I am delighted over the news that the Army here in the Philippines acquired high-tech military equipment in the form of armored mortar carriers (AMC) which were made by the Israel-based company Elbit Systems, according to a report by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
Elbit Systems is an international high technology company engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world, primarily in the defense and homeland security arenas. They develop and supply a broad portfolio of airborne, land and naval systems and products for defense, homeland security and commercial applications. The company’s systems and products are installed on new platforms, and they also perform comprehensive platform modernization programs. A range of support services are also provided.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Philippine News Agency. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine Army’s (PA) Armor Division got a much-needed firepower boost with the delivery of 15 M125A2 armored mortar carriers (AMCs), which are equipped with 120mm mounted mortar systems (MMS).
PA spokesperson, Col. Xerxes Trinidad, said the AMCs were delivered on December 29 and were sourced from the Israeli firm Elbit Systems.
“The newly delivered 15 AMCs are for inspection within the first quarter of the year by the Technical Inspection and Acceptance Committee before acceptance and (deployment) to the Army’s field units,” Trinidad said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Monday night.
The AMCs are under Horizon Two of the Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program and acquired under the Army’s mounted mortar acquisition project.
“The new AMCs are part of the PA’s modernization project that will capacitate the country’s land force’s credible defense posture from various threats, local and international,” he said.
The Cardom 120mm recoil mortar system mounted on the M125A2 AMC is an autonomous, computerized system that has a range of 7,000 meters and a maximum fire rate of 16 rounds per minute operated by four crewmen.
The AMCs with MMS are used by the US Army, Israeli Defense Force, and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.
Meanwhile, PA chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., welcomed the arrival of the AMCs as he waits for its formal acceptance, noting that these deliveries are in line with the Army’s thrusts on enhancing the capabilities of its ground forces.
“These new armor assets will bolster the Army’s capability to deal with constantly evolving threats. With the realization of upcoming big-ticket modernization projects, the Philippine Army is on track to becoming a formidable and adaptive force capable of responding to a multitude of conventional and unconventional threats,” he said.
Armor Division commander, Maj. Gen. Efren Baluyot, said the new assets would provide close and immediate indirect fire support for maneuver units while quickly deploying in tactical situations.
Once those AMCs get cleared and start getting operated officially, they will surely enhance the Philippine Army’s (PA) operations especially in battles against the Leftist rebels and terrorists within the country.
We should all be thankful to God that our nation has a very essential partner and close friend in Israel which has helped Filipinos a lot in different ways such as the sharing expertise on COVID-19, cooperating on defense, having Filipinos in Israel vaccinated for COVID-19 and providing essential relief to typhoon victims. More on this particular development, it is great to see the Philippine Army acquiring military hardware from Elbit Systems which itself is highly credible not only with its business record and advanced military technologies, but also because they provided military hardware to Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other nations. I should also state that Israel is home to many high-tech companies which is something that the mainstream media does not even care to cover.
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.
In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
Happy New Year to all of you my readers wherever you are! The year is now twenty twenty-two (2022). During the past year, the pandemic of COVID-19 still impacted everyone around the world but thanks to our Lord, breakthroughs happened and humanity (no matter how divided) moved on.
2021 is notable with the release of COVID-19 vaccines which were injected into many people globally and along the way there were signs of economic growth confirming socio-economic recovery is real and going on right now. Along the way, more venues of churches reopened and even though there were specific limits on capacity, more people returned to those said venues to worship God, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit together. As I mentioned last year, no matter what happens, we must never lose faith in the Lord. It is only He who can protect us, lift us up, restore us and bless us. Also do not forget to thank God for the blessings and breakthroughs that happened in your lives. With God, nothing is impossible!
For this website, which has lasted almost three years now, I am delighted to share to you all that for the calendar year of 2021, www.CarloCarrasco.com registered around 285,000 hits (page views) and was visited by more than 205,000 users! Both figures are improvements over the 2020 numbers! More on the 2021 website hits, the single biggest source among nations is my native Philippines with more than 104,000 followed by India with over 76,000, Brazil with almost 16,000, the United States with more than 12,000 and Egypt with over 11,000. In terms of lifetime statistics (since January 4, 2019), this website has registered more than 645,000 hits worldwide!
2021 is also the record year of publishing new posts through this website with 594 which had a mix of faith articles, Christian Music Appreciation pieces, retro entertainment reviews, press releases, news-related pieces and more. I should state that two new series of articles composed of “Better than Streaming” and “I Love Israel” were notable additions not just for the variety of posts of this website but also for the enlightenment of the readers.
Considering all the website achievements and other blessings of 2021, I am very thankful to the Lord and I also declare my deep thanks to you my readers, to my business partners who kept trusting me and my publishing outfit, to the stakeholders among the different units of authority (from local government units to the homeowners associations), to the pastors and preachers of different churches of Lord Jesus, to the special people and organizations who agreed to be featured on my website in exclusive articles, and to others who trusted me.
In ending this piece, I invite all of you to join me in praying to our Lord with the following holy scriptures from the Bible. Let us all look forward to the new year living on with unwavering faith in the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit!
For this reason I bend my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner self, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled to all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21 (NASB)
The Lord is my shepherd,
I will not be in need.
He lets me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul;
He guides me in the paths of righteousness
For the sake of His name.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I fear no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You have anointed my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Certainly goodness and faithfulness will follow me all the days of my life,
And my dwelling will be in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:1-6 (NASB)
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4 (NKJV)
If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
John 15:7 (NKJV)
Once again, Happy New Year to all of you and always remember that you are loved by the Lord!
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Note: Cover photo of this article was sourced from Parade.com
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
The ties between Israel and the Philippines continued to strengthen as the Jewish State provided very valuable assistance to victims of Typhoon Odette. The Typhoon Odette-related matters between the two nations did not end there, however, as Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss announced that discussions are being made with regards to providing long-term response connected to the ongoing relief operations, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin article. Some parts in boldface…
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss announced that his group is now “in discussion” with the Philippine government on how to provide a “long-term response” amid the ongoing relief operations after the devastation of typhoon Odette.
“Now we are in discussions with the government here – what should be long term response?” Fluss said during a televised interview on Monday, Dec. 27.
The Israeli diplomat also said that the Israeli Embassy has joined hands with Israeli civil society, which has already seen the devastation, to help in the relief efforts in heavily-affected areas in the country.
“There are already some Israeli NGOs (non-government organizations) that have started working here and then will stay here also for the long run and we are supporting them and we’re doing this in coordination between us at the embassy and the Israeli government and Israeli NGOs and civil society so we’ll be here to stay,” Fluss said.
When the Philippine government was racing to reach out to affected areas after the onslaught of the deadly typhoon, Israel was among the foreign countries that immediately sent help to typhoon victims.
Fluss said they sent some food, hygiene kits, rice and solar panels to create energy, water purification systems to Cebu, Bohol and Siargao.
“This was very important for us to show the sympathy and the close relations and we care about the Philippines and what is happening here,” the ambassador said. “We are now looking how to continue for the longer run we are going to continue working.”
On the medical side, Fluss further said that they are working with Philippine hospitals in rebuilding some of the medical facilities that were damaged by the typhoon.
He also encouraged Filipinos to “keep the spirit, keep strong and still mark-up challenging times in front of us” in dealing with the impacts of both the typhoon and the coronavirus pandemic.
While enemies like Iran and Palestine have not given anything to help the typhoon victims as of this writing, Israel’s dedication to help Filipinos is transparent, genuine and solid. The ambassador also announced that all Filipinos staying in Israel got vaccinated for COVID-19. We should give thanks and praise to our Lord for these very important developments involving the Jewish State and we Filipinos can return the favor by helping the Israelites wholeheartedly. We can stand with Israel and protect it from its enemies.
If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful (not religious), you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel, love the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. You can do your part supporting Israel by donating to Christians United for Israel (CUFI). Do not forget to read the Holy Bible, then pray in tongues to the Lord in the privacy of your room with the door shut.
In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure.
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
Merry Christmas to all of you readers and my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! It is Christmas time once again and that only means that we must keep honoring, thanking, remembering and praising Jesus for He is our Lord and Savior sent by the Heavenly Father.
Previously I blogged that Christmas has always been about Lord Jesus and this new faith piece I am writing is a follow-up to that. In this very divided and screwed-up world we live in, it is simply too easy for people to celebrate Christmas without prioritizing Lord Jesus at all. There are some, knowingly or unknowingly, who celebrate while forgetting or even disregarding Lord Jesus. And there are some who celebrate Christmas in a rather covetous manner, making material gains the top priority of the season instead of prioritizing the Lord. There are also others who celebrate Christmas without Lord Jesus as they were influenced by the works of entertainers who organized or published these so-called Christmas specials with unholy influences. In many cultures around the world, the fictional Santa Claus became the figure of the season instead of the Lord Himself. Christmas is to be celebrated with Lord Jesus first and foremost! To rejoice with Lord Jesus every Christmas season is the definitive way of celebrating the very season!
To understand the truth that Lord Jesus is the definitive reason of Christmas, let’s go to the Holy Bible with the following holy scriptures below…
Yes, all kings shall fall down before Him;
All nations shall serve Him.
Psalm 72:11 (NKJV)
For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)
Listen! A virgin will be pregnant, she will give birth to a Son, and he will be known as “Emmanuel,” which means in Hebrew, “God became one of us.”
Matthew 1:23 (TPT)
During the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, the angel Gabriel was sent from God’s presence to an unmarried girl named Mary, living in Nazareth, a village in Galilee. She was engaged to a man named Joseph, a true descendant of King David. Gabriel appeared to her and said, “Rejoice, beloved young woman, for the Lord is with you and you are anointed with great favor.”
Mary was deeply troubled over the words of the angel and bewildered over what this may mean for her. But the angel reassured her, saying, “Do not yield to your fear, Mary, for the Lord has found delight in you and has chosen to surprise you with a wonderful gift. You will become pregnant with a baby boy, and you are to name him Jesus. He will be supreme and will be known as the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God will enthrone him as King on the throne of his ancestor David. He will reign as King of Israel forever, and his reign will have no limit.”
Mary said, “But how could this happen? I am still a virgin!”
Gabriel answered, “The Spirit of Holiness will fall upon you and almighty God will spread his shadow of power over you in a cloud of glory! This is why the child born to you will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God. What’s more, your aged aunt, Elizabeth, has also become pregnant with a son. The ‘barren one’ is now in her sixth month. Not one promise from God is empty of power. Nothing is impossible with God!”
Then Mary responded, saying, “Yes! I will be a mother for the Lord! As his servant, I accept whatever he has for me. May everything you have told me come to pass.” And the angel left her.
Luke 1:26-38 (TPT)
And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.
Luke 2:7 (ESV)
As seen above, the prophecy of the birth of Lord Jesus was recorded in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Psalm 72:11 and Isaiah 9:6 are just a few of many references to His birth. God our creator and Heavenly Father already made a plan to save all souls and bring to them peace, wisdom, love and salvation. The prophecy of Jesus’ birth continued in the New Testament and Matthew 1:23 is just one recorded reference.
As recorded in Luke 1:26-38, an angel from God came to Mary and told her she was anointed her with great favor and that she will be pregnant with none other than the Heavenly Father’s own son Jesus. Out of faith, Mary overcame the initial uncertainty (her being a virgin) and accepted her destiny to be God’s instrument on taking care of Jesus whose birth was nearing. Think about that very carefully! Imagine yourselves being approached by God and knowing how faithful you are to Him, He would approach you and trust you to follow His command and that His plans for you are always good. That being said, doubts and fear should easily be set aside to follow God’s command and be a part of His plan manifesting here on Earth. Faith in the Lord truly makes tremendous, positive changes happen! To serve the Lord with deep faith in Him is always an honor!
As recorded in Luke 2:7, Mary, who was accompanied by her husband Joseph, gave birth to the infant Jesus even without the privacy and comfort of an inn. People back then also had to live under the shadow of uncertainty and death in connection to the rules of the time. No matter how difficult their situation was, the birth of our Lord happened! There was no luck nor coincidence involved at all! The birth of Lord Jesus happened according to God’s plan! It was destiny realized with God’s favor!
More on the birth of Lord Jesus and His being the reason of Christmas, pay close attention to the following holy scriptures below…
Jesus was born in Bethlehem near Jerusalem during the reign of King Herod. After Jesus’ birth a group of spiritual priests from the East came to Jerusalem and inquired of the people, “Where is the child who is born king of the Jewish people? We observed his star rising in the sky and we’ve come to bow before him in worship.”
King Herod was shaken to the core when he heard this, and not only he, but all of Jerusalem was disturbed when they heard this news. So he called a meeting of the Jewish ruling priests and religious scholars, demanding that they tell him where the promised Messiah was prophesied to be born.
“He will be born in Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,” they told him. “Because the prophecy states:
And you, little Bethlehem,
are not insignificant among the clans of Judah,
for out of you will emerge
the Shepherd-King of my people Israel!”
Then Herod secretly summoned the spiritual priests from the East to ascertain the exact time the star first appeared. 8 And he told them, “Now go to Bethlehem and carefully look there for the child, and when you’ve found him, report to me so that I can go and bow down and worship him too.”
And on their way to Bethlehem, the same star they had seen in the East suddenly reappeared! Amazed, they watched as it went ahead of them and stopped directly over the place where the child was. And when they saw the star, they were so ecstatic that they shouted and celebrated with unrestrained joy. When they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, they fell to the ground at his feet and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasure chests full of gifts and presented him with gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Afterward they returned to their own country by another route because God had warned them in a dream not to go back to Herod.
Matthew 2:1-12 (TPT)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 3:16 (NKJV)
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NLT)
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (ESV)
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 (NASB)
For here is the way God loved the world—he gave his only, unique Son as a gift. So now everyone who believes in him will never perish but experience everlasting life.
John 3:16 (TPT)
For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5 (NKJV)
With this in mind, we constantly pray that our God will empower you to live worthy of all that he has invited you to experience. And we pray that by his power all the pleasures of goodness and all works inspired by faith would fill you completely. By doing this the name of our Lord Jesus will be glorified in you, and you will be glorified in him, by the marvelous grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 (TPT)
As Christians and children of God, we must always remember and live with the truth that our Lord and Savior Jesus is truly the reason for Christmas. No matter how savage or uncertain this world is right now, we must never lose faith in the Lord and it is only the Lord who can lift us up when we fall down. It is only He who can restore us, bless us and pave the way for us. The birth of Jesus has always been a key part of God’s plan for us all! The Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit love us all and we simply have to do our parts and responsibilities as members of the Body of Christ and the spiritual family (God’s family). That being said, celebrating Christmas with our Lord Jesus is the true way of celebrating the season.
From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been persecuting Israel while supporting the terrorist-sponsored Palestinians and the wicked BDS movement? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord ? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Have you been condemning churches and people of faith for a long time now? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Have been a Planned Parenthood supporter or activist? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft? All of that darkness can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!
There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!). Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.
Thank you for reading. If you find this Christian article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing the love of Christ can make a tremendously positive difference with others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
Since early 1973, the unholy and murderous act of abortion became legal in the United States of America as a result of the highly controversial Supreme Court decision referred to as Roe v. Wade. Since that time, many millions of unborn babies were killed and to this day the issue of abortion remains highly divisive among Americans.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the detailed report of CBN News. Some parts in boldface…
Constitutional experts were glued to the Supreme Court’s oral arguments Wednesday, looking for any clues as to how the justices might rule in a case that’s considered the biggest challenge to Roe v. Wade in decades.
And the six conservative-leaning justices appear poised to uphold the Mississippi law that bans abortions at 15 weeks of pregnancy. They could even take it a step further, which would mean overturning the so-called national right to abortion created under the landmark Roe case in 1973.
The Mississippi Solicitor General Scott Stewart argued that the high court should get out of the business of crafting abortion policy and return the issue to the state legislatures to decide.
“Nowhere else does this court recognize a right to end a human life,” said Stewart. “The Constitution places its trust on the people… on hard issue after hard issue, the people make this country work. Abortion is a hard issue. It demands the best from all of us. Not a judgment by just a few of us.”
In Roe v. Wade, the Court declared that a right to abortion can be found within the right to privacy, stemming from the 14th Amendment.
But Stewart argued that the so-called right to abortion is not constitutional.
“A right to abortion is not grounded in the text,” said Stewart. “It’s grounded in abstract concepts.“
If the justices rule in favor of the Mississippi law it would undermine Roe, and if they overrule Roe it would break with precedent.
It’s why much of the arguments focused on the legal principle of “stare decisis,” and whether or not this is the moment to make such a dramatic change.
Some of the liberal justices worried aloud about the country’s trust if the new conservative majority leads the high court to reverse course.
“Will this institution survive the stench that this creates in the public perception that the Constitution and its reading are just political acts,” said Justice Sonia Sotomayor. “I don’t see how it’s possible.”
“They’re going to be ready to say, ‘You’re just political, You’re just politicians.’ And that’s what kills us, as an American institution,” Justice Stephen Breyer argued.
Center for Reproductive Rights Director Julie Rikelman defended Roe before the court, arguing primarily that abortion is about women’s “liberty”.
“For a state to take control of a woman’s body and demand that she go through pregnancy and childbirth with all the physical risks and life-altering consequences that that brings is a fundamental deprivation of her liberty,” said Rikelman.
Justice Sotomayor asked about impoverished women who suffer medical complications with unwanted pregnancies.
Stewart responded that both the mother’s and child’s interests are important and so the states should be allowed to decide such a complicated issue in which two lives are at stake.
Justice Amy Barrett also noted that women with unwanted pregnancies have the option of adoption thanks to safe-haven laws.
“Why don’t safe haven laws take care of that problem,” asked Barrett. “That would answer the reliance concern.”
Rikelman contended that women have come to rely on abortion, and need it for success in education and work.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh pursued questions relating to neutrality and said the Court shouldn’t be forced to pick sides.
“Many say the Constitution is neither pro-life nor pro-abortion and should be left to the state or the Congress and that the court should be scrupulously neutral because the Constitution doesn’t give us the authority,” Kavanaugh said.
The above news ended stating that a decision from the Supreme Court won’t be known until June-July 2022. For more insight on this, watch the related news video posted below.
Pray for victory over abortion not only in America but also for the rest of the world
Abortion is truly unholy as it is clearly more about taking life away from the unborn. Never let the Satanic Left and its pawns (abortionists, radical feminists, socialists, Communists, Marxists, liberals, secularists, atheists, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, the “My Body My Choice” fanatics and others) fool you! Abortion is absolutely not part of liberty and certainly not about freedom at all…it is a rebellious act against God who Himself made plans for each and every person long before they were even born here on this very divided world. Abortion is murder and there is no denying that! Abortion itself increased immorality in America and caused disruptions and division on countless families it affected. Abortion is truly evil. Learn from the following scriptures below…
You shall not murder.
Exodus 20:13 (NKJV)
There are six evils God truly hates
and a seventh that is an abomination to him:
Putting others down while considering yourself superior,
spreading lies and rumors,
spilling the blood of the innocent,
plotting evil in your heart toward another,
gloating over doing what’s plainly wrong,
spouting lies in false testimony,
and stirring up strife between friends.
These are entirely despicable to God!
Proverbs 6:16-19 (TPT)
I was cast upon You from birth.
From My mother’s womb
You have been My God.
Psalm 22:10(NKJV)
The Lord gave me this message:
“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”
Jeremiah 1:5 (NLT)
For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
Psalm 139:13-16 (NKJV)
Children are God’s love-gift; they are heaven’s generous reward.
Children born to a young couple will one day rise to protect
and provide for their parents.
Happy will be the couple who has many of them!
A household full of children will not bring shame on your name
but victory when you face your enemies,
for your offspring will have influence and honor
to prevail on your behalf!
Psalm 127:3-5 (TPT)
With the fate of abortion rights in America on the balance, now is the time for us all to pray to our Lord to enlighten the Supreme Court justices so they will vote decisively to uphold Mississippi’s law and strike down Roe v. Wade once and for all! It does not matter if you are a citizen of the United States or not. What matters is you are a faithful child of the Lord, you faithfully follow His Word and you can help Him save the unborn from certain death. Overturning Roe v. Wade will also be a major push back against the Satanic Left and their members, including the most radical abortionists, will realize their errors, come to Jesus to repent and submit themselves to Him. Pray to the Lord that nationwide legalized abortion in America will end and pray that the followers of Satan will decide to leave him behind, stop being evil and come to our Lord for forgiveness and salvation. Do not cease praying to our Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit for the breakthrough! Live on with unwavering faith in the Lord!
From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Are you frustrated with religion? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool and abused you? Were you victimized by a religious zealot? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still prioritizing addictions to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements over the Lord ? Have you been causing trouble as a social justice warrior (SJW)? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Have been a Planned Parenthood supporter or activist? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt? Have been practicing sorcery and witchcraft? All of that darkness can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! Glorify only the Lord!
There is no force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from my first pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
With your new life realized, make an effort to get yourself copy of the Holy Bible (start with New King James Version), study it and apply its lessons into your life no matter what situation you are in right now. I also recommend you to join a local Christian church that God has chosen for you (note: ask Him for a local church!) and find your place in the spiritual family (God’s family!). Be planted when the Lord shows you the way! Worship the Lord together with them and always remember that faith, not religion, is essential in your personal relationship with God. When you are at home, be in your room with the door shut and have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. On a personal level, practice Christian Habits in reference to what I published here and here. Remember the truth that God rewards the faithful abundantly and continue to be people of the Word. Declare your love for Him as well!
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion at all. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
News about the new and more infectious coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 – also referred to as the Omicron variant – that reportedly originated in South Africa dominated the news cycles this past weekend and already the authorities here in the Philippines are monitoring it, according to a recent Philippine News Agency (PNA) report.
Before proceeding with the PNA’s news report, let’s take a close look as to what exactly is coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 or Omicron variant according to the World Health Organization (WHO) which published an article (published November 26, 2021) about it. The excerpt is pasted below and some parts in boldface…
The B.1.1.529 variant was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021. The epidemiological situation in South Africa has been characterized by three distinct peaks in reported cases, the latest of which was predominantly the Delta variant. In recent weeks, infections have increased steeply, coinciding with the detection of B.1.1.529 variant. The first known confirmed B.1.1.529 infection was from a specimen collected on 9 November 2021.
This variant has a large number of mutations, some of which are concerning. Preliminary evidence suggests an increased risk of reinfection with this variant, as compared to other VOCs. The number of cases of this variant appears to be increasing in almost all provinces in South Africa. Current SARS-CoV-2 PCR diagnostics continue to detect this variant. Several labs have indicated that for one widely used PCR test, one of the three target genes is not detected (called S gene dropout or S gene target failure) and this test can therefore be used as marker for this variant, pending sequencing confirmation. Using this approach, this variant has been detected at faster rates than previous surges in infection, suggesting that this variant may have a growth advantage.
There are a number of studies underway and the TAG-VE will continue to evaluate this variant. WHO will communicate new findings with Member States and to the public as needed.
Based on the evidence presented indicative of a detrimental change in COVID-19 epidemiology, the TAG-VE has advised WHO that this variant should be designated as a VOC, and the WHO has designated B.1.1.529 as a VOC, named Omicron.
As such, countries are asked to do the following:
enhance surveillance and sequencing efforts to better understand circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants.
submit complete genome sequences and associated metadata to a publicly available database, such as GISAID.
report initial cases/clusters associated with VOC infection to WHO through the IHR mechanism.
where capacity exists and in coordination with the international community, perform field investigations and laboratory assessments to improve understanding of the potential impacts of the VOC on COVID-19 epidemiology, severity, effectiveness of public health and social measures, diagnostic methods, immune responses, antibody neutralization, or other relevant characteristics.
Individuals are reminded to take measures to reduce their risk of COVID-19, including proven public health and social measures such as wearing well-fitting masks, hand hygiene, physical distancing, improving ventilation of indoor spaces, avoiding crowded spaces, and getting vaccinated.
As mentioned earlier, the Philippines is paying close attention to the Omicron variant. To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippine government is monitoring the new coronavirus variant B.1.1.529 that already has cases in South Africa, acting Presidential spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Friday.
During the Palace briefing, Nograles said members of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) and the Department of Health (DOH) are widely aware of the variant described by experts as “heavily mutated”.
“We are monitoring — intently monitoring — itong situation na ito. Patuloy pa rin po ang ginagwa nating (We are monitoring — intently monitoring — this situation. We continue to conduct our) genomic surveillance on the ground,” Nograles said in an interview.
He added the government is constantly exchanging information with the World Health Organization about the possible threat of the newly detected variant.
“We are waiting their advisories kung ito bang variant na ito (if this variant) is considered a variant of interest or a variant of concern,” Nograles said.
Dana Krizia Sandoval, spokesperson of the Bureau of Immigration, said in another interview that various systems are in place once the IATF sees the need to adjust the travel restrictions caused by emerging Covid-19 variants.
“Kapag may directive po ang IATF na kailangan pong baguhin, immediately po kaya po nating i-implement and we have the sufficient manpower naman po para tugunan po itong mga pangangailangan na ito (Once the IATF gives its directive to change it, we will immediately implement it and we have sufficient manpower to augment these needs),” she added.
Sandoval said they are strictly enforcing health protocols and social distancing measures in all entry and exit points to make sure that travelers are safe when passing through the immigration area.
The above report ended stating that there have been confirmed cases of Omicron variant in South Africa, Botswana, and Hong Kong.
While the Omicron news published are scary and unsettling to learn about, it should be noted that there are still ways for the Philippines to prevent the new variant from entering the country even though the national authorities are constantly working as people of different nationalities enter, exit or pass through our nation via air travel.
As the Omicron variant was found to be much more infectious than the previous variants of coronavirus, now is a much more crucial time for every unvaccinated person here in the Philippines to go out and get vaccinated. That being said, the patients who are due for a 2nd dose of their vaccine should contact the local authorities to ask when will they be scheduled for the 2nd shot. As for the fully vaccinated, watch out for updates about the release of booster shots for more patients apart from the already receiving senior citizens, the health workers and immunocompromised. For anyone vaccinated already enjoying the added freedom of movement and the ongoing revival of businesses under Metro Manila’s Alert Level 2 status (extended to November 30, 2021), always maintain caution by following health protocols.
As the many secular and liberal media outlets around the world enjoy publishing scary news about Omicron, we who believe in Lord Jesus should not panic nor allow ourselves to be crushed by fear. For His protection, I urge you all to pray to Him with Psalm 91 in the Holy Bible. Maintain unwavering faith in the Lord no matter what.
+++++
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me with a private message. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me on Twitter at @HavenorFantasy as well as on Tumblr at https://carlocarrasco.tumblr.com/
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and all those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! There is something new and exciting to help you keep worshiping the Lord with and that is none other than the brand-new album of Planetshakers Church (Australia) titled REVIVAL!
REVIVAL was recently released and people around the world can avail of it through multiple online venues such as Planetshakers’ official YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and Deezer.
To understand REVIVAL more, posted below is the excerpt from Planetshakers’ official announcement. Some parts in boldface…
As the world faces one of its most challenging predicaments and the church globally faces restrictions in the free world that are surprising, to say the least, God declared over Planetshakers, as a movement, ‘REVIVAL!’
REVIVAL, the album was recorded live during the Planetshakers REVIVAL Conference held in Melbourne, Australia, during a brief break in the pandemic lockdowns.
“He then opened up a window of opportunity for us to join together as a church to hold REVIVAL Conference…It was raw, emotional and powerful! In the midst of restriction, God was not restricted. He moved in healing power—restoring, renewing, reviving.” exclaims Worship Leader and Pastor Sam Evans.
A view of the REVIVAL conference of Planetshakers and their unwavering worship of the Lord.
Capturing the pent-up, heartfelt roar of praise and worship that erupted during the conference, in perhaps the most raw live recording ever released from Planetshakers, REVIVAL is a full production experience.
“The songs we were singing and the declarations we were making were sothe opposite of what we were experiencing. We want to share this experience with the world with the hope of encouraging and empowering others to stand on God’s promise and believe in His ability to revive any situation with His mighty resurrection power.” continues Pastor Sam.
In relation to what was stated above, it is indeed true that when God’s children fall down, He lifts them up. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on people and societies around the world and the effects include the prohibition of on-site, indoor worship services in churches. Still Planetshakers successfully organized its REVIVAL conference when the situation in their city eased thanks to the Lord’s intervention and I still believe that in due time this pandemic will end because God will make a way for as long as we have unwavering faith in Him and continue to praise Him and glorify Him eternally. Learn from the following holy scriptures…
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I amgentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
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!
Psalm 150:1-6 (TPT)
Going back to Planetshakers’ music, REVIVAL’s worship songs include I Know You Can, Way Truth Life, All My Life, I Stand in Awe, Back to Life, Above The Storm, Free Indeed, I Gotta Praise, Running, In Your Presence, and Revival’s Here.
In ending this piece, posted below are the latest music videos of the songs All My Life, I Know You Can and I Stand in Awe from REVIVAL for you to enjoy. All praise and glory to our Lord! Be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
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.
I am very delighted to learn that the State of Israel continues to provide much-needed assistance to the Filipinos with regards to the COVID-19 crisis. To be specific, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported that another group of medical experts from Israel arrived here in the Philippines recently to take a look at the local response to the pandemic and to enlighten local officials and frontliners. To be clear, this is a follow-up to the previous Israeli health experts who arrived this past June for very similar matters.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA report. Some parts in boldface…
Another group of Israeli medical experts arrived in Manila on Monday to observe the country’s pandemic response and share their best practices in treating coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients.
They were the second group of Israeli experts to arrive in the country following the initial team who visited Manila last June to offer advice on ways to implement a successful vaccine rollout.
The four-member team is composed of infectious diseases and Covid-19 specialist Dr. Guy Choshen; Shira Peleg, head nurse and nursing manager at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center’s Emergency Department; Eyad Jeries, trauma coordinator at Galilee Medical Center; and Chaim Markos Rafalowski, disaster management coordinator at Magen David Adom.
The Department of Health (DOH) said the four will visit hospitals and hold a dialogue with the country’s pandemic response cluster from July 27 to 31 to share their local clinical guidelines for Covid-19, infection control protocols, hospital management, and other practices.
“They are all part of the treatment of Covid-19 in Israel so I’d like to welcome them all and we do hope that they can share with us their best practices in Tel Aviv so we can actually beat this Covid-19 pandemic as fast as we can,” Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said in a speech at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Director Maria Soledad Antonio of DOH-Bureau of International Health Cooperation said the country particularly looks forward to knowing how Israel was able to achieve a low coronavirus mortality rate.
“Baka mamaya may makuha pa tayo sa kanila na mas mai-improve ‘yong kaso lalo na ngayon. At present naman pinapalakas natin ang health system natin (We might get more information from them on ways to improve our situation now in terms of treating patients. But at present, we continue to boost our health system),” she told reporters.
“Sila ay mga batikan sa pag-handle ng pandemya, sila ang nauuna, one of the countries na nauuna (It’s a fact that they are one of the best in handling the crisis, they are one of the leading countries on this),” she added.
Chosen, meanwhile, was elated to visit Manila, seeing this exchange as a great example of strong cooperation between the two nations.
“I think it’s not a common practice in the last year of pandemia to see a coalition of friends, of colleagues, holding hands together, sharing information and trying to solve problems together in contrary to what you usually see, you see nations fight each other. And this is a great example of cooperation between Israel and the Philippines. Hopefully, there would be more in the future,” he said in his arrival speech.
From this point on, the local officials, frontliners and others should pay close attention to what Israel’s medical experts say, point out and emphasize. Organizing vaccination (and the storage for the vaccines), isolating infected patients and assigning the frontliners on each and every location is indeed very challenging due to the archipelago of the Philippines. If there are any major breakthroughs that will happen during the current mission of the Israeli medical experts, I’ll share them here.
For the newcomers reading this, here are some videos to help you know Israel better…
The latest exchange between Israel and the Philippines is a reflection of the stronger ties between the two nations. We should all be thankful to our Lord for making this happen.
Before I end this, here are two holy scriptures for you all…
Jesus looked at them and replied, “With people it is impossible, but not with God—God makes all things possible!”
Mark 10:27 (TPT)
Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.
Genesis 18:14 (NKJV)
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.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. If you are looking for a copywriter to create content for your special project or business, check out my services and my portfolio. Feel free to contact me as well. Also please feel free to visit my Facebook page Author Carlo Carrasco and follow me at HavenorFantasy@twitter.com
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on the worship song titled Mercy on Display written by Darlene Zschech and performed by the music team of Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC).
For the newcomers reading this, HopeUC is a Christian church founded in Australia. As of this writing, it is led by Pastor Darlene Zschech and her husband Mark. According the church’s website: Ps Mark and Darlene have a strong passion for the local church that exists to see the hope of Jesus Christ reside in every heart, across the Central Coast, Hunter Region and throughout the world.
Their desire is to see people living life out of the power that God intended for each and every one of us. Healing, wholeness and victory.
They believe in, and strongly support, mission works around the world and helping the poor by using what we have in our hands to make and be the change in this world.
They believe that the Church should be a people of faith and worship, who put God at the centre of their lives and that His Word is dependable and true for living successfully everyday, in every relationship, and situation.
Going back to the worship song, HopeUC premiered the official music video of Mercy on Display on their YouTube channel on April 14, 2021.
Before analyzing the Biblical relevance of the song, posted below for your reference are the lyrics of Mercy on Display.
Verse 1
I see the cross of Calvary
I see the pain you bore for me,
Your mercy on display for all to see
–
Verse 2
The earth grew dark and held its breath
As victory over hell and death was
Finished in Your perfect sacrifice
–
Chorus 1
The cross has made the way for us
So we can come and call upon Your name (Jesus)
And now oh death, you’ve lost your sting
As love has triumphed over sin & grave
–
Verse 3
For nothing now shall separate us
From Your love and from Your presence
Forever at the table of the Lord
–
Verse 4
Where everyone is welcome here
The veil is torn, the battle has been won
We worship You our God
–
Chorus 2
You Washed me clean as white as snow
I stand in awe, Your love won’t let me go, Jesus
I’ll Praise You now and evermore
You raised me up, Forever I am Yours
–
Bridge
You rewrote my story
I will ever praise Your name
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
–
I am crowned with blessing
I will always sing Your praise
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
–
For analysis, let’s start with Verse 1’s lyrics – I see the cross of Calvary, I see the pain you bore for me, Your mercy on display for all to see. Calvary is the place where Lord Jesus got crucified at along with the criminals who were present with Him. For greater perspective and clarity, read the scripture below…
And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
Luke 23:33 (NKJV)
It should be noted that Calvary is derived from the Latin term calvaria which means “a skull.” The Passion Translation of the same scripture is read as follows…
When they came to the place that is known as The Skull, the guards crucified Jesus, nailing him on the center cross between the two criminals.
Luke 23:33 (TPT)
As Lord Jesus got crucified, He endured tremendous pain and He also paid for humanity’s sins. It was also there at Calvary where His cross was set up in full view of the people. At His cross, Lord Jesus told the Heavenly Father to forgive the people (grant them mercy). Refer to the scripture below in New King James Version and The Passion Translation…
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
The soldiers, after they crucified him, gambled over his clothing.
Luke 23:34 (TPT)
With the above scriptures, it is clear that Verse 1 of the song is indeed biblically relevant in reference to the crucifixion (Lord Jesus’ paying the price for our sins) and the mercy from God (as Lord Jesus reached out to Him to forgive the people).
Moving on, Verse 2’s lyrics are as follows – The earth grew dark and held its breath, As victory over hell and death was, Finished in Your perfect sacrifice. Personally, I strongly believe that Verse 2 is directly related to the holy scripture below…
Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.
So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
Luke 23:44-47 (NKJV)
In the above scripture, the sacrifice of Lord Jesus was completed and the victory was realized not only for that point of time but for all time which paved the way for further generations of people to find Him and decide to repent to Him, submit to Him, become faithful to Him and receive salvation. The Roman centurion who witnessed His death realized that He was God, worshiped (refer to New Living Translation) and glorified (refer to the Passion Translation) Him. As we all know, Lord Jesus returned from the dead days later.
Moving on are the lyrics from Chorus 1 – The cross has made the way for us, So we can come and call upon Your name (Jesus), And now oh death, you’ve lost your sting, As love has triumphed over sin & grave. Those words remind me that not only is our Lord our source and salvation, He is also our protector and healer which in turn should remind all of you to come to Him. In any time of darkness or trouble, the Lord is our light and we need to come to Him and be faithful to Him. Learn more about coming to Him and reaching out to Him by calling His name wholeheartedly from the scriptures below.
God, hear my prayer. Listen to my heart’s cry.
For no matter where I am, even when I’m far from home,
I will cry out to you for a father’s help.
When I’m feeble and overwhelmed by life,
guide me into your glory, where I am safe and sheltered.
Lord, you are a paradise of protection to me.
You lift me high above the fray.
None of my foes can touch me
when I’m held firmly in your wraparound presence!
Keep me in this glory.
Let me live continually under your splendor-shadow,
hiding my life in you forever.
Psalm 61:1-4 (TPT)
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16 (NKJV)
in writing you this letter addressed to the community of God throughout the city of Corinth. For you have been made pure, set apart in the Anointed One, Jesus. And God has invited you to be his devoted and holy people, and not only you, but everyone everywhere who calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord, and ours also.
1 Corinthians 1:2 (TPT)
Lord Jesus, who overcame death, is truly the ultimate and definitive savior, and anyone who seeks salvation only need to reach out to Him and be faithful to Him. The above scriptures clearly reflect that and the lyrics in Chorus 1 of the song Mercy on Display are indeed holy. You want mercy from high above? Come to the Lord and get born again (read the words of Lord Jesus in John 3:3).
Movie forward, here are the lyrics in the Bridge – You rewrote my story, I will ever praise Your name, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, I am crowned with blessing, I will always sing Your praise, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. These words are a lively reminder that once you get born again and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you become a new creation. You also become a child of God, one who is faithful to Him, who follows His Word (the Holy Bible which is the ultimate written authority) and preach His Word to the rest of the world. It is also true that each of us has been created by God to worship Him, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit eternally. Learn from the holy scriptures below.
Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)
Come and kneel before this Creator-God;
come and bow before the mighty God, our majestic maker!
Psalm 95:6 (TPT)
Everyone praise the Lord God of Israel, always and forever!
For he is from eternity past
and will remain for the eternity to come.
That’s the way it will be forever.
Faithful is our King! Amen!
Psalm 41:13 (TPT)
Indeed, the lyrics analyzed confirm that HopeUC’s song Mercy on Displayis holy. Mercy from the Lord is true and anyone who repents and submits to Him will gain it and move forward with the new life dedicated and filled with faith in Him. Musically, Mercy on Display is beautiful to listen to and it is a suitable song to be played at church during Sunday worship services or during church special events whenever there is a need to play something smoother or more solemn to the church attendees. Lastly, I can say that Mercy on Display was written to help deepen a person’s faith in the Lord.
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.
Visiting Israeli health experts shared best practices in managing their country’s cold chain and logistics systems during a meeting held here with Covid-19 task force officials, members of the medical community and private sector representatives on Tuesday.
Considering the archipelagic composition of the Philippines, the health experts advised their Filipino counterparts to create centralized vaccine storage hubs that will cater to both urbanized and far-flung areas in the country.
“The Philippines needs more hubs since it is an archipelago. You should go for creating centralized hubs for Pfizer vaccines based on the ability to reach a certain population, and possibly with a customized approach in more remote areas,” said Adam Segal, logistics and operations manager of Salomon Levid & Elstein Ltd.
“Centralized hubs for vaccine storage will work with metropolitan areas, with a dedicated approach in remote areas,” Segal added.
He said the Israeli Ministry of Health has also developed a smaller packaging for their vaccines. He explained that the vaccines are more secure and less prone to shaking with the smaller packaging they use.
Health Undersecretary Myrna Cabotaje requested the Israeli team to provide samples of their vials so that it will be easier for the Philippines to reproduce them.
Efficient data management
The effective management of Covid-19 data was also among the main topics covered during the learning session held between Covid-19 task force members and Israeli health experts.
Officials from the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) led the discussions on the current strategy of the Philippines in managing its vaccine deployment data.
The three-member Israeli delegation explained how they developed and managed their vaccination data system.
According to Dafna Segol, the Israeli government uses a data-based approach when making decisions related to its vaccination program.
One key feature of the Israeli vaccine information system is its use of a “traffic light” model. Through this approach, Israeli authorities are able to identify cities or areas that warrant immediate action.
“It allows us to focus on cities that need more attention,” Segol added.
Data warehouse
DICT’s Christian Edmond Chua said the agency established a data warehouse to capture information related to the vaccine supply chain and then process them to make crucial day-to-day decisions.
Chua noted that the local government units’ lack of resources remains the biggest challenge for data management in the vaccination program.
To address this situation, he said the DICT has designated LGUs as the “data owner” of their vaccination records.
This means the LGUs are accountable for submitting accurate information based on their vaccination records.
“In terms of the development of the technologies and tools to help in the submission (of vaccine data), we are adopting a low tech and low internet process,” Chua said.
The National Task Force Against Covid-19 has also developed an application that will ensure transparency and accountability in submitting data to the National Vaccination Operations Center.
“We monitor not only the performance of the LGUs but it is also helpful in providing feedback for the public policy health experts in calibrating our vaccination program,” Chua said.
The Covid-19 task force officials thanked the delegation for sharing their insights on how the Philippine government can further enhance its data management system.
“We look forward to applying the same lessons we have learned into our own practices in the Philippines,” DICT Director Amelia Dean said.
Lessons learned
Meanwhile, Health Undersecretary Ma. Carolina Vidal-Taiño noted that the meeting with the Israeli health experts would help the government further improve the implementation of its vaccine rollout.
“As we prepare for the arrival of the 40-million vaccines from Pfizer, the sharing of best practices and strategies from our Israeli partners will be a learning opportunity that we can adopt in our practice,” Vidal-Taiño said.
“We will consider the four success factors of Israel on vaccine distribution. First, the availability of trained human resources and the availability of infrastructure. Second, the small batch packaging, which we are very interested in. Third, the high usage rate and minimal waste. And lastly, the adequate preparation for the storage capacity and the outstanding cold chain distribution,” she said.
“We have to strictly follow the safe handling of the vaccines,” said NTF Against Covid-19 chief implementer and vaccine czar Sec. Carlito Galvez during the discussions.
As you can see in the details above, the Philippines is very fortunate to learn from Israel’s health experts. As the Philippines has a population of over 100 million and an archipelago with lots of cities, towns and small communities scattered throughout, dealing with COVID-19 and getting people tested or vaccinated will always be a tremendous challenge. Israel’s success in handling COVID-19 and normalizing the lives of many people make a good starting point that leaders here in the Philippines – from the national government down to the provincial governments, the local governments, the barangays and to the homeowner’s associations – can learn from and be able to make adjustments. There are certain factors about the COVID-19 problem that the Philippines does not share with Israel, but new ways can made to improve the local COVID-19 programs now that the Israeli health experts shared their views and strategies to their local counterparts.
Watch this informative video about Israel’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Even though major breakthroughs in the Philippines’ effort on solving the pandemic-related problems and getting everyone vaccinated have yet to be realized, we Filipinos should be grateful to the State of Israel and give back by supporting them in more ways than one. We should also strengthen Israel-Philippine relations! Remember that Israel helped us and they committed with advising and improving the local COVID-19 efforts and processes. Iran did NOT help the Philippines. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) did NOT help the Philippines. Black Lives Matter cares NOTHING about the Philippines. The Democratic Socialists and SJWs overseas DO NOT really care about people here in the Philippines. Israel cared for us Filipinos.
Before ending this article, posted below is a holy scripture…
Pray and seek for Jerusalem’s peace,
for all who love her will prosper!
Psalm 122:6 (TPT)
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.
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