Tag: Praise the Lord

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

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/

Watch Planetshakers’ GREATER: Live At Chapel worship video and praise the Lord

Watch Planetshakers’ GREATER: Live At Chapel worship video and praise the Lord

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Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and all those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! I really love the way Planetshakers leads the praise and worship of the Lord. This past September, God blessed the Philippines with Planetshakers worship events and I am very thankful to Him as I was able to attend the September 10 worship event and got blessed in return. I was among the many thousands who attended that night and praised the Lord with Planetshakers leading the way to Him with their incredible music, the powerful prayers led by Pastor Sam Evans and dazzling lights.

Planetshakers’ return here in the Philippines was part of their Greater Asia Tour this year and their latest album is titled GREATER. For the newcomers reading this, Planetshakers is a Christian church based in Australia and their worship music team produced a lot of worship songs that became not only popular with Christians around the world but also became part of their worship of the Lord. I reviewed several Planetshakers worship songs on this website and I encourage you to take to read my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) featurearticles of their worship songs by clicking here, here, here, here, here, here and here.

Most recently, Planetshakers launched on their YouTube channel the official video of GREATER – Live At Chapel which shows them leading the worship of the Lord on-location on a mountaintop vista near Melbourne in Australia with several Planetshakers Bible College students participating. The video has several GREATER album songs played such as Beauty For Ashes, No. 1 Sound, Greater, Victory of Jesus, Move in Power, Psalm 23, Emmanuel, Heaven is My Home, It is Done, Stay (You Are Good) and Never Thirst Again.

The GREATER – Live At Chapel video on YouTube is 57 minutes long and you can watch it right here right now!

To add more emphasis about worshiping the Lord with music and a lot of heart, posted below are selected scriptures from the Holy Bible…

Go ahead—sing your new song to the Lord!

Let everyone in every language sing him a new song.

Don’t stop! Keep on singing! Make his name famous!

Tell everyone every day how wonderful he is.

Give them the good news of our great Savior.

Take the message of his glory and miracles to every nation.

Tell them about all the amazing things he has done.

For the Lord’s greatness is beyond description,

and he deserves all the praise that comes to him.

He is our King-God, and it’s right to be in holy awe of him.

Other gods are absolutely worthless.

For the Lord God is Creator-God,

who spread the splendor of the skies!

Breathtaking brilliance and awe-inspiring majesty

radiate from his shining presence.

His stunning beauty overwhelms all who come before him.

Surrender to the Lord Yahweh, all you nations and peoples.

Surrender to him all your pride and strength.

Confess that Yahweh alone deserves all the glory and honor.

Bring an offering and come celebrate in his courts.

Come worship the Lord God wearing the splendor of holiness.

Let everyone wait in wonder as they tremble in awe before him.

Tell the nations plainly that Yahweh rules over all!

He is doing a great job, and nothing will disrupt him,

for he treats everyone fair and square.

Let the skies sing for joy! Let the earth join in the chorus.

Let oceans thunder and fields echo this ecstatic praise

until every swaying tree of every forest joins in,

lifting up their songs of joyous praise to him!

For here he comes, the Lord God,

and he’s ready to judge the world.

He will do what’s right and can be trusted

to always do what’s fair.

Psalms 96:1-13 (TPT)

Planetshakers with their students worship the Lord together at this very scenic location. Pastor Sam Evans, Joth Hunt and the others are here.

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Praise God in his holy sanctuary!

Praise him in his stronghold in the sky!

Praise him for his mighty miracles!

Praise him for his magnificent greatness!

Praise him with trumpets blasting!

Praise him with piano and guitar!

Praise him with drums and dancing!

Praise him with loud clashing of cymbals!

Praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals!

Let everyone everywhere join in the crescendo

of ecstatic praise to Yahweh!

Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!

Psalms 150:1-6 (TPT)

Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; meditate on and talk of all His marvelous deeds and devoutly praise them.

Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those rejoice who seek and require the Lord [as their indispensable necessity].

Psalm 105:2-3 (AMPC)

The cross of Lord Jesus at the mountaintop. Let this image remind you to worship the Lord always and forever. Jesus is Lord and Savior of all!

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 the official music videos of worship songs related to the album GREATER. 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: New British Prime Minister Sunak is friendly towards Israel

I Love Israel: New British Prime Minister Sunak is friendly towards Israel

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Over there in England, another new British Prime Minister took office as a result of the departure of his predecessor Liz Truss who served for less than two months. The new Prime Minister is now Rishi Sunak who is notable for his public service (recently he was Chancellor of the Exchequer), his ethnicity (England’s first British Asian PM) and his friendship towards Israel. Citing external sources, CBN News recently published a news article pointing out Sunak’s recent statements about Israel’s eternal capital Jerusalem and his opposition against the wicked Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement.

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

Most of the world will focus on the economic quagmire facing new British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, as well as the internal Conservative Party tensions which could cut short his time in office at 10 Downing Street.

In Israel, though, Sunak’s earlier statements about Jerusalem and the global Boycott, Divestment & Sanctions (BDS) movement are the ones making headlines.

The Times of Israel quoted Sunak at a Conservative Friends of Israel gathering two months ago, as saying Jerusalem is “indisputably the historic capital” of Israel and that there is a “very strong case” to be made for moving Britain’s embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The UK’s youngest prime minister in 200 years also pledged to support a bill in parliament opposing BDS. He wrote in the UK Jewish News, “The Jewish community is right to call out those who seek to damage the only Jewish state in the world.”

Sunak, the nation’s first Hindu to hold the top political office, also raised his voice against the dramatic rise in anti-Semitic incidents which began more than a year ago. “This is not an issue to be equivocal about,” he said.

“Everyone across parliament and the country must take a robust position on eliminating antisemitism and I am determined to ensure this scourge on our society is eradicated,” he added.

In an interview with The Jewish Chronicle, Sunak also praised Israel as “a shining beacon of hope.”

While the new prime minister cautioned that a move of the British embassy in Israel would involve “sensitivity,” and perhaps would not be achievable immediately, his statements are reassuring to many Israelis, who have been jostled by the instability in governments around the world, including their own.

Next, watch the YouTube short video below.

For the newcomers reading this, Sunak took office as Prime Minister at a time of tremendous crisis. I’m talking about socio-economic problems going on as well as the internal tension among Sunak’s fellow Conservatives. Being Prime Minister of England means tackling endless problems that could derail the current administration’s efforts to serve the constituents and solve the problems. Sunak’s tenure as PM could end suddenly.

That being said, it is important for people to pray for their leaders and whatever your political views are, I encourage you pray for Prime Minister Sunak so that his administration can achieve solutions to help their people, and so that England’s ties with Israel will grow strong and lead to more cooperation. Pray also that England will be able to officially move its Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem!

Be thankful to the Lord that the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (UK) is friendly towards Israel and has stated to oppose the evil and destructive BDS movement. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem and always remember to love and bless the Jewish people in accordance to the Lord God! Refer to the holy scriptures posted below…

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

    “May they be secure who love you!

Peace be within your walls

    and security within your towers!”

Psalm 122:6-7 (ESV)

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)

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

I Love Israel: Israel confirms support for Ilocos Region’s mango farmers

I Love Israel: Israel confirms support for Ilocos Region’s mango farmers

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The Philippines has very delicious mangoes which can be availed in their basic fruit forms as well as other forms such as dried mango snacks, candies, juices and shakes. For mangoes to remain available for domestic and overseas consumption, the farming and production of the fruits must be maintained in good conditions in the long run and this is where the State of Israel comes in.

This past September, the State of Israel confirmed its support for farmers in the Ilocos Region as Ambassador Ilan Fluss formally visited the province of Ilocos Norte and stated they are looking forward to more cooperation specifically on mangoes, as reported by the Philippine News Agency (PNA). To say the least, mango farmers in the Ilocos Region need Israel’s expertise as they have been dealing with problems for some time now. The Ilocos Region itself is a major source of mangoes here in the Philippines.

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

The Israel government has vowed to assist Ilocos farmers to boost their productivity by sharing their innovative solutions to modern agriculture.

In his first visit to Ilocos Norte province, Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss said one of the big areas they are looking at for stronger support and longer cooperation is battling emerging diseases in mangoes and other promising crops in the region by tapping mango experts from Israel.

“We have lots of expertise in the approach. See what we can offer if I can identify good experts that can come and help in identifying the disease and solution which is not always on more and more pesticides but try different approaches to look into it and come back to the governor,” he said.

As a junior diplomat to the Philippines back in the 90s, Fluss recalled that the Israel government had introduced a training program in Guimaras then to help in exporting its mangoes to Japan.

Since 2012, the mango industry in the province has been suffering from low yield due to erratic weather patterns and disease infestation.

Ricardo Tolentino, president of the Mango Growers Association in Ilocos Norte, said a lot of mango growers continue to suffer losses due to the El Niño or the prolonged dry spell and the oversupply from other mango-producing provinces that drove prices down.

As a high-value commercial crop in the province, the Ilocos Norte government has been helping farmers rehabilitate their fruit-bearing trees and apply organic conditioners to give time for the soil to “heal.”

Grafted mango seedlings, organic fertilizers, and fruit-fly attractants are, likewise, being distributed to farmers to help boost the industry.

Based on the quarterly bulletin report of the Philippine Statistics Authority from April to June 2022, the Philippines’ mango production decreased by 3.8 percent, from 556,820 metric tons in the same quarter of 2021 to 535,430 metric tons this period.

The above article ended stating that the Ilocos Region contributed 22.5% to the total production and was the top mango producer during the 2nd quarter with more than 120 metric tons registered.

Be thankful to the Lord for this recent development of the strong ties between the Philippines and Israel. Israel itself is a world leader on agriculture and their assistance for mango farmers in Ilocos Norte comes at a very crucial time as the entire Philippines  continues to gradually recover economically and socially from the COVID-19 crisis. What is at stake here are livelihood, food production, food supply and the maintenance of mangoes in the country. Mangoes are a major product of export of the Philippines and we should be thankful to the State of Israel for their attention and support.

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

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

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

I Love Israel: The enduring partnership of Israel and the Philippines discussed

I Love Israel: The enduring partnership of Israel and the Philippines discussed

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Recently, the Manila Times had a virtual interview with Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss. Content of that interview was published online by the newspaper and it sure contains lots of details about the strong ties between Israel and the Philippines.

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

The Manila Times (TMT): Could you give us an overview of Philippine-Israeli bilateral relations? What is the direction of our bilateral relations?

Ambassador Fluss: I would like first to say that I want to congratulate The Manila Times for its anniversary — 124 years is long, many years. So, congratulations.

Generally speaking, the relations are, I would say, very good and warm. Historically, we always remember 1928, the Philippines giving a safe haven to 1,300 Jewish refugees trying to escape Nazi rule where most countries, not all countries, closed the borders for refugees.

And the Philippines during the time of President [Manuel] Quezon showed the gesture of giving the message of helping those who are in need. And it is something that we appreciate very much.

And the second thing I would mention, which is very important to us historically, is 1947 when the Philippines voted in support of the establishment of the Jewish State of Israel, voted in the United Nations. This gives the foundation for the political foundation for the establishment of the State of Israel.

For this reason, until today, Filipinos do not need a visa to enter Israel and I think this is one of the reasons why we are seeing a really very good flow of people, movement of people between our two countries because it is easier with no visa.

Hopefully, when we see direct flights between our two countries, and I am very optimistic it will happen sometime next year, I think Manila-Tel Aviv will be a very busy line.

First of all, there is always a very good sense of people feeling very comfortable, very interested, very warm to each other I think it comes from similar values — the importance of family, value of family, value of charity, of helping each other, the community, I think these are the issues that we share between our societies, our two countries.

Today, we just had a JCM, the joint committee meeting, which is an annual political meeting between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Israel and the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) here. We did an overview of the relations.

And generally, things are going well between our two countries — friendly, warm, open discussions.

TMT: In terms of trade and commerce, are there new avenues that we can explore to further enhance our economic cooperation?

Ambassador Fluss: I’ll say my vision as the Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines is to create bridges of innovation and technology between our two countries, which means one side to transfer the knowledge, what we’re doing in Israel.

Because Israel is known as a global hub of innovation. I want to share this experience and to help the Philippines in creating its own system of innovation where you can have local innovation, entrepreneurship. And to support that, I’m working on both government-level and private sector, academia, and also introducing relevant Israeli technologies that can support the development process here in the Philippines.

In this regard, we had a delegation in the Philippines last week of companies in the agricultural sector who came to a big agricultural expo in Davao, which is the “food basket of the Philippines.” We participated there. I was there in Davao last week.

There is a lot of interest in Israeli technologies and this is also part of the vision and one of the main goals of the President (Ferdinand Marcos Jr.) is enhancing agricultural productivity and food security, and we are trying to support these efforts. The State of Israel is a leader in agriculture technologies.

So, for one side the economy and trade, so more business delegations. We are also looking at another delegation coming to the Philippines on the area of water. We are also planning to have an exhibition on Israeli innovation in the Philippines, which will be presented here. We have Israeli experts to talk about Israeli innovations.

During the pandemic two years ago, the Israeli Embassy expanded and we opened a trade and economic office in the embassy which shows Israel is now investing more in promoting the relations between our two countries in this sector.

To read the rest of the interview, I encourage you all to visit https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/10/11/tmt-anniversary/ph-israel-an-enduring-partnership/1861565

Ambassador Fluss confirmed that Israel-Philippines ties are in a really good state not just diplomatically but also socially and economically. This past September, it has been confirmed that the State of Israel will assist farmers in the Ilocos Region by sharing their solutions to modern agriculture which should boost the local productivity. Ambassador Fluss visited the province of Ilocos Norte for the first time and met with the officials there.

Be thankful to the Lord as Israel-Philippines ties continue to grow stronger. As such, I encourage you all to not just read Manila Times’ interview with Ambassador Fluss but also pay close attention to the many details recorded in the interview so you can have a clear view about the state of Israel-Philippines relations. That interview is a blessing from our Lord. Keep on praying to Him to have the two nations rise high strongly and stand out among all nations of this very divided world we live in. Pray to Him that no enemy will ever succeed on opposing Israel and the Philippines. The evil ones will be exposed and will fall down in due time.

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

Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel! Israel-Philippines ties are essential!

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos plus one Philippine news video 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

Hillsong Conference 2023 set for July 3 to 5 next year

Hillsong Conference 2023 set for July 3 to 5 next year

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Hillsong Church, one of the major Christian churches in Australia, announced recently that the next edition of their popular Hillsong Conference will be held from July 3 to 5, 2023. The good news here is that people are welcome to register online for Hillsong Conference 2023 by clicking here.

To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from Hillsong’s official announcement about Hillsong Conference 2023. Some parts in boldface…

With the success of Hillsong Conference 2022 including over 300 decisions for Christ, 49 nations represented in person and online, and an amazing atmosphere of worship and Spirit-inspired preaching, we are excited to announce that we have dates for Hillsong Conference next year on Monday 3rd – Wednesday 5th July.

2023 conference theme is, Again to our First Love.

This is a new era for Hillsong Conference, and with this in mind we asked for your thoughts on how we can best take the conference forward in the most relevant and meaningful way. A huge thank you to those who participated and provided valuable feedback to help us move forward in strength and with relevance. Survey results were particularly useful as a window into the specific areas of delegates’ interests. This information helps us to focus and refine our direction.

The results revealed approximately 60% of those surveyed want to keep Hillsong Conference in July and for the same length of time. 2022 was attended in the majority (75%) by members of Hillsong Church and 25% from other churches – in keeping with our mandate to champion the cause of the local church. Many of those who attend, do so to hear the speakers and experience corporate worship. Over 65% of those who responded to the survey said their areas of interest were leadership and creative, although almost 25% expressed other areas such as evangelism, the Holy Spirit, theology, and biblical learning, plus areas of social and family support, among others. Feedback on the availability of streaming services and interactive live sessions was very positive, with 75% saying they were open or interested.

In relation to the above announcement, check out this official promo video about Hillsong Conference 2023.

For the newcomers reading this, Hillsong Conference is a very popular and long-running annual worship and Bible-focused event of Hillsong Church. The local church where I attend regularly has pastors who were sent to attend Hillsong Conferences years ago and what they learned was not only valuable but also anointed by the Lord. Hillsong Conference undeniably helps worship leaders from around the world gain insight on worshiping the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and leading more people to the Lord.

To see the official photos of Hillsong Conference 2022, click here. To register early for Hillsong Conference 2023, go to https://hillsong.com/conference/

Let me end this post with the bible scriptures below.

Lord Almighty, you are the one who created all the nations. Look at them—they’re all on their way! Yes, the day will come when they all will worship you and put your glory on display.

Psalms 86:9 (TPT)

O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and supplication].

Psalm 95:6 (AMPC)

Beloved friends, what does all this imply? When you conduct your meetings, you should always let everything be done to build up the church family. Whether you share a song of praise, a teaching, a divine revelation, or a tongue and interpretation, let each one contribute what strengthens others.

1 Corinthians 14:26 (TPT)

Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

Colossians 3:17 (NASB)

Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Psalm 100:3 (AMPC)

That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.

Ephesians 2:19-22 (MSG)

Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you. Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!

Ephesians 6:10-11 (TPT)

For more about Hillsong Church, visit https://hillsong.com/ and their official YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/hillsong

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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/

I Love Israel: Israel to engage more with the Philippines on agriculture, cyber security and other matters

I Love Israel: Israel to engage more with the Philippines on agriculture, cyber security and other matters

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Following the news about the Israel-produced fast-attack interdiction craft-missiles (FAIC-Ms) boosting the Philippine Navy’s ability to protect the nation’s littoral zones, Israel announced that it wants to cooperate more with the Philippines specifically on agriculture, cyber security and more, according to an article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

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

Israel wants to increase cooperation with the Philippines on agriculture, cybersecurity, and other areas of mutual interest after the two countries cap their 12th Joint Commission Meeting this week.

The political dialogue, held in Manila on Sept. 5, was led by Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Alfonso Ver and Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs Deputy Director General for Asia and the Pacific Rafael Harpaz.

“The Israeli delegation emphasized building bridges of innovations between the two countries in the areas of agritech, watertech, cybersecurity, ICT and connectivity, and more. Also included in the agenda is the topic of counterterrorism and the expansion of the defense cooperation between Israel with the Philippines,” the Israel Embassy in Manila said in a statement.

The delegations also discussed regional and international developments, particularly in the Middle East, Iran, and the West Philippine Sea.

On agriculture, Israel Ambassador Ilan Fluss said Israel would share with the Philippines its expertise as the two sides discussed solar-powered irrigation, increasing dairy output, as well as Israel’s agriculture internship for Filipinos.

“We are happy to share our expertise in the field of agriculture with the Philippines to address productivity and food security,” he said, citing a recent meeting with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who sought to enhance agriculture cooperation with Israel.

Be thankful to the Lord as Israel-Philippines ties continue to grow stronger. Israel’s willingness to engage with the Philippines on agriculture and cyber security is essential. More than ever, Philippine agriculture needs to improve dramatically not just to keep up with the world but also to ensure a huge and stable supply of food for the people. Enhancing cyber security will make the Philippines more secure and also become a more attractive and safer place for technology developers, foreign investors and the like. Keep on praying to Him to have the two nations rise high strongly and stand out among all nations of this very divided world we live in. Pray to Him that no enemy will ever succeed on opposing Israel and the Philippines. The evil ones will be exposed and will fall down in due time.

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

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

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

I Love Israel: Missile boats from Israel will boost Philippine Navy’s defense of littoral zones

I Love Israel: Missile boats from Israel will boost Philippine Navy’s defense of littoral zones

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The Philippines’ defense of its littoral zones will be strengthened thanks to the newly acquired fast-attack interdiction craft-missiles (FAIC-Ms) from Israel for the Philippine Navy’s use, according to an announcement published through the Philippine News Agency (PNA). Be aware that this is not the first time that military hardware made by Israelites will be used to enhance the defense operations of the Philippines.

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

The newly-acquired fast-attack interdiction craft-missiles (FAIC-Ms) will boost the Philippine Navy’s (PN) capability to protect the country’s littoral zones.

The littoral or nearshore is the part of a sea, lake, or river that is close to the shore.

“These ships could be deployed to patrol and protect our littorals from any possible threats,” PN spokesperson Commander Benjo Negranza said in an interview with the Philippine News Agency Tuesday.

Other possible missions of these ships will be determined by the leadership of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), he added.

The BRP Nestor Acero (PG-901) and BRP Lolinato To-Ong (PG-902), which were formally christened in rites at the PN headquarters in Manila on Tuesday, are the first two out of the nine FAICS-Ms acquired by the Philippines from Israel Shipyards Limited for PHP10 billion.

These vessels are named after two Philippine Marine Corps heroes and Medal of Valor recipients — the late Private First Class Nestor Acero and the late 1st Lt. Lolinato To-Ong.

“This acquisition aims to strengthen the country’s naval capability in terms of enhancing littoral defense and maritime interdiction operations as it will complement the previously acquired 12 MPAC (multi-purpose attack craft) of the PN,” Negranza said.

These two FAIC-Ms were sponsored by Soledad B. Bacarro, the wife of AFP chief-of-staff Lt.Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro.

The two vessels were loaded aboard a cargo ship and departed Haifa, Israel in late August. These vessels were formally launched last June 26.

Three more vessels are scheduled to be delivered starting this year while the remaining four units will be constructed at the PN shipyard in Naval Station Pascual Ledesma in Cavite City.

These 32-meter high-speed vessels are equipped with quick intercept ability, remote stabilized weapons, and short-range missiles that are capable to deliver precision strikes against larger hostiles and high-value targets on land and sea.

Four of the FAIC-Ms will be armed with non-line-of-sight (NLOS) missiles with pinpoint accuracy and a range of 25 kilometers while the other four will be armed with machine guns and light automatic cannons.

The acquisition of eight FAIC-M units is among the 2019 projects approved by former President Rodrigo Duterte under the Horizon 2 List of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program.

The notice of award for the FAIC-M project, worth around PHP10 billion, was issued on January 5 last year.

These are expected to replace the force of patrol killer medium (PKM) or medium-sized patrol craft.

Be thankful to the Lord as Israel-Philippines ties continue to grow stronger through military and defense-related matters. The Philippines has a lot of work to do to enhance national defense and that means we must pray to our Lord for the national defense goals to be fulfilled. The newly acquired FAIC-M units from Israel are the newest blessings for the Philippines. Keep on praying to Him to have the two nations rise high strongly and stand out among all nations of this very divided world we live in. Pray to Him that no enemy will ever succeed on opposing Israel and the Philippines. The evil ones will be exposed and will fall down in due time.

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

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

In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos plus Philippine news 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

Christian Music Appreciation: Running

Christian Music Appreciation: Running

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

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

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

VERSE 1

Who You are is holy

Nothing in this world compares

Hidden in Your glory

Are treasures far beyond compare

PRE-CHORUS

Beauty on beauty, wonder on wonder

Lord there’s none like You

Closer and closer, You draw me in so

I will run to You

CHORUS

I’m running, running to You

I’m longing, longing for You

I’m pouring, my affection on You

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

VERSE 2

Who You are is worthy

All creation bows to You

All You do is perfect

Every word is proven true

BRIDGE

Holy, holy Lord almighty

There is none like You

Worthy, worthy, You are worthy

There is none like You

TAG

All I want is You

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

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

No one is holy like the Lord,

For there is none besides You,

Nor is there any rock like our God.

1 Samuel 2:2 (NKJV)

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

Psalms 99:9 (TPT)

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

Hebrews 1:3-4 (NASB)

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

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

There is none like You, Lord;

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

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

For it is Your due!

For among all the wise men of the nations

And in all their kingdoms,

There is none like You.

Jeremiah 10:6-7 (NASB)

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

1 Chronicles 16:25 (AMPC)

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

Ezekiel 36:23 (NASB)

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

Matthew 11:28-30 (MSG)

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

John 6:37 (TPT)

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

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

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

Hebrews 4:14-16 (MSG)

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

Psalms 86:5 (TPT)

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

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

John 14:6-7 (AMPC)

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

John 14:23 (TPT)

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

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

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

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

Romans 5:8 (NASB)

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

Psalms 36:5 (TPT)

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

John 3:17 (AMPC)

Nevertheless in Your great mercy

You did not utterly consume them nor forsake them;

For You are God, gracious and merciful.

Nehemiah 9:31 (NKJV)

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

Genesis 12:2 (AMPC)

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

Psalm 126:3 (AMPC)

Because Your lovingkindness is better than life,

My lips shall praise You.

Thus I will bless You while I live;

I will lift up my hands in Your name.

Psalm 63:3-4 (NKJV)

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

Psalm 95:1-6 (TPT)

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

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

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