to be true as a Disney executive confirmed it openly on camera. A lot of footage has been recorded of him talking about Disney’s discrimination against white males as they empower people of minorities (colored people, the under-represented ethnic groups, etc.). You should watch the two videos I selected from Midnight’s Edge ad RK Outpost. Woke Disney should be brought to justice!
#2 Video documentary about Sega’s Streets of Rage franchise – YouTuber PatmanQC recently published another informative and entertaining look at the history of Sega’s popular Streets of Rage game franchise. This includes the behind-the-scenes development of the first game that hit the arcades, as well as the different versions that appeared on multiple platforms.
#3 Somewhere in Time videos – Somewhere in Time (1980) was a film that starred the late Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour and Christopher Plummer. While it was never successful in movie theaters, it became a big hit on cable TV, public TV and home video. As its legacy lived on, it is not surprising that there are several movie reaction videos, video reviews and other features about it on YouTube. Posted below are some selected videos for those of you who wish to discover more of Somewhere in Time.
#4 A look at the rise and fall of the Orlando Magic – Back in the mid-1990s, a lot of my friends (who love basketball) became fans of the Orlando Magic which had Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson (the guy who missed 4 crucial free throws in specific NBA Finals game), Horace Grant and Dennis Scott. Their excitement really went overboard when the Magic of 1994-95 successfully won the Eastern Conference Finals and entered the NBA Finals to face off with the defending champion Houston Rockets. Of course, as recorded by history, the Magic got swept away by the Rockets even though they had the home court advantage. If you are nostalgic about 1990s NBA action or if you want to see how different the Orlando Magic was back in the 1990s, then you should watch the video below.
#5Stockton to Malone (but still no NBA championship) – Still on the topic of basketball, do you remember the so-called golden age of the Utah Jazz when they had Karl Malone and John Stockton who together were among the very best players in the NBA back then? For the newcomers reading this, the Utah Jazz made it to the NBA Finals of 1997 and 1998 but lost each time to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Long before those championship series happened, the Utah Jazz became a serious playoff contender in 1988 (pushing the LA Lakers to seven games in the Western Conference Semifinals) and went on to struggle in the years that followed. As for Stockton and Malone, they each had great basketball achievements but never won a championship. To learn more with a lot of details plus in-depth analysis, watch the video below.
#6 Heart of Darkness retrospective video – Way back in 1998, I played the video game Heart of Darkness on the PlayStation console but never got to finish it. While the cinematic cutscenes are not outstanding, the graphics used for gameplay was eye-catching thanks to the developers’ artistic and technical approach. This should not be surprising as the game was supervised by Eric Chahi who was best known for Another World. To learn more about Heart of Darkness’ production history, watch the video below.
#7 A look at Salamander (AKA Life Force) – Still on the topic of retro gaming, I had fun memories playing Salamander (titled Life Force in North America) on the Family Computer (Famicom) back in the late-1980s. It was a sci-fi 2D scrolling shooter that not only featured side-scrolling levels but also vertical levels. Developed and published by Konami, Salamander was a spin-off of Gradius (an acclaimed 2D side-scrolling shooter on its own) but it became successful in entertaining players with the two-player mode, unique challenges, fine gameplay features and outstanding visuals. To learn more about Salamander, watch the selected videos below.
#8 Friday The 13th Part 3 videos – If there is anything significant about Friday The 13th Part 3 (1982) other than being filmed in 3D, it is the fact that it marked a creative turning point for the franchise. It was in this movie that the film series really started to take shape with Jason Voorhees as its feature antagonist. That being said, it is not surprising that there are lots of retro reviews/reactions and feature videos about it. Watch the selected videos below.
As I write this, many people around the world are focused on the 2022 Winter Olympics (AKA Beijing 2022) as it is a sports spectacle. Along the way, I read two notable articles recently published by CBN News relating to not just the Olympic games but also the persecution towards Christians in China as well as other people which has been happening for years now. That being said, there is a need to pray to God for the sake of those who are being persecuted by the wicked forces of this world we live in.
The upcoming Olympics in Beijing are putting a spotlight on China’s human rights abuses, and rightfully so.Religious freedom conditions are continuing to deteriorate in China. Things were so bad for one house church, that they fled together to South Korea. Now, that same group of Chinese Christians could be repatriated.
This is the dangerous reality for the 60 members of the Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church, nicknamed the “Mayflower church.” South Korea has chosen to deny these asylum-seekers, but they deserve a place in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
In China, Pastor Pan Yongguang and his congregation faced increasing pressure. By 2014, authorities were often interrogating him multiple times a week, urging him to join the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-approved Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Yet, refusing to teach Party-approved doctrine, Pastor Pan resisted.
Chinese authorities targeted the church for extra surveillance. Soon, the church-run elementary school was evicted. It was devastating for parents in the church who simply wanted to educate their children with a Christian worldview.
Pastor Pan explained the situation to Radio Free Asia, saying, “Our church would educate our children about our religious beliefs, and the police would come along and force them to enroll in school so they could be brainwashed. They didn’t want us to teach our children the Bible, and children are banned from attending church. This went against our faith and our consciences.”
The church held a vote in 2019, the majority choosing to leave the country together to start over in a place that would afford them religious freedom. They fled together to Jeju Island in South Korea and applied for asylum. Sadly, South Korea — a country that accepts almost no refugees — has denied their asylum applications multiple times. Members of the group have appealed the decision to the highest court and were again rejected. Now, they have less than 14 days to leave the country.
Pastor Pan said, “I have been charged with subversion of state power, colluding with anti-China foreign forces and human trafficking. [That’s because] I took these believers out of China, so now I’m suspected of trafficking or smuggling them. Just one of those charges would be enough to send me to jail for a very long time.” Pastor Pan’s friend, Pastor Wang Yi is currently serving a 9-year prison sentence for “subversion of state power” for his uncompromising and outspoken allegiance to God’s Word. If he’s forced to return to China, Pastor Pan could face something similar.
The hopes of the Mayflower church members were modest. They wanted to educate their children as they thought best — incorporating biblical teachings — and live peacefully with their families and attend their church. Yet, under the CCP, this is not guaranteed in China.
The Mayflower church no longer feels safe in South Korea, and that is not an unreasonable fear. Church members have received repeated calls from someone claiming to be from the local Chinese consulate, trying to entice them to come to the consulate. Multiple church members who remained in China were arrested and threatened by Chinese State Security agents accusing the church members who fled to South Korea of committing “treason.” Now, without legal status in South Korea, the congregants will be largely vulnerable without state protection.
Chinese authorities can make the lives of people whose religious beliefs the government disapproves of very uncomfortable. I know from experience. Before the United States accepted me, I was a leader in a house church in China. I was forced to flee to Hong Kong before finally making it to America. This country has afforded me and my family the freedom and opportunity to flourish. Now, the Mayflower church needs the same refuge and generosity America has so often extended.
Pastor Pan and the church members have expressed a desire to come to the United States. The United States is well-positioned to help them. Will the State Department step up?
The Mayflower church has exhausted all options in South Korea. The State Department should admit Pastor Pan and his congregants as humanitarian parolees and offer them asylum in the United States. American churches and resettlement agencies are already prepared to help give this group a fresh start. The State Department’s own annual religious freedom report details the CCP’s brutal religious persecution; it’s time for the U.S. government to act with that reality in mind and help this group of persecuted Christians while we have the chance.
The above details truly disturbing. Freedom to worship the Lord and read His Word is restricted in China. It is not surprising, really, because Communism is itself evil and very opposed to God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The same thing can be said about other parts of the Satanic Left like Marxism, Socialism, liberalism and other modern forms like Critical Race Theory (CRT), rabid left-focused feminism, wokeness, Cancel Culture, unrestrained secularism, unrestrained atheism and more. There is also the connection China has with American government leaders who are secretly working for them to weaken America’s sovereignty and rule of law.
Truly we the faithful children of God are living in a very divided and harsh world. What is worldly is unholy. As such, I urge you readers – including those who are lost and unsaved who don’t realize the evil influences of the Left – to look up to God, follow His Word, pray to Him wholeheartedly (not ritually) and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in praying for the persecuted as well as the nations being attacked by China and other evil forces (like terrorist-sponsor Iran).
Before proceeding to the other CBN News article, I encourage you all to watch these related CBN News videos below…
The next article is more news-oriented about China, the Winter Olympics and the persecution towards Chinese Christians and others. For more perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the February 2, 2022 article published by CBN News and I urge you to pay close attention to the details. Some parts in boldface…
Some human rights groups are calling this week’s Olympics scheduled to start on Friday in Beijing the “Genocide Games.”
China is accused of holding more than 1 million ethnic Muslims in concentration camps while continuing to severely restrict religious freedom and trample on human rights.
“They have oppressed basically every dissent in China,” Wu’er Kaixi told AP.
Kaixi is Uyghur, and at just 21-years-old, he fled China for his leading role in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.
“It’s a country that uses Olympic as a platform to show muscle to the world, while they’re at the same time oppressing dissent and violating human rights within their own country,” he said.
The Chinese government has denied all accusations of any human rights abuse.
“It creates a situation of plausible denial. It calls these concentration camps vocational training centers to eliminate poverty in the region, to eliminate terror among Muslims, which is absolutely laughable,” says Nina Shea of the Hudson Institute. “Our military is estimated 1 to 3 million of these Muslims have been incarcerated for indoctrination in these camps.”
The United States, along with the U.K., Australia and Canada, are staging diplomatic boycotts of the Games by not sending government officials in protest of Beijing’s human rights abuses.
“We must show that the United States is [an] unyielding and unapologetic advocate for human rights and unafraid of speaking the truth and upsetting General Secretary Xi and his Communist Party thugs,” says Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL).
Activists are urging athletes and sponsors to speak out during the games.
“Your silence is their strength. This is what they want more than anything: that the world will play by China’s rules, that we will follow China’s lead, that we will look away from these atrocities and crimes for the sake of business as usual,” says Lhadon Tethong of the Tibet Action Institute.
Meanwhile, it’s business as usual as Beijing continues its typical crackdown on political and religious activists ahead of sensitive dates, like Friday’s opening ceremonies.
“They round up the dissidents and known critics of the regime or people that they think will speak out, they put them in detention, they’re called black jails, they are hidden detentions, it’s unofficial, it’s extrajudicial, and they do that as a pre-emptive strike so that there is no opportunity to protest,” says Shea.
With the eyes of the world turning toward Beijing, Voice of the Martyrs is launching PrayforChina2022.com to remind people to pray for China’s Christians.
“Christians are seen as a threat, their message is seen as a threat, and the government is doing everything in their power to keep that message from spreading,” says Todd Nettleton, Voice of the Martyrs’ Chief of Media Relations.
China’s President Xi Jinping has severely suppressed religious freedom in recent years, especially going after Christians.
China sits at number 17 on Open Doors’ World Watch List of the 50 most dangerous countries for Christians.
“China is using a blanket of surveillance monitored by artificial intelligence to watch the movements of people of faith. It’s even using facial recognition to monitor those who enter places of worship,” says Open Doors President David Curry.
Thus far, thousands from more than 100 countries have pledged to pray during the Olympic games.
At this point, you my readers should be aware that the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing are not really meant to be celebrated as China’s persecution against Christians and others continue to happen. Never allow yourselves to be fooled. Keep having unwavering faith in the Lord! Resist the dark forces of this world and stand with God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit! Never compromise!
Pray for the persecuted so that the Lord will lift them up and punish the wicked. The wicked will then repent to Him and submit themselves to Him.
As mentioned earlier, we need to pray to God to stop the persecution by China (as well as the persecution done by other dark worldly forces towards others) and lift up all those who have fallen down, help those who are being held in prison and getting tortured, and lift up those who are suffering from terrorism. Never let the Olympic Games distract you! For added insight, watch the videos below about the wickedness of Communism and how it negatively affects people to this day. Yes, it is indeed true – socialism, Communism, Marxism, progressiveness, political correctness, Cancel Culture, authoritarianism, fascism, totalitarian rule, atheism, secularism, terrorism, discrimination, dictatorship, poverty, idolatry, brainwashing, injustice and violence always go together and they truly represent the evil of Satan.
Pray to the Lord to lift up others!Remember that Lord Jesus is the definitive and true Savior for all! Pray also that the faithful who are suffering will retain unwavering faith to the Lord no matter what happens. Preach God’s Word to others and remind people that God will never abandon those who are faithful to Him! Refer to the following scriptures below and let these empower you and others through faith!
Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.
Isaiah 41:10 (AMPC)
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”
John 14:6 (NASB)
“If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you.”
John 15:18 (NASB)
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua 1:9 (NASB)
Why would anyone harm you if you’re passionate and devoted to pleasing God? But even if you happen to suffer for doing what is right, you will have the joyful experience of the blessing of God. And
Don’t be intimidated or terrified
by those who would terrify you.
But give reverent honor in your hearts to the Anointed One and treat him as the holy Master of your lives. And if anyone asks about the hope living within you, always be ready to explain your faith with gentleness and respect. Maintain a clean conscience, so that those who slander you for living a pure life in Christ will have to lie about you and will be ashamed because of their slander. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is in God’s plan, than for doing evil.
Christ suffered and died for sins once and for all—the innocent for the guilty —to bring you near to God by his body being put to death and by being raised to life by the Spirit.
1 Peter 3:13-19 (TPT)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)
Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.”
Revelation 2:10-11 (NKJV)
Little children, you can be certain that you belong to God and have conquered them, for the One who is living in you is far greater than the one who is in the world. They belong to this world and they articulate the spirit of this world, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and whoever truly knows God listens to us. Those who refuse to listen to us do not belong to God. That is how we can know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.
1 John 4:4-6 (TPT)
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 (NKJV)
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 (NLT)
Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written: “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 (NASB)
Beloved, don’t be obsessed with taking revenge, but leave that to God’s righteous justice. For the Scriptures say:
“Vengeance is mine, and I will repay,” says the Lord.
Romans 12:19 (TPT)
From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists deceive you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been persecuting Israel while supporting the terrorist-sponsored Palestinians and the wicked BDS movement? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Have you been condemning churches and people of faith for a long time now? Have you been working as an agent of Iran to cause terror on others? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft?
All of that darkness mentioned above can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!
There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!). Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God.
We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy. With God, nothing is impossible!
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
One of the things I enjoyed best about the UltraForce done by the solid creative team of Gerard Jones and George Perez is the fact that the team’s lesser known characters such as Pixx (the lone minor), Contrary, Ghoul and Topaz are richly layered, highly interesting and engaging members who really stand on their own and don’t get overshadowed by their major teammates (the Ultraverse’s premier lead heroes Hardcase, Prime and Prototype). Of course, the presentation of Pixx, Contrary, Ghoul and Topaz would not have been great had Gerard Jones failed to deliver the solid writing and managing required.
That being said, it’s time to find out more on how balanced the presentation of UltraForce members will be as the conflict with Atalon escalates further in this look back at UltraForce #5, published in 1995 by Malibu Comics with a story written by Jones and Perez.
The spoileriffic cover.
Early story
The story begins with Ghoul (still in the presence of Atalon and far away from his teammates) having a nightmarish vision of death, chaos, rioting and disasters. He recognizes a certain teammate included in the vision. His personal concern for his teammate grows, and king Atalon notices his distress. Atalon states he has cleared the final obstacles and what he has planned will push through. He intends to use many nuclear missiles on the world.
“When my warheads strike the raw nerve centers of your world, the surface will blossom with the fires of chaos and war,” Atalon tells Ghoul. “And the launching begins now. You see, Ghoul? Your world is dead. There’s nothing you can do. There’s no point in worry at all.”
Over at Miami, Florida, Pixx talks to her mother via the telephone and assures her that she is in good hands with UltraForce with a role to give her teammates the youth point-of-view. After the phone talk, Pixx personally struggles with the stress of being with the team which itself has gotten involved not only with the global conflict with Atalon but also with the concerned world leaders and the ever demanding public.
Prime approaches her and, because she noticed her looking troubled, he asked her if she could handle the situation they are in. Pixx answers back and does some posturing that she is strong and capable. Prime, who is really teenager Kevin inside, feels he screwed-up and knows well that Pixx is older than him.
The UltraForce then meet on the top of the building…
Quality
Dynamic action drawn by the legendary George Perez supported by inkers and colorists!
Strong writing – check. Great visuals with high detail – check. The high quality and strong creative energy of the Jones-Perez team continued to shine brightly in this comic book. Definitely a very well-made comic book that also continued to deliver the great stuff like strong character engagement and development, dynamic action (hey, this is George Perez’s art!) and the like.
While issue #4 featured Atalon’s background story and some references about the history of his people, this comic book has its spotlight on the teenage member Pixx. Her dialogue and character development are very well crafted and as the story goes on, you will start to care about her.
The conflict with Atalon here shows the stakes raised high once more as the said leader of the creatures from deep below the surface acquired mankind’s nuclear weapons and really starts to control them. I should also state that this comic book is another spectator-filled pay-off story that succeeded issue #4 which was mainly a build-up type of story.
If there is anything wrong with the comic book, it is the cover as it truly is a major spoiler. Too bad that the art showed Pixx in the presence of a nuclear warhead because the imagery alone took out some of the power behind her story in the big conflict of the comic book.
Conclusion
This art by Perez looks great and worthy of the cover!
UltraForce #5 is another solid read thanks again to its creators. I should also state that even though the cover art was a spoiler, at least the ending was intriguing and powerful to see.
If you are seriously planning to buy an existing hard copy of UltraForce #5 (1995), be aware that as of this writing, MileHighComics.com shows that the near-mint copy costs $16.
Overall, UltraForce #5 (1995) is highly recommended!
+++++
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Hey everyone! Welcome to the latest edition of the Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series. Today I’m about to review another Christian worship song – Because of Who You Are.
Before reviewing, let me start that I’ve been following the Sunday worship sessions of EpicLife Church most of which were led by pastor Martha Munizzi whom I admire and followed. For the newcomers reading this, Martha Munizzi is an acclaimed music minister and a prominent figure of Christianity having led worship many times, sang a lot of songs leading people to the Lord, and became a speaker across the United States. She and her family – her husband Dan, son Nathan and daughters Danielle and Nicol – established EpicLife Church on January 2014 in the city of Winter Park, Florida.
Here’s the story behind EpicLife Church as published on its official website:
After 12 years of traveling in full time ministry, we felt called by God to establish a place where those seeking fulfillment in life feel like they belong. We set out to launch EpicLife Church in January 2014. we have a heart for those who have never set foot in church or maybe for those who have been hurt by church in the past. We desire to see you fall in love with Jesus, his church, and his people. we believe you belong in the local church. EpicLife church is a place where you can know god, find freedom, discover your purpose, and make a difference.
Going back to pastor Martha, she wrote and performed a whole lot of Christian songs. The one song of hers that I always love listening to is Because of Who You Are, which she wrote with her husband. The song was released many years ago on Martha’s album Say The Name. To this day, a lot of people claimed that Because of Who You Are is their favorite among Martha Munizzi’s songs. That song also helped the pastor earn two Dove Award nominations for Contemporary Gospel Recorded.
Now we can start looking at the lyrics of Because of Who You Are.
Because of who You are, I give You glory.
Because of who You are, I give You praise.
Because of who You are, I will lift my voice and say
Lord, I worship You because of who You are.
Lord, I worship You because of who You are.
–
Jehovah Jireh, my provider.
Jehovah Nissi, Lord, You reign in victory.
Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace
And I worship You because of who You are.
–
Because of who You are, I give You glory.
Because of who You are, I give You praise.
Because of who You are, I will lift my voice and say
Lord, I worship You because of who You are.
Lord, I worship You because of who You are.
–
Jehovah Jireh, my provider.
Jehovah Nissi, Lord, You reign in victory.
Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace
And I worship You because of who You are.
–
Jehovah Jireh, my provider.
Jehovah Nissi, Lord, You reign in victory.
Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace…
–
And I worship You
Worship You, worship You
Yeah, yeah.
–
And I worship You
Worship You, worship You
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
–
I worship You because You’re holy, holy.
I worship You because holy is who You are.
I worship You because You’re worthy, worthy.
I worship You because worthy is who You are.
I worship You because You’re mighty, mighty.
I worship You because mighty is who You are.
Worship You, worship You.
(And I worship You because of who)
Lord, I worship You because of who You are.
Lord, I worship You because of who You are.
The first part to analyze here are the following lines: Because of who You are, I give You glory. Because of who You are, I give You praise. Because of who You are, I will lift my voice and say Lord, I worship You because of who You are. Worship is clearly emphasized in those lines and it is no surprise at all that we as the creations of God are destined to praise Him, thank Him and honor Him eternally for He created us and the world we live in. This truth led me to post below the following scriptures from the Holy Bible that relate easily with the posted lines from the lyrics.
For love is supreme and must flow through each of these virtues. Love becomes the mark of true maturity. Let your heart be always guided by the peace of the Anointed One, who called you to peace as part of his one body. And always be thankful. Let the word of Christ live in you richly, flooding you with all wisdom. Apply the Scriptures as you teach and instruct one another with the Psalms, and with festive praises, and with prophetic songs given to you spontaneously by the Spirit, so sing to God with all your hearts! Let every activity of your lives and every word that comes from your lips be drenched with the beauty of our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One. And bring your constant praise to God the Father because of what Christ has done for you!
Colossians 3: 14-17 (TPT)
Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving! Let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the LORD is the great God, And the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; The heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; And His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God. And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand.
Psalm 95: 1-7 (NKJV)
Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Psalm 29: 2 (NKJV)
The next lines to examine are as follows: Jehovah Jireh, my provider. Jehovah Nissi, Lord, You reign in victory. Jehovah Shalom, my Prince of Peace. Jehovah Jireh is the reference to God who is our eternal source and the main provider. Our Heavenly Father makes the provision when He sees the need, and He clearly is aware of our needs. Let’s take a look at the scripture below recalling the time when Abraham’s faith was tested by God who ordered him to offer his son Isaac as a burnt offering on one of the mountains in Moriah.
But the Angel of the LORD called to Him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” So he said, “Here I am.”
And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”
Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.
And Abraham called the name of the place, The-LORD-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”
Genesis 22: 11-14 (NKJV)
As our source and provider (Jehovah Jireh), God saved the promised son Isaac from being a sacrifice and He preserved His promise to make him a great nation. The Lord also acted faithfully in response to the faith Abraham had in His provision. Furthermore, there is an additional reference in Hebrews 11: 17-19. As such, we Christians must always remember that it is not the economy that is our source for it is only the Lord who is our definite source.
Moving forward, Jehovah Nissi refers to the Lord as the banner and Moses’ acknowledgment of God’s presence. The specific scripture below.
And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner;
Exodus 17: 15 (NKJV)
To put things in perspective, a banner is the pole-like standard beneath which armies or communities rallied. When the banner is lifted up, it calls the people together to meet, or to follow instructions or to unite to battle. With regards to the altar established by Moses, it is his recognition of God’s presence as well as the way to honor Him as the giver of the victory over the Amalekites. As such, the Jehovah Nissi reference in the song correctly acknowledges the victory that the Children of God can always look forward to for as long as they faithfully follow Him and maintain personal relationships with Him.
The other reference from the song, Jehovah Shalom, relates to one of several names for God in connection to peace. The first to use the reference was Gideon who witnessed the appearance of an angel of the Lord. Holy scripture below…
So Gideon built an altar there to the LORD, and called it The-LORD-Is-Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
Judges 6: 24 (NKJV)
“I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!”
John 14: 27 (TPT)
The-LORD-Is-Peace literally means Yahweh Shalom. With regards to Gideon, he gained a new sense of security in his relationship with God and is effectively expressed by the word shalom, meaning peace, wholeness, security, friendship and prosperity. Speaking of peace, Lord Jesus Himself made clear that peace from Him is perfect and He left it as a gift to those who believe in Him. The reference of Jehovah Shalom in the song makes perfect sense for us Christians.
The next line from the lyrics: I worship You because You’re holy, holy. God, who is all-powerful, just, gentle and loving, is undeniably holy. He loves us so much, He sent to us His begotten Son Lord Jesus to redeem humanity. Below are the following scriptures (a few of many, take note) that confirm His holiness.
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
Leviticus 19: 1-2 (NKJV)
Instead, shape your lives to become like the Holy One who called you. For Scripture says: “You are to be holy, because I am holy.”
1 Peter 1: 15-16 (TPT)
And one called out to another, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, Commander of Angel Armies! The whole earth is filled with his glory!”
Isaiah 6: 3 (TPT)
For I am the LORD your God. You shall consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy. Neither shall you defile yourselves with any creeping thing that creeps on the earth. For I am the LORD who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy. This is the law of the animals and the birds and every living creature that moves in the waters, and of every creature that creeps on the earth, to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, and between the animal that may be eaten and the animal that may not be eaten.
Leviticus 11: 44-47 (NKJV)
The last line from the lyrics to analyze is this: I worship You because You’re worthy, worthy. That line strongly relates to the following scriptures below…
You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.
Revelations 4: 11 (NKJV)
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
Psalm 145: 3 (NKJV)
So there you have it! Because of Who You Are is indeed a very holy song. It was written by pastor Martha Munizzi and her husband with direct influences from the Holy Bible which itself is the ultimate authority of Christianity for it is the Word of God. There is no denying that the Munizzis were anointed to compose the song and make an impact on leading people to the Lord and helping them deepen their faith in Him.
Apart from being holy, Because of Who You Are is also a very beautiful song to listen to and it is easily a very worthy song to play to fellow Christians during Sunday worship church services. Ask yourself: have your church musicians played Because of Who You Are on Sundays lately?
In ending this CMA, embedded below is the YouTube video of Because of Who You Are. Listen to it, enjoy it and always praise and honor the Lord. Let pastor Martha (whose voice is always beautiful) and the song lead you to Him.
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.
Author Carlo Carrasco 