Honor the Lord – Author Carlo Carrasco

For refreshments and good taste at Mahane Yehuda market, visit Etrog Man!

March 17, 2023March 24, 2023carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official website and social media channels of the subject business is also used. This is not a sponsored article. 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! This is the 5th 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 its strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel tour articles, click here, here, here and here.

In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you my observations and captured images about my two visits to the popular Mahane Yehuda market in the modern section of Jerusalem. While I recently wrote about my delicious lunch at a Shakshuka joint in that market, this time I want to talk about the joint that is rich with refreshing drinks – Etrog Man – which I actually visited twice.

To put things in perspective, our group spent the final days – including the day-off – in the holy city of Jerusalem. On February 12, our tour ended in the afternoon and there was enough free time and sunlight left for me to visit the local foreign exchange joint (because I ran out of Shekels) and then make my first-ever visit to Mahane Yehuda market on foot.

Several minutes after exchanging currency at a local FOREX joint and further hiking, I finally arrived at Mahane Yehuda market which was bustling with many locals and tourists. It was a lot of fun walking around seeing the many food, drinks, souvenirs and other assorted products offered by countless sellers to customers. Watch my YouTube walk video of the market below covering the open air and roofed sections. See if you can spot Etrog Man.

My two experiences with Etrog Man

As mentioned earlier, I visited Mahane Yehuda market twice. The first time on February 12 and the second time on February 15. On each visit, I stopped by Etrog Man with the intention of buying a drink with the largest serving. I really prepared for the moment.

To be clear, I researched Mahane Yehuda market by watching lots of exploratory walk videos on YouTube and in a few of those videos, I noticed Etrog Man standing out among the many sellers as it attracted customers wanting something fresh, fruity and delicious.

*This is the Etrog Man branch I visited twice in Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem.*

*The four notable flavors of drinks on display with English descriptions to help customers make their choices.*

Going back to February 12, 2023, it was my moment at last to be at Etrog Man’s space in the shuk and I came all the way from my native Philippines. I talked with the store handler (male, with facial hair) looking at the displayed juices with four notable flavors or variants – EtroGat, Coconut Passiofruit, Natural Berry Heaven and The Rambam’s Drink.

For my first-ever Etrog Man purchase, I chose EtroGat. In support for their business, I bought the largest serving of EtroGat at 24 Shekels and gave the store a tip. Then I finally took my first sip and instantly, I liked it! For transparency, the EtroGat’s taste was like citrus-based drinks but with a unique texture in my mouth. EtroGat, after all, was described by the business as Jerusalem’s flavor as it was composed of Etrog (a yellow citron which Israel is very blessed with and has long been part of the culture of the Jewish people especially during the Sukkot holiday), Gat and Grapefruit. This explains its taste.

*My first-ever drink with Etrog Man is Etrogat! This large serving cost 24 Shekels. A really good and satisfying drink!*

Etrog is a citrus fruit among the Four Species used on Sukkot and the Holy Bible contains a possible reference about it (note: Etrog itself is not mentioned but it is believed to be the mentioned fruit of pleasing/splendid trees) in Leviticus 23:40 which reads as follows in the translations below…

And on the first day you shall take the fruit of pleasing trees [and make booths of them], branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick (leafy) trees, and willows of the brook; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

Leviticus 23:40 (AMPC)

And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

Leviticus 23:40 (ESV)

Etrog citrons are an excellent source of Vitamin C and helps in strengthening the immune system, protects the body from free radical damage and also reduces inflammation. There is a lot more to the health benefits with Etrog that I encourage you to research.

Going back to my EtroGat drink, I happily sipped more and enjoyed the taste. Taste aside, I chose EtroGat as it was formulated by Etrog Man to ease my body’s tension (note: me and my pilgrimage tour group companions had been hiking a lot for days around Israel before arriving in Jerusalem) and strengthen my digestive system. That being said, I consumed all of the content of my EtroGat drink feeling happy and got very satisfied. Back then, I knew I had to come back to Etrog Man on my planned 2^nd Mahane Yehuda market visit. By the morning of February 13, the accumulated soreness on my feet was almost entirely gone and I felt reinvigorated which I believe were benefits from my EtroGat drink.

Eventually our day-off from tour came on February 15, 2023. In the morning, I hiked first to the old city of Jerusalem to visit the Temple Mount, revisit the Western Wall and went on to a few more sites before taking the long hike to Mahane Yehuda market via Jaffa Street. I even managed to stop by Tmol Shilsom where I enjoyed their special beverage – the Halva Drink. As the weather suddenly turned cold in Jerusalem as I finally returned to Mahane Yehuda, the first thing I did there was enjoying a much-needed hot meal at Shakshuka Machaneh Yehuda.

After my Shakshuka lunch, I walked around the market which was a bit more challenging as there were ever more people around. Eventually, I returned to Etrog Man and told the lady in-charge that I wanted their largest serving of the Rambam’s Drink.

After paying 24 Shekels and giving a tip, I started drinking it and I experienced this mild sweetness in my mouth. Rambam’s Drink also had this really unique texture and flavor which is I find delightful as I kept consuming it. Of all the juices or fruit-based drinks I had in my entire life, this beverage from Etrog Man was really a standout. As it turns out, the Rambam’s Drink was formulated to help the digestive system, boost the immune system and stabilize blood pressure. By the time I drank all of the Rambam’s Drink content, I was happily satisfied and felt really good.

I should also mention that Etrog Man also offers smoothies which are beverages sourced from fresh fruits that were expertly mixed and blended together to create a rich liquid for consumption. They also offer Super Bowls for those who want to eat something fresh and fruity with ingredients mixed in.

*Look at all those fruits, vegetables and other fresh ingredients displayed!*

More than just refreshments – special focus on consumers’ wellness

In addition to the very delicious and healthy beverages and desserts, Etrog Man also sells other products online such as medicinal drinks and varied products of nature – Concoctions from Nature – as well. More on health, Etrog Man offers customers a Detox Program complete with specially formulated products that can be used. Going back to their store in the Mahane Yehuda market, I spotted an enclosed container with fresh fruits and some vegetables displayed. Next time I revisit Etrog Man, I will go for one of their smoothies.

Who is Etrog Man?

*The late Etrog Man founder Uzi-Eli. (photograph used with permission from Etrog Man)*.

Based on the translated information sourced from the official website, the business was founded by the late Uzi-Eli (note: He passed away on June 2022). He was described as a medicine man and was the third generation of a family that deals in healing drinks, pharmacies and herbs. His family practiced Torah-based spiritual medicine. For decades, Uzi-Eli was reputed as a bringer of good news, remedies and recipes based on the teachings of Rambam (a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who was also a prolific Torah scholar) and ancient Yemeni medicine. Etrog Man clearly refers to Uzi-Eli and this is displayed in the business joint’s official artwork of a smiling bearded man carrying fruits.

Early in his life, Uzi-Eli realized that his vocation was in distilling the beneficial properties of medicinal plants, fruits, vegetables and spices – and distributing them to the masses. It was his intention to offer the best of nature and serve it with a lot of love. You can see more about Uzi-Eli in the YouTube video below.

Uzi-Eli was very knowledgeable about the many aspects of health which is reflected not only on the refreshing drinks of Etrog Man but also on their cosmetic products. He was a visionary and his expertise on wellness and nutrition is reflected through his business.

Conclusion

I can say that Etrog Man left a big and positive effect on me not only as a consumer but also as a person of faith who came to Israel to seek God’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33) and to bless the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3) while on pilgrimage. That being said, I would love to see Etrog Man prosper not only by selling more to customers the refreshing products they are already known for but also to help more people over their specific health-related needs. The legacy of the late founder of the business remains strong and will be felt in the years to come. As such, I would not hesitate to return to Etrog Man at Mahane Yehuda market in Jerusalem the next time I visit Israel in the future. To those of you who are about to visit Jerusalem and the popular market place, I highly recommend you visit Etrog Man and try out their refreshing products and special items.

Visit Etrog Man’s website at https://www.etrogman.com/ and follow them on Instagram and on Facebook.

When it comes to receiving blessings from the Lord while you are in Israel, always remember that He clearly designated the land for the Jewish people. God will bless those who bless the Jewish people. That being said, always praise, honor and give thanks to the Almighty Lord. Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit so you can receive God’s plan for you with Jesus as your Lord and Savior. May the holy scriptures below enlighten you and empower your faith in the Lord.

Let joy be your continual feast. Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks, for this is God’s perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (TPT)

The Lord has been mindful of us, He will bless us: He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron [the priesthood],

Psalm 115:12 (AMPC)

And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. 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 come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”

Genesis 35:10-12 (ESV)

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)

For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.

1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)

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

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

Christian Music Appreciation: Running

August 8, 2022August 5, 2022carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on Running, an original worship song from Planetshakers released through their album REVIVAL (click here for the official page of the album) For the newcomers reading this, the previous Planetshakers worship songs I examined and analyzed in the CMA series were How I Praise, All, Great Outpouring, 247 365, Encounter Song and So Good. Let me share to you also that Planetshakers will be returning to the Philippines with worship events scheduled! In fact, Planetshakers has been touring internationally to lead people to the Lord with music and powerful worship!

If you want to discover and learn more about Planetshakers, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram), here (Twitter) and here (YouTube). To know more about Planetshakers itself, visit https://www.planetshakers.com/

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of Running, posted below for your reference are the lyrics. Words and music of this song were credited to Andy Harrison and Joth Hunt.

VERSE 1

Who You are is holy

Nothing in this world compares

Hidden in Your glory

Are treasures far beyond compare

PRE-CHORUS

Beauty on beauty, wonder on wonder

Lord there’s none like You

Closer and closer, You draw me in so

I will run to You

CHORUS

I’m running, running to You

I’m longing, longing for You

I’m pouring, my affection on You

‘Cause all I want is You, all I want is You

VERSE 2

Who You are is worthy

All creation bows to You

All You do is perfect

Every word is proven true

BRIDGE

Holy, holy Lord almighty

There is none like You

Worthy, worthy, You are worthy

There is none like You

TAG

All I want is You

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: Who You are is holy, Nothing in this world compares, Hidden in Your glory, Are treasures far beyond compare.

The Verse 1 lyrics emphasize that our Lord is holy and His holiness can never be matched by anyone nor anything in this very divided world we live in. As God is our creator, He is also our source and the ultimate planner. Therefore, we only worship, honor and glorify the Lord. The Lord is the one we approach. Run to God, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! Learn from the scriptures below…

No one is holy like the Lord,

For there is none besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (NKJV)

Keep exalting the Lord our God facedown before his glory-throne, for he is great and holy!

Psalms 99:9 (TPT)

And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they.

Hebrews 1:3-4 (NASB)

Moving on, we have the Pre-Chorus lyrics which go as follows: Beauty on beauty, wonder on wonder, Lord there’s none like You, Closer and closer, You draw me in so, I will run to You.

The Pre-Chorus lyrics emphasize that the Lord God is much greater than us and the whole world we live in. The greatness of the Heavenly Father can never be matched and as He is our creator, it is only our destiny and responsibility to be faithful to Him, to honor Him and be with Him above everything else. All the glory, all the praise and all the prioritizing belong to the Lord! We move to the Lord because our rightful place is with Him! Do not forget that the Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to save us. Learn from the following bible scriptures below…

There is none like You, Lord;

You are great, and Your name is great in might.

Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?

For it is Your due!

For among all the wise men of the nations

And in all their kingdoms,

There is none like You.

Jeremiah 10:6-7 (NASB)

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

1 Chronicles 16:25 (AMPC)

And I will vindicate the holiness of My great name which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the Lord,” declares the Lord God, “when I show Myself holy among you in their sight.

Ezekiel 36:23 (NASB)

“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

But everyone my Father has given to me, they will come. And all who come to me, I will embrace and will never turn them away.

John 6:37 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines from the Chorus: I’m running, running to You, I’m longing, longing for You, I’m pouring, my affection on You, ‘Cause all I want is You, all I want is You.

The Chorus clearly magnifies our purpose with the Lord and this, I believe, is the basis of the worship song’s title. As children of the Lord, we are meant to come to Him, open our hearts to Him and have unwavering faith in Him. Posted below are more holy scriptures about coming to the Lord…

Now that we know what we have—Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God—let’s not let it slip through our fingers. We don’t have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He’s been through weakness and testing, experienced it all—all but the sin. So let’s walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.

Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG)

Lord, you are so good to me, so kind in every way and ready to forgive, for your grace-fountain keeps overflowing, drenching all your devoted lovers who pray to you.

Psalms 86:5 (TPT)

Jesus said to him, I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.

If you had known Me [had learned to recognize Me], you would also have known My Father. From now on, you know Him and have seen Him.

John 14:6-7 (AMPC)

Jesus replied, “Loving me empowers you to obey my word. And my Father will love you so deeply that we will come to you and make you our dwelling place.”

John 14:23 (TPT)

Next, the lyrics of Verse 2 are as follows: Who You are is worthy, All creation bows to You, All You do is perfect, Every word is proven true.

After that, here are the lyrics of the song’s Bridge: Holy, holy Lord almighty, There is none like You, Worthy, worthy, You are worthy, There is none like You.

Collectively Verse 2 and the song’s Bridge emphasize the greatness, the almighty power and love of the Lord. He is faithful and He always keeps His promises. He is also our Source, our Creator and the Way Maker. The Lord is worthy of all the praise and faith from us. The Lord is almighty and nothing else can ever compare to him. No idol and no form of opposition will ever come close to the Lord’s power and holiness. Learn from the following scriptures below…

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 (NASB)

But you, O Lord, your mercy-seat love is limitless, reaching higher than the highest heavens. Your great faithfulness is infinite, stretching over the whole earth.

Psalms 36:5 (TPT)

For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.

John 3:17 (AMPC)

Nevertheless in Your great mercy

You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;

For You are God, gracious and merciful.

Nehemiah 9:31 (NKJV)

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you [with abundant increase of favors] and make your name famous and distinguished, and you will be a blessing [dispensing good to others].

Genesis 12:2 (AMPC)

The Lord has done great things for us! We are glad!

Psalm 126:3 (AMPC)

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Psalm 63:3-4 (NKJV)

Come on, everyone! Let’s sing for joy to the Lord! Let’s shout our loudest praises to our God who saved us! Everyone come meet his face with a thankful heart. Don’t hold back your praises; make him great by your shouts of joy! For the Lord is the greatest of all, King-God over all other gods! In one hand he holds the mysteries of the earth, and in the other he holds the highest mountain peaks. He’s the owner of every ocean, the engineer and sculptor of earth itself! Come and kneel before this Creator-God; come and bow before the mighty God, our majestic maker!

Psalm 95:1-6 (TPT)

Indeed, the lyrics and title of Running are holy and anointed! This worship song by Planetshakers is a strong reminder about who our Lord is and why we are meant to be with Him, follow Him and honor Him eternally. As faithful children of God, our destiny and purpose are with Him. We are meant to come into His presence, be ready to follow His commands and preach His Word in this very divided world we are currently living in. Musically, Running is motivating and solemn at the same time. It is an ideal song to worship the Lord during Sunday worship services or during prayer events with the spiritual family.

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

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

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

Planetshakers’ Greater Asia Tour events in the Philippines set for September 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2022

July 16, 2022July 26, 2022carlocarrasco

Praise and thank the Lord for His newest blessing to His children here in the Philippines as Planetshakers announced they will be returning to the country and will have their Greater Asia Tour events scheduled on September 8, 9, 10 and 11, 2022 starting 8PM each night at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City! Tickets for this anointed event will start selling online at SM Tickets on July 21. This is also the first time in over two years since Planetshakers last had an event here in the Philippines. Last September, they released their album titled REVIVAL.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from their official announcement. Some parts in boldface…

Planetshakers is so excited to visit Manila once again in September 2022! God is greater! He is greater than any circumstance that we may face and our trust in Him will see us overcome any obstacle and see victory over every enemy that may come our way.

With this belief in our hearts and that declaration in our mouths, we will experience greater than our highest thoughts and prayers. Join us at “Planetshakers – GREATER TOUR” to experience the greatness of our God as we worship together and come in faith around His word. He has greater things in store for us so with this in mind we know we will see His miracles unfold and the empowering of His Spirit to take us to that greater level in Him.

As of this writing, ticket categories and prices are listed as the following:

VIP – P1,600

Patron – P1,600

Upperbox – P1,200

Lowerbox – P1,200

General admission – P600

The ticket prices do not include the ticketing service fee. When purchasing the tickets online at SMTickets.com, be sure to have your own website account up and running, and your credit card should be prepared as well. Again, ticket sales will go live online on July 21, 2022.

*Planetshakers is coming back to the Philippines for the first time since 2020! Truly a blessing from God!*

For the newcomers reading this, Planetshakers is a Christian church based in Australia and their worship music team produced a lot of worship songs that became not only popular with Christians around the world but also became part of their worship of the Lord. For your enlightenment, posted below is their official church statement…

The heart of Planetshakers Church is to see people’s lives radically transformed as they encounter Jesus, His tangible Presence and God’s family in a personal and powerful way.

Planetshakers Church is a church for all. It is a large, diverse and rapidly-growing family, made up of people of every age and cultural background (over 150 nationalities) who genuinely love each other and are whole-heartedly committed to the church’s mandate of Empowering Generations to Win Generations.

Planetshakers Church is led by Senior Pastors, Russell and Sam Evans, and an incredible team of pastors and leaders who are driven by an urgency to present the good news of Jesus Christ to a broken and hurting world. We have multiple campuses, both locally and internationally, and believe that the local church is the greatest vehicle through which people’s lives can be touched and changed by the power of God’s love.

Everyone is welcome!

With regards to the Planetshakers music team, their worship songs are truly anointed and I reviewed several of them on this website. Check out my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) pieces of Planetshakers’ songs by clicking here, here, here, here, here and here.

Very clearly, the return of Planetshakers to the Philippines is a new blessing from the Lord and we should all be thankful to Him, praising Him and honoring Him! In closing this post, posted below are varied worship music videos of Planetshakers for your enjoyment and your praise to the Lord.

For more information about Planetshakers, visit https://www.planetshakers.com/ and also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube.

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

Praise and thank our Lord for the June 24, 2022 miracle that happened in America!

July 1, 2022July 13, 2022carlocarrasco

We have great reasons to be thankful to our Lord and to keep on praising and honoring Him as a great miracle happened in the United States of America on June 24, 2022 – the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down Roe v. Wade (the 1973 legalized abortion decision) which paves the way for the states to ban abortion by means of legislation. That’s right, my fellow Christians, decades worth of prayers to overturn the wrongful 1973 SCOTUS decision have been answered and clearly Jesus is our Lord and Savior!

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is indeed a miracle from our Lord and it sends a clear message to not only people around the United States but also to governments around the world that abortion is evil and totally wrong no matter what abortion advocates believe. Take note that I previously encouraged readers to pray to our Lord to have Roe v. Wade overturned.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the CBN News article. Some parts in boldface…

The U.S. Supreme Court has overturned its 1973 landmark Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide for nearly 50 years. The ruling came in the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization.

The case challenged Mississippi’s 15-week abortion ban, and whether it was unconstitutional. It was enacted in 2018 but was blocked after a federal court challenge.

The state of Mississippi asked the high court to uphold its law and directly challenged the precedent in Roe and the 1992 Casey v. Planned Parenthood that held that states cannot ban pre-viability abortions, those done before a child can survive outside the womb.

Friday’s outcome is expected to lead to abortion bans in roughly half the states.

The decision, unthinkable just a few years ago, was the culmination of decades of efforts by pro-life advocates.

The ruling came more than a month after the stunning leak of a draft opinion by Justice Samuel Alito indicating the court was prepared to take this momentous step.

Alito, in the final opinion issued Friday, wrote that Roe and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, the 1992 decision that reaffirmed the right to abortion, were wrong the day they were decided and must be overturned.

“We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled. The Constitution makes no reference to abortion, and no such right is implicitly protected by any constitutional provision,” Alito wrote.

Authority to regulate abortion rests with the political branches, not the courts, Alito wrote.

Joining Alito were Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett. The latter three justices are Trump appointees. Thomas first voted to overrule Roe 30 years ago.

Chief Justice John Roberts would have stopped short of ending the abortion right, noting that he would have upheld the Mississippi law at the heart of the case, a ban on abortion after 15 weeks, and said no more.

Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan — the diminished liberal wing of the court — were in dissent.

“With sorrow—for this Court, but more, for the many millions of American women who have today lost a fundamental constitutional protection—we dissent,” they wrote.

President Joe Biden said Friday he would try to preserve access to abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and he called on Americans to elect more Democrats who would safeguard rights upended by the court’s decision. “This is not over,” he declared.

As CBN News has reported, since Roe has been overturned by the high court, thirteen states have trigger laws in place to prohibit abortion. The issue will now shift to the state legislatures.

Those existing laws have been estimated to possibly close approximately 202 clinics or 26% of all publicly advertised abortion facilities in the U.S., according to a recent study from Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH), a program within the University of California San Francisco’s Bixby Center for Global Reproductive Health.

According to the study, among all U.S. states, California had the most abortion facilities, with 168 open facilities as of 2021, followed by New York (89) and Florida (55).

For further understanding about the fall of Roe v. Wade, posted below is the related Faith Nation video from the Christian Broadcasting Network’s CBN News YouTube channel…

The impact of the overturn of the 1973 Supreme Court decision is undeniably powerful on both sides of the spectrum covering countless Americans. Unsurprisingly the believers of abortion (note: the murder of unborn babies) have gotten louder, more violent and more chaotic as I write this. There in America, the LGBTQ people suddenly turned their pride events into reactions to the June 24, 2022 SCOTUS decision while Satan’s followers are raging over the same decision. Unsurprisingly, Joe Biden (a pro-abortion Catholic) and his fellow Democrats are disappointed and angry with the now landmark decision of the Supreme Court. Already the Democrats are fighting back to continue murdering unborn babies.

No matter what the pro-abortion people say, abortion is always wrong and evil as it is the act of killing the unborn child inside the woman’s womb. Abortion was never compatible with healthcare and it is easily the deadliest and highly sinful decision any pregnant woman can make within the concept of women’s choice or civil rights. No matter what the Satanic Left say, abortion will never make society better and it certainly will never solve the problem of poverty. In America, pro-abortion believers have turned violent and already there are churches and women’s pregnancy centers that got damaged physically. Very clearly abortion is evil! Abortion is always murder. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

You must not murder.

Exodus 20:13 (NLT)

He said to Him, “Which ones?”

Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’”

Matthew 19:18 (NKJV)

As for the pro-abortion mob, they are clearly living in sin and they are doing Satan’s work in this very divided world we all live in. People who are unsaved and lost often do not realize they are doing things the way Satan wants them and this means spreading death, causing more chaos and hurting the innocent. They move on to violate God’s rules and they chose to be worldly instead of submitting themselves to Him. Many of them don’t even realize the true values of being faithful and repenting to the Lord. For context, learn from the holy scriptures below…

And so, since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or approve of Him or consider Him worth the knowing, God gave them over to a base and condemned mind to do things not proper or decent but loathsome,

Until they were filled (permeated and saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, iniquity, grasping and covetous greed, and malice. [They were] full of envy and jealousy, murder, strife, deceit and treachery, ill will and cruel ways. [They were] secret backbiters and gossipers,

Slanderers, hateful to and hating God, full of insolence, arrogance, [and] boasting; inventors of new forms of evil, disobedient and undutiful to parents.

[They were] without understanding, conscienceless and faithless, heartless and loveless [and] merciless.

Though they are fully aware of God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them themselves but approve and applaud others who practice them.

Romans 1:28-32 (AMPC)

Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelations 21:5-8 (NKJV)

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion:

eyes that are arrogant,

a tongue that lies,

hands that murder the innocent,

a heart that hatches evil plots,

feet that race down a wicked track,

a mouth that lies under oath,

a troublemaker in the family.

Proverbs 6:16-19 (MSG)

When it comes to society and politics, the pro-abortion mob is quite vast. Other than the obvious abortionists, they have socialists, homosexuals, Marxists, Communists, anarchists, unpatriotic citizens, climate change fanatics, humanists, the woke fanatics, transgendered people, SJWs (social justice warriors), the so-called reformers and other types people who often vote for the Democrats. Is it any surprise that their members are so chaotic?

That being said, I urge you readers and fellow siblings under Lord Jesus to pray for the unsaved and the lost. Preach the Word of God to others and help lead the unsaved and the lost to Him so that they will have the golden opportunities to decide submit to Him, repent to Him and accept Jesus as the Lord and Savior. I know this is hard to do as the abortion believers and their Leftist allies are out there causing chaos in public but I urge you to still pray for them and tell them that the Lord is forgiving and it is only He who can restore them. Preach to them that salvation is only possible with the Lord. Share with them how you got saved and received the Holy Spirit.

I also urge you to pray for the victims persecuted by the unsaved and the lost as only God can lift them up and restore them fully. As I am writing this, there are people who are pro-life or those who do not believe in abortion who are getting harassed or even hurt by the pro-abortion mob members.

Going back to the strike down of Roe v. Wade, we must all be very thankful to our Lord and pray for the US Supreme Court justices who voted to overturn the 1973 SCOTUS decision. SCOTUS Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett will forever be remembered for overturning Roe v. Wade which makes them admired figures of the pro-life people and also as targets of the violent abortion advocates. The legislators and officials of state governments who have already approved trigger laws on banning abortion are also being targeted by the abortion mob. The same can also be said about states that are about to move forward with banning abortion through legislation. That being said, these officials, legislators and leaders need our prayers for protection, for their continued work on public service and for peace to happen. We don’t know how long the abortion mob will keep on being violent and chaotic towards people who don’t share their views but we need to look up to God to shed His guiding light to all in order to bring back peace.

Once again, abortion is wrong and wicked. The killing of the unborn child is clearly evil and it violates God as well. Each and every one of us were created by the Lord and He established plans for us all even before we were born. Children are God’s gifts as well as the living expressions of His love for us! Learn from the following holy scriptures…

Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

And before you were born I consecrated you;

I have appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NASB)

The Lord gave me this message:

“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.

Before you were born I set you apart

and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”

Jeremiah 1:4-5 (NLT)

Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward.

Psalms 127:3 (TPT)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)

So, dear friends, don’t let this one thing escape your notice: a single day counts like a thousand years to the Lord Yahweh, and a thousand years counts as one day. This means that, contrary to man’s perspective, the Lord is not late with his promise to return, as some measure lateness. But rather, his “delay” simply reveals his loving patience toward you, because he does not want any to perish but all to come to repentance.

2 Peter 3:8-9 (TPT)

You formed my innermost being, shaping my delicate inside and my intricate outside, and wove them all together in my mother’s womb. I thank you, God, for making me so mysteriously complex! Everything you do is marvelously breathtaking. It simply amazes me to think about it! How thoroughly you know me, Lord! You even formed every bone in my body when you created me in the secret place; carefully, skillfully you shaped me from nothing to something. You saw who you created me to be before I became me! Before I’d ever seen the light of day, the number of days you planned for me were already recorded in your book.

Psalms 139:13-16 (TPT)

In closing this piece about the strike down of Roe v. Wade, I should remind you all that it is indeed a miracle that got realized in America. It was God’s answer to all the prayer for it to happened. The overturning of Roe v. Wade is proof that with God, all things are possible and the tremendous odds we face here on Earth can be dominated by the Lord! Let this remind you to always have unwavering faith in the Lord and thank Him always! Learn from the holy scriptures below…

For with God nothing will be impossible.

Luke 1:37 (NKJV)

Looking into their eyes, Jesus replied, “Humanly speaking, no one, because no one can save himself. But what seems impossible to you is never impossible to God!”

Mathew 19:26 (TPT)

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 looked at them and said, “With man it is impossible, but not with God. For all things are possible with God.”

Mark 10:27 (ESV)

“Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too difficult for Me?”

Jeremiah 32:27 (NASB)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Did you waste years of your life as a pro-abortion activist? Are you feeling very regretful with being responsible for aborting many unborn babies? Did a religious and idolatrous extremist ruin your life? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool you and abused you? Were you victimized by a crook? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still addicted to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? 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 you have been living so long with the guilt?

All of the darkness related to what were 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! 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 a pastor.

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

Father God,

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

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

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, stay planted as long as He desires and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits here and there. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly, only He can lift you up and restore you fully, 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. 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, the ritual practitioners and other sinister forces manipulate you into becoming unholy.

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

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

Christian Music Appreciation: God of the Breakthrough

May 27, 2022May 24, 2022carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on God of the Breakthrough, another original worship song from New Life Music. For the newcomers reading this, the previous New Life Music worship songs I examined and analyzed were Touch From Heaven and Now I’m Alive. Read about those CMA pieces soon.

If you want to discover and learn more about New Life Music, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). New Life Music is part of New Life Philippines whose main church is located inside Alabang Hills Village in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. To know more about New Life Philippines itself, visit https://newlife.ph/

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of God of the Breakthrough, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Chynna Cuna, Dem Mokamad, Jed Patricio, Gianna Bautista and Joed Avila.

VERSE 1

When the giants come my way

He is powerful to save

In the trials and the pain

His promises remain

–

PRE CHORUS

I will not be defeated

–

CHORUS

I’ll lift up my head

And shout His name

Open up the gates

And let Him in

–

VERSE 2

In the battles and the storms

You’re my victory

As I praise, I stand and see

That my God fights for me

–

PRE CHORUS

I will not be defeated

–

CHORUS 2

I’ll lift up my head

And shout His name

Open up the gates

And let Him in

–

King of glory enter in

–

BRIDGE

Walls come down

Healing now

Chains be loosed

God of the breakthrough

–

Hearts restored

Fear be gone

Faith arise

God of the breakthrough

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: When the giants come my way, He is powerful to save, In the trials and the pain, His promises remain.

The Verse 1 lyrics emphasize that no matter the troubles or the odds we the faithful children encounter while living here on Earth that is so divided by problems (examples: external economic forces, war, political conflicts, etc.), we need not fear because we have the Lord to look up to not just to help us survive but emerge stronger, get restored and prosper as we follow His path and follow Him with unwavering faith. God is always faithful to us and He always keeps His promises as He created each of us with plans already made. Never forget that He sent His Son Jesus to redeem us, granting us a Lord and Savior to follow. Learn from the following scriptures below…

For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.

John 3:16 (AMPC)

Not one word of all the good promises that the Lord had made to the house of Israel had failed; all came to pass.

Joshua 21:45 (ESV)

For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted, and everything he does is reliable and right.

Psalms 33:4 (TPT)

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)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 (ESV)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NASB)

But you, O Lord, your mercy-seat love is limitless, reaching higher than the highest heavens. Your great faithfulness is infinite, stretching over the whole earth.

Psalms 36:5 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines from the Pre Chorus: I will not be defeated, I will not be defeated.

The Pre Chorus lyrics are straight to the point. As God’s faithful children, there is absolutely no reason for us to be defeated because we are living in accordance to the Lord’s victory. We are living in His victory led by unwavering faith in Him and following Him through His Word without compromise. Under the Lord, we are more than conquerors! Learn from the following scriptures below…

Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!

Romans 8:37 (TPT)

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

1 John 5:4 (ESV)

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides].

Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil.

For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere.

Ephesians 6:10-12 (AMPC)

Moving on, here are the lines from the Chorus: I’ll lift up my head, And shout His name, Open up the gates, And let Him in.

The Chorus lyrics form a lively reminder that we are to look up to our Lord, emphasize His name wholeheartedly and allow the Holy Spirit to lead us in accordance to His will. Learn from the scriptures below (note: the Model Prayer is included)…

Pray, therefore, like this: Our Father Who is in heaven, hallowed (kept holy) be Your name.

Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven (left, remitted, and let go of the debts, and have given up resentment against) our debtors.

And lead (bring) us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

Matthew 6:9-13 (AMPC)

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;

fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,

over the man who carries out evil devices!

Psalm 37:7 (ESV)

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

“Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)

And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”

Mark 16:15 (NASB)

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures all generations.

Psalm 100:1-5 (NKJV)

And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His Mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, and because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.

Ezra 3:11 (NKJV)

For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons and daughters of God.

Romans 8:14 (NASB)

Moving on, here are the lines from Verse 2: In the battles and the storms, You’re my victory, As I praise, I stand and see, That my God fights for me.

The above words express that we only need to be still, to be fearless and confident in the Lord who fights the tremendous battles that are beyond us. No matter what evil lurks and no matter what danger surrounds us, we will succeed by standing with the Lord and carrying unwavering faith in Him. With God, nothing is impossible. With God, all enemies will fall down. Learn from the scriptures below…

Do not fear them, for the Lord your God is the One fighting for you.

Deuteronomy 3:22 (NASB)

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired.

Isaiah 40:31 (AMPC)

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

1 John 4:4 (NKJV)

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

Luke 1:37 (TPT)

So in the same way, God wanted to end all doubt and confirm it even more forcefully to those who would inherit his promises. His purpose was unchangeable, so God added his vow to the promise. So it is impossible for God to lie for we know that his promise and his vow will never change!

And now we have run into his heart to hide ourselves in his faithfulness. This is where we find his strength and comfort, for he empowers us to seize what has already been established ahead of time—an unshakable hope! We have this certain hope like a strong, unbreakable anchor holding our souls to God himself. Our anchor of hope is fastened to the mercy seat in the heavenly realm beyond the sacred threshold,

Hebrews 6:17-19 (TPT)

Finally, we can now focus on the very title of this song – God of the Breakthrough. The title is indeed very true and truly powerful! The Lord is our Creator, our Provider (Jehovah Jireh), our Ultimate Love, our Miracle Worker, our Guiding light, our Protector, our Redeemer, our Healer and our Ultimate and All-Powerful Authority! The Lord loves the faithful and His care, blessings and guidance still continue! The Lord’s breakthroughs are undeniably real and I personally received the breakthroughs from Him shortly after I got born again. The breakthroughs continue to happen in the new life I am living and I learned to maintain unwavering faith in Him. To understand why our Lord is the maker of breakthroughs, read the following scriptures below…

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

John 14:12-14 (TPT)

Stretch out your hand of power through us to heal, and to move in signs and wonders by the name of your holy Son, Jesus!

Acts 4:30 (TPT)

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV)

God can pour on the blessings in astonishing ways so that you’re ready for anything and everything, more than just ready to do what needs to be done. As one psalmist puts it,

He throws caution to the winds,

giving to the needy in reckless abandon.

His right-living, right-giving ways

never run out, never wear out.

This most generous God who gives seed to the farmer that becomes bread for your meals is more than extravagant with you. He gives you something you can then give away, which grows into full-formed lives, robust in God, wealthy in every way, so that you can be generous in every way, producing with us great praise to God.

2 Corinthians 9:8-11 (MSG)

Embrace the power of salvation’s full deliverance, like a helmet to protect your thoughts from lies. And take the mighty razor-sharp Spirit-sword of the spoken word of God. Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all his believers.

Ephesians 6:17-18 (TPT)

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.

Jeremiah 29:11-12 (NASB)

I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by his love. My purpose for telling you these things is so that the joy that I experience will fill your hearts with overflowing gladness!

John 15:9-11 (TPT)

Very truly, the lyrics of God of the Breakthrough are holy and anointed! The song itself will remind you about the Lord’s victory and His guiding light. It is totally clear to me that New Life Music’s team captured strong messages from the Holy Bible when they composed the song. I believe they were led by the Holy Spirit during their work. Musically speaking, God of the Breakthrough is beautiful and powerful to listen to. That being said, it is a worship song that must be played during Sunday worship services as well as during special church activities. I also believe that this worship song – a part of the album To The Other Side – will remind people about their true identity…the identity in Christ.

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

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

A wonderful lunch at Gourmet Garage Subic

May 6, 2022May 5, 2022carlocarrasco

When I arrived in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone just a day before the 2022 Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT) took place, I was very hungry as I left home very early without any breakfast and I was not able to stop at any of the gas stations (and their respective food joints) along the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) as we took the counter-flow going north.

After settling at a hotel in close proximity to the triathlon venue, I drove to the one restaurant located at the Argonaut Highway-Rizal Highway corner that I’ve been eager to revisit…Gourmet Garage Subic (social media here and here).

Coming from the parking area of the business establishment, I entered Gourmet Garage Subic through the rear door and immediately I felt this atmosphere of class with classical music being played as I walked on and recognized their fine interior. It was a very welcoming experience and already there were people enjoying their lunch.

As I was pretty hungry and somewhat worn down by the long drive from Metro Manila, I ordered myself a Caesar (their version of Caesar’s salad) to enjoy something fresh. From the restaurant’s Main Event section of the menu, I chose the Lamb Madras Curry.

While waiting for my orders to be served, I took the time relaxing, enjoying the aircon and the continuous music, looked at the products displayed and browsed the web with my smartphone via Wifi. And then just like that, the waitress served me the Caesar which was faster than I expected. Upon seeing the salad placed in front of me, I was impressed with the way it was presented. There was some food art to it visually.

The Caesar was prepared with really fresh romaine lettuce topped (on a key portion) with Gourmet Garage Subic’s very own dressing mixed with parmesan shavings and bits of bacon. Right from the first bite of the salad (note: I used the fork and knife to cut myself a portion) that had the lettuce and dressing together, I experienced this very flavorful and pleasing taste! It was very delicious, I went on to cut portions of the Caesar and slowly consumed it along with the bits. I really enjoyed the salad as it was prepared by the cook to be flavorful, fresh and very satisfying! Gourmet Garage Subic’s Caesar is easily the best fresh salad I’ve had in a long time!

Just a few minutes after I was done with the salad, the Lamb Madras Curry was served to me. Right from the start, I noticed it was very well presented and the subtle heat I felt from it showed the lamb was newly cooked. I also liked the pleasing smell of the meal.

*The Lamb Madras Curry was so nicely prepared and it tasted great!*

The Lamb Madras Curry came with basmati rice on the bottom topped with the finely cooked lamb (itself topped with yogurt plus onion pieces and vegetables). On one side was a small tomato with a roasted onion and other onion pieces. The other side had more leaves. The meal was served with two sauces – garlic and chili.

As a first-timer of this particular meal – noted as a Chef’s Recommendation on Gourmet Garage’s menu – I decided to try out a small piece of the lamb without any yogurt on it and I found to be tasty on its own. There is no doubt that the lamb pieces were very finely cooked and the way it was prepared showed that special attention to details was done by the cook.

I tried another piece of lamb and dipped it on the garlic sauce. The flavor of the said piece was enhanced by the said sauce as I chewed. I can say also say the same about the lamb pieces with yogurt on them. As for the spice level, I can say it is tolerable (pretty mild to be precise) and I never had a problem moving from one bite to another, also consuming the rice (really fragrant) and the vegetables. Along the way, I managed to cut some pieces of lamb placed on the fork along with the vegetable for that meat-and-veggies taste.

Every bite I had with the Lamb Madras Curry really had great flavor and big satisfaction. It is so great, this is easily the best lamb meal I had in years! Whoever designed the Lamb Madras Curry knew exactly how to ensure great taste, solid satisfaction and freshness (in terms of vegetables prepared and the cooking of the meat)!

Gourmet Garage Subic’s Caesar and Lamb Madras Curry are both highly recommended to all of you who love food! Make sure you try either of them once you visit the restaurant.

Apart from serving meals, drinks and desserts for diners, Gourmet Garage Subic also has a nice selection of imported products for your home consumption. On display for sale were lots of bottles of fine wine, fruit juices, frozen meat, condiments, snacks, pastry and other good products to take home! They also sell fresh bread products.

*Looking for a new bottle of wine to buy? So many to choose here!*

*Drinks, snacks, condiments and other nice products on display.*

As mentioned in my past article, Gourmet Garage Subic also caters. Through their website, customers can also order Gourmet-in-a-Box (meals by the tray) and Party Trays (varied types of food with parties in mind). There is something that will surely interest you when it comes to good food! That being said, I urge you to check out Gourmet Garage’s website as well as their presence on Instagram and Facebook.

*This is a great place to have your picture taken inside Gourmet Garage Subic!*

The next time you visit Funtastic Subic Bay, I highly recommend you visit Gourmet Garage Subic at 1143 Argonaut Street (very near the Starbucks Coffee shop there) for very good food with your family, friends or business associates. On my next visit to Subic Bay, I’ll definitely come back to try their other meals.

Let me end this piece with the following holy scripture…

Whether you eat or drink, live your life in a way that glorifies and honors God.

1 Corinthians 10:31 (TPT)

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

Glorify only our Lord, definitively and eternally!

August 3, 2021August 3, 2021carlocarrasco

Glory is truly meant only for our Lord. Not people, not carved figures, not images and not man-made creations. We only glorify the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and Holy Spirit.

In recent times, South African swimmer Tatjana Schoenmaker glorified God and used her successful achievements at the Tokyo Olympic Games to lead others to Him. The said achievements include establishing new records in the women’s 100-meter breaststroke and also in the 200-meter breaststroke. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the CBN News report. Some parts in boldface…

Tatjana Schoenmaker — an Olympic swimmer from South Africa — has shattered records this week in the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, and she’s using her success to point others to God.

The swimmer set a new Olympic record Wednesday in the preliminary round with a time of 2:19.16. Then on Friday, she went on to win the gold in the event, setting a new world record with a time of 2:18.95.

The 24-year-old Olympian broke another record in the preliminary rounds for the 100-meter breaststroke with a time of 1:04.82. She ended up claiming the silver medal in the Monday event, Sportsnet reported.

In all her competitions in Tokyo, Schoenmaker has worn — under her green South Africa swim cap — another cap proclaiming her faith.

The white Speedo cap the athlete is wearing features a blue Jesus fish under the phrase “Soli Deo Gloria,” which means “Glory to God alone,” printed on the side of it.

Schoenmaker has used her platform to discuss her Christian faith before.

In an Instagram post last week, she posted a prayer as she traveled to Tokyo for the summer Olympic Games.

On the mentioned Instagram post, Schoenmaker wrote: Father God may your will be done, may your peace fill us up, may we praise you no matter what the outcome, may we be empowered by your strength to give it our all and may we forever be in the awe of your goodness! Thank you for bringing us to this very moment 🙏🏻

It is essential to be mindful that inhabitants of this deeply divided world struggle with the temptations of honoring and even worshiping their fellow people who achieved greatness or are simply charming. Think about all the people who idolized movie stars, sports champions, fashion models, dancers, politicians and even fictional characters! Idolatry towards individual persons begins when people get overwhelmed by the would-be-idol’s success or charisma, and this leads them to prioritizing those individuals and forget the Lord as a result. Idolatry is unholy, foolish and will separate people from the Lord! Nobody should ever give in to the temptation of idolizing because that is precisely what Satan wants. Learn from the New Living Translation (NLT) and The Passion Translation (TPT) of 1 Corinthians 6:9:-10 below…

Don’t you realize that those who do wrong will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, or who worship idols, or commit adultery, or are male prostitutes, or practice homosexuality, or are thieves, or greedy people, or drunkards, or are abusive, or cheat people—none of these will inherit the Kingdom of God.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NLT)

Surely you must know that people who practice evil cannot possess God’s kingdom realm. Stop being deceived! People who continue to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, or extortion—these will not inherit God’s kingdom realm.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TPT)

It is also important to remember that God is our Creator and our Source. Blessings in the forms of heavenly income and tremendous human achievements only come from Him. By comparison, idols will never bless their idolaters no matter how much they idolize! As such, it was right and proper for South Africa’s Tatjana Schoenmaker to glorify God because what she achieved was made possible by Him. Only God can make the impossible become possible. In using her success to honor God, Schoenmaker is also doing her part in helping Him save the countless lost and unsaved souls of this world, and help Him build His Kingdom here on Earth.

Of course, I am not saying that fellow people who achieve greatness should be ignored. They can still be congratulated, rewarded and be celebrated to a certain limit. To worship or prioritize the human achiever over our Lord is very wrong. Glorify God, not people. Follow His Word, not those man-made doctrines or pieces of fiction. Be led by faith in the Lord, not religion, not unbelief, and not by this divided world. Learn from the following holy scriptures below…

Now to God, the only source of wisdom, be glorious praises for endless ages through Jesus, the Anointed One! Amen!

Romans 16:27 (TPT)

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)

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song!

Sing to the Lord, all the earth.

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;

Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

For the Lord is great and greatly to be praised;

He is to be feared above all gods.

For all the gods of the peoples are idols,

But the Lord made the heavens.

Honor and majesty are before Him;

Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

Give to the Lord, O families of the peoples,

Give to the Lord glory and strength.

Give to the Lord the glory due His name;

Bring an offering, and come into His courts.

Oh, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness!

Tremble before Him, all the earth.

Psalm 96:1-9 (NKJV)

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.

2 Corinthians 4:13-15 (NKJV)

Every believer has received grace gifts, so use them to serve one another as faithful stewards of the many-colored tapestry of God’s grace.

1 Peter 4:10 (TPT)

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.

Mark 12:30 (NKJV)

Put your heart and soul into every activity you do, as though you are doing it for the Lord himself and not merely for others.

For we know that we will receive a reward, an inheritance from the Lord, as we serve the Lord Yahweh, the Anointed One!

Colossians 3:23-24 (TPT)

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still addicted to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? 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? All of that darkness 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! No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.

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

Father God,

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 here and there. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

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

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

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

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