Tag: praise and worship

Christian Music Appreciation: I Will Run to You

Christian Music Appreciation: I Will Run to You

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Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on a decades-old worship song that pastor Darlene Zschech composed during her time with Hillsong Church and the Hillsong Worship team – I Will Run to You.

For the newcomers reading this, the previous worship songs I examined and analyzed in the CMA series that involved Darlene Zschech were Mercy on Display (with HopeUC), You Are Holy (Hillsong), The Potter’s Hand (Hillsong), Shout to the Lord (Hillsong), I Live to Know You (Hillsong), That’s What We Came Here For (Hillsong), Shout of the King (Hillsong) and In Jesus’ Name.

If you want to discover and learn more about Darlene Zschech, I encourage to click here (Facebook), here (Twitter), here (Instagram) and at https://www.darlenezschech.com/. Take note that Zschech has left Hillsong many years ago and is now with Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) and you follow HopeUC through social media by cliking here (Facebook), here (Instagram) and here (Twitter). Visit HopeUC at https://hopeuc.com/

As for Hillsong Worship, follow them by clicking here (Facebook), here (Instagram) and here (Twitter).

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of I Will Run to You, posted below for your reference are the lyrics. Words and music of this song were credited to Darlene Zschech.

Your eye is on the sparrow

And Your hand, it comforts me

From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart

Let Your mercy and strength be seen

–

You call me to Your purpose

As angels understand

For Your glory, may You draw all men

As Your love and grace demand

–

And I will run to You

To Your words of truth

Not by might, not by power

But by the Spirit of God

Yes, I will run the race

‘Till I see Your face

Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace

–

You call me to Your purpose

As angels understand

For Your glory, may You draw all men

As Your love and grace demand

–

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of the first paragraph of the song: Your eye is on the sparrow, And Your hand, it comforts me, From the ends of the Earth to the depth of my heart, Let Your mercy and strength be seen.

The above lyrics emphasize that the Lord is ever present and He will never abandon His faithful children no matter how divisive and chaotic this world is. As long we keep faith in Him, honor Him and follow Him, the Lord will keep us up with His mercy, strength and peace. This also means we should keep on pursuing Him wholeheartedly and without hesitation! To be with God requires being with His Son Jesus who is our Lord and Savior! Learn from the holy scriptures below…

And He said, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

Exodus 33:14 (NKJV)

Do not fear, for I am with you;

Do not be afraid, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you, I will also help you,

I will also uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)

And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13 (NKJV)

But I’ll keep coming closer and closer to you, Lord Yahweh, for your name is good to me. I’ll keep telling the world of your awesome works, my faithful and glorious God!

Psalms 73:28 (TPT)

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”

John 14:6 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from the 2nd paragraph: You call me to Your purpose, As angels understand, For Your glory, may You draw all men, As Your love and grace demand.

The above lyrics is a lively reminder that as creations of God, there is absolutely no way we could fully separate ourselves from Him. To be separated from Him is futile and only leads to darkness. When the Lord calls you, it is your destiny to answer His call which is undeniably a high call. Without the Lord, we are nothing, we won’t have glory and we would fall into darkness, sadness and wickedness. Answer the Lord’s call and come to Him. Run to Him and be with Him wholeheartedly! Never forget that God sent Jesus to save humanity and that alone shows how much He loves us and how faithful He is. We only need to answer the high call from our Lord and come to Him decisively with love and obedience. The Lord is always the holy one we must connect with. Learn from the scriptures below…

Faithful is He who calls you, and He also will do it.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (NASB)

When he calls to me, I will answer him;

I will be with him in trouble;

I will rescue him and honor him.

Psalm 91:15 (ESV)

But as for me, I will call upon the Lord to save me, and I know he will!

Psalms 55:16 (TPT)

By having the eyes of your heart flooded with light, so that you can know and understand the hope to which He has called you, and how rich is His glorious inheritance in the saints (His set-apart ones),

Ephesians 1:18 (AMPC)

With this in view we constantly pray for you, that our God may deem and count you worthy of [your] calling and [His] every gracious purpose of goodness, and with power may complete in [your] every particular work of faith (faith which is that [a]leaning of the whole human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness).

2 Thessalonians 1:11 (AMPC)

“Loving me empowers you to obey my commands. And I will ask the Father and he will give you another Savior, the Holy Spirit of Truth, who will be to you a friend just like me—and he will never leave you. The world won’t receive him because they can’t see him or know him. But you know him intimately because he remains with you and will live inside you. “I promise that I will never leave you helpless or abandon you as orphans—I will come back to you! Soon I will leave this world and they will see me no longer, but you will see me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too. So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you. Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him.”

John 14:15-21 (TPT)

There is no one holy like the Lord,

Indeed, there is no one besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (NASB)

Exalt the Lord our God,

And worship at His holy hill;

For the Lord our God is holy.

Psalm 99:9 (NKJV)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics from the 3rd paragraph: And I will run to You, To Your words of truth, Not by might, not by power, But by the Spirit of God, Yes, I will run the race, ‘Till I see Your face, Oh let me live in the glory of Your grace.

The above lyrics collectively emphasize the Holy Spirit, God’s Word, His grace and our union with Him. The said lyrics, in my view, are the very essence of the Hillsong worship song. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the [a]breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12 (AMPC)

Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”

Luke 11:28 (MSG)

Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (TPT)

May the God of your hope so fill you with all joy and peace in believing [through the experience of your faith] that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound and be overflowing (bubbling over) with hope.

Romans 15:13 (AMPC)

He gave us resurrection life and drew us to himself by his holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done, but by his divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began!

2 Timothy 1:9 (TPT)

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31 (NLT)

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

Romans 5:8 (AMPC)

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)

For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.

Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC)

Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.

John 15:9 (NASB)

And it’s true: “Everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will experience new life.”

Romans 10:13 (TPT)

Indeed, the lyrics and title of I Will Run to You are holy and anointed! This Hillsong worship song is also musically beautiful and written to motivate your heart of worship of the Lord. That being said, I strongly recommend the playing of I Will Run to You during Sunday worship services as well as during church special events. I Will Run to You is clearly all about us – the children of God – to always come to our Heavenly Father through Lord Jesus no matter what happens. This Hillsong worship song is also a great reminder of our union with the Lord.

In conclusion, posted below is the official music video of I Will Run to You 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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

Christian Music Appreciation: Running

Christian Music Appreciation: Running

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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

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

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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/

Christian Music Appreciation: God of the Breakthrough

Christian Music Appreciation: God of the Breakthrough

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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

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

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

King of glory enter in

King of glory enter 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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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.

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/

Philippines wins triathlon gold medals and more at the 31st SEA Games!

Philippines wins triathlon gold medals and more at the 31st SEA Games!

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Today, May 14, 2022, is another memorable day of great sports achievement for Philippine triathlon and the nation as a whole as triathletes Fer Casares and Marion Kim Mangrobang won the gold medals of the men’s and women’s triathlon events of the 31st Southeast Asian Games (AKA the 31st SEA Games, SEA Games 31 and Hanoi 2021) in Tuan Chau in Vietnam and the official results have been published online. Adding more to the nation’s SEA Games rankings were the silver and bronze medals won by Andrew Kim Remolino and Raven Faith Alcoseba in their respective triathlon events.

Fer Casares the gold medalist in the men’s triathlon event of the 31st SEA Games. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
Marion Kim Mangrobang successfully won the gold medal for the Philippines in the women’s triathlon of the 31st SEA Games. Take note that she won the women’s triathlon gold medals in the 2017 and 2019 editions of the SEA Games. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission.)

Fer Casares won the gold in the 1.5 Km swim – 40 Km bike – 10 Km run SEA Games men’s triathlon with a time of 1 hour, 56 minutes and 57 seconds. Silver medalist Andrew Kim Remolino followed with 1:59:16. The bronze medal went to Indonesia’s triathlete Ronald Bintang Setiawan who timed 2:01:35. This resulted gold and silver medal victories for the Philippines in the SEA Games  triathlon event for men and this also marked the 2nd consecutive men’s triathlon silver medal for the Cebu-based Remolino. For Remolino’s previous SEA Games men’s triathlon silver medal win, click here.

Among the women, Marion Kim Mangrobang finished first with a time of 2:13:31. More than three minutes later, Indonesia’s Inge Prasetyo crossed the finish line in 2:16:38 to earn the silver medal. Mangrobang’s teammate Raven Faith Alcoseba won for the country the bronze medal after timing 2:18:30. The Cebu-based Alcoseba, who was the top finisher among local women in the recent Subic Bay International Triathlon (SUBIT), was ahead of the 4th placer from Indonesia by 56 seconds. For the Philippines, this resulted gold and bronze victories in the SEA Games triathlon for women.

Very notably, today’s SEA Game gold medal victory of Mangrobang is her 3rd consecutive gold following her achievements in the 2017 and 2019 SEA Games triathlon events for women. That being said, Mangrobang is still the reigning triathlon queen of Southeast Asia! For the newcomers reading this who want to know more about Mangrobang, read my feature article of her.

Andrew Kim Remolino won another silver medal in the SEA Games men’s triathlon. He won a silver also in the 2019 SEA Games. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)
Raven Faith Alcoseba won for the Philippines the bronze of the SEA Games women’s triathlon. (photo source – Philippine Sports Commission)

With the gold medal victories of Casares and Mangrobang today, the Philippines is once again the best in triathlon in Southeast Asia. For today, Philippine triathletes added 2 gold medals, 1 silver medal and 1 bronze medal to help the nation in the overall medal rankings.

Be aware that the next SEA Games will be hosted by Cambodia next year (promoted as Cambodia 2023) and those games already include triathlon, duathlon and aquathlon.

To view the complete race results of the SEA Games men’s triathlon, head on to https://triathlon.org/results/result/2022_hanoi_south_east_asian_games/558899

For the complete race results of the SEA Games women’s triathlon, click https://triathlon.org/results/result/2022_hanoi_south_east_asian_games/558900

Tomorrow, the multisport action will continue in the ongoing SEA Games as the men’s duathlon and women’s duathlon events are set to happen. Updates about those races will be posted here.

In closing this post, posted below are holy scriptures for your faith in the Lord. Praise and thank the Lord for the victories the Philippines achieved today at the SEA Games.

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.

2 Corinthians 2:14 (NKJV)

Surrender your anxiety. Be still and realize that I am God. I am God above all the nations, and I am exalted throughout the whole earth.

Psalms 46:10 (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/

Christian Music Appreciation: Now I’m Alive

Christian Music Appreciation: Now I’m Alive

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

If you want to discover more about New Life Music, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page) 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, visit https://newlife.ph/

To get started with Now I’m Alive, watch this official lyric video from New Life Music.

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of Now I’m Alive, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Faith Tugano, Kate Naranjo and Solomon Pagapong.

VERSE 1

Oh what love You have shown me

At the cross You have bled for me

My sins You erased

I am saved by Your grace

VERSE 2

I was lost but You found me

Broken – You delivered me

Forgiven I stand

Forever held in Your hands

CHORUS

Jesus, You have brought me back to life

Made righteous, pure and now redeemed in Christ

Jesus, You have brought me back to life

Now I’m alive

Now I’m alive

VERSE 3

No more fear No more shame

No longer bound No longer a slave

Jesus, You have won it all for me

CHORUS 2

Jesus, You have brought me back to life

Made righteous, pure and now redeemed in Christ

Jesus, You have brought me back to life

Now I’m alive

Now I’m alive

Jesus, You have brought me back to life

Made righteous, pure and now redeemed in Christ

Forgiven, set free, I’m alive in Christ

Now I’m alive

Now I’m alive

BRIDGE 1

Your love knows no end

Your love knows no bounds

Nothing can separate me from Your love

BRIDGE 2

No sin, No fear

No power can separate me

From Your love

From Your love

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: Oh what love You have shown me, At the cross You have bled for me, My sins You erased, I am saved by Your grace.

The Verse 1 lyrics are truthful as they clearly reference the sacrifice of Jesus whom God sent to save us from sin. Jesus is our Redeemer, our Lord and Savior. For anyone who is still lost and unsaved, the way to establish a relationship with the Lord and get redeemed/saved is by getting born again. Learn from the following holy scriptures below…

For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.

John 3:16 (TPT)

Jesus responded and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3 (NASB)

For sin’s meager wages is death, but God’s lavish gift is life eternal, found in your union with our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One.

Romans 6:23 (TPT)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1 John 1:9 (NASB)

And they answered, Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ [give yourself up to Him, take yourself out of your own keeping and entrust yourself into His keeping] and you will be saved, [and this applies both to] you and your household as well.

Acts 16:31 (AMPC)

Moving forward, take a close look at the following lines from the Chorus of the song: Jesus, You have brought me back to life, Made righteous, pure and now redeemed in Christ, Jesus, You have brought me back to life, Now I’m alive, Now I’m alive.

In my analysis, the Chorus lyrics emphasize the redemption and sacrifice Lord Jesus made to save us. Before the redemption happened, people were trapped by sin, idols, unbelief, rebellion, hopelessness and death. Jesus truly freed people from the darkness that clouded them. Remember that the Lord is always working on all things for our good and we only need to be faithful to Him, follow Him and believe in Heavenly things that are coming. Learn from the bible scriptures below…

Since we are now joined to Christ, we have been given the treasures of redemption by his blood—the total cancellation of our sins—all because of the cascading riches of his grace.

Ephesians 1:7 (TPT)

Little children, you can be certain that you belong to God and have conquered them, for the One who is living in you is far greater than the one who is in the world.  They belong to this world and they articulate the spirit of this world, and the world listens to them. But we belong to God, and whoever truly knows God listens to us. Those who refuse to listen to us do not belong to God. That is how we can know the difference between the spirit of truth and the spirit of deceit.

1 John 4:4-6 (TPT)

But God shows and clearly proves His [own] love for us by the fact that while we were still sinners, Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) died for us.

Romans 5:8 (AMPC)

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.

John 14:6 (TPT)

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we did in righteousness, but in accordance with His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,

Titus 3:5 (NASB)

Yahweh, you’re the bedrock beneath my feet, my faith-fortress, my wonderful deliverer, my God, my rock of rescue where none can reach me. You’re the shield around me, the mighty power that saves me, and my high place.

Psalms 18:2 (TPT)

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Titus 2:11-13 (NKJV)

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted;

    he rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 34:18 (NLT)

Moving forward, take a close look at the following lines from Bridge 1 of the song: Your love knows no end, Your love knows no bounds, Nothing can separate me from Your love.

The Bridge 1 lyrics are about the love of the Lord which is very great and eternal for the faithful. To understand the meaning of the said lyrics and what His love is about, read the following scriptures below…

Love is large and incredibly patient. Love is gentle and consistently kind to all. It refuses to be jealous when blessing comes to someone else. Love does not brag about one’s achievements nor inflate its own importance. Love does not traffic in shame and disrespect, nor selfishly seek its own honor. Love is not easily irritated or quick to take offense. Love joyfully celebrates honesty and finds no delight in what is wrong. Love is a safe place of shelter, for it never stops believing the best for others. Love never takes failure as defeat, for it never gives up.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (TPT)

Who could ever divorce us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love, even though it is written:

All day long we face death threats for your sake, God.

We are considered to be nothing more

than sheep to be slaughtered!

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! So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One!

Romans 8:35-39 (TPT)

Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love.

John 15:9 (NASB)

In this last analysis of the lyrics, I want you all to focus on the title – Now I’m Alive. As Christians, we are living under the watch, guidance and love of the Lord. We are alive – even spiritually – because Lord Jesus saved us and His spirit – the Holy Spirit – is in our hearts! We are the living faithful children of God dedicated to follow Him through His Word and the Truth! We are no longer trapped by darkness and sin because we chose to be saved by Jesus and accepted Him as our Lord and Savior! Learn from the following scriptures below…

Guard and keep [with the greatest care] the precious and excellently adapted [Truth] which has been entrusted [to you], by the [help of the] Holy Spirit Who makes His home in us.

2 Timothy 1:14 (AMPC)

But Christ (the Messiah) was faithful over His [own Father’s] house as a Son [and Master of it]. And it is we who are [now members] of this house, if we hold fast and firm to the end our joyful and exultant confidence and sense of triumph in our hope [in Christ].

Hebrews 3:6 (AMPC)

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us,

Ephesians 3:14-20 (NASB)

And it’s true: “Everyone who calls on the Lord’s name will experience new life.”

Romans 10:13 (TPT)

Indeed, the lyrics and title of Now I’m Alive are holy and anointed! While I am clearly not involved with the composition of the song, it is evident that New Life Music wrote it to be true to the Word of God. Musically speaking, Now I’m Alive is beautiful and solemn to listen to. Very obviously, it is a great song for Sunday worship as well as special church events. Now I’m Alive is also an ideal worship song to help the faithful strengthen their faith in the Lord.

In conclusion, posted below is the official music video of Now I’m Alive 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.

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: Touch From Heaven

Christian Music Appreciation: Touch From Heaven

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Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on the worship song titled Touch From Heaven which is from New Life Music. To follow New Life Music on social media and on their YouTube channel, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page) and here (YouTube). New Life Music is part of New Life Philippines whose main church is located in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. To know more about New Life Philippines, visit https://newlife.ph/

The featured worship song Touch From Heaven is part of New Life Music’s album titled To The Other Side. The official video of Touch From Heaven was recorded live at New Life’s main church in 2021 and you will see it before this piece ends.

Before analyzing the Biblical relevance of Touch From Heaven, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Nash Soliven, Addi Cena, Jazmine Rivera, Jat Bondoc, Daryl Pinon and Kyle Ruelo.

VERSE 1

He is here

Here to lift your burdens

Here to mend what’s broken

Here to ease your fears

–

Here to heal

Heal all your afflictions

Heal you from depression

Heal all your disease

–

PRE-CHORUS

So be still

And know that He is God

He is here

To rescue every heart

–

CHORUS

Jesus, let Your healing come

And let Your will be done

And mark us with a touch from heaven

–

Jesus, let Your kingdom come

And let Your will be done

And heal us with a touch from heaven

–

VERSE 2

He is here

With power, might and glory

Strengthening the weary

His hand upholding me

–

And as I praise

He’s clothing me with gladness

Joy for all my sadness

Hope for better days

–

PRE-CHORUS 2

So it is well

I know that He is God

He is here

There’s freedom in His love

–

BRIDGE 1

There’s nothing too hard for You

No mountain You cannot move

There’s nothing too hard for You

No limit to what You can do

–

BRIDGE 2

We will rise

We will walk

In the strength of the Lord

We will stand

We will see

His salvation drawing near

–

VERSE 3

He is here

He is our protection

He is our provision

He’s the Prince of peace

–

He is here

Here to heal our nation

He hears all our petitions

And wipes away our tears

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: He is here, Here to lift your burdens, Here to mend what’s broken, Here to ease your fears, Here to heal, Heal all your afflictions, Heal you from depression, Heal all your disease.

The Verse 1 lyrics are truthful as there many references to the healing and restoration that the Lord has done and continues to do for those who suffered and had fallen. To experience healing, recovery and restoration, people only need to come to God wholeheartedly and in faith. Refer to the holy scriptures below…

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)

You open the eyes of the blind, and you fully restore those bent over with shame. You love those who love and honor you.

Psalm 146:8 (TPT)

“Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I am going to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.”

2 Kings 20:5 (NASB)

I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!

Philippians 4:19 (TPT)

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

save me, and I shall be saved,

for you are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14 (ESV)

Next are the following lines from the Pre-Chorus part of the song: So be still, And know that He is God, He is here, To rescue every heart. Those lyrics are truthful and are related to the following bible scriptures below…

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)

Commit everything you do to the Lord.

Trust him, and he will help you.

Psalm 37:5 (NLT)

The Pre-Chorus lyrics as well as the above verses emphasize the truth that God our Heavenly Father and true Creator will always love us – His faithful children – and anyone who has fallen, or suffered or got persecuted need to come to Him in faith. We should never let the elements of this divided world we live in prevent us from coming to Him and that being said, our established relationship with Him is never to be compromised. God is faithful and only He can lift up the sufferers and restore them fully.

Next we look at the lyrics in the Chorus which are as follows: Jesus, let Your healing come, And let Your will be done, And mark us with a touch from heaven, Jesus, let Your kingdom come, And let Your will be done, And heal us with a touch from heaven.

Healing by the Lord is once again emphasized. The sufferers who come to the Lord in faith truly get healed. The healing power of God goes way beyond anything that science, technology and medicine can ever explain and ever achieve. The Lord’s healing is truly supernatural and it is way beyond anything worldly healing can produce. Learn from the holy scripture below…

Now, in the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered horribly from continual bleeding for twelve years.  She had endured a great deal under the care of various doctors, yet in spite of spending all she had on their treatments, she was getting worse instead of better. When she heard about Jesus’ healing power, she pushed through the crowd and came up from behind him and touched his prayer shawl.  For she kept saying to herself, “If I could touch even his clothes, I know I will be healed.”  As soon as her hand touched him, her bleeding immediately stopped! She knew it, for she could feel her body instantly being healed of her disease!

Jesus knew at once that someone had touched him, for he felt the power that always surged around him had passed through him for someone to be healed. He turned and spoke to the crowd, saying,“Who touched my clothes?” 

His disciples answered, “What do you mean, who touched you? Look at this huge crowd—they’re all pressing up against you.” But Jesus’ eyes swept across the crowd, looking for the one who had touched him for healing.

When the woman who experienced this miracle realized what had happened to her, she came before him, trembling with fear, and threw herself down at his feet, saying, “I was the one who touched you.” And she told him her story of what had just happened.

Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart, and be free from your suffering!”

Mark 5:25-34 (TPT)

Still on the Chorus, the lyrics about the touch from heaven – which is also the title of this worship song – I believe are connected to this particular holy scripture below…

Step down from heaven, Lord, and come down!

Make the mountains melt at your touch.

Loose your fiery lightning flashes and scatter your enemies.

Overthrow them with your terrifying judgments.

Reach down from your heavens

and rescue me from this hell

and deliver me from these dark powers.

They speak nothing but lies; their words are pure deceit.

Nothing they say can ever be trusted.

My God, I will sing you a brand-new song!

The harp inside my heart will make music to you!

I will sing of you, the one who gives victory to kings—

the one who rescues David, your loving servant,

from the fatal sword.

Deliver me and save me from these dark powers

who speak nothing but lies.

Their words are pure deceit,

and you can’t trust anything they say.

Deliver us! Then our homes will be happy.

Our sons will grow up as strong, sturdy men

and our daughters with graceful beauty,

royally fashioned as for a palace.

Our barns will be filled to the brim,

overflowing with the fruits of our harvest.

Our fields will be full of sheep and cattle,

too many to count,

and our livestock will not miscarry their young.

Our enemies will not invade our land,

and there’ll be no breach in our walls.

What bliss we experience when these blessings fall!

The people who love and serve our God will be happy indeed!

Psalm 144:5-15 (TPT)

Psalm 144:5-15 emphasizes God’s tremendous and unchallenged power, and He is truly able to come to the faithful on this chaotic world for healing, protection, restoration, prosperity, love and salvation. His Son Lord Jesus, who sacrificed Himself to save us all, overcame death and went to Heaven with the promise of returning to us. Rest assured, Lord Jesus never abandoned the faithful and He will always be with the faithful. Going back to the song, I believe that the respective lyrics of Bridge 1 (There’s nothing too hard for You, No mountain You cannot move, There’s nothing too hard for You, No limit to what You can do), Bridge 2 (We will rise, We will walk, In the strength of the Lord, We will stand, We will see, His salvation drawing near)  and Verse 3 (He is here, He is our protection, He is our provision, He’s the Prince of peace, He is here , Here to heal our nation, He hears all our petitions, And wipes away our tears) connect well with Psalm 144:5-15 plus other holy scriptures below…

Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me.  To know me is to know my Father too. And from now on you will realize that you have seen him and experienced him.”

John 14:6-7 (TPT)

“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)

Soon I will leave this world and they will see me no longer, but you will see me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too. So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you. Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him.”

John 14:19-21 (TPT)

Let them shout for joy and be glad,

Who favor my righteous cause;

And let them say continually,

“Let the Lord be magnified,

Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Psalm 35:27 (NKJV)

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)

“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)

Indeed, the lyrics of Touch From Heaven are holy and anointed! I can say without hesitation that the essence of this particular worship song from New Life Music is truly based on God’s Word as well as His love for the faithful. Musically speaking, Touch From Heaven is beautiful and solemn at the same time. That being said, the song clearly has a place for musical use and worship of the Lord during Sunday worship services or during church special events. Lastly, I declare Touch From Heaven is immersive and will help church attendees on strengthening their faith to God. Once more, I encourage you readers to visit New Life Music on Facebook and YouTube plus visit New Life Philippines at https://newlife.ph/ and also their official YouTube channel.

In conclusion, posted below is the official music video of Touch From Heaven 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.

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/

I Love Israel: Israel donates 16,000 antigen test kits to Philippines’ Department of National Defense

I Love Israel: Israel donates 16,000 antigen test kits to Philippines’ Department of National Defense

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Recently the State of Israel’s Ministry of Defense formally donated sixteen thousand antigen test kits to the Department of National Defense of the Philippines which was done by the Israeli Embassy and government officials in a ceremony, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported. This latest development is helpful in terms of combatting COVID-19 while aiding the health of Philippines defense personnel.

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

The Ministry of Defense of the State of Israel, through the Israeli Embassy in Manila, donated 16,000 units of antigen test kits to the Department of National Defense (DND) of the Philippines to help its fight against Covid-19.

Israeli diplomats Ambassador Ilan Fluss and Defense Attaché Mr. Raz Shabtay turned over the antigen test kits to National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

“Friends support each other in times of need. Israel is a friend of the Philippines and will continue to assist and share its expertise in various fields. I am proud to deliver this Israeli assistance today to support the Department of National Defense of the Philippines in keeping this country safe and secure,” Fluss said.

“The relationship between Israel and the Philippines, particularly the relationship between both defense ministries, is never as strong as it is now,” Shabtay said.

“We are delighted to be able to support once more, in the form of contributing 16,000 antigen test kits, to help the Defense Forces of the Philippines in fighting this current Global Pandemic,” he added.

Israel continues to assist the Philippines in combatting Covid-19. In 2021, the Israeli government turned over personal protective equipment to the Department of National Defense and the Philippine National Police, two Israeli delegations of medical experts assisted the country’s national vaccination campaign and shared Israel’s local clinical guidelines for Covid-19 infection control protocols and hospital management.

Israel also continues to share its experience and knowledge in emergency and pandemic response with the Philippines through webinars, courses, and joint meetings.

The handover ceremony was held at the DND Headquarters in Quezon City on February 9.

The above article ended stating that those who attended the ceremony were Assistant Secretary Jesus Rey Avilla, Undersecretary Ricardo Jalad, Director Franklin Gali, Brig. Gen. Edgar Cardiñoza, Undersecretary Raymundo de Vera Elefante, and staff members of the DND and the embassy.

Be thankful to the Lord for the blossoming Israel-Philippines relations which are truly essential! For the newcomers reading this, Israel assisted the Philippines in varied ways such as sharing expertise on fighting COVID-19, vaccinating many Filipinos in Israel, and providing help to Typhoon Odette victims to name a few. In terms of national defense, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Philippines and Israel is in the works. Once again, be very thankful to God for Israel and its love for the Philippines! Be thankful that vaccination certificates of visitors from Israel are already being accepted here in the Philippines which is crucial to revive Philippine tourism! Be thankful to the Lord that the Abraham Accords are progressing and leading to more peace even though the United States has Commies in the Biden administration who prefer siding with Israel’s enemies. I urge you all to stand with Israel and help protect it from their enemies.

If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel, love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel!

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure.

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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/

New Year Message (2022)

New Year Message (2022)

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Happy New Year to all of you my readers wherever you are! The year is now twenty twenty-two (2022). During the past year, the pandemic of COVID-19 still impacted everyone around the world but thanks to our Lord, breakthroughs happened and humanity (no matter how divided) moved on.

2021 is notable with the release of COVID-19 vaccines which were injected into many people globally and along the way there were signs of economic growth confirming socio-economic recovery is real and going on right now. Along the way, more venues of churches reopened and even though there were specific limits on capacity, more people returned to those said venues to worship God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit together. As I mentioned last year, no matter what happens, we must never lose faith in the Lord. It is only He who can protect us, lift us up, restore us and bless us. Also do not forget to thank God for the blessings and breakthroughs that happened in your lives. With God, nothing is impossible!

For this website, which has lasted almost three years now, I am delighted to share to you all that for the calendar year of 2021, www.CarloCarrasco.com registered around 285,000 hits (page views) and was visited by more than 205,000 users! Both figures are improvements over the 2020 numbers! More on the 2021 website hits, the single biggest source among nations is my native Philippines with more than 104,000 followed by India with over 76,000, Brazil with almost 16,000, the United States with more than 12,000 and Egypt with over 11,000. In terms of lifetime statistics (since January 4, 2019), this website has registered more than 645,000 hits worldwide!

2021 is also the record year of publishing new posts through this website with 594 which had a mix of faith articles, Christian Music Appreciation pieces, retro entertainment reviews, press releases, news-related pieces and more. I should state that two new series of articles composed of “Better than Streaming” and “I Love Israel” were notable additions not just for the variety of posts of this website but also for the enlightenment of the readers.

Considering all the website achievements and other blessings of 2021, I am very thankful to the Lord and I also declare my deep thanks to you my readers, to my business partners who kept trusting me and my publishing outfit, to the stakeholders among the different units of authority (from local government units to the homeowners associations), to the pastors and preachers of different churches of Lord Jesus, to the special people and organizations who agreed to be featured on my website in exclusive articles, and to others who trusted me.

In ending this piece, I invite all of you to join me in praying to our Lord with the following holy scriptures from the Bible. Let us all look forward to the new year living on with unwavering faith in the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit!

For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.

Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.

Ephesians 3:14-21 (NASB)

The Lord is my shepherd,

I will not be in need.

He lets me lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside quiet waters.

He restores my soul;

He guides me in the paths of righteousness

For the sake of His name.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil, for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You have anointed my head with oil;

My cup overflows.

Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,

And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.

Psalm 23:1-6 (NASB)

Delight yourself also in the Lord,

And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)

If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.

John 15:7 (NKJV)

Once again, Happy New Year to all of you and always remember that you are loved by the Lord!

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Note: Cover photo of this article was sourced from Parade.com

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/

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

Rejoice with Lord Jesus this Christmas!

Rejoice with Lord Jesus this Christmas!

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Merry Christmas to all of you readers and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! It is Christmas time once again and that only means that we must keep honoring, thanking, remembering and praising Jesus for He is our Lord and Savior sent by the Heavenly Father.

Previously I blogged that Christmas has always been about Lord Jesus and this new faith piece I am writing is a follow-up to that. In this very divided and screwed-up world we live in, it is simply too easy for people to celebrate Christmas without prioritizing Lord Jesus at all. There are some, knowingly or unknowingly, who celebrate while forgetting or even disregarding Lord Jesus. And there are some who celebrate Christmas in a rather covetous manner, making material gains the top priority of the season instead of prioritizing the Lord. There are also others who celebrate Christmas without Lord Jesus as they were influenced by the works of entertainers who organized or published these so-called Christmas specials with unholy influences. In many cultures around the world, the fictional Santa Claus became the figure of the season instead of the Lord Himself. Christmas is to be celebrated with Lord Jesus first and foremost! To rejoice with Lord Jesus every Christmas season is the definitive way of celebrating the very season!

To understand the truth that Lord Jesus is the definitive reason of Christmas, let’s go to the Holy Bible with the following holy scriptures below…

Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;

All nations shall serve Him.

Psalm 72:11 (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

Listen! A virgin will be pregnant, she will give birth to a Son, and he will be known as “Emmanuel,” which means in Hebrew, “God became one of us.”

Matthew 1:23 (TPT)

During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girl named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Rejoice, beloved young woman, for the Lord is with you and you are anointed with great favor.”

Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.”

Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!”

Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month. Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!”

Then Mary responded, saying, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her.

Luke 1:26-38 (TPT)

And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:7 (ESV)

As seen above, the prophecy of the birth of Lord Jesus was recorded in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Psalm 72:11 and Isaiah 9:6 are just a few of many references to His birth. God our creator and Heavenly Father already made a plan to save all souls and bring to them peace, wisdom, love and salvation. The prophecy of Jesus’ birth continued in the New Testament and Matthew 1:23 is just one recorded reference.

As recorded in Luke 1:26-38, an angel from God came to Mary and told her she was anointed her with great favor and that she will be pregnant with none other than the Heavenly Father’s own son Jesus. Out of faith, Mary overcame the initial uncertainty (her being a virgin) and accepted her destiny to be God’s instrument on taking care of Jesus whose birth was nearing. Think about that very carefully! Imagine yourselves being approached by God and knowing how faithful you are to Him, He would approach you and trust you to follow His command and that His plans for you are always good. That being said, doubts and fear should easily be set aside to follow God’s command and be a part of His plan manifesting here on Earth. Faith in the Lord truly makes tremendous, positive changes happen! To serve the Lord with deep faith in Him is always an honor!

As recorded in Luke 2:7, Mary, who was accompanied by her husband Joseph, gave birth to the infant Jesus even without the privacy and comfort of an inn. People back then also had to live under the shadow of uncertainty and death in connection to the rules of the time. No matter how difficult their situation was, the birth of our Lord happened! There was no luck nor coincidence involved at all! The birth of Lord Jesus happened according to God’s plan! It was destiny realized with God’s favor!

More on the birth of Lord Jesus and His being the reason of Christmas, pay close attention to the following holy scriptures below…

Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem during the reign of King Herod. After Jesus’ birth a group of spiritual priests from the East came to Jerusalem and inquired of the people, “Where is the child who is born king of the Jewish people? We observed his star rising in the sky and we’ve come to bow before him in worship.”

King Herod was shaken to the core when he heard this, and not only he, but all of Jerusalem was disturbed when they heard this news. So he called a meeting of the Jewish ruling priests and religious scholars, demanding that they tell him where the promised Messiah was prophesied to be born.

“He will be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,” they told him. “Because the prophecy states:

And you, little Bethlehem,

are not insignificant among the clans of Judah,

for out of you will emerge

the Shepherd-King of my people Israel!”

Then Herod secretly summoned the spiritual priests from the East to ascertain the exact time the star first appeared. 8 And he told them, “Now go to Bethlehem and carefully look there for the child, and when you’ve found him, report to me so that I can go and bow down and worship him too.”

And on their way to Bethlehem, the same star they had seen in the East suddenly reappeared! Amazed, they watched as it went ahead of them and stopped directly over the place where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy. When they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell to the ground at his feet and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests full of gifts and presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward they returned to their own country by another route because God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.

Matthew 2:1-12 (TPT)

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)

For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NLT)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (ESV)

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16 (NASB)

For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.

John 3:16 (TPT)

For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV)

With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely. By doing this the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (TPT)

As Christians and children of God, we must always remember and live with the truth that our Lord and Savior Jesus is truly the reason for Christmas. No matter how savage or uncertain this world is right now, we must never lose faith in the Lord and it is only the Lord who can lift us up when we fall down. It is only He who can restore us, bless us and pave the way for us. The birth of Jesus has always been a key part of God’s plan for us all! The Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit love us all and we simply have to do our parts and responsibilities as members of the Body of Christ and the spiritual family (God’s family). That being said, celebrating Christmas with our Lord Jesus is the true way of celebrating the season.

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been persecuting Israel while supporting the terrorist-sponsored Palestinians and the wicked BDS movement? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord ? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Have you been condemning churches and people of faith for a long time now? 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? Have been a Planned Parenthood supporter or activist? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft? 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! Glorify only the Lord!

There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.

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

Father God,

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

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

With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).

With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!).  Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly  and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!

The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.

In ending this, here are some Christmas music videos plus a Christmas worship service short clip for your engagement and immersion. Merry Christmas to all of you and always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! 

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