Were you able to travel by airplane during the Holy Week? More than a million people traveled during the said week (April 13 to 20, 2025) based on the count of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news article.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the report of the PNA news article. Some parts in boldface…
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) accommodated 1.17 million travelers during Holy Week from April 13 to 20, up 12.7 percent from the previous year.
Daily average volume was 146,611, peaking at 156,635 on Easter Sunday.
Domestic and international passenger traffic rose by 14.9 percent and 11.21 percent, respectively, year-on-year.
“This Holy Week showed how much better NAIA is becoming. We saw higher passenger numbers, but smoother and faster operations. That’s not by chance, it’s the result of planning, investment, and teamwork,” New NAIA Infra Corp. (NNIC) president Ramon Ang said in a statement on Monday.
The San Miguel Corp.-led NNIC attributed the smooth and orderly operations across all terminals to the efforts of key agencies and the operational improvements in recent months.
The Bureau of Immigration, for instance, deployed additional personnel and opened more counters at the country’s main gateway.
“As a result of these combined efforts, NAIA recorded an on-time performance (OTP) of 83.28 percent across all terminals throughout the Holy Week period —an indicator of smoother airport operations and more efficient turnaround for airlines,” the NNIC said.
Let me end this post by asking you readers: What is your reaction to this recent development? If you had traveled by air during Holy Week this year, how was your experience? Did you notice a lot of improvements with NAIA’s facilities and handling of passengers?
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined and what happened during my free time. 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.
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 here, here, here, here, here, here, 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!
Welcome back my readers, YouTube viewers, fellow faithful believers of Lord Jesus 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?
For this edition of the series, we will focus on Christian videos on YouTube remembering our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ as this week is Holy Week. May the selected videos below deepen your faith in Lord Jesus, the Hope of ALL nations!
#1 Planetshakers’ The Greatest Name music video featuring Darlene Zschech – I blogged about this recently and it truly is relevant for Holy Week. Planetshakers recently published their music video of The Greatest Name and they have Pastor Darlene Zschech (formerly with Hillsong Church) singing and honoring the Lord with them. This worship music video must be seen as it can truly lift up the faithful person to worship and honor the Lord.
#2 HolyLandSite’s Israel videos – When it comes to learning about the Holy Land in Israel and their connections with the Holy Bible (the Word of God), YouTube channel HolyLandSite is easily the best producer of Holy Land videos. For your faith in the Lord and for your pursuit of biblical relevance, I posted below the selected videos from HolyLandSite. Prepare yourselves with the Bible and watch these videos.
#3 New Life Music’s Testimony worship music video – In June of 2023, New Life Music (the worship music team of New Life Philippines) posted the official video (backstage sessions) of their original worship song Testimony. Co-written by Nash Soliven, Camille Cuna, Erican Reyes, Timothy Mena, Charity Patricio, Josiah Patricio and Sam Mokamad, Testimony will not only uplift the faithful spiritually but also remind them how God moved in their lives. If you have not seen it yet, do it now without hesitation.
#4 Teaching by Pastor Darlene Zschech – If you seek biblical teaching, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and ways to receive the Lord’s commands better, I recommend watching this teaching of God’s Word led by Pastor Darlene Zschech. This teaching is from Hope Unlimited Church’s (HopeUC) Hearing from God series.
#5 Teaching by Pastor Mylene Evangelista – Without the Word of God, a lot more people today would have declined as worldliness and twisted forces always surround everyone. If you are feeling down or intimidated right now, you can learn how to handle your world with God’s Word by watching this teaching by Pastor Mylene Evangelista of New Life Philippines.
In ending this post, I share with you the following scriptures from the Holy Bible.
Jesus answered him,
I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, that unless a person is born again (anew, from above), he cannot ever see (know, be acquainted with, and experience) the kingdom of God.
John 3:3 (AMPC)
And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry, although I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man; but I obtained mercy because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. And the grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant, with faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might show all longsuffering, as a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for everlasting life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
1 Timothy 1:12-17 (NKJV)
“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.
“I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. 6If a person is separated from me, he is discarded; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire to be burned. But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!
John 15:1-8 (TPT)
Thank you for your time. Always move forward with uncompromising faith in the Lord. Always remember that Lord Jesus is the hope of ALL nations as He is God’s son as well as the Anointed Mediator between the Heavenly Father and men (1 Timothy 2:5). Also pray to the Lord to support Israel, its people and for the peace of Jerusalem.
Welcome back, my readers, YouTube viewers and all others who followed this series of articles focused on YouTube videos worth watching.
For this edition, I am doing the Holy Week Special. Today is Good Friday and I have prepared for all of you a selection of YouTube videos about God, His Son Lord Jesus and the nation of Israel where the holy sites are. The videos are all sourced from the HolyLandSite YouTube channel which is rich with Israel sites and their connections with the Holy Bible.
As some of you may know by now, I myself had been to Israel on a pilgrimage tour with my local church New Life in early 2023 and I already blogged about some Holy Land sites, and I still have more to blog about in the future. That being said, I can relate a lot with specific Israel videos posted by HolyLandSite. And now, I hope you will enjoy what I selected – plus a few of my own videos during the 2023 pilgrimage tour – for your faith in the Lord and for your viewing pleasure as well.
#1Capernaum tour video – Along with my Israel pilgrimage tour companions, I visited Capernaum which is the very ancient town where Lord Jesus preached the good news from God and taught many who came to learn from Him. This video by HolyLandSite is very in-depth details and the bible lessons should be absorbed.
#2 The Pool of Siloam videos – I could never forget our visit to the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem and you can read my feature article of it by clicking here. The Pool of Siloam, which is accessible to visitors today, is the very site where a man who was born blind got healed and gained sight because he followed the very instructions Lord Jesus gave him. The Messiah helped him by putting mud on his eyes and told him to go to the Pool of Siloam to wash. This video by HolyLandSite is a must-see and I pray it will deepen your faith in the Lord and teach you to follow His commands without hesitation. I also added the video I personally recorded at the site.
#3 Jerusalem history video – Jerusalem is the holiest city in the world and I am thankful to the Lord that our pilgrimage tour had its last five day there. The Old City of Jerusalem (with ancient walls intact) is a very significant place to visit as it has the Western Wall, the Church of Holy Sepulchre, the Temple Mount and many other holy sites frequented by Christians, Jews and Muslims. This video by HolyLandSite explains in detail the history and deep significance of Jerusalem.
#4 Garden of Gethsemane videos – I could never forget the day our tour group climbed down the Mount of Olives by foot and entered the Garden of Gethsemane together which was already full of visitors. After exploring a populated part of the garden (which contains several olive trees that are centuries-old), our group found vacant space at the steps of the Church of All Nations where we had a bible lesson taught to us by our local church pastor. It was at the Garden of Gethsemane where Lord Jesus prayed to His Father God, and later was arrested by the Romans as a result of Judas’ betrayal. To learn more about the significance of this holy site, watch HolyLandSite’s video and check out the video I personally recorded on-location.
#5 The differences between Christianity and Islam and more explained – For this part, we focus more on the topics of faith, the differences between Christianity and Islam, Lord Jesus and Muhammad, and the Holy Bible and the Quran. As usual, Pastor Todd of HolyLandSite explains the differences in great detail and he really did a lot of research for the video below. This is a must-see video and always remember that our Lord Jesus is truly holy and the definitive hope of all nations. If you have accepted Lord Jesus as your savior and you have been faithful to Him and the Word of God, then you are part of His Kingdom. Never let the worldly and the unholy ones pull you away from Him.
#6 The significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls video – Our pilgrimage tour group visited Qumran which is the very site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. The discovery is tremendously significant because the Dead Sea Scrolls proved that the Holy Bible is real and definitely anointed by the Lord. Watch the video below to find out more…
#7 The Chapel of Ascension video – Once I return to Israel in the future, I would make it a priority to visit the Chapel of Ascension located at the top of the Mount of Olives. This is the most likely site where Lord Jesus last stepped on and ascended to Heaven with the promise that He will return. This video by HolyLandSite examines the Chapel of Ascension itself and Pastor Todd precisely explains the biblical records as well as the anticipated timeline with regards to Rapture and the return of Lord Jesus.
#8 The Upper Room videos – The Upper Room is another significant site to visit on pilgrimage. It is located just outside of the wall of the Old City of Jerusalem and the nearest gate is Zion Gate. The Upper Room is often identified with The Last Supper (refer to Luke 22:14-20 and Mark 14:12-26 in the Holy Bible). To learn more about the holy site, watch the HolyLandSite video plus my own video below…
In ending this post, I share with you four holy scriptures.
Again God said to him, Your name is Jacob [supplanter]; you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So He called him Israel [contender with God].
And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock;
The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land.
Genesis 35:10-12 (AMPC)
“The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (NKJV)
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 (NKJV)
Thank you for your time. Always move forward with uncompromising faith in the Lord. Always remember that Lord Jesus is the hope of all nations as He is God’s son as well as the Anointed Mediator between the Heavenly Father and men (1 Timothy 2:5). Also always pray to the Lord for Israel, its people and the peace of Jerusalem.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA. Some parts in boldface…
Israel and the Philippines are working to fast-track the deployment of some 500 Filipino hotel workers as Israel reopens its tourism industry, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday.
The agency said Philippine Ambassador to Israel Macairog Alberto met the officials of the Israel Hotel Association (IHA) last March 14 in hopes to expedite the OFWs’ deployment by April 2022.
“As Israel reopens its tourism industry, allows the entry of both vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, and eases its travel and health restrictions, its hotel sector will require a full workforce to cater to the expected influx of tourists to the Holy Land,” the DFA said.
“The Philippines and Israel are thus working together to fast-track the arrival of the initial batch of 500 Filipino hotel workers in the first week of April, ahead of Passover and Holy Week, both peak holidays and tourist-draws for the country,” it added.
The project is under the 2018 Philippines-Israel labor agreement for a government-to-government arrangement for Filipino hotel workers in Israel.
During the March 14 meeting, IHA said its members may require up to 10,000 laborers and expressed readiness to hire 800 Filipino hotel workers, which will then be increased to 2,000 at the earliest opportunity.
IHA also praised the Filipino workers’ professionalism, English proficiency, and work.
Alberto, meanwhile, assured the association that the Embassy is working closely with the Department of Labor and Employment, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration, as well as with Israeli labor and immigration authorities for the deployment.
It is indeed a blessing from the Lord that the essential ties and established agreements between Israel and the Philippines created many job opportunities for Filipino hotel workers as they are already needed to fill the labor needs of Israel’s tourism industry as lots of foreign travelers are already arriving there. Do not forget that here in the Philippines, a lot of Christians are eager to visit Israel to tour the Holy Land as pilgrims and already Behold Israel has scheduled Bible Experience Tours for June, September, November and December this year! Truly God is good, He is always watching us and we should be thankful to Him as both the Philippines and Israel are recovering from COVID-19 crisis.
If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel, love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.
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.
Author Carlo Carrasco 