Tag: Praise God

I visited the grave of Oskar Schindler

I visited the grave of Oskar Schindler

carlocarrasco

Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined and what happened during my free time. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, readers and fellow followers of the Lord! This is the 8th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel tour articles, click here, here, here, here, here,  here and here.

Before moving on, may I request to you readers to pray to the Lord in support for the nation of Israel as it has been at war with the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas (which committed the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks) in the Gaza Strip, as well as with Hezbollah in the north. Prayers are also needed for the hostages (taken by Hamas) and for the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) which has been working so hard and long. Israel’s economy and people also need prayers of support. I will always stand with Israel and my faith in the Lord remains uncompromising!

In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you my observations about what happened during our group’s one and only rest day. Instead of just resting at our nice hotel in Jerusalem, I decided to take advantage of the day to visit the Temple Mount for the first time ever, return to the Western Wall/Jewish Quarter/Upper Room, and visiting King David’s Tomb to name some.

Having revisited the Upper Room  as well as King David’s Tomb (located just below), I took the rare opportunity of visiting the grave of the late Oskar Schindler which is located inside a Catholic cemetery just a few hundred meters away by foot. Look at the Google Map screenshot below…

This should give you an idea as to how close the Upper Room and King David’s Tomb sites in Israel are to the cemetery that has Schindler’s grave.

Who is Oskar Schindler?

For the newcomers reading this, Oskar Schindler was a German industrialist and a member of the Nazi Party who is best known for saving more than one thousand Jews during the Holocaust by having them employed in his business of enamelware and ammunition (across different locations in Europe). His costly efforts of saving the Jews from certain death during World War II became his most defining legacy to world initially chronicled in the novel Schindler’s Ark (later retitled as Schindler’s List) written by Thomas Keneally, and most famously dramatized in cinematic form in Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993) with Liam Neeson portraying him. I myself saw Schindler’s List in the cinema here in the Philippines on April 2, 1994, and it was the most engaging movie theater experience I ever had.

The real-life Oskar Schindler (1908-1974). (photo source – Yad Vashem)
The cinematic Oskar Schindler portrayed by Liam Neeson in the Steven Spielberg-directed film Schindler’s List. (photo source – IMDB.com)

Schindler was born in 1908 in Zwittau, Austria-Hungary (now referred to as the Czech Republic). After the end of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, he became a citizen of the Czechoslovak Republic. He married Emilie Pelzl in 1928 and went on to work in different occupations ranging from farm machinery to selling government property. He also served in his republic’s army and eventually made his way into the German Armed Forces specifically through its military foreign intelligence office. In 1939, Schindler joined the Nazi Party and eventually arrived in Poland (after the German invasion) and established himself as a businessman. It was in Poland where he established the enamelware business and hired Jewish people as his workers.

A lot happened to Schindler and his wife after the end of World War II. He faced danger of being arrested as a war criminal. Schindler and his wife endured lots of difficulties moving back to Germany. In the years that followed, Schindler had a series of failed business ventures and declared bankruptcy in the early 1960s. Thanks to his Jewish friends from the war, he survived on donations sent by the Schindlerjuden (the people he saved during the Holocaust).

Schindler visited Israel for the first time ever in 1961 and was welcomed warmly. A tree was planted in his honor at the Avenue of the Righteous at Yad Vashem in 1962 (note: his wife Emilie got recognized as among the Righteous Among the Nations in 1993).

Before dying in 1974, he lived partly in Israel and partly in Germany. Schindler was buried in Jerusalem in Mount Zion and his grave has been visited many times by Jews and other people from around the world.  

How I made it to Schindler’s grave

Having prayed to the Lord for a meaningful and blessed day-off, I got ready for the places to visit in ancient Jerusalem and that includes a precise study of maps and where the significant sites are located.

As mentioned above, coming from the Temple Mount, the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter, I exited through Zion Gate of the old city of Jerusalem heading towards the Upper Room (the traditional site of the Last Supper that involved our Lord Savior Jesus) for a return visit (note: my first time there was with our tour group with a guide) and for my first-ever visit at the King David’s Tomb site (on the ground floor level so nearby).

That being said, it was easy to find the nearby cemetery (note: there was one other cemetery nearby) for Schindler’s grave coming from King David’s Tomb by foot. After walking down a short road leading to a major road outside and crossing it, I found the entrance of the cemetery which even had a small sign that says “To Oskar Schindler’s grave.”

The cemetery gate with a sign confirming that Schindler’s grave is inside.

My time at Schindler’s grave

So I entered the cemetery all alone, walked further and climbed down some steps until I reached the very area of Schindler’s grave which was actually located by a cemented walkway. Posted below is the shot I took before approaching the grave.

A wide shot of the lower area of the cemetery where Schindler’s grave is located (in the distance).

Finally, I made my first-ever approach to the grave of the one German businessman who saved the lives of many Jews and I captured it all by video as you can see below along with the pictures I took right there. Schindler’s grave was full of stones placed in thanks to him, remembrance of him and in honor for him. I noticed one particular stone even has a “Thank you!”

The grave of Oskar Schindler with lots of stones placed on it by visitors and by those who remember him for saving over a thousand Jewish people during the Holocaust.
A diagonal shot of the grave with a good amount of sunlight captured during the moment.
This is me taking a picture of myself near Oskar Schindler’s grave.

Visible on the grave was the German inscription which in English means “The unforgettable lifesaver of 1200 persecuted Jews.”

Being right there at the grave brought me strong memories about the final sequence of the movie Schindler’s List which was presented in color. That scene turned out very powerful to watch as a line of people – including the Jewish survivors who encountered Schindler during the war plus the actors who played many of them – took turns placing stones at this very grave. The late Leopold “Poldek” Pfefferberg himself was present in the scene at the grave which is very significant because he personally encountered Schindler and was crucial with both the publishing of Schindler’s Ark and the filming of Schindler’s List. Pfefferberg was an advisor to Spielberg.

Holocaust survivor Poldek Pfefferberg with Oskar Schindler in the 1960s. (photo source – United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
This is my 4K Blu-ray copy of Schindler’s List. This is the best and most definitive way to watch it at the comfort of home. So much better than streaming.

The placing of stones or pebbles on a grave has an important part in the Jewish ways. The Jewish Virtual Library describes it as follows (some parts in boldface):

As opposed to the common practice of burying loved ones with flowers and placing flowers by the tombstone, Jewish tradition instead puts an emphasis on placing stones on graves.

Jewish authorities likely objected to the flower ritual because of its proximity to pagan customs.

The origin of the stone custom is uncertain, though it may relate to ancient times when a pile of stones was used as a marker. The most common explanation is that placing stones is a symbolic act that indicates someone has come to visit and the deceased has not been forgotten.

A superstitious rationale for stones is that they keep the soul down, based on a belief that souls continue to dwell for a while in the graves in which they are placed.

A more common theme, however, is that stones last for eternity – as opposed to the short life span of flowers. Like the memory our loved ones, stones will never die.

As Oskar Schindler was German, the placing of stones at his grave is notably exceptional and if you wish to feel the impact of the colored scene near the end of Schindler’s List, you will have to endure the film first from the beginning. After all, the Spielberg-directed movie gradually shows how the German businessman got connected with the Jewish people as his laborers, and the turning point of him deciding to save them from death by sacrificing so much (read: lots of money spent and use of influence with German officials) and taking huge risks along the way was powerful to watch.

Even though I’m not Jewish and not a survivor of World War II, I still placed a stone on Oskar Schindler’s grave to thank him for saving many Jews long ago. As a person faith, my love for Israel and the Jewish people remains uncompromising in relation to my unwavering faith in the Lord and His Word.

Significant lessons about loving, blessing and helping the Jewish people

Having been to the Holocaust museum at Yad Vashem prior to the rest day, I learned there that Oskar Schindler was one of many others who took risks to save Jews during the Holocaust. The Schindler Jews of more than one thousand survivors have since multiplied into thousands more people through the decades.

The Holocaust and the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks should remind each of us faithful ones that we cannot simply ignore the tragedies and do nothing. People of the Jewish State need our help and praying for them is a solid way to start. Ask the Lord for signs on how to help Israelites in additional ways. Do not rush and wait for Him to send you a command or a clear message on what to do next. Right now, Israel is fighting the enemy inside Gaza while defending itself from the other enemy on the north.

Around the world, there are millions of young protesters and activists who were brainwashed into supporting the terrorists while attacking Israel so blindly. Indeed, the world is chaotic and all the people who attack Israel while empowering the terrorists are doing the dirty works for Satan. It is also not surprising to encounter a pro-Palestine believer or an anti-Semitic person who openly rejects the Word of God or even mock Lord Jesus. The people – the brainwashed activists and terrorists specifically – who wish to destroy Israel in this modern age are becoming more like the Nazi Germans who were led by Adolf Hitler (who dreamed of wiping out all Jewish people). These unfortunate events should compel you to stand up for Israel and the Jewish people as you live on with unwavering faith in the Lord and His Word.

You might be wondering what are the biblical lessons to learn with regards to loving, blessing and helping the Jewish people. We can start by acknowledging the sovereignty, authority and the holiness of the Lord God and remember always that Lord Jesus is the Anointed Mediator. Read the following holy scriptures below…

“Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy my great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations. And when I reveal my holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations.

“And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God. I will cleanse you of your filthy behavior. I will give you good crops of grain, and I will send no more famines on the land. I will give you great harvests from your fruit trees and fields, and never again will the surrounding nations be able to scoff at your land for its famines. Then you will remember your past sins and despise yourselves for all the detestable things you did. But remember, says the Sovereign Lord, I am not doing this because you deserve it. O my people of Israel, you should be utterly ashamed of all you have done!

“This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When I cleanse you from your sins, I will repopulate your cities, and the ruins will be rebuilt.

Ezekiel 36:22-33 (NLT)

Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him who sows the seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine and all the hills shall melt [that is, everything heretofore barren and unfruitful shall overflow with spiritual blessing].

And I will bring back the exiles of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine from them; they shall also make gardens and eat the fruit of them.

And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be torn up out of their land which I gave them, says the Lord your God.

Amos 9:13-15 (AMPC)

For God is not unrighteous to forget or overlook your labor and the love which you have shown for His name’s sake in ministering to the needs of the saints (His own consecrated people), as you still do.

Hebrews 6:10 (AMPC)

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

1 Timothy 2:5 (AMPC)

They answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved—you and all your family.”

Acts 16:31 (TPT)

My beloved friends, if you see a believer who is overtaken with a fault, the one who is in the Spirit should seek to restore him in the Spirit of gentleness. But keep watch over your own heart so that you won’t be tempted to exalt yourself over him. Love empowers us to fulfill the law of the Anointed One as we carry each other’s troubles.

Galatians 6:1-2 (TPT)

For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.

Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (NKJV)

The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Matthew 13:41-43 (NKJV)

“I am a true sprouting vine, and the farmer who tends the vine is my Father. He cares for the branches connected to me by lifting and propping up the fruitless branches and pruning every fruitful branch to yield a greater harvest. The words I have spoken over you have already cleansed you. So you must remain in life-union with me, for I remain in life-union with you. For as a branch severed from the vine will not bear fruit, so your life will be fruitless unless you live your life intimately joined to mine.

“I am the sprouting vine and you’re my branches. As you live in union with me as your source, fruitfulness will stream from within you—but when you live separated from me you are powerless. 6If a person is separated from me, he is discarded; such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire to be burned. But if you live in life-union with me and if my words live powerfully within you—then you can ask whatever you desire and it will be done. When your lives bear abundant fruit, you demonstrate that you are my mature disciples who glorify my Father!

John 15:1-8 (TPT)

Also, never forget that Israel is the land that God the Heavenly Father designated for the Jewish people and He always has great plans for them. Read the scriptures below…

Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

I will make you a great nation;

I will bless you

And make your name great;

And you shall be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

And I will curse him who curses you;

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

Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)

Then God said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall be her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Shall a child be born to a man who is one hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” And Abraham said to God, “Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!”

Then God said: “No, Sarah your wife shall bear you a son, and you shall call his name Isaac; I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his descendants after him.

And as for Ishmael, I have heard you. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you at this set time next year.” Then He finished talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

Genesis 17:15-22 (NKJV)

Again God said to him, Your name is Jacob [supplanter]; you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So He called him Israel [contender with God].

And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock;

The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land.

Genesis 35:10-12 (AMPC)

Now therefore, if you will obey My voice in truth and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own peculiar possession and treasure from among and above all peoples; for all the earth is Mine.

And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation [consecrated, set apart to the worship of God]. These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites.

Exodus 19:5-6 (AMPC)

Say therefore to the people of Israel, ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from slavery to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment. I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God, and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will bring you into the land that I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. I will give it to you for a possession. I am the Lord.’”

Exodus 6:6-8 (ESV)

“Yet hear now, O Jacob My servant,
And Israel whom I have chosen.

Thus says the Lord who made you
And formed you from the womb, who will help you:
‘Fear not, O Jacob My servant;
And you, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
And floods on the dry ground;
I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
And My blessing on your offspring;

They will spring up among the grass
Like willows by the watercourses.’

One will say, ‘I am the Lord’s’;
Another will call himself by the name of Jacob;
Another will write with his hand, ‘The Lord’s,’
And name himself by the name of Israel.

Isaiah 44:1-5 (NKJV)

Conclusion

During my final moments at the cemetery, I carefully touched Schindler’s grave and went on marching all the way to Mahane Yehuda Market in the city.

I am very thankful to the Lord for the significant visits and favors He blessed me with during the rest day in Jerusalem. The visit to Schindler’s grave was a worthy conclusion to the time I spent visiting the sites inside and outside of the walls of the old city of Jerusalem during the cold morning. After Schindler’s grave, I marched all the way to Mahane Yehuda market (with a coffee break at Tmol Shilshom on the way).

I cannot say that Schindler’s grave is a holy site to visit, but it still carries great historical significance in relation to the saving of Jews during the Holocaust. To those of you who get to visit the grave, do not be surprised to see the many stones placed on it. Finally, be mindful that when you visit the Upper Room or King David’s Tomb site just outside of Zion Gate, the cemetery that has Schindler’s grave is only a few hundred meters away by walking. Ask your tour guide about the location and what time the cemetery opens in the morning.

While Oskar Schindler remains a controversial person of history as his legacy continues to be debated between varied people with specific beliefs and reasons (note: there are people who admired him as well as others who condemned him), his efforts (aided by his wife Emilie and his Jewish assistant Itzhak Stern) on protecting the Jewish workers from certain death during World War II should always be remembered.

It should be noted that Schindler’s List has been criticized for having fictionalized scenes, deliberate omissions of historical facts and its portrayal of Oskar as a hero whose personality developed over time. In reality, wife Emilie Schindler was much more involved with her husband on rescuing the Jews which is a significant fact that Spielberg’s movie ignored.

Emilie and Oskar Schindler in Argentina after the end of World War II. Emilie was much more involved with her husband on sparing over a thousand Jewish people from certain death during the Holocaust. (photo credit: Yad Vashem)

The German businessman’s legacy is clearly connected with the 1993 film which itself made tremendous impact by making people aware of the Holocaust and the six million Jews who got killed. The said impact, in my view, is much bigger than the many Academy Awards the movie won! Spielberg’s movie marked the beginning of my learning about the Holocaust and back in 1994, I was not even aware of the biblical significance of Israel and the Jewish people. In my old life of rituals, traditions and idolatrous religion, no person of religion ever taught me to love and bless Israel, nor did anyone religious tell me about God’s covenant with the Jewish people. Reading the Bible back then was only occasional.

In the year I got born again, I gradually learned about the significance of Israel, the Jewish people and the biblical ties between Jews and Christians as I immersed myself with God’s Word. Studying the Holy Bible and living by His Word helped me understand God’s covenant with Abraham whose rightful heirs have always been Isaac (his son) and Jacob (his grandson who later got renamed Israel). Just months after getting born again, I prayed to the Lord a lot for His plan for me related with Israel as I wanted to deepen my faith in Him by visiting the Holy Land and witness the Bible come to life. The 2023 Israel pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church was the Lord’s anointed answer and blessing to me. It is also the greatest and most significant foreign trip I ever had.

Israel is a great and holy place to visit! Visit Israel with the Holy Bible! Pray to the Lord wholeheartedly and reveal to Him your heart’s desire to visit Israel to deepen your faith in Him. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Follow the light of Lord Jesus, keep on praying for the peace of Jerusalem and live on with unwavering faith in Him!

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

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Celebrate Christmas by praising and honoring Lord Jesus

Celebrate Christmas by praising and honoring Lord Jesus

carlocarrasco

Merry Christmas to all of you reading this! Wherever you are or whatever you are doing right now, I encourage you to look beyond the worldly view of the season and celebrate Christmas by praising and honoring Lord Jesus. It is Lord Jesus who is our Savior and He is truly the hope of all nations!

Over the past few years, I wrote that Christmas is truly all about Lord Jesus and we should be rejoicing with Him every Christmas. Every time the season happens during the final month of the year, a ton of distractions happen around us such as the endless stream of disorienting news, toxic social media updates, shopping promos, social engagements, rushing to appointments and more. When you are not careful, these distractions could pull you away from Lord Jesus and you would end up having a hollow Christmas. Obviously, we the faithful children of God don’t want to be separated from Him.

That being said, we all should view Christmas through Lord Jesus as God the Heavenly Father sent Him to us to save us from darkness and to fulill the plan He made for us all. It is only right for us to honor Lord Jesus eternally. Learn from the 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)

For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6 (AMPC)

Therefore, the honor that belongs to the Father he will now share with his Son. So if you refuse to honor the Son, you are refusing to honor the Father who sent him.

John 5:23 (TPT)

But give reverent honor in your hearts to the Anointed One and treat him as the holy Master of your lives. And if anyone asks about the hope living within you, always be ready to explain your faith with gentleness and respect. Maintain a clean conscience, so that those who slander you for living a pure life in Christ will have to lie about you and will be ashamed because of their slander. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if it is in God’s plan, than for doing evil.

1 Peter 3:15-17 (TPT)

Christmas is about who we are celebrating – Lord Jesus Himself – and His birth remains very significant. A lot of people who have not submitted to Him celebrate Christmas by focusing more on the seasonal elements (examples: the partying, enjoying gifts received, and others) without even acknowledging His birth and holiness. The birth of Lord Jesus should be honored with all our hearts and with unwavering faith in the Word of God. Learn from the scripture below…

And Joseph also went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David,

To be enrolled with Mary, his espoused (married) wife, who was about to become a mother.

And while they were there, the time came for her delivery,

And she gave birth to her Son, her Firstborn; and she wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room or place for them in the inn.

Luke 2:4-7 (AMPC)

As mentioned earlier, Jesus is the hope of all nations. God sent Him here on Earth (Israel where the Holy Land is) thousands of years ago to walk among the people, preach the good news, preach the heavenly truth and fulfill the plans that the Heavenly Father made for humanity. Learn from the scriptures below…

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”

John 8:12 (NKJV)

Then Jesus went over to their synagogue, where he noticed a man with a deformed hand. The Pharisees asked Jesus, “Does the law permit a person to work by healing on the Sabbath?” (They were hoping he would say yes, so they could bring charges against him.)

And he answered, “If you had a sheep that fell into a well on the Sabbath, wouldn’t you work to pull it out? Of course you would. And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”

Then he said to the man, “Hold out your hand.”

So the man held out his hand, and it was restored, just like the other one! Then the Pharisees called a meeting to plot how to kill Jesus.

But Jesus knew what they were planning. So he left that area, and many people followed him. He healed all the sick among them, but he warned them not to reveal who he was. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah concerning him:

“Look at my Servant, whom I have chosen.

    He is my Beloved, who pleases me.

I will put my Spirit upon him,

    and he will proclaim justice to the nations.

He will not fight or shout

    or raise his voice in public.

He will not crush the weakest reed

    or put out a flickering candle.

    Finally he will cause justice to be victorious.

And his name will be the hope

    of all the world.”

Matthew 12:9-21 (NLT)

My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours.

1 John 5:13-15 (MSG)

For by grace you have been saved by faith. Nothing you did could ever earn this salvation, for it was the love gift from God that brought us to Christ! So no one will ever be able to boast, for salvation is never a reward for good works or human striving. We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!

Ephesians 2:8-10 (TPT)

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks this water will get thirsty again and again. Anyone who drinks the water I give will never thirst—not ever. The water I give will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life.”

John 4:13-14 (MSG)

As for us, we have all of these great witnesses who encircle us like clouds. So we must let go of every wound that has pierced us and the sin we so easily fall into. Then we will be able to run life’s marathon race with passion and determination, for the path has been already marked out before us. We look away from the natural realm and we focus our attention and expectation onto Jesus who birthed faith within us and who leads us forward into faith’s perfection. His example is this: Because his heart was focused on the joy of knowing that you would be his, he endured the agony of the cross and conquered its humiliation, and now sits exalted at the right hand of the throne of God!

Hebrews 12:1-2 (TPT)

With the above scriptures, it is clear that Jesus deserves all of our praise whenever we celebrate Christmas. Those who are not fully aware of Him and His Word tend to idolize (which is foolish and unholy) people, objects, money, religion, the pawns of evil  and other elements that are not worthy. Being worldly is unholy and this truth should remind you all that as children of God, we have the responsibilities to worship and honor His Son Jesus. Why? Because without Lord Jesus (our Savior and hope), we cannot reach the Heavenly Father. Learn from the scriptures below…

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

1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6 (NLT)

As Christmas is all about Lord Jesus, we the faithful children of God also have the responsibility to look forward with Him, follow His teachings and anticipate His return from Heaven. That being said, we must always honor the Resurrection of Lord Jesus (His victory over death) as much as we honor Him on His birth. The Lord will bless and reward the faithful, and He always keeps His promises. Learn from the scripture below…

Behold, I am coming soon, and I shall bring My wages and rewards with Me, to repay and render to each one just what his own actions and his own work merit.

I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).

Revelation 22:12-13 (AMPC)

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. You can save yourselves by submitting  to 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, lies 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.

Once again, Merry Christmas to all of you and always be 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, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. 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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Planetshakers’ next worship event here in the Philippines set for February 23, 2024 in Cebu

Planetshakers’ next worship event here in the Philippines set for February 23, 2024 in Cebu

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To all my fellow Christians based here in the Philippines. The Lord is blessing the nation once again as Planetshakers will return with a new worship event scheduled for February 23, 2024 at SM Seaside Cebu Concert Grounds in the island of Cebu. As of this writing, those of you who seek the Lord’s blessing through Planetshakers should start booking tickets online via SM Tickets and that means you should have your respective SM Tickets online accounts logged-in and credit cards prepared. If you live outside of Cebu province, then you will have to travel there by airplane and find a place to stay.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the official description of the Planetshakers Cebu worship event. Some parts in boldface…

Planetshakers is so excited to visit CEBU in (February) 2024!

It has always been our desire and our pursuit to run after God with the intent of seeing His glory. Just as Moses would not go anywhere unless God’s presence accompanied him we have that same heart’s cry, and this year, people from all over Asia will be coming together with that same common passion.

Show me Your Glory.

We cannot wait to encounter Him and sit back in wonder at all the incredible things that will take place. It’s going to be awe-inspiring!

According to SM Tickets’ website, the VIP ticket is priced at P2,680 each followed by Platinum at P1,300 each, Gold at P656 each, and Silver at P356 each. For your reference, posted below is the worship event’s venue plan. To buy tickets, click https://smtickets.com/Planetshakers2024  

Pay close attention to the details.

In my experience, I can say I was very blessed by the Lord when I attended Planetshakers’ September 2022 event in Pasay City. I can also share with you that Planetshakers’ church co-founder and pastor Sam Evans is a true prayer powerhouse as she leads the prayer straight from her heart (filled with the Holy Spirit) and clearly leads people to come to Lord Jesus and have unwavering faith in Him. If you have time and the money to go to Cebu for Planetshakers, the Holy Spirit, Lord Jesus and God the Heavenly Father, then I encourage you do so. Attending the February 2024 worship event is not merely attending for great worship music alone…it is fellowship with the Lord. Seek the Lord through Planetshakers’ leading of 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/

In ending this post, posted below are recent music videos of Planetshakers from their YouTube channel. 

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

My time at the Dead Sea beach (Ein Bokek area)

My time at the Dead Sea beach (Ein Bokek area)

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Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official websites of a mentioned businesses is also used. This is not a sponsored article. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.

Welcome back, readers and fellow followers of the Lord! This is the 7th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by its strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel tour articles, click here, here, here, here, here and here.

In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you my observations and captured images about my time at the Dead Sea area of Ein Bokek which has a huge beach and several stores, and hotels/resorts that cater to tourists. Our tour group arrived at a hotel near Ein Bokek Beach on an afternoon and we had a little over twelve hours staying time in the area.

To be very clear, there were no opportunities for me to try floating on the Dead Sea beach nearby due to the time of our arrival at the hotel and the schedule of our pilgrimage tour. After getting settled in my nice hotel bedroom, I managed to spend time at Ein Bokek Beach where I took pictures, observed the place and, for the first time ever, I touched the Dead Sea water and washed my hands before going to the nearby stores. Early the next morning, as I wanted to maximize my opportunities of discovery and learning, I revisited Ein Bokek Beach. For your reference, posted below is my YouTube video that I recorded on the morning and it should give you a glimpse of the area.

Knowing the Dead Sea

To understand the Dead Sea, it is massive body (note: a very large lake) of very salty water currently shared between Israel and Jordan. It is one of the four saltiest water bodies in the world and also the world’s lowest elevation on land estimated at around 430 meters below sea level. The Dead Sea has its very own distinct eco-system and vast sources of minerals which made it a major attraction of visitors for centuries. Apart from being a major travel destination, the Dead Sea is surrounded by places where major biblical events happened and places that have tremendous historical backgrounds.

Some interesting facts about the Dead Sea: The Dead Sea’s salinity level is over 34% and it does not pour out which is one factor why its salinity is high. The arid desert climate causes evaporation which raises the salinity. With the high salinity, no fish could exist in the Dead Sea and certainly no life could evolve in it although certain forms of bacteria and fungus could survive.

Apart from the high salinity, the water of the Dead Sea contains 26 beneficial minerals. The mineral content of both the air and the water of the area is very notable for therapeutic qualities. Even during the time of King Herod (37 to 4 BC) the Dead Sea area became a health resort.  As such, the Dead Sea within Israel has many beaches where visitors can spend time not only for enjoyment but also to take advantage of the medicinal and therapeutic benefits by carefully touching the Dead Sea water and rubbing their bodies with black mud sources from the banks. With the high salinity, it is best to avoid having Dead Sea water touch your eyes, touch open wounds and touch newly shaved skin as they will cause pain and irritation. Swallowing Dead Sea water is strongly prohibited as it will negatively affect your body’s internal systems. That being said, anyone who plans to spend time at any Dead Sea beach and touch the water by means of floating – not swimming nor diving – should practice caution.

This is what Ein Bokek and the Dead Sea look like early in the morning as the sun rises.

During ancient times, there were cities located close to the Dead Sea – Zoar, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim. Over the ages, the Dead Sea water receded and continues to do so gradually. While the Dead Sea today is physically connected with the Jordan River which itself is connected with the Sea of Galilee (AKA Lake Tiberias), its major sources of water since the 1960s are the sulfur springs and waste water along with rare drizzles and flash floods.

As little amounts of water flow in and evaporation under the harsh desert sun continue to happen, there is concern that the Dead Sea could dry up decades from now. With the decline of the Dead Sea’s water level, sinkholes have appeared in some locations which destroyed roads and even resorts.

As to how it got referred to as the Dead Sea, the very salty water makes it impossible for fish and plants to exist in it.

My time at Ein Bokek

Our pilgrimage tour group was booked at the Daniel Dead Sea Hotel in Ein Bokek and conveniently enough, it was located just a short walking distance away from the beach. The hotel room I stayed at was pretty neat and nicely equipped, its bathroom had liquid soap and shampoo with Dead Sea minerals mixed in, and I had a great view of the local area and the Dead Sea. I should state that Daniel Dead Sea Hotel also has a really nice dining area and you can see more of their facilities at https://deadsea.com/explore/where-to-stay/hotels/daniel-dead-sea-hotel/

The view from my Daniel Dead Sea Hotel window showing Ein Bokek beach, roads and other establishments during the day.
This is what the Ein Bokek area looks like at night.

Going back to what I mentioned earlier, the first thing I did after checking in was visiting the Ein Bokek beach and observing around knowing our time with the Dead Sea was limited. Walking further into the beach, I noticed crystal particles of salt on the sand. After doing a last minute check on my hands, I placed my left hand into the Dead Sea water first which you can see in the picture below.

My first time ever to touch the Dead Sea water.

After taking the photo with my smartphone, I put the device down and proceeded to wash both my hands with the very salty beach water and also used some sand and salt crystals on them. Immediately there was this rough and tingling feeling on my two hands but it was not really a problem at all. As soon as I woke up the next morning, I noticed my hands felt smoother. Most likely, the minerals of the Dead Sea water rejuvenated my hands.

Going back to the afternoon I washed my hands with Dead Sea water, I proceeded to the nearest store – the Hordus Shopping Center. Clearly established to cater to visitors as well as consumers looking Dead Sea-related products, I saw a wide section filled with soap bars and cosmetic products that had Dead Sea minerals mixed in which delighted me as our time in the area was limited and I was already looking for unique products to buy and take home.  After a careful look at the products offered, I proceeded to buy some bars of Dead Sea Spa-branded soap for personal use and as gifts to my dearest friends. Within Hordus Shopping Center was a spot where customers can buy pizza, sandwiches, coffee and other food or beverages. Since dinner time was arriving and I knew that a buffet for dinner at the hotel was inevitable, it made no sense for me to order food or drinks.

This is what Ein Bokek beach and the Dead Sea looked like as the sun was setting.
This is the Ein Bokek beach parking area. On the background are hotels and other business joints.
This is the Hordus Shopping Center at the Ein Bokek beach area. Lots of nice products, food and drinks inside await visitors.
Another look at the beach on the day we arrived.

Further exploring, I proceeded to another store some meters away from our hotel which offered items similar to what I found at Hordus Shopping Center.

Later that evening at the hotel, I proceeded to the lower level where the huge dining hall and buffet were located at. Upon arriving, I was astounded to see many people around, mostly Jewish people. As it was a Friday evening, it was the night before Shabbat (Shabbat refers to the seventh day of the week for the Jews which is Saturday) and I noticed there were Jewish families and groups of Jewish people celebrating and spending quality time together. There was this atmosphere of happiness and positivity around. This was the first time I ever witnessed the Jewish celebration of the night before Shabbat and I also witnessed how Jewish family members interacted with each other passionately and their dedication to the Heavenly Father. It was a great learning experience for me personally and I thank God for it. In fact, this reminds me of what the Lord God declared long ago in the following holy scriptures below…

GOD told Abram: “Leave your country, your family, and your father’s home for a land that I will show you. I’ll make you a great nation and bless you. I’ll make you famous; you’ll be a blessing. I’ll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I’ll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:1-3 (MSG)

And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob anymore, but Israel shall be your name.” So He called his name Israel. Also God said to him: “I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body. The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land.”

Genesis 35:10-12 (NKJV)

“Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”

Exodus 19:5-6 (NKJV)

Therefore say to the children of Israel: ‘I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’

Exodus 6:6-8 (NKJV)

After getting my meal from the buffet, I finally joined our tour group at a long table that was reserved for us. Right behind me was another long table filled with Jewish guests. As I enjoyed my dinner, I also enjoyed festive atmosphere around us. This was truly a great way to have an evening in the Dead Sea area.

The dinner buffet at Daniel Dead Sea Hotel.

The next morning, I woke up early to read the Holy Bible, prayed to the Lord and revisited the beach nearby before brealfast. It was a cold morning (note: this was February 2023) that was also peaceful. I also witnessed the rise of the sun in the distance which you can see among the images posted below…

The sun rising in the far distance with the light slowly growing over the Dead Sea. I took this on Saturday early morning.
There were a lot of salt crystals at the Dead Sea beach at Ein Bokek.
A shot I took at the beach with people, the Dead Sea water, facilities and the hotels captured together.
Another morning shot I took while walking on the Ein Bokek path.

After spending some time with my tour group companions at the beach, I returned to the hotel for breakfast and proceeded to get myself ready for checking out. Upon checking out at the hotel lobby, I greeted the Jewish man behind the counter “Shabbat Shalom.” By bus, our pilgrimage tour group proceeded to the Qumran site as well as Masada and Ein Gedi. The time at Ein Bokek was not very long but I still am thankful to the Lord for the enjoyment and enlightenment I had there.

The biblical significance of the Dead Sea

The Dead Sea itself has presence in the Holy Bible. Depending on the type of bible translations, the Dead Sea is also referred to as the Salt Sea or the Sea of Salt, the eastern sea and at times by ancient names. Posted below are biblical references for your enlightenment…

All these joined together in the Valley of Siddim (that is, the Salt Sea).

Genesis 14:3 (NKJV)

And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, half of them to the eastern [Dead] Sea and half of them to the western [Mediterranean] Sea; in summer and in winter shall it be.

Zechariah 14:8 (AMPC)

Now when I had returned, behold, on the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

Then he said to me, These waters pour out toward the eastern region and go down into the Arabah (the Jordan Valley) and on into the Dead Sea. And when they shall enter into the sea [the sea of putrid waters], the waters shall be healed and made fresh.

And wherever the double river shall go, every living creature which swarms shall live. And there shall be a very great number of fish, because these waters go there that [the waters of the sea] may be healed and made fresh; and everything shall live wherever the river goes.

The fishermen shall stand on [the banks of the Dead Sea]; from En-gedi even to En-eglaim shall be a place to spread nets; their fish shall be of very many kinds, as the fish of the Great or Mediterranean Sea.

Ezekiel 47:7-10 (AMPC)

As mentioned earlier, there were ancient cities located within the Dead Sea area. Among them are the two most notable for the big events that happened – Soddom and Gommorah. That being said, the destruction of the two mentioned cities happened in close proximity to the Dead Sea and this further makes the area a significant place for today’s pilgrims and explorers to visit and organize trips to discover the places where the destruction happened. To read about the destruction of Soddom and Gommorah, read Genesis 19:1-38 in the Holy Bible.

Conclusion

This is me at Ein Bokek beach with the Dead Sea right behind me in the morning.

I thank the Lord for our stay at Ein Bokek where our tour group got to visit the Dead Sea itself. In my experience, I realized the biblical significance of the famous body of salty and mineral-rich water. As mentioned earlier, having dinner during the night before Shabbat was not just a major learning experience, it was also God’s way of helping me realize the Jewish ways of honoring Him and being families under His watch, love and care. I truly believe in standing united with Israel, loving and blessing the Jewish people and praying for the peace of Jerusalem. 

Finally, I encourage you who are about to visit the Holy Land to verify with your tour group leader the inclusion of the Dead Sea in the itinerary of your group tour. Be aware that within the Dead Sea area are Qumran and Masada. Qumran is the very location where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found decades ago while Masada is where the ancient fortress is located at. Also within the area is Ein Gedi, the oasis in Israel where King David himself as a young man stayed at while keeping his distance away from Saul the King. 

Israel is a great and holy place to visit! Visit Israel with the Holy Bible! Pray to the Lord wholeheartedly and reveal to Him your heart’s desire to visit Israel to deepen your faith in Him. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Follow the light of Lord Jesus always!

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

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

Better than Streaming: Jesus Revolution Blu-ray now available!

Better than Streaming: Jesus Revolution Blu-ray now available!

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Welcome back, fellow geeks, Blu-ray collectors and movie buffs! If you are into films about faith and Lord Jesus told through an American perspective, then you should check out Jesus Revolution on Blu-ray disc format which has been available in the market since April 25, 2023. It also emerged as a top-selling Blu-ray disc release and you can order it online right now!

Jesus Revolution Blu-ray cover.

To put things in perspective, posted below is the description of Jesus Revolution as well as its official trailer…

In the 1970s, young Greg Laurie (Joel Courtney) is searching for all the right things in all the wrong places: until he meets Lonnie Frisbee (Jonathan Roumie), a charismatic hippie-street-preacher. Together with Pastor Chuck Smith (Kelsey Grammer), they open the doors of Smith’s languishing church to an unexpected revival of radical and newfound love, leading to what TIME Magazine dubbed a JESUS REVOLUTION.

Posted below are the technical details about Jesus Revolution Blu-ray disc as sourced from the Blu-ray.com page of the movie…

Video

Codec: MPEG-4 AVC

Resolution: 1080p

Aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1

Audio

English: Dolby Atmos

English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)

French: Dolby Digital 5.1

Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1

Subtitles – English SDH, French, Spanish

Discs – Blu-ray Disc, Two-disc set (1 BD-50, 1 DVD), DVD copy

Digital, Digital HD, Digital copy included

Packaging – Slipcover in original pressing

Playback – 2K Blu-ray: Region A

While I have not seen Jesus Revolution in the local cinemas, I myself am interested in buying the Blu-ray disc soon. I am a person with unbreakable faith in Jesus who is truly the Lord and Savior! More on the what the movie has to offer, its release is timely as America has been so divided as many people moved away from the Lord to embrace evil elements such as critical race theory, homosexuality, LGBTQ culture, transgender concepts, abortion, anti-police movements, anti-Semitism, terrorism, illegal immigration, witchcraft, Communist/socialist/Marxist ideologies, negative elements affecting churches, vandalism of places of worship, Satanic values inserted through entertainment media, and a whole lot more. Watch the related CBN News videos below…

By today’s standards, the social unrest America had during the Vietnam War era looks smaller compared to what has been going on over the past few years. People are getting divided over race, gender, social class and a whole lot more. As such, Jesus Revolution has something that viewers can reflect about.

More importantly, all these matters should remind you all that you must seek Lord Jesus first, behold His light shining through the darkness, and come to Him wholeheartedly to repent and submit to Him to accept Him as your Lord and Savior. With unbreakable faith in the Lord, you can become a part of His fearless and aggressive church.

When it comes to restoring people and societies from the damage caused by evil forces, only the Lord can provide restoration and healing. That being said, you must praise the Lord and have unwavering faith in Him no matter what happens. Being a worldly person means living with unholy elements. A lot of people may not realize it but it is clear they need Jesus in their lives and in their societies! Learn from the holy scriptures below…

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)

Jesus once again addressed them: “I am the world’s Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in.”

John 8:12 (MSG)

Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3 (NKJV)

Jesus Revolution movie poster.
The other movie poster.

You can order Jesus Revolution Blu-ray right now by clicking https://www.amazon.com/Jesus-Revolution-Blu-ray/dp/B0BV7CQF16?tag=bluray-021-20&linkCode=ogi&th=1&psc=1&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER

If you wish to join a group of movie enthusiasts and talk about cinema, visit the Movie Fans Worldwide Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/322857711779576

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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. If you want to support my website, please consider making a donation. 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/.

The prayer scene of V: The Original Miniseries

The prayer scene of V: The Original Miniseries

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Welcome back my readers, fellow people of faith and those who love entertainment. Today, I want to emphasize something within the 1983 sci-fi epic TV miniseries V: The Original Miniseries.

Before I proceed, I want to address the newcomers reading this. V: The Original Miniseries was about alien humanoids from space who arrived on Earth “in peace” but gradually took control of the world and its people through varied means. Told through the viewpoints of affected Americans in California, V: The Original Miniseries was a cerebral and reflective form of science fiction entertainment that strongly parallels Nazi German’s occupation and takeover of countries in Europe in relation to World War II. As expected, a group of resisting people forms led by a reluctant young woman.

I personally love V: The Original Miniseries as well as its 1984 sequel V: The Final Battle. I own Blu-ray discs of the two mini-series (click here and here) and I encourage you to check out my retro reviews (click here and here). To this day, both mini-series remain solid to watch and are worth replaying all over again in my experience.

Going back to the subject matter of this post, the one significant scene of V: The Original Miniseries I want to emphasize is the prayer scene in the 2nd episode. The prayer scene took place just before the human resistance (led by Julie Parrish played by Faye Grant supported by Mike Donovan played by Marc Singer, Caleb Taylor played by Jason Bernard and others) execute their desperate moves to free their people from the Visitors (the aliens). Watch below the video clip I recorded off-screen while replaying V: The Original Miniseries on Blu-ray disc…

The prayer scene of V: The Original Miniseries.

As you can see in the above clip, the affected people were about to pull off a major push back against the Visitors from outer space. They no longer had the local police (who are already working with the aliens) nor the National Guard, nor the State Government of California nor any American authority to help them. Caleb, who lost a son, reminded Julie of having a prayer as he knew that without the Lord, everything they will do will fail. Caleb knew that as a rebelling force, they could not succeed against the Visitors by focusing on themselves, their resources and their abilities. Caleb knew they had to look up to God even though he does not know the state of each group member’s personal connection with Him. It was also symbolic to see Julie Parrish declare amen before finally giving the go-signal for their next operation which eventually served as the series of spectacle (action scenes) and suspense serving as the big pay-off for viewers.

Within the context of the what happened in the 2nd episode of the mini-series, Julie and her crew moved to secure essential equipment and military hardware at a local facility guarded by the Visitors which results in acts of violence as both sides fire at each other. These scenes happened after the prayer scene.

That being said, I want to make clear that I am not emphasizing the concept of praying to God to be able to win against the opposition by means of violence. Violence and using the very methods of wicked people as a means of getting back at them are clearly not the ways under the watch of the Lord. God has a plan for each and every one of us and we have Lord Jesus to follow to save the lost and unsaved souls. The Lord has His ways of defeating Satan and his pawns, and we only need to follow the Lord instead of taking matters on our own hands.

If you are oppressed and you truly need the Lord’s help for favor and breakthroughs, let the Holy Spirit guide you instead of giving in to your fleshly desire of using force on those who attacked you. Do not even think about using the ways the evil ones used against you. Trust in Him, not the worldly and certainly not your flesh. Always remember that vengeance is the Lord’s. Read the bible verses below…

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;

If he is thirsty, give him a drink;

For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Romans 12:19-21 (NKJV)

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for [God’s] wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is Mine, I will repay (requite), says the Lord.

But if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals upon his head.

Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but overcome (master) evil with good.

Romans 12:19-21 (AMPC)

Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, in the time when their foot shall slide; for the day of their disaster is at hand and their doom comes speedily.

Deuteronomy 32:35 (AMPC)

But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.

Romans 1:18 (NLT)

For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand,
Saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’

Isaiah 41:13 (NKJV)

As seen among the bible scriptures above, Romans 12:19-21 should remind you all that vengeance is the Lord’s and we only need to follow Him because He knows best and has the means to help us overcome the forces of evil. In relation to that, this should remind you all that V: The Original Miniseries is not a faith-based story. Rather, it is a science fiction tale designed to entertain viewers while emphasizing the concept of what the world would be like if people welcomed foreign entities to come in peace pretentiously and take over societies by means of force, violence and fascism. Take note that the mini-series was released at a time when science fiction movies and TV shows were in high demand arguably due to George Lucas’ Star Wars.

The prayer scene should serve as a reminder that we the faithful in real life should keep trusting in the Lord and we need to support each other and strengthen our faith in Him no matter how twisted the world is around us. That is what makes it significant as part of the mini-series. Learn from the scriptures below…

For wherever two or three come together in honor of my name, I am right there with them!

Matthew 18:20 (TPT)

Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 15:5-6 (NKJV)

In Whom, because of our faith in Him, we dare to have the boldness (courage and confidence) of free access (an unreserved approach to God with freedom and without fear).

Ephesians 3:12 (AMPC)

Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV)

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)

For God has not appointed us to [incur His] wrath [He did not select us to condemn us], but [that we might] obtain [His] salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah)

Who died for us so that whether we are still alive or are dead [at Christ’s appearing], we might live together with Him and share His life.

Therefore encourage (admonish, exhort) one another and edify (strengthen and build up) one another, just as you are doing.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 (AMPC)

Finally, while focusing on being with other people of faith and praying to the Lord together as a united body of His, learn from the scriptures below pertaining to Lord Jesus’ ascension to Heaven and His faithful followers (the early Christians) who stayed united together at the Upper Room in Jerusalem and prayed together knowing they are living on with His victory. May this encourage you to be with your fellow spiritual family (God’s family) members and pray to Him together.

Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey. And when they had entered, they went up into the upper room where they were staying: Peter, James, John, and Andrew; Philip and Thomas; Bartholomew and Matthew; James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot; and Judas the son of James. These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Acts 1:9-14 (NKJV)

Now watch this video I recorded during my first-ever visit to the Upper Room in Jerusalem which was part of the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church.

This was from my 2nd visit to the Upper Room in Jerusalem. I went to Israel on a pilgrimage tour with my local church because I desired to seek God’s kingdom there (read Matthew 6:33).

From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Did a religious and idolatrous extremist ruin your life? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool you and abused you? Were you involved in the terrorist activities of Iran or the Palestinians? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still addicted to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, Antifa, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt?

All of the darkness related to what was mentioned above can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.

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

Father God,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below, share this article to others and also please consider making a donation to support my publishing. 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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco

Christian Music Appreciation: How Great is Our God

Christian Music Appreciation: How Great is Our God

carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on How Great is Our God, a very well-known worship song written by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reeves. The song was part of the DVD release of the live praise-and-worship Hillsong Worship album titled Mighty to Save.

If you want to discover and learn more about Hillsong Worship, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). To learn more about Chris Tomlin, click here (Facebook), here (Instagram) and here (official website).

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of How Great is Our God, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Chris Tomlin, Ed Cash and Jesse Reeves.

Lyrics:

The splendor of a king

Clothed in majesty

Let all the earth rejoice

All the earth rejoice

–

He wraps Himself in light,

And darkness tries to hide

And trembles at His voice

Trembles at His voice

–

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see

How great, how great is our God

–

Age to age He stands

And time is in His hands

Beginning and the end

Beginning and the end

–

The Godhead Three in One

Father, Spirit and Son

The Lion and the Lamb

The Lion and the Lamb

–

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see

How great, how great is our God

–

Name above all names

Worthy of all praise

My heart will sing

How great is our God

–

Name above all names

You are worthy of all praise

And my heart will sing

How great is our God

–

[3x]

How great is our God

Sing with me

How great is our God

And all will see

How great, how great is our God

–

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the first section of the lyrics above: The splendor of a king, Clothed in majesty, Let all the earth rejoice, All the earth rejoice.

The above lines emphasize the greatness of God in Heaven. In His Kingdom, the Lord is the ultimate which is undeniably true and as His faithful children, we do our part honoring Him, praising Him, serving Him, rejoicing with Him and keep on having an eternal personal relationship with Him. God’s greatness also rewards us as we keep on having unwavering faith in Him. Do not forget that submitting to His Son Jesus is the only way to the Heavenly Father. Learn from the following holy scriptures below…

To you, O God, belong the greatness and the might, the glory, the victory, the majesty, the splendor; Yes! Everything in heaven, everything on earth; the kingdom all yours! You’ve raised yourself high over all.

1 Chronicles 29:11 (MSG)

And I said: “I pray, Lord God of heaven, O great and awesome God, You who keep Your covenant and mercy with those who love You and observe Your commandments,”

Nehemiah 1:5 (NKJV)

For the Lord will not forsake his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself.

1 Samuel 12:22 (ESV)

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)

Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (TPT)

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him!

Philippians 4:4 (MSG)

Next, take a close look at the next batch of lines from the lyrics: He wraps Himself in light, And darkness tries to hide, And trembles at His voice, Trembles at His voice

The above lines explain that the holiness of the Heavenly Father is true and eternal. God is great and His light shines upon His faithful children as well as the other souls who repented and submitted to His Son Lord Jesus to come to Him in the Kingdom of Light. Darkness, sin, destruction, poverty and other elements of the enemy have no place in God’s kingdom nor in the hearts of the children of God. With unwavering and unbreakable faith in the Lord, you can defeat Satan and his minions and stay high with the Lord’s holiness! Pay close attention to the following holy scriptures.

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, You are very great! You are clothed with honor and majesty—

[You are the One] Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain or a tent,

Who lays the beams of the upper room of His abode in the waters [above the firmament], Who makes the clouds His chariot, Who walks on the wings of the wind,

Psalm 104:1-3 (AMPC)

Everything I am will praise and bless the Lord!

O Lord, my God, your greatness takes my breath away,

overwhelming me by your majesty, beauty, and splendor!

You wrap yourself with a shimmering, glistening light.

You wear sunshine like a garment of glory.

You stretch out the starry skies like a tapestry.

You build your balconies with light beams

and ride as King in a chariot you made from clouds.

You fly upon the wings of the wind.

Psalms 104:1-3 (TPT)

There is none holy like the Lord, there is none besides You; there is no Rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (AMPC)

You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!

James 2:19 (NKJV)

Giving thanks to the Father, Who has qualified and made us fit to share the portion which is the inheritance of the saints (God’s holy people) in the Light.

[The Father] has delivered and drawn us to Himself out of the control and the dominion of darkness and has transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love,

In Whom we have our redemption through His blood, [which means] the forgiveness of our sins.

[Now] He is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible representation of the invisible]; He is the Firstborn of all creation.

Colossians 1:12-15 (AMPC)

Then Jesus said, “I am light to the world, and those who embrace me will experience life-giving light, and they will never walk in darkness.”

John 8:12 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the next batch of lines from the lyrics. Specifically, the following are lines from the chorus of the song: How great is our God, Sing with me, How great is our God, And all will see, How great, how great is our God.

The above lines emphasize again the greatness of God. It teaches us that as His faithful children, we should be ready to always recognize true greatness comes from the Lord and no other forms of greatness will ever come close to His. The greatness of the Lord is a lively reminder that we must dedicated ourselves to Him, spread His Word to others and help the lost and unsaved souls come to Lord Jesus to be with the Heavenly Father and realize His greatness. Read the hole scriptures below…

There is none like you, O Lord;

you are great, and your name is great in might.

Jeremiah 10:6 (ESV)

For God is the triumphant King; all the powers of the earth are his. So sing your celebration songs of highest praise to the glorious Enlightened One!

Psalms 47:7 (TPT)

The Mighty One has worked a mighty miracle for me; holy is his name!

Luke 1:49 (TPT)

Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.

1 John 3:1 (NKJV)

Death once held us in its grip, and by the blunder of one man, death reigned as king over humanity. But now, how much more are we held in the grip of grace and continue reigning as kings in life, enjoying our regal freedom through the gift of perfect righteousness in the one and only Jesus, the Messiah!

Romans 5:17 (TPT)

The time came to observe the winter Feast of Renewal in Jerusalem.  Jesus walked into the temple area under Solomon’s covered walkway when the Jewish leaders encircled him and said, “How much longer will you keep us in suspense? Tell us the truth and clarify this for us once and for all. Are you really the Messiah, the Anointed One?”

Jesus answered them, “I have told you the truth already and you did not believe me. The proof of who I am is revealed by all the miracles that I do in the name of my Father. Yet, you stubbornly refuse to follow me, because you are not my sheep. As I’ve told you before: My own sheep will hear my voice and I know each one, and they will follow me. I give to them the gift of eternal life and they will never be lost and no one has the power to snatch them out of my hands. My Father, who has given them to me as his gift, is the mightiest of all, and no one has the power to snatch them from my Father’s care. The Father and I are one.”

John 10:22-30 (TPT)

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

1 Timothy 2:5 (AMPC)

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

1 Peter 1:3 (ESV)

The Lord has done great things for us;

We are joyful.

Psalm 126:3 (NASB)

The above lines emphasize that the Lord is eternal and He does not change Himself. He is always present to guide the faithful and provide for them. He is always there to fight battles that are too great for us to handle. God is always present to emphasize His faithfulness to those who dedicated themselves to Him. He is always present to spend time with each of us – His faithful children – and is always ready to welcome the souls who got born again after repenting to Lord Jesus and accepting Him as their Lord and Savior. Learn from the scriptures below…

The eternal God is your refuge and dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove the enemy before you and thrust them out, saying, Destroy!

Deuteronomy 33:27 (AMPC)

For this is God,

Our God forever and ever;

He will be our guide

Even to death.

Psalm 48:14 (NKJV)

Have you not known?

Have you not heard?

The everlasting God, the Lord,

The Creator of the ends of the earth,

Neither faints nor is weary.

His understanding is unsearchable.

Isaiah 40:28 (NKJV)

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)

“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!”

John 14:12 (TPT)

Then Jesus came close to them and said, “All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you. And never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age.”

Matthew 28:18-20 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics: The Godhead Three in One, Father, Spirit and Son, The Lion and the Lamb, The Lion and the Lamb.

The above lines refers to the Holy Trinity composed of God the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Having the Holy Trinity is essential in our faith in the Lord as well as Christian living. The lion and the lamb mentioned symbolize our Lord.

Go then and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them into the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,

Teaching them to observe everything that I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days (perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion), to the [very] close and consummation of the age. Amen (so let it be).

Matthew 28:19 (AMPC)

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:16-17 (ESV)

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John 1:29 (NKJV)

Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice:

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

Revelation 5:11-13 (NKJV)

And I wept audibly and bitterly because no one was found fit to open the scroll or to inspect it.

Then one of the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] said to me, Stop weeping! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root (Source) of David, has won (has overcome and conquered)! He can open the scroll and break its seven seals!

Revelation 5:4-5 (AMPC)

The Lord also will roar from Zion,

And utter His voice from Jerusalem;

The heavens and earth will shake;

But the Lord will be a shelter for His people,

And the strength of the children of Israel.

Joel 3:16 (NKJV)

Finally, we take a close look at the following lines of lyrics of the song in two similar looking batches: Name above all names, Worthy of all praise, My heart will sing, How great is our God and Name above all names, You are worthy of all praise, And my heart will sing, How great is our God.

Our Lord’s name is the ultimate of all names. No name can be greater than the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus, the only begotten son of God sent here on Earth to lead humanity out of darkness. Jesus died on the cross carrying all of humanity’s sins and trespasses with Him, and a few days later He returned from the dead (conquered death), made His presence felt to the faithful and ascended to Heaven with the promise of returning in the future. Lord Jesus is the Messiah, the King of all kings and the One we must follow in order to be with the Heavenly Father in His kingdom. The Lord is worthy of all our praise! Learn from the following scriptures below…

Because of that obedience, God exalted him and multiplied his greatness! He has now been given the greatest of all names! The authority of the name of Jesus causes every knee to bow in reverence! Everything and everyone will one day submit to this name—in the heavenly realm, in the earthly realm, and in the demonic realm. And every tongue will proclaim in every language: “Jesus Christ is Lord Yahweh,” bringing glory and honor to God, his Father!

Philippians 2:9-11 (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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

John 3:16-17 (NKJV)

And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND

LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:16 (NKJV)

She will give birth to a Son; and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.

Matthew 1:21 (NASB)

I will exalt You, my God, the King,

And I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You,

And I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised;

And His greatness is unsearchable.

One generation will praise Your works to another,

And will declare Your mighty acts.

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty

And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,

And I will tell of Your greatness.

Psalm 145:1-6 (NASB)

For through the eternal and living Word of God you have been born again. And this “seed” that he planted within you can never be destroyed but will live and grow inside of you forever. For: Human beings are frail and temporary, like grass, and the glory of man fleeting like blossoms of the field. The grass dries and withers and the flowers fall off, but the Word of the Lord endures forever!

1 Peter 1:23-25 (TPT)

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah is God’s spiritual child and has been fathered by God himself. And everyone who loves Father God loves his children as well. This is how we can be sure that we love the children of God: by having a passionate love for God and by obedience to his commands. True love for God means obeying his commands, and his commands don’t weigh us down as heavy burdens. You see, every child of God overcomes the world, for our faith is the victorious power that triumphs over the world. So who are the world conquerors, defeating its power? Those who believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

1 John 5:1-5 (TPT)

Very clearly, the worship song How Great is Our God is a very holy song. Indeed, the lyrics composed by the writers are very biblical and it is safe to say that the Lord anointed them as well as their musicians to make this great praise-and-worship song. Musically, it is unsurprisingly beautiful to listen to and easily it is ideal to lead your fellow faithful Christians at church to the Lord with. How Great is Our God will easily fit in with your local church’s Sunday worship service music as well as during special worship events that involve the church’s music team. Ultimately, How Great is Our God will not only remind you of His everlasting greatness but also inspire you to deepen your faith in Him and help lead the lost and unsaved souls to Him through Lord Jesus!

In conclusion, posted below are YouTube videos of How Great is Our God 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, follow the light of 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, CMAs and feature articles.

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: Lord Your Goodness

Christian Music Appreciation: Lord Your Goodness

carlocarrasco

Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on Lord Your Goodness, an original worship song of Hillsong Worship with lyrics written by Reuben Morgan.

If you want to discover and learn more about Hillsong Worship, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube). 

Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of Lord Your Goodness, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Reuben Morgan.

I will come to You with an open heart

And bring a sacrifice of praise

I have seen Your power in the holy place

And I have known Your mighty ways

–

I will remember Your mercy

And Lord Your faithfulness

–

Lord Your goodness and Your love will follow me

All the days of my life

I’m surrounded with the favour of the Lord

Always and forever

To begin with, let’s take a close look at the first section of the lyrics above: I will come to You with an open heart, And bring a sacrifice of praise, I have seen Your power in the holy place.

The above lines emphasize that we the faithful children must always come to Him with open hearts and that means being completely transparent and honest with Him as there is simply no hiding of darkness nor sin deep within. To be born again in Christ means having His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – in the heart and always prioritizing the Lord with complete honor and obedience towards Him. Remember when you were still living your old sinful life? You not only had a closed heart hardened by sin, you also had a heart that did not have the Holy Spirit which clearly means it was not a heart of worship. For the lost and unsaved souls thinking about coming to God, always open your heart first before coming to His Jesus for repentance and getting born again. If you are an unsaved or lost soul who still has unholy elements in your heart (note: homosexuality, political correctness, wokeness, idolatry, religion, Marxism, socialism, Communism, atheism, agnosticism, transgender obsession, terrorism, fascism and others), you must get rid of them all and you must reject Satan before you come to the Lord for salvation. Be ready to repent to Him. Once you have a fully opened, worship-oriented heart, praise is inevitable for everyone to do to realize the Lord’s power and holiness. Learn from the scriptures below…

But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. 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 3:16-18 (TPT)

And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.

Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)

What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek him as their heart’s passion!

Psalms 119:2 (TPT)

Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.

Hebrews 13:15 (AMPC)

Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all.

Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hands are power and might; in Your hands it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name and those attributes which that name denotes.

1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (AMPC)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics: I will remember Your mercy, And Lord Your faithfulness.

The mercy and faithfulness of the Lord are undeniably true and real. While there are still lots of religious people who believe the falsehood that the Lord is always very strict and rarely grants mercy, His mercy is actually great and He is compassionate as well. The Lord is faithful (lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships) and His love for His faithful children is connected with faithfulness, mercy and compassion. Lord Jesus proved it all to be true and real. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

Exodus 34:6-7 (NKJV)

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.

They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (AMPC)

The Rock, his work is perfect,

    for all his ways are justice.

A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,

    just and upright is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV)

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)

By the time Jesus came ashore, a massive crowd was waiting. At the sight of them, his heart was filled with compassion, because they seemed like wandering sheep who had no shepherd. So he taught them many wonderful things.

Mark 6:34 (TPT)

There failed no part of any good thing which the Lord had promised to the house of Israel; all came to pass.

Joshua 21:45 (AMPC)

This is why he had to be a man and take hold of our humanity in every way. He made us his brothers and sisters and became our merciful and faithful King-Priest before God; as the One who removed our sins to make us one with him. He suffered and endured every test and temptation, so that he can help us every time we pass through the ordeals of life.

Hebrews 2:17-18 (TPT)

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)

The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.

The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].

Psalm 145:8-9 (AMPC)

Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Peter 1:3 (TPT)

Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics:Lord Your goodness and Your love will follow me, All the days of my life, I’m surrounded with the favour of the Lord, Always and forever.

As the faithful children of God, we have His favor, His love, His goodness and much more. To be faithful to Him and living by His Word (and spreading it) are our responsibilities as Christians. Our faith in Him must always be unbreakable and unwavering. We reject idols and reject unholiness because we are meant to be with the Lord and follow His ways in accordance to His Word. Never forget our union with Lord Jesus, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Learn from the holy scriptures below…

Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!

In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.

Psalm 31:19-20 (AMPC)

For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].

Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)

Oh, thank God—he’s so good!

    His love never runs out.

All of you set free by God, tell the world!

    Tell how he freed you from oppression,

Then rounded you up from all over the place,

    from the four winds, from the seven seas.

Psalm 107:1-3 (MSG)

Give thanks to God—he is good

    and his love never quits.

Say, “Save us, Savior God,

    round us up and get us out of these godless places,

So we can give thanks to your holy Name,

    and bask in your life of praise.”

Blessed be God, the God of Israel,

    from everlasting to everlasting.

Then everybody said, “Yes! Amen!” and “Praise God!”

1 Chronicles 16:34-36 (MSG)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

God, everyone sees your goodness, for your tender love is blended into everything you do.

Psalms 145:9 (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)

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)

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

Luke 11:28 (MSG)

It is confirmed and obvious that Lord Your Goodness is a very holy worship song as the Lord anointed Reuben Morgan on writing the lyrics. The same can be said about others at Hillsong Worship who worked behind the scenes on making Lord Your Goodness. The evidence of holiness is spread all over the lyrics and brought to life even more musically.

As it is holy and captures the biblical messages about the goodness of our Lord, I strongly recommend the use of Lord Your Goodness for your local church’s Sunday worship service as well as in praise-and-worship events that involve the church’s music team. Lord Your Goodness is a lively reminder of not only of His goodness, but also of the love, blessings, care, attention and compassion towards each and every faithful child of His with established personal relationships with Him.

In conclusion, posted below is the official Hillsong Worship YouTube video of Lord Your Goodness 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, love on knowing you are loved by Him, practice Christian habits (click here and here for reference), have private time with God and pray in tongues to Him, 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, follow the light of 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/

Planetshakers Conference 2023 in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia set this coming January

Planetshakers Conference 2023 in Melbourne and Brisbane, Australia set this coming January

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If you are looking for a worship event to deepen your relationship with the Lord and if you also have the means to travel overseas, then you should look to Planetshakers in Australia as they will organize the highly anticipated Planetshakers Conference 2023 in the cities of Melbourne and Brisbane over separate weekends this coming January with the theme “Show me Your glory”. The good news here is that online registration is ongoing.

To join the conference in Melbourne set for January 12 to 14, 2023, click here. The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC) is the venue listed.

To join the conference in Brisbane set for January 20 to 21, 2023, click here. The Royal International Convention Centre Brisbane is the venue listed.

Each Planetshakers Conference 2023 page per location has registration fees (note: be prepared with your credit card) and schedules of activities for each day.

The official message from Planetshakers church founders and pastors Russell and Sam Evans emphasizing Planetshakers Conference 2023 goes as follows:

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUR DESIRE AND OUR PURSUIT…JOIN US AS WE CONTINUE TO RUN AFTER GOD WITH THE INTENT OF SEEING HIS GLORY.

Just as Moses would not go anywhere unless God’s presence accompanied him we have that same heart’s cry and at this year’s conference, people from all over Australia and the world will be coming together with that common passion.

Show me Your glory.

We cannot wait to encounter Him and to sit back in wonder at all the incredible things that will take place. It’s going to be awe-inspiring!

Love, Russell and Sam Evans

For the newcomers who are trying to figure out what exactly is a Planetshakers Conference, posted below is an excerpt from their official page. Some parts in boldface…

Planetshakers Conferences are a Holy Spirit-inspired initiative, birthed in a supernatural encounter with God in a revival meeting at the Glasshouse in Melbourne, during which Pastor Russell Evans heard the clear mandate from Holy Spirit to, “Start a conference and call it Planetshakers”.

Without fully understanding what God had in mind, Russell and his wife Sam, obediently responded to God and gathered a small group of passionate leaders and teenagers together to communicate the vision. Full of raw excitement and hungry for a move of God, this small group of young people willingly stretched their faith, gave generously of their resources and embarked on a journey that would ultimately lead to the establishment of a significant, globally-impacting church and ministry.

The first Planetshakers Conference was held in Adelaide, South Australia, in 1997, with 300 young people in attendance. The event was marked by intense hunger for God as young people travelled great distances to attend, and queued for hours in extreme heat— just to position themselves for an encounter with Jesus. When word got out that Planetshakers Conference was unlike any other conference experience, numbers rapidly escalated, necessitating that the event be replicated in other cities around Australia.

Over the years that Planetshakers has run conferences, many people from all walks of life have reported that it was at one of these events that they encountered God in such a radical way that they were arrested in their lives and set on course for their God-given destiny. Having started with young people, the event is now marked by great diversity of age, culture and denomination in attendance—adding to the richness of the corporate worship experience.

Planetshakers Conferences are each marked by a prophetic ‘theme’ or declaration that has been prayerfully sought by Russell Evans. This theme pervades every part of the experience and is reflected in the songs, resources and preaching.

In addition to fresh, passionate, supernatural praise and worship, many great, Spirit-led ministers from all over the world, have graced the pulpit with life-changing, prophetic messages of grace, love, hope, breakthrough and deliverance.

Our heart in running Planetshakers Conferences world-wide, is that we might appropriate the breakthrough anointing that God has gifted our ministry, inspire passionate, authentic praise and worship, create an insatiable hunger for God in people’s lives, release generosity and faith in God’s people and facilitate divine partnerships — for the sole purpose of helping to build local churches around the globe, championing Holy Spirit and seeing the Kingdom of God advance.

The Planetshakers Conference is clearly about experiencing the close encounter with the Lord involving faith and His Word (the Holy Bible). As such, there will be opportunities where you can deepen your faith in the Lord and strengthen further your personal relationship with Him.

I personally would love to attend a Planetshakers Conference someday. This past September, I attended a Planetshakers worship event here in the Philippines and as it was very anointed event, I – along with many thousands of others who attended – got blessed by the Lord. I am also very thankful to Him that I personally witnessed and followed the very anointed and heartful prayers led by Pastor Sam Evans herself. That being said, I believe that the upcoming Planetshakers Conference will come with blessings and anointing from the Lord.

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/

In ending this article, I posted below assorted music videos of worship songs of Planetshakers. May these enlighten you, delight you and motivate you to come to God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit without hesitation. Seek Lord Jesus first, follow His light and always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Peace and amen to you all!

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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 athttps://www.instagram.com/authorcarlocarrasco/

I Love Israel: Israel shares to the Philippines water management solutions

I Love Israel: Israel shares to the Philippines water management solutions

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In recent times, the State of Israel engaged with the Philippines on managing water which is clearly an essential resource, according to a Manila Times news article. Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss spoke at the meeting.

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

ISRAEL is offering innovative solutions to help the Philippines improve water resource management and conservation.

Israel’s Agency for International Development Cooperation and the United States Agency for International Aid shared with the Philippine government and local water concessionaires in the Philippines the expertise and experience of Israel on water resource management.

“Israel invested in technology to support the growing demand and urbanization in the country,” said Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss during a recent seminar.

The technologies, he said, “were introduced together with good policies and regulations that made Israel the leading country in the world in managing the water sector.“

“From desalination to reuse of sewage, minimum loss of water and more,” the ambassador said.

“Through this seminar, we hope that the Philippines’ key implementing agencies will gain insights from the Israeli experience and adapt them to local conditions,” he added.

He noted that Israel faced challenges in water conservation and management. The Middle East is a dry area and more than 50 percent of “Israel is actually desert,” he said.

The Israeli Embassy in Manila said National Water Resources Board Director Susan Abano shared the challenges that the Philippines faces as water availability continues to fall due to rising demand.

The embassy said that engineers Rodel Rik Tumanda and Jon Michael Esteban of Maynilad and Manila Water, respectively, as well as Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System chief regulator Patrick Ty presented their perspectives on managing water scarcity.

“These were analyzed by the Israeli water delegation and presented advanced solutions to better manage the water sector of the country,” the embassy said in a statement.

“The Israeli companies highlighted Israel’s innovation and technology to inspire and encourage the Philippine water sector, businesses and local government units to invest in technologies that will help manage water sustainably,” it added.

Among the Israeli companies who presented their water technologies were ARAD Group, Atlantium, Okiana and Watergen.

For the newcomers reading this, Israel is known for innovation not only with technology and agriculture but also in water management and the development of new sources of water. Constant problems of water supply and resource handling here in the Philippines are not new anymore and the assistance we got from Israel is crucial. This is something we have to be very thankful to our Lord for and we should pray that the Philippine water stakeholders who attended the reported meeting will put into action what they learned from their Israeli counterparts so that water management in the country will be improved.

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 no matter what. 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 and enlightenment.

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