Welcome back, my fellow brothers and sisters of the Spiritual Family (God’s Family)! I’ve got great news to share with you here. Chances are, you are familiar already about how much I loved the worship song Yahweh Oh (by COG Worship) for its very holy lyrics, its energetic tone, its wonderful music and the fact that it was written to lift up the hearts of the faithful to keep on pursuing Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God our Heavenly Father.
Yahweh Oh is such a great song, I believe that the rest of the world has to hear it. I also believe the song can help many people worldwide to find their paths leading to the Lord for their salvation! Going back to the great news mentioned earlier, I am happy to share with you that COG Worship (a group truly anointed by the Lord) produced and released the official music video of Yahweh Oh which you can find right below (note: lyrics and credits placed below the music video). I encourage all of you to watch it and also take time to share it to others. Enjoy Yahweh Oh and keep on persevering as the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
Lyrics
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh
Woah woah
–
Yahweh! Yahweh! Yahweh! Yahweh!
–
Almighty God
We want to praise You for all the things You’ve done
For us You’ve shed your blood
To take away all our sins and shame
–
To You be all the glory and the praise
We raise our hands and shout Your Name!
–
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
–
Unfailing God
We want to thank You, for your unending love
For us Your promises
They come alive more and more in our lives
–
To You be all the glory and the praise
We raise our hands and shout Your Name!
–
We will worship ‘til tomorrow comes
Forever we’ll sing our praises to You
In Your presence You have changed our lives
Now we’re ready to go
–
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
–
Credits
Executive Producer: Gigi Velasco
Director: Patricia Miranda
Asst. Director: Noli Maranan
Lighting & Videographer: Renzo Portacio
Art Director: Denise Velasco
Editor: Renzo Portacio, Jedtroy Sienes, Paul Glovo
Production Design: Denise Velasco, Red Baluyot
Production Manager: Leah Oñate
Stylist: Karla Calitisen
Hair & Makeup: Think Tank Glam Team
Written by Noli Maranan. Music produced by Joshua Pacleb and Raynard Mame. Arranged by Raynard Mame and Sai Apolinario on guitars, Joshua Pacleb on bass, Joshua Fabella on drums, Jeff McCullough on synthesis and other instruments. All programming and instrumentation by Jeff McCullough. Choir vocals Felix Ancheta, Jencis Honorio, Angelica Jizmundo, Raynard Mame, Joshua Pacleb. Mixed by Jeff McCullough and Joshua Pacleb. Mastered by Jeff McCullough.
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
Exodus 3:14-15 (NKJV)
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
Psalm 145:3 (NKJV)
+++++
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.
Israel (population 9.3 million), which recently celebrated its 73rd Independence Day, announced that it will welcome foreign visitors who have been vaccinated for COVID-19 (China virus) starting May 23, 2021. The opening of the borders for foreigners will be done gradually (by stage). Filipinos or Philippine passport holders may enjoy visa-free access into Israel for up to ninety (90) days.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the recent news article published through Philippine News Agency (PNA). Key parts in bold…
Israel is opening up its borders to foreign tourists who have been vaccinated against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) starting next month.
The Israel Ministry of Tourism said the initiative will begin on May 23, starting with a limited number of groups that will be increased based on the health situation and progress of the program.
Individual travelers will be allowed into Israel in its “second stage”, with health considerations determining the timeline.
“All visitors will be required to undergo a PCR test before boarding the flight to Israel, and a serological test to prove their vaccination, upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport” it said.
In the meantime, discussions will continue with various countries to reach agreements for vaccine-certificate validation, so as to cancel the need for the serological test.
Israel’s vaccination program has been successful, outpacing much of the world in inoculating its population.
“After opening the economy, it is time to allow tourism in a careful and calculated manner. Opening the tourism is important for one of the fields most hurt during the COVID year. We will continue to look at easing regulations in accordance with the health situation,” said Yuli Edelstein, Israel’s Minister of Health.
This is really great news! Personally, it is my heartful desire to visit the Holy Land in Israel where I can discover places Lord Jesus had been to, realize what I’ve learned in the Holy Bible and deepen my faith in Him even more.
I also strongly value the friendship between Israel and my native Philippines. In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte and his delegation had a groundbreaking visit to Israel. The friendship of the two nations was clearly reflected during the Networking Night of the Israel Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines (ICCP) of 2019 which I personally attended. It should be noted that Filipino caregivers in Israel were vaccinated for COVID-19 for free. Truly the Israel-Philippines relationship should be treasured forever! For insight about the many Filipinos who got vaccinated in Israel, watch the video below…
For all Christians reading this…if you are looking for spiritual tours of the Holy Land with a credible tour organizer, I suggest Behold Israel. You can check out their Holy Land tour packages online. For those who have yet to know Behold Israel, it was founded in 2001 by Amir Tsarfati who grew up and lived in Israel all his life. After the end of his military service, he studied at Israel’s School of Tourism at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and worked as a licensed tour guide for Sar El Tours and Conferences, and was eventually promoted to CEO (Chief Executive Officer). While guiding dozens of church groups from around the world, God convicted him of the great need – particularly within Evangelical Christianity – to explain Israel and its role in God’s plan. Since 2013, Behold Israel became a major provider of the worldwide, real-time access to reliable sources of news and information about Israel from within the powerful context of Bible history and prophecy. I encourage you to visit https://beholdisrael.org/ and for insight, I recommend watching the videos below (one of which was Amir Tsarfati’s online interaction with my fellow Filipinos).
There is also the organization Christians United for Israel (CUFI) which now has over 10,000,000 members worldwide who are dedicated to defend Israel and fight against anti-Semitism. CUFI is the largest pro-Israel organization in the United States and is the foremost Christian organization educating and empowering millions of Americans to speak and act with one voice in defense of Israel and the Jewish people. The organization is committed to confronting indifference and combating anti-Semitism in all its forms wherever it may be found. CUFI was founded in early 2006 and since grown tremendously. They are accepting donations online and if you believe in protecting and empowering Israel, head on to https://cufi.org/donation/donate/
We will never forget how President Manuel Quezon opened the doors of the Philippines to Jews fleeing Nazi persecution in Europe during the Holocaust.
Israel has a great deal of admiration for the approximately 30,000 Filipino caregivers who are working in Israel and have an integral, cherished and respected part of Israeli society.
Israel is considered global high-tech power and a leader in cyber industry. I’m also very proud of the long agriculture cooperation between our two countries. We are excited to promote cooperation in these areas.
Ambassador Rafael Harpaz
On the Facebook page Israel in the Philippines are lots of useful updates related to Israel and its ties with the Philippines. They also publish videos about Israeli culture, cuisine, places of Israel and more. Important or special events are also announced. As such, I recommend you to visit and follow Israel in the Philippines.
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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
I am a Christian and I strongly believe in the strengthening of ties between the Philippines and Israel. This past February, Israel opened an honorary consulate in Davao City. Most recently there was a relevant news report that got published about the Philippines and Israel that I really loved reading.
The other day, the Israel Embassy in Manilaannounced that thousands of Filipino caregivers, students and diplomats availed of free COVID-19 vaccines in Israel. Below is an excerpt from the news report published by Philippine News Agency (PNA)…
The free inoculation is part of the Israeli government’s vaccination drive to immunize all residents in the country, regardless of their citizenship status.
Around 5.2 million people have so far been administered with at least one dose of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine in Israel, 30,000 of whom are Filipino caregivers and 400 are exchange students.
Filipinos with expired working permits as well as the staff of the Philippine Embassy in Israel also received the free Pfizer shots.
Israel Ambassador to Manila Rafael Harpaz said this free access to vaccines is another way of expressing Israel’s gratitude to the overseas Filipino workers, particularly caregivers working in their country.
A Filipino getting vaccinated in Israel. (source – Israel in the Philippines Facebook page)
“Israel is thankful for the Filipino caregivers for helping the elderly and the disabled Israeli citizens during the Covid-19 outbreak. For many years, the Israeli government has been providing the Filipino caregivers with full access to the advanced medical services of our country,” he said.
Harpaz added that Israel has been taking “good care” of the Filipino caregivers while citing a 2018 agreement signed during the visit of President Rodrigo Duterte to Israel.
Israel in recent months has also supported the Philippine government in its pandemic response by donating personal protective equipment to the front-liners of the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police, and equipment to assist the Department of Education in implementing distance learning.
To put things in perspective, the ties of the Philippines and Israel go a long way back. Many decades ago, then President Manuel Quezon (head of the Philippine Commonwealth Government) offered save haven to Jewish refugees who fled the Nazi regime. This act was never forgotten by the Israeli people. In 1947, the Philippines voted in favor of United Nations Resolution 81 which created the State of Israel. Philippines-Israel ties progressed further by establishing full diplomatic relationships in 1957 and the following year, a treaty of friendship was signed.
In 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte visited Israel (Duterte is also the first Philippine President to visit there) which was groundbreaking. Watch the videos below…
In ending this, praying for the Israelites and for the peace of Jerusalem is essential for all Christians. Here’s a video from the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) for you to watch.
+++++
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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
President Rodrigo Duterte will have a big decision to make that will affect millions of residents and businesses in Metro Manila as a majority of the mayors voted to shift the metropolis from general community quarantine (GCQ) to modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) status by March 1, 2021, as based on a news release on Philippine News Agency (PNA) that got published just last night.
Here’s an excerpt from the PNA report:
The Metro Manila Council (MMC), composed of Metro Manila mayors and national government officials, has voted to support the proposed shift to the less restrictive modified general community quarantine (MGCQ) in Metro Manila.
“Ang karamihan po ng alkalde ng kalakhang maynila ay bumoto na MGCQ na po ang magiging posisyon nila pagdating sa Metro Manila (Most of the mayors in Metro Manila voted for having MGCQ as their position in Metro Manila),” Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benjamin “Benhur” Abalos Jr. said in a press conference on Thursday.
This, he said, will be sent to the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and to President Rodrigo R. Duterte who will make the final decision on whether to implement eased quarantine restrictions by March 1.
He declined to provide the actual number of votes the proposal received but said that all Metro Manila mayors will support the decision.
Indeed, Abalos did not reveal the number of Yes and No votes but the Manila Bulletin reported that the score among Metro Manila mayors was 9-8 in favor of MGCQ.
To put things in perspective, Metro Manila still has yet to adjust to MGCQ status. Metro Manila is the hot spot of multiple cities where a lot of residents as well as business entities of varied sizes are located at. Right now, the nation needs a major boost to its economy even as there is still the need to be vigilant to avoid new COVID-19 infections. Lots of people in the metropolis remain unemployed and badly need income, and having Metro Manila shift to MGCQ status will help revive other businesses and pave the way for more people to get back to work.
It would be nice to see the Metro Manila Council research more and observe closely how other cities and provinces are doing while maintaining MGCQ statuses for months already.
“It is about time we move to MGCQ after a year of lockdown,” Lopez told reporters in a Viber message Tuesday. “Lockdown was supposed to buy us time to prepare our health system and improve contact tracing and ‘Trace-Test-Treat’.”
Since June 2020, the National Capital Region (NCR) has not graduated from GCQ status, a stricter community quarantine measure than MGCQ.
It even went back to much stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) from Aug. 4 to 18 last year as health care facilities in Metro Manila were overwhelmed due to the increasing number of Covid-19 cases during that period.
“As the Philippines recovers, Metro Manila has a very weak recovery, worse in employment and hunger recovery, and that means more urban poor. The damages to malnutrition and other health and social issues will be irreversible,” Lopez said.
NCR accounted for around 40 percent of the Philippine gross domestic product (GDP).
But Lopez added the reopening of more economic activities should depend on the Covid-19 statistics.
As pointed out by Trade secretary Lopez, Metro Manila is lagging behind in terms of recovery from the pandemic. Apart from joblessness and lack of income, poverty in the National Capital Region is an important problem to solve. The more people fall under poverty, the more local government units (LGUs) need to exert and spend their limited resources to support them.
Right now, the Metro Manila Council’s approval of shifting to MGCQ status will soon be dealt with by the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and President Duterte.
In ending this, here are some videos about combatting the China virus.
+++++
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Wow. That was quite a ride of information updates that happened the last few days. Last Friday, the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) announced that it has allowed a variety of businesses around the Philippines to resume operations so that they can recover from this ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Such businesses specified were driving schools, video arcades, theme parks, natural sites, historical landmarks, parks and, most notably of all, cinemas (or movie theaters).
However, the Metro Manila mayors reacted and expressed their opposition against the national government’s decision on allowing cinemas to reopen. Through the media, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Benhur Abalos stated that a “majority of Metro Manila mayors agreed not to open as far as cinema is concerned.”
Below is an excerpt from the Manila Times article on Abalos…
He noted that movie theaters are enclosed and air-conditioned spaces where people stay for more than 30 minutes, conditions that increase the risk of coronavirus transmission.
To put things in perspective, Metro Manila is composed of many major Philippine cities such as Makati, Quezon City, Manila and Muntinlupa to name a few. Until now, Metro Manila remains under GCQ (General Community Quarantine) status while certain other cities or provinces have been enduring the MGCQ (Modified General Community Quarantine) status. As of this writing, the only cinemas operating here in the Philippines are those located in MGCQ areas.
Here in Metro Manila, movie theaters have been closed since March 2020. Take note of that.
As a result of the Metro Manila mayors’ opposition, it has been announced that the reopening of cinemas has been moved to March 1, 2021, but that is not guaranteed. According to the news release published yesterday at Philippine News Agency, the reopening of cinemas in GCQ areas has been moved to the first of March to allow consultations with local officials, and this is the result of talks with MMDA’s Abalos, MMDA General Manager Jojo Garcia and Trade Secretary Lopez.
Malacañang stated in the release: The IATF respects the position of mayors, especially those in Metro Manila. That’s why the resolution stated that the reopening of cinemas will be effective after drafting guidelines with local governments particularly when it comes to seating capacity in cinemas.
As you can see, there is still some work needed to be done before Metro Manila movie theaters (or any theaters in GCQ areas in general) can be allowed to reopen. This is why, in my view, the March 1 target for reopening could be missed.
More on the cinemas, I wonder if the Metro Manila mayors and their advisers did enough research about the economics. I understand they want to avoid the risk of people getting infected with COVID-19 within their respective cities, but there is still the need for economic recovery even if cinemas are to operate at less than 100% capacity and efficiency
From an economic point of view, thanks to information released by Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez, the so-called traditional cinema industry of the nation employed 300,000 workers and had generated revenues of P13 billion BEFORE the pandemic started last year. Because of the pandemic, 2020 theater revenues shrunk down to only P1.3 billion.
Whatever happened to them as a result of the pandemic, 300,000 cinema employees is a figure that should not be ignored nor dismissed so quickly by the mayors and their advisers. Economic recovery is a must.
In an ABS-CBN news report, the cinema operators and movie producers have decided to adopt a so-called wait-and-see approach on the reopening of cinemas in GCQ areas.
Here’s an excerpt from the report:
Although they welcome the easing of quarantine restrictions, local producers and theater operators believe that ultimately, the reopening of cinemas will still be dependent on the clearance of local government units.
Roselle Monteverde and Vincent del Rosario, who helm Regal and Viva Entertainment, respectively, told ABS-CBN News that they have the capability to provide cinemas with movie material, some of which have long been canned. Nonetheless, along with other members of the local producers association, the movie magnates are still awaiting the IATF guidelines and, more important, the guidance of mayors.
And here’s another excerpt, this time about two major cinema chain operators.
Megaworld Cinemas and SM Cinemas, which both control a vast chain of theater chains, told ABS-CBN News that they will wait for the final guidelines of the IATF and local government units.
Bomboy Lim of Robinson Cinemas also told ABS-CBN News that the bottomline is securing the approval of local government units. “Priority din namin ang ligtas na panonood ng tao. Kailangan nating sundin ang lahat ng guidelines including the IATF. Right now, they are still making it.”
Robinson Cinemas, which has an estimated 200 theaters nationwide in its malls nationwide, have not reopened since March 2020.
Over at the City of Manila, the local authorities there announced it will offer free swab tests to movie theater workers within their jurisdiction. Mayor Isko Moreno said that the swab tests are required before the city government allows malls to open their movie houses. Cinema workers specified are janitors, security guards, tellers, ushers, porters, ticket sellers and snack bar attendants to name some. Managers of malls in the city were asked by the mayor to present to the city government their respective preparations for the reopening of their cinemas with public safety in mind.
As I personally observed in shopping malls with cinemas here in South Metro Manila, each of them has established rules and set up special equipment to monitor the health statuses of people entering their respective places. I can imagine local cinemas inside these malls having similar equipment, disinfectant machines, and temperature scanners. It would be helpful if the malls or cinema operators can afford to set up sanitation tunnels (like those in Israel) for moviegoers to pass thru when entering and exiting the movie theater. Watch the video below…
Even though things look unclear, the fact remains is that operators of movie theaters and their employees now have a chance to resume their business and do their part in the recovery economically and socially. How the IATF and the Metro Manila mayors will decide the fate of the cinemas remains to be seen.
If there are any major updates, you will be notified right here at www.CarloCarrasco.com
+++++
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Hey fellow Christians! Welcome back to my latest piece in my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series and we are about to take a close look at another Christian praise-and-worship song and then examine how its lyrics related to the Holy Bible.
The song to be featured now is Go Beyond, composed by Benjie Alipit and musically arranged and recorded by the COG Worship Band. It is an original song of Church of God World Missions Philippines.
Before we take a look at the song, let me explain that Church of God World Missions Philippines is a Christian church (main venue is in Dasmariñas City, Cavite) that strives to connect all of its COG churches around the Philippines and bring God’s Word outside the walls of the church and into the communities online. They are dedicated to evangelize and minister to every lost soul in the name of Lord Jesus. When it comes to social media, they heavily use the hashtags #BornAgainPilipinas and #COGPhilippines.
With the explanation and done, we can finally start with the lyrics of Go Beyond posted below for you all.
Intro:
Woah oh woah oh (6X)
–
Verse1:
Never failing God
All Your promises make me relentless
With Your unending grace
I receive the love that I don’t deserve
–
Pre-Chorus:
There’s no stopping now
Though I walk to the darkest valley
I will still go on
–
Chorus:
I will go beyond the mountain
Beyond the farthest distance I can be
I will tell the world how much You love me
I will go beyond the highest praise
For the things You’ve done are priceless
I will go beyond my capacity
To tell the world of all You’ve done for me
We will praise You
–
Verse 2:
Overwhelming peace
Fear is gone when you’ve overtaken me
With Your undying mercy
Now I’m confident that I am saved
–
Chorus:
I will go beyond the mountain
Beyond the farthest distance I can be
I will tell the world how much You love me
I will go beyond the highest praise
For the things You’ve done are priceless
I will go beyond my capacity
To tell the world of all You’ve done for me
We will praise You
–
Coda:
No walls
No fear
Can hinder me
I declare Your goodness and mercy
To analyze the biblical relevance of this song, let’s start with the early lines Never failing God All Your promises make me relentless. Those words from the lyrics show that we Christians all reasons to be excited or to be totally dedicated to God knowing that He always keeps His promises to us. When His promises come true, they are indeed very well worth the wait. Remember also that God is truly faithful to us. Check out the following holy scripts below starting with God’s promise to Abram.
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: 2-3 (NKJV)
By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised.
Hebrews 11: 11 (NKJV)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3: 16 (NKJV)
Whatever God promises, whether it’s prosperity, happiness, justice, recovery, rebirth, positive reform and blessings, He truly keeps them for those who are faithful (not religious) to Him. This alone should inspire us all to go beyond with the Lord. Genesis 12: 2-3 marked God’s promise to Abram who was already faithful and in due time, after traveling far following His instructions, Abram and his wife Sarai got blessed. Even though she was already 90-years-old, the faithful Sarah (formerly Sarai) gave birth to Isaac (Hebrews 11: 11) which itself shows that God sometimes decides to wait before fulfilling His promise. The fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (formerly Abram) and Sarah with Isaac as their offspring together marked the beginning of what we in the modern world refer to as Israel (both country and people).
Going further into the New Testament, the arrival of Jesus (John 3: 16) marked God’s plan to have humanity redeemed from the curse that started with Adam’s rebellion towards God which gave dominion to Satan. This shows that God Himself promised to have His creations saved with Jesus (God in the flesh) as His ultimate instrument to make it happen. As such, we the faithful can always look forward to God fulfilling His promises, and truly go beyond! With God, nothing is impossible!
From the chorus are the following lines: For the things You’ve done are priceless I will go beyond my capacity To tell the world of all You’ve done for me We will praise You. To put things in perspective, once we get blessed by the Lord, it is only right to be a blessing to others. We all live in a very screwed-up world and there are lots of people who did not really know the Lord because they were consumed by unbelief, religion, idolatry, politics, greed, covetousness, evil and the like. That means that there are indeed a whole lot of unsaved and lost souls around the world! We are surrounded by the unsaved and the lost! Being Born Again (refer to Jesus’ words in John 3: 3) and getting reformed with the Holy Spirit, it is only right that we spread God’s Word to others, share to others how the Lord changed us and blessed us, and why God is the true Heavenly Father and Ultimate Creator who deserves all of our praise! With the Lord, the unsaved and the lost can be saved, and once they submit to Him and become new creations, they can go beyond as well. We the faithful can help the Lord save the unsaved and the lost! Check out the following holy scriptures.
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 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)
Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
1 Corinthians 6: 19-20 (NKJV)
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.
Acts 3: 19-21 (NKJV)
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 you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, will all your mind, and with all your strength.
Mark 12: 30 (NKJV)
Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.
2 Corinthians 5: 17 (TPT)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2: 9-10 (NKJV)
Now we can proceed with the next lines from the lyrics: Overwhelming peace Fear is gone when you’ve overtaken me.
As written in the Holy Bible, peace from the Lord is undeniably real and powerful. When one gets born again and becomes a child of God, he or she will get reformed to be holy (with the Holy Spirit in the heart), to study the Holy Bible and apply its lessons in real life, and find true peace that will last. Along the way, fear becomes nothing. In fact, fear has no place in Christianity and very certainly fear will NOT help you become part of God’s family and kingdom. The sad reality about the screwed-up world we live in is that fear is common and hindered the many unsaved and lost souls from becoming Christians. Fear is part of religion, unbelief, traditions, rituals and idolatry. Even the unsaved and lost souls who think they are fearless don’t realize their arrogance and ignorance about it. It is only by submitting to God that fear will be truly thrown out and peace will come in.
Apart from the Lord’s peace overwhelming it, fear will also be replaced by courage that comes with being part of the spiritual family…the Lord’s family! Here are some holy scriptures for your reference (the final verse is about being fearless, aggressive and protected with the Armor provided to us by Him).
I leave the gift of peace with you—my peace. Not the kind of fragile peace given by the world, but my perfect peace. Don’t yield to fear or be troubled in your hearts—instead, be courageous!
John 14: 27 (TPT)
Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5: 23 (NKJV)
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.
Proverbs 3: 5-6 (NKJV)
Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser! Your hand-to-hand combat is not with human beings, but with the highest principalities and authorities operating in rebellion under the heavenly realms. For they are a powerful class of demon-gods and evil spirits that hold this dark world in bondage. Because of this, you must wear all the armor that God provides so you’re protected as you confront the slanderer, for you are destined for all things and will rise victorious.
Ephesians 6: 11-13 (TPT)
With the above scriptures, the lines from the song – Overwhelming peace Fear is gone when you’ve overtaken me – make sense with the Holy Bible! In fact,John 14: 27 emphasized peace from Jesus and His instruction for us not to yield to fear is so clear!
Now that it is obvious that the song Go Beyond is, indeed, a holy song, let me take the opportunity to describe the music. As performed by the COG Worship Band, Go Beyond is pretty energetic and the way it plays, it is an ideal song to play early during Sunday worship at church and get all the spiritual family members energized for further worship!
In ending this CMA, embedded below is the official music of Go Beyond (note: my thanks to Church of God World Missions Philippines for referencing their song) Enjoy it and always remember to thank, honor and praise Lord Jesus! Always be the fearless and aggressive church of the Lord and help Him save the many unsaved and lost souls around the world!
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 souls out there.
We all live in a screwed-up world. To say the least, our world is chaotic filled with fake news, war, crime, dysfunctional governments, fascism, dictatorship, abortion, Communism, corruption, socialism, homosexuality, SJWs (social justice warriors) terrorism, atheism, religion, idolatry, secularism and the list goes on.
This is because Satan is the god of the world we live in and there are billions of unsaved and lost souls who do not realize the truth of the Word of God (the Holy Bible). They also don’t realize that they need to be saved (get born again), ask God for forgiveness, submit to Him and then accept Jesus as Lord and Savior so that they can be saved and live on as true Christians driven by faith (not religion).
As I mentioned before, being religious is NOT the same as being faithful. In fact, religion is one of the more effective tools (in tandem with atheism) used by Satan to prevent people from becoming children of God. Religion itself is a hindrance to truly becoming Christian. Religion also has a bunch of man-made unholy rules like so-called blessed sacraments which prevent people from realizing the truth in the Holy Bible. Religion also comes with traditions and rituals, which are not even holy.
Having previously lived a life of following religion, its traditions, its rituals and wrongful teachings before getting saved (I got born again in 2018), I can clearly say that idolatry is unholy and is also more evil than it appears. I fully reject idolatry and I will never let it influence me now that I’m a child of God.
To put things in perspective, let’s take a look at key holy scripture in the New King James Version (NKJV) and The Passion Translation (TPT) of the Holy Bible.
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, not covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (NKJV)
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)
As seen above, idolatry makes one not only an idolater but also a practitioner and follower of evil which Satan loves. Idolatry involved with religion deceives idolaters into believing they are Christian when in fact they are unknowingly serving Satan. It does not matter that an idolater prays to a statue of Jesus because that is still unholy. Worship of Lord Jesus should be done to Him directly. Praying to a painting of Jesus (or any religion icon) or to an item deemed holy by a religion-driven church or hierarchy is also unholy. Take note of the following holy scripture below as well as the words bolded for clarity.
You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Exodus 20:4-6 (NKJV)
As seen above, verse 4 of Exodus chapter 20 makes it clear that objects (which obviously include images or painting) are not to be made at all and, at the same time, our worship must always be directed to God Himself without any hindrance. God is jealous and that alone is reason for us to reject idolatry and be respectful and obedient to Him eternally. We worship the Lord directly and definitely no object, no image and no person in between! We Christians have worship leaders and pastors to guide us to worship the Lord directly, while always remembering we each have a personal relationship with God. A church that claims to be Christian but practices idolatry and has its members worship objects and the church leader is not truly Christian.
Exodus 20: 4 also looks back to the time when Israel was surrounded by people who worshiped images that were also referred to as gods. As it is true that no human effort could represent God, God Himself forbade the making of images or objects about Him. This same truth is also applied to Lord Jesus.
Meanwhile, idolatry that does not involve religion but other things like entertainment (examples: movie stars, celebrities, superheroes, video gaming), government figures (example: politicians), sports (example: basketball superstars), culture and the like is also an abomination to the Lord.
Superhero movies have been wildly popular worldwide for the past twenty years, and those films used comic books as basis for storytelling and visual concepts. How many times have people seen Spider-Man swing above people, Superman fly high, Batman fighting criminals and Wonder Woman saving people? While I enjoy superheroes in varied forms of entertainment media, I know fully well that they are all just pieces of fiction and I NEVER worshiped any of them. I will never worship them, ever. I am a geek but I prioritized my faith in the Lord and I always will maintain my personal relationship with Him. Definitely I reject idols and idolatry.
To my fellow geeks reading this, I urge you to never engage in idolatry no matter how passionate you are with your geek interest. Don’t worship movie stars, superheroes, images and don’t let highly interactive, deeply engaging video games from enslaving you. Always look up to Lord Jesus and follow God’s Word.
Idols are truly distracting and have been used by Satan to keep the unsaved and lost souls away from God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It’s bad enough that our world is dominated by powerful, sinister forces whose acts are further magnified by the news networks that reached billions of viewers (notably news junkies) every day.
When it comes to true Christianity, we the Christians who got born again are the Church and our true leader is Lord Jesus who has been in Heaven so long ago, and He promised to return to us here on Earth. We Christians living in the flesh here on Earth are to reject idolatry (plus religion, traditions and rituals) and focus on engaging in the enduring race of faith remaining faithful to the Lord, praying in tongues, studying the Holy Bible and applying its lessons into our lives.
Idolatry really has no place in Christianity and we Christians must never let it dominate us.
Remember God is always good, always faithful, always loving and caring, always our protector and always our source. All those idols around us are NOTHING like Him. This brings me to my next point – being an idolater means getting involved with demons and paganism. Take a close look at the holy scriptures below.
They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; With abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, not to God, To gods they did not know, To new gods, new arrivals That your fathers did not fear.
Deuteronomy 32:16-17 (NKJV)
“They shall no more offer their sacrifices to demons, after whom they have played the harlot. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.”
Leviticus 17:7 (NKJV)
To put things in perspective, idolatry is the gravest sin in ancient Israel (refer to verse 17 of Deuteronomy chapter 32). The laws pertaining to the sanctity of blood prohibit involvement in the pagan practices of foreign worship. This is connected to verse 4 of Deuteronomy chapter 6 which states: “Hear O, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!”
For its part, the early church encountered similar concerns when they tackled the question of Gentiles who came from pagan backgrounds coming to faith in Jesus as the Lord and Savior. Refer to verses 20 and 29 of Acts chapter 15, as well as verse 25 of Acts chapter 21.
More on idolatry making idolaters involved with demons, pay very close attention to the holy scripture below in the New King James Version and the Passion translation. Key parts bolded for you.
Rather, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice they sacrifice to demons and not to God, and I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.
1 Corinthians 10:20 (NKJV)
Absolutely not! However, I am implying that when an unbeliever offers a sacrifice to an idol, it is not offered to the true God but to a demon. I don’t want you to be participants with demons!
1 Corinthians 10:20 (TPT)
Very clearly in the two translations of 1 Corinthians 10:20, idolatry is absolutely wrong and it is NEVER EVER a proper form of worship to the Lord. Quite simply, you make an offer or a sacrifice to an idol, it is not for the Lord. You pray to an idol, you are not connected with the Lord. Instead, involving yourself with an idol means involving yourself with false gods or demons.
As for having statues, statuettes and images of the Lord (or those so-called icons – both the dead and the living persons – of people trapped by religion), those things are never necessary for Christians. We the faithful Children of God should always reject idols, focus on the Lord and live by His Word.Get rid of those carved idols there in your household! Get rid of those paintings or other forms of images there in your household! Stay away from those unholy parades/processions that highlight statues for worship! Avoid worshiping people no matter how charismatic they look!Reject Satan, the demons and other forms of evil!Simply worship the Lord directly and always remember Jesus is always alive and is watching us from Heaven!
Going back to 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, read it once more and you will realize that being an idolater will make you spiritually unholy and unworthy of God’s kingdom. It is undeniably true! 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 clearly shows that idolaters belong with other unholy and unrighteous elements such as sexual immorality, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse and extortion. Really, no faith-driven Christian would want to be deemed unworthy by God by embracing idolatry and all those unrighteous elements. The people trapped by the darkness of religion or unbelief, however, are among the idolaters, the adulterers, the covetous, the extortionists and the like. As such, those unsaved and lost souls need to be prayed over so that they will realize the Truth of God’s Word and someday make the decision to get born again and become a child of God.
As Christians driven by faith and living by God’s Word, we certainly do not want to fail in our pursuit and in our personal relationship with Him. Idolatry is a sin and this leads to the final holy scripture for this piece.
We know that we are God’s children and that the whole world lies under the misery and influence of the Evil One. And we know that the Son of God has made our understanding come alive so that we can know by experience the One who is true. And we are in him who is true, God’s Son, Jesus Christ—the true God and eternal life! So, little children, guard yourselves from worshiping anything but him.
1 John 5: 19-21 (TPT)
Now that my newest teaching about idolatry is done, I would like to reach out to all and any unsaved or lost souls among you readers. This is your opportunity to get born again and become Christian. The decision is yours, not mine.
If you seek salvation and are ready to submit yourselves to the Lord, and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Dear God,
I believe that Jesus is Your Son, and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty of my sins. I believe that Jesus has been raised from the dead and that He is alive! Right now, I call on the name of Jesus. Jesus, come into my heart. I receive You as my personal Lord and Savior. Forgive me of my sins and cleanse me by the power of Your blood. Thank You for saving me and giving me eternal life! Help me now to follow Your plan for my life. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! Praise the Lord and always be faithful to Him! No more darkness in your life caused by unbelief or religion. Your new life under Christ has truly begun!
From this point on, acquire for yourself a copy of the Holy Bible (New King James Version is recommended), study it and apply its many lessons in your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a church of born-again Christians near you and find your place in the spiritual family. Worship the Lord together with them and remember that each of you has a personal relationship with Him. Get used to Christian rock music. Your personal relationship with God is strictly off-limits to everyone, even to your family.
The Holy Spirit is in you and you are now a new creation! Remember that God loves you and He is definitely happy over your conversion.
In ending this article, I embedded these Christian worship music videos for your enjoyment and the strengthening of your faith in the Lord. No more idols and other forms of sin in your life. Move forward with Lord Jesus eternally!
Now is the time for harvest under Lord Jesus! Spread the Word of God, help save the unsaved and lost souls worldwide.
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 souls out there.
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.
It is one of the most popular Christian praise and worship songs of all time in the whole world. For many, it is the one song that defined pastor Darlene Zschech’s place in the world under the eyes of God for it is undeniable that it helped lead people to Him. The song described is none other than Shout to the Lord, released in 1993 by Hillsong as part of their album Simply Worship with words and music done by Darlene Zschech.
It is a very beautiful song that always succeeds in making people realize their true purpose under God which leads them to Him, motivates them to praise and thank Him more and ultimately move on with Christian living. Shout to the Lord is sung by millions of churchgoers every week and is unsurprisingly the favorite of many Christian churches for Sunday worship. Now let’s take a look at the lyrics of this famously powerful Christian song.
+++++
My Jesus
My Saviour
Lord there is none like You
All of my days
I want to praise
The wonders of Your mighty love
–
My comfort
My shelter
Tower of refuge and strength
Let every breath
All that I am
Never cease to worship You
–
Shout to the Lord
All the earth let us sing
Power and majesty
Praise to the King
Mountains bow down
And the seas will roar
At the sound of Your Name
–
I sing for joy
At the work of Your hands
Forever I’ll love You
Forever I’ll stand
Nothing compares to
The promise I have in You
+++++
As seen in the above lyrics, Shout to the Lord is not about merely shouting to Him but rather praising Him out loud not for a moment but with a will to keep praising without ever giving up. The lyrics opened with references to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who was sent by God to us here on Earth (refer to John 3: 16) and paid the price for our redemption. Of course, Jesus went on to return back to life and spent some time with His believers before ascending to Heaven with the promise of returning to us.
Back to the song, there are powerful lines such as All of my days, I want to praise in the opening. The next section in the lyrics has Never cease to worship You while the next section has Shout to the Lord, All the earth let us sing as powerful lines.
There is basis for the song within the Holy Bible. Let’s start with this holy scripture.
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)
That holy scripture emphasizes that we the creations of God (certainly not idols) are welcome to enter His presence express ourselves to Him with dynamic praise which includes happiness, singing, thanksgiving, worshiping and honoring Him. Because we are so occupied with daily living, duties and social responsibilities, we Christians sometimes forget to approach the Lord with high energy, deep appreciation and strong confidence.
We are supposed to be strong, happy and excited to praise God always and this is reflected in the line I sing for joy in the song. As Christians who got saved by the Lord, we no longer live in darkness for we are already citizens of His kingdom, the kingdom of light! We are supposed to be lively spiritually and even while living in the flesh.
Here’s the next holy scripture.
Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains. O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacob, And glorified Himself in Israel.
Isaiah 44: 23 (NKJV)
As children of God, we should always acknowledge His works on overcoming evil, saving more unsaved and lost souls. We acknowledge to the Lord not by merely thanking Him but praising Him with happiness, thankfulness and honor. For every victory of the Lord, we have real reasons to celebrate with singing and shouting joy. The song Shout to the Lord reflects that especially with the lyrics Praise to the King, Mountains bow down, And the seas will roar, At the sound of Your Name.
As Christians who are faithful (not religious, not idolatrous and not trapped by relics, traditions and rituals) and peaceful thanks to Jesus’ redemption, we have every reason to be very lively in worshiping the Lord. We should not allow others to silence us from shouting praise and joy to the Lord even though they prefer silence (or that they prefer their tradition of less lively worship not knowing or ignoring what was written in the Holy Bible). This brings me to the next holy scripture.
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)
The great shout in Ezra 3: 11 refers to God’s followers shouting loudly by voice along with the blast of trumpets expressing praise and giving thanks. The shout was also victorious in nature. Now we can proceed to one more holy scripture.
Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth; Break forth in song, rejoice, and sing praises.
Psalm 98: 4 (NKJV)
The above scripture’s first lines are very similar to the following lines from Shout to the Lord: Shout to the Lord, All the earth let us sing. Did Darlene Zschech take direct inspiration from Psalm 98: 4 when she composed Shout to the Lord? That I’d like to find out from her someday.
In closing this piece, here are two YouTube videos of Shout to the Lord performed by Darlene Zschech when she was much younger and from several years ago. Remember to always praise, honor and thank the Lord in a very lively manner. Study His Word (the Holy Bible) and pray in tongues to Him always. Be led by the Holy Spirit! Enjoy!
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 souls out there.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced by means of interviewing a top official of the Barangay Baclaran Sangguniang Kabataan. 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.
Barangay Baclaran Youth Council plus Partners at Work (Community Quarantine and COVID-19 Crisis)
Barangay Baclaran Sangguniang Kabataan chairwoman Rachel Garcia (left, wearing black t-shirt) and her companions hand out free items to local residents to help them protect themselves from coronavirus disease (COVID-19). (photo approved for publishing by Barangay Baclaran Sangguniang Kabataan chairwoman Rachel Garcia)
With the enhanced community quarantine in effect here in the Philippines as a result of the ongoing corona virus disease (COVID-19) crisis, life is now much different. Most businesses have been halted, people are required to stay at home and others have no choice but to make hard adjustments just as the national authorities work on preventing an outbreak of COVID-19.
When it comes to the authorities of each city, the local government unit (LGU) as well as the barangay units are mandated to govern and manage their respective communities. This includes enforcing curfew, the ban on liquor, traffic management, implementing awareness campaigns about COVID-19 and distributing useful items to the constituents.
A man assisted by Baclaran’s SK chairwoman herself. (photo approved for publishing by Barangay Baclaran Sangguniang Kabataan chairwoman Rachel Garcia)
According to Baclaran SK chairwoman Rachel Garcia, her team and the KK prepared a total of 3,000 units of alcohol (with free refilling), 3,000 units of hand sanitizer and 2,000 units of soap. Those said items, which are meant for prevention of COVID-19 from spreading, were distributed by the Baclaran SK and the KK around the local community for free. Garcia and her companions endured the heat of the day visiting residents in Barangay Baclaran from one house to another house.
In addition, the group also organized an awareness campaign so that Baclaran residents will know what they can do to avoid infection, how to avoid infecting others and why they should follow the quarantine by staying at home.
Like their counterparts in BF Homes, the Baclaran SK has a tough task and a huge responsibility to fulfill with regards to the COVID-19 crisis. If you think about it very carefully, it’s just mind-boggling that very tiny microbes like COVID-19 could cause a tremendous, negative impact on the whole world. Look at the many people getting infected as well as those who died.
Going back to the publicly elected officials of Barangay Baclaran and its youth council, Garcia and her SK kagawads have more than two years of service left before the next barangay and SK elections will take place. Previously the barangay-SK elections were scheduled to happen this coming May but that all changed when President Rodrigo Duterte signed into law Republic Act Number 11462 (titled “Postponement of the 2020 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections Act”).
To learn more about the Baclaran SK, read my January 1 article and visit their Facebook page.
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 as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation,NO to plagiarists and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments.
Author Carlo Carrasco 