To those of you who are living with worldliness and are still under the influence of evil, I want to you realize that Lord Jesus is the Hope of ALL nations and you still have time change and submit yourselves to Him.
If you are part of the Islamo-Leftist mob and you have participated in serving the terrorist state of Iran, you allowed Qatar’s sinister leaders to influence you with terrorist news network Al Jazeera, you supported Palestinian terrorists and hated Israel, you can stop being evil and come to Lord Jesus for submission and repentance.
If you are part of the Satanic Left and you have participated in the disruptive activities of the woke mob, the LGBTQ gangs, the anti-Christian mob, the Black Lives Matter racism movement, the Islamo-Leftists and illegal immigration supporters, you can stop living with foolishness and just come out and surrender to Lord Jesus now. Do not be afraid because the Lord is gentle and all you need to do is to surrender to Him, repent to Him and allow the Holy Spirit to enter your heart.
If you are part of idolatrous, organized religion and you harassed many people because you intended to impose your beliefs on them, you should stop yourself and take the time to see the light of Lord Jesus who offers hope that you never realized. Lord Jesus is the hope of ALL nations and clearly your unholy religious teachers and idols never told you about His hope nor did they want you to know God’s plan for you. Always remember that religion treats you like a trapped animal and that you are never worthy. Lord Jesus is the way to God, and you don’t need religion.
If you need enlightenment, click the content reference from Looking for Blessed Hope below and learn from the teaching of God’s Word led by Pastor Amir Tsarfati.
For enlightenment and freedom from evil influences, I encourage you to start reading the Holy Bible (the Word of God), allow the Holy Spirit to guide you, and live on with the light and teachings of Lord Jesus. Jesus is our Redeemer, our Savior and the Light! For your advancement, realize the truth from the holy scriptures below…
Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.
Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying,
“Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
So He said,
“Come.”
And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!”
And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him,
“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.
Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
Matthew 14:22-33 (NKJV)
Jesus answered and said to him,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (NKJV)
For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.
1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)
Be aware that the ties between Jews and Christians are real and biblical. Be aware that all of the first followers (early Christians) of Lord Jesus were Jewish, and the Lord paved the way for people of different ethnicities and different nations to come to Him and be adopted willingly. You need Lord Jesus and the Word of God, not diversity and not inclusion.
Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Always stand in support of Israel, learn to love and bless the Jewish people and pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Live on with the presence of God and the Holy Spirit!
2025 is finally here. So much has happened in 2024, particularly in the Middle East and in America. Israel clearly led the war against Islamic terrorists who were led by the terrorist state of Iran. The good news is that Israel made tremendous gains against the terrorists (example: the elimination of Yahyah Sinwar) which tremendously weakened the axis of evil of Iran.
Over there in America, Donald Trump got re-elected as US President and his second non-consecutive term will officially start on January 20, 2025. Trump’s victory over Commie Kamala Harris is easily the greatest American comeback of all time and also a major push back against American Communism and Satanic Leftists.
Thank the Lord for the two major developments overseas. Israel and the Trump-led America will become a huge force together to reshape the Middle East for the better. God’s moves should remind you all that He is always around, He is watching everyone and He will help the faithful overcome the forces of evil. Be thankful to Him for blessing you, guiding you and loving you.
I am thankful to the Lord for the special features I published (related to events I personally attended), the continued trust with my business clients, the continued donations from the readers and the tremendous milestone of registering over one million lifetime hits (page views) worldwide with my official website and blog at www.CarloCarrasco.com
With regards to what was achieved with my website and blog, I am thankful to our Lord and also happy to share with you the numbers for the year 2024. Over 73,000 hits (page views) worldwide were achieved in the past year with over 50,000 visitors worldwide recorded, plus the tremendous surge of likes counted within the WordPress network reaching over1,400 likes worldwide (almost 1,700% higher than the previous year).
The top nations of hits and visitors are the Philippines, the United States, Norway, the United Kingdom, Canada, Nigeria, Spain and Australia. As mentioned earlier, the lifetime hits count of my website has exceeded 1,000,000 worldwide.
As before, the blogging of local community developments, magnified news articles, special features, Christian teachings, entertainment pieces and other forms of content will continue. There is no slowing down for me as I am dedicated to not only keep on publishing relevant updates but also maintain the good connections (and the trust) of varied communities, organizations, businesses, local churches and many other people. My thanks to the Lord God for these growing achievements and connections, and I am also grateful to you readers and other stakeholders for your continued trust in my website and blog.
For 2025, I encourage you all to never lose faith in the Lord and keep moving forward with unwavering faith in Lord Jesus who is our Savior, our Way Maker, our Redeemer and the Hope of ALL nations! Keep moving forward with faith in Him and the Word of God.
Lord Jesus is the light who overcomes darkness. God our Heavenly Father sent His Son Jesus to us so we can be saved. That being said, I prepared the following scriptures from the Holy Bible for your enlightenment below…
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.
Genesis 1:1-4 (NKJV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
John 1:1-5 (NKJV)
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying,
“I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12 (NKJV)
Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed,
As when at first He lightly esteemed
The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,
And afterward more heavily oppressed her,
By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,
In Galilee of the Gentiles.
The people who walked in darkness
Have seen a great light;
Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death,
Upon them a light has shined.
You have multiplied the nation
And increased its joy;
They rejoice before You
According to the joy of harvest,
As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.
For You have broken the yoke of his burden
And the staff of his shoulder,
The rod of his oppressor,
As in the day of Midian.
For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle,
And garments rolled in blood,
Will be used for burning and fuel of fire.
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.
Of the increase of His government and peace
There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,
To order it and establish it with judgment and justice
From that time forward, even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 9:1-7 (NKJV)
For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.
1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)
Jesus said to him,
I am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by (through) Me.
John 14:6 (AMPC)
This is how much God loved the world: He gave his Son, his one and only Son. And this is why: so that no one need be destroyed; by believing in him, anyone can have a whole and lasting life. God didn’t go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again. Anyone who trusts in him is acquitted; anyone who refuses to trust him has long since been under the death sentence without knowing it. And why? Because of that person’s failure to believe in the one-of-a-kind Son of God when introduced to him.
John 3:16-18 (MSG)
To have strong faith in Lord Jesus in this new year and in the years ahead, let me tell you that challenges will always come not just in the form of circumstances but also in the presence of people around you. There are still a lot of woke zealots, religious zealots, idolaters, secularists, atheists, overbearing people, political correctness believers, the Satanic Left, the Islamists, the climate change extremists, diversity believers, inclusion believers, the political troublemakers and others who will just keep on spreading chaos because they believe so much in their wicked agendas and their self-centered beliefs. Many of them oppose God and disregard both decency and common sense as we know it. They want darkness to spread over others.
That being said, I urge you to reject their ways and stand with the Word of God to keep moving forward knowing that Lord Jesus is the Light, the Savior and the Hope of ALL nations. Learn from the holy scripture below.
Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.
3 John 1:11 (NKJV)
Reject the evil ways of the world and keep moving forward with the path of the Lord. Follow the lead of the Holy Spirit and preach His Word so that the lost and the unsaved around you will stop being wicked and realize Lord Jesus is the Savior of all! Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
As some of you are already aware, I fully stand with Israel which is very connected with my uncompromising faith in the Lord. I keep on praying to Him for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and recover from the effects of the October 7, 2023 terrorist attacks committed by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. I can assure all of you that nobody from the evil Islamo-Leftist mob, nobody from the pro-Palestine radicals and nobody from any evil society would stop me from supporting and loving Israel.
Now, on with the news…
Recently, Israel’s Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Flus confirmed that startups from the Jewish state view the Philippines as a viable gateway to Southeast Asian markets, according to a BusinessWorld news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the BusinessWorld news article. Some parts in boldface…
ISRAEL companies, particularly startups, view the Philippines as a viable gateway to Southeast Asian markets, according to the Israeli Ambassador and the head of Israel’s economic mission in Manila.
“Asia is a growing market, and Israeli companies are becoming more and more interested in the markets here,” Ambassador Ilan Fluss told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of an Israeli tech startup pitch event at his residence in Makati City.
“The Philippines is also an entry point to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,” he added.
He said the embassy is working closely with the Anti-Red Tape Authority to find ways to make it easier to do business in the Philippines.
“I think the important thing for an Israeli company is to have a good Filipino partner that will be able to guide them (in navigating) the economy,” Mr. Fluss said, noting the difficulties posed by bureaucracy.
Tomer Heyvi, head of the Israel Economic Mission to the Philippines, said more Israeli startups are showing interest in seeking investors from the Philippines.
“The Philippines is a rising star and there is a lot of interest from the Israeli companies in trade, commerce, but also, of course, in investment,” he told BusinessWorld.
Mr. Heyvi said there are more than 9,000 startups in Israel that are seeking partnerships to help them break through in various global markets, including the Philippines.
“Every year, we see an increase in the interest of Israeli companies. So, for me, it’s already an indication that they find this market interesting.”
According to the Central Bureau of Statistics of Israel, trade between the Philippines and Israel amounted to $532 million last year.
Israel’s Ministry of Economy and Industry said on its website that business services between both countries last year were mostly provided by Israeli startups and tech companies engaged in artificial intelligence-based platforms, cybersecurity, and financial technology solutions.
Very clearly, the ties between Israel and the Philippines remain intact and are in fact gradually gaining strength. The future of economic cooperation between the two nations looks bright even though there are lots of uncertainties happening overseas (armed conflicts with Hamas and Hezbollah, anti-Israel rallies in America and Europe, and so on).
To my fellow Filipinos reading this, I encourage you to accept the truth that Israel is the land God designated specifically for the Jewish people (read Genesis 35:10-12) and His command must be followed without hesitation. If you want to be blessed further by the Lord, do so by loving and blessing the Jewish people (Genesis 12:1-3). I did my part when I was in Israel. Also, let me remind you all that the ties between the Jews and Christians are truly biblical!
We live in a very divided world. Around the world, Leftist forces have been supporting evil forces like the current regime of Iran which is known for supplying and arming the Palestinian terrorists, Hezbollah and other terrorist groups around the Middle East. The Leftists and terrorists always go together and their anti-Semitism is clearly obvious. Hamas, which has long been supported by terrorist state Iran, is purely evil and they are being protected by not only their fellow terrorists but also by mainstream news media outlets who are linked with Leftist forces and people who hate Israel and the Jewish people. Iran even has Hezbollah in Lebanon doing their evil works for them. Beware of the evil union of the Islamo-Left which is wicked deep within.
With all that said, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord God in support of Israel and believe that He will guide the Israeli forces to another victory which means finishing off Hamas, crushing Hezbollah and forcing Iran and its terror proxies to give up. Read Joshua 11:1-20 in the Holy Bible for relevance and truth. Pray to the Lord to support Israel, its government officials, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and other stakeholders.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore the adaptation of the second season of the famous X-Men: The Animated Series (X-Men TAS) in the form of the X-Men Adventures comic book series.
Before getting to the new retro comic book review, I should state that it is indeed very challenging to implement the concepts of time travel and timeline conflicts into the narrative of an established X-Men universe. As far as the X-Men TAS narrative goes, Bishop and Cable are mutants who each came from different points in the future and in different ways they each made impact with the present day X-Men as portrayed in the comics (the literary X-Men specifically).
With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men Adventures Season II #8, published in 1994 by Marvel with a story written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by John Hebert. The is the 2nd chapter of the Time Fugitives storyline.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins on Earth in the far future of 3999 AD. Cable, who has been leading the fight against Apocalypse, is receiving information from his cube-shaped computer which informs him that a temporal storm has wreaked havoc with the time stream and their present is reconfiguring in response to the existence of a new past. Once realignment gets completed, everyone in the current timeline will cease to exist. Cable then learns that Bishop (who returned to the X-Men in the previous issue) is the primary chronal component of the time readjustment.
Meanwhile in the present day inside Xavier’s mansion, the X-Men listen to Bishop who explains that mutants will be blamed for the plague that a certain virus will precipitate and that the fear of the virus will make things much worse for many people. He states that the virus was not brought into being by mutants.
Beast then shares that his investigation of a viral-ridden cell sample was convincing and discovered that the virus was genetically engineered. He reveals that once the little germs spread to the mutant population and combine with mutant DNA, it could turn out incredibly deadly…
Quality
Conflict brewing in front of a huge audience.
To be straight to the point, what the creative team started in issue #7 got strongly concluded here. With the animated episode’s teleplay being the primary reference, writer Ralph Macchio successfully crafted a script that raised the stakes of the 2-part Time Fugitives story while tying closely the gaps with regards to the time travel and timeline conflicts concepts. Without spoiling the plot, I can say that one development that took place in the present day clearly set off the stage for another futuristic mutant to not only get involved but also make a huge impact on the narrative.
As with the previous issue, this story has elements of xenophobia as well as fear of viruses and potential massive infections which added a good layer of depth to the plot. Macchio’s writing is very strong and no matter how intense the tale got as more details got presented, it still remained very readable and efficient to follow. Also, I should say that Apocalypse’s presence turned out very powerful and it should inspire readers to search for comic books of the supervillain’s conflict with the X-Men and X-Factor for insight.
John Hebert returned on the visual department and his art style really works well with both the sci-fi concept of the story and the presentation of the X-Men plus Bishop and Cable. I really admire Hebert’s stylized take on Wolverine, Cable and Bishop as he made each them look even grittier than before. There is also this creepy vibe with the way Hebert drew some of the X-Men members’ faces. Herbert is also very good with visualizing sci-fi elements such as energy forms, futuristic machines, techno-virus forms on the skin, and more. His presentation of dynamic superhero action is great to look at. This is clearly one of the best looking issues of Season II of the X-Men Adventures series.
Conclusion
Bishop explains things to the X-Men and Beast confirms key details.
X-Men Adventures Season II #8 (1994) is a rock-solid comic book in terms of quality and impact. It concluded the 2-part story with a powerful resolution, it tied the loose ends in a very timely fashion and I really enjoyed the way how the X-Men were dramatized as Bishop and Cable got involved with them in their present day setting. So far, this is the most satisfying and more impactful issue of Season II I have read in this series.
Overall, X-Men Adventures Season II #8 (1994) is highly recommended.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from reading the comic book and doing personal research. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back superhero enthusiasts, 1990s arts and culture enthusiasts, Marvel Comics fans and comic book collectors! Today we go back to the mid-1990s to explore the adaptation of the start of the second season of the X-Men animated series in the form of the X-Men Adventures comic book series.
Before getting to the retro comic book review, I want to address the recent controversy and criticism of the new animated series X-Men ’97, a continuation of the popular 1990s series that turned out to be woke by featuring the so-called non-binary presentation of people. In my view, this is not surprising given the fact that the very woke Disney company has owned Marvel Entertainment for many years now and its wokeness has infected the animated X-Men franchise along with the most recent movies and shows of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Wokeness and Leftist beliefs continue to ruin entertainment and established properties as we know it. It’s the culture of Communist-filled Hollywood (Commiewood).
So how do you reject X-Men wokeness apart from avoiding X-Men ’97? You simply go back to the X-Men animated series of the 1990s as well as the comic books that adapted the stories.
With those details laid down, here is a look back at X-Men Adventures Season II #1, published in 1994 by Marvel Comics with a story written by Ralph Macchio and drawn by Andrew Wildman.
The cover.
Early story
The story begins with the cosmic being the Watcher carefully examining the flow of events on Earth and what has changed for the X-Men since then. Robert Kelly, who previously had an anti-mutant agenda when he was a U.S. Senator, has since been elected as the President of the United States and openly pushes for a policy of conciliation with mutants. His action sparks social unrest.
Meanwhile inside a small church far away from the nation’s capital, the wedding of Jean Grey and Scott Summers pushes through with several members of the X-Men in attendance. Very notable was the absence of Wolverine who turned out to be inside the Danger Room (deep within Charles Xavier’s estate) fighting a giant-sized version of Cyclops…
Quality
The X-Men are troubled by the anti-mutant wave happening in public.
As the opening issue of the second volume of the X-Men Adventures comic book series, this comic book carefully sets up the tone and the plot of a series of future challenges for the X-Men which is clearly reflected on the front cover with Mister Sinister displayed prominently. The story mainly highlights X-Men’s new struggle with the wave of anti-mutant rage in the public while dealing with the absence of their leader Cyclops (on honeymoon with his new wife Jean) while leaving space for potential sub-plots such as the attraction between Jean and Wolverine, the moves of the anti-mutant radicals and, most notable of all, the secretive return of Morph (thought to have died in issue #2 of the first season).
As expected, build-up is the main approach taken by the creators on telling the story and there were some bouts of superhero spectacle (action) that spiced up the reading experience for me. Considering what has been happening in different parts of the world in recent years, the sub-plot of the rabid anti-mutant activists using tactics to destroy the X-Men’s credibility with violence and misinformation magnified through the news networks is very socially relevant.
What the rabid anti-mutant people committed in this comic book reminds me of the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel organized by the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas in which violence, destruction and selective images of terror spread through news networks and social media were done. Similarities aside, the wave of evil is clear here and the intent of the anti-mutant believers and Palestinian terrorists obviously expresses intentions of genocide against another particular group of people.
When it comes to weaknesses of this comic book, I cannot help but find Andrew Wildman’s art looking very rushed. There is a lack of precision and detail of his art here when compared directly to his works in the first volume of X-Men Adventures.
Conclusion
The anti-mutant radicals in this comic book have a lot in common with Palestinian terrorists, the pro-Palestine activists, the Black Lives Matter activists and other members of woke mobs. Violence, arrogance, rage and misinformation are their values.
X-Men Adventures Season II #1 (1994) incidentally works well as an adaptation of the animated series, as a standalone comic book as well as being a socially relevant tale in today’s age of social media. While the concept of evil remains in X-Men lore, what was told here shows different layers of it. The X-Men themselves also looked fragile and the return of Morph is a key part of the story clearly designed with future events in mind. Finally, this comic book is a lively reminder of the era when X-Men stories were made for the fans, not the woke mob.
Overall, X-Men Adventures Season II #1 (1994) is recommended.
Welcome back readers, fellow geeks and electronic gaming fans!
Today I am launching a brand-new series of articles titled Retro Gaming Ads Blast (RGAB) which will explore the many print ads and promotions of video games, computer games, arcade games and handheld games that were published through the decades.
For the newcomers reading this, print ads of games were widely popular and heavily relied on by gamers/players long before smartphones, social media, the worldwide web and online videos even started. Back in the old days, print media was the most common method for companies to market their games while also helping hardware (machines which played the games) reach potential buyers. Such ads appeared in magazines, comic books and newspapers. Not only that, there were several print ads of games that were made to look creative, compelling and even intriguing.
With those details laid down, here is the first batch of retro gaming print ads for you to see and enjoy…
1. Parker Brothers’ Spider-Man-led print ad
Does this ad look amusing?
Remember Parker Brothers? That was a company that started way back in 1883 founded with a strong focus on the enjoyment of games in the form of board games, cards and toys. In the late 1970s, Parker Brothers started making electronic versions of their popular board games and engaged in the video game development and publishing. They also went on to make home ports of popular arcade games in the early 1980 for several gaming platforms.
Parker Brothers was very active with making games for the Atari 2600 console which became the dominant machine for home gaming in North America in 1982. In the above print ad, their marketing heavily emphasize the Spider-Man video game for Atari 2600 and added two others games they also published – Tutankham and Amidar – which was a clever move to market multiple games. The ad’s focus on Spider-Man was amusing and even without showing a single screenshot of the game, it was enough to entice people to watch out for it. Be aware that the Spider-Man game’s development was done by Laura Nikolich who was hired by Parker Brothers at a job fair. Nikolich had full creative control on making the game and had no contact whatsoever with Marvel Comics.
2. Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain print ad
An ad like this was strong enough to motivate gamers’ imagination and interest.
Back in 1982, Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Cloudy Mountain was released on the Intellivision game console and I was fortunate enough to watch my next-door neighbor play it repeatedly. The above print ad – which simply referred to the game as Advanced Dungeons & Dragons – only had a few words which directly pointed to the main objective of the game…the golden crown. While only one screenshot of the game was displayed, the advertisers heavily relied on hand-drawn, comic book-style fantasy art work to sell the game.
For those who were born long after the 1980s, let me share with you that ads like these were really impressive for their time. It was common for advertisers to use art works (even though they may not accurately reflect the gameplay or game design) and post at least one screenshot to catch the viewer’s attention with the hope that it would even encourage him/her to anticipate the game. It should be noted that ads like these were strong enough to make gamers’ imagination or curiosity grow stronger.
3. Konami’s collective military video games advertising
Print ad of four games for IBM, Amiga and Commodore.
Print ad of Jackal and Contra for the NES.
Konami, the Japanese company that has long been known for Metal Gear, Suikoden and the controversial sacking of famous game designer Hideo Kojima, was aggressive in the gaming business in the 1980s and arguably the aggressiveness was reflected in their publishing of several games that emphasized militarism during the late stages of the Cold War. In short, they made the military look cool and their activities fun to do in digital form.
While Konami has always been identified with console gaming, they actually released Rush’n Attack, Contra, Jackal and Boot Camp on IBM, Amiga and Commodore computers (as seen in the first print ad above) which were popular in the 1980s. The said ad also have a very amusing visual concept emphasizing the excitement and fun of military action games coming to gamers at home for their computers.
The 2nd print ad above – Jackal and Contra for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) – was very intriguing to see. It was very clear back in the 1980s that the NES always had a wholesome audience (note: a lot of buyers were parents who wanted to entertain their kids at home) and that includes a lot of very young players. To see the collective ad of Jackal and Contra (for the NES platform) having battle-hardened men in military gear holding guns was openly aggressive to perceive and instantly reminded people about the Cold War (and the menace of Communists, socialists, Marxists and terrorists) and the cultural impact of the mega blockbuster film Rambo: First Blood Part II. This is the kind of ad that would drive today’s woke-minded people crazy and even cause them to panic and pretend to be victims of militarism and patriotism. If you look at the ad closely, you will realize there is simply no room for the garbage of political correctness and wokeness.
Lastly, I myself had played Contra and Jackal with my friends on the Nintendo Family Computer (the Japanese counterpart of the NES) and both military games were a lot of fun to play from start to finish!
4. Batman Returns SNES game ad
This print ad appeared in some comic books I read in the early 1990s.
Way back in 1992, Batman Returns (the sequel to the mega blockbuster Batman movie of 1989) was released in cinemas with intense marketing and merchandising reflecting Warner Bros. intention to replicate the commercial success they had in 1989. Along the way, there were several video game adaptations of Batman Returns that were released on different platforms. Among those many video games was the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game of Batman Returns which was developed and published by Konami in 1993 the form of a side-scrolling beat-them-up game.
The above ad was visually appealing with hand-drawn, comic book-style art dominating the spaces while leaving room for some screenshots and a written description of the game. Having seen this ad on multiple comic books I read back then, I can say that the ad was entertaining to see and was effective in making me interested in the game. I played Batman Returns on the SNES but never got to finish it. Oh yes, the game’s audio were really good and there were also digitized images from the movie for the in-game narrative.
5. Flashy Sonic the Hedgehog Japanese print ad
A dazzling approach by Sega on selling Sonic the Hedgehog.
1991 will always be remembered as the year of Sonic who eventually became not only Sega’s most defining mascot but also a video game industry icon. That same year, Sega released Sonic the Hedgehog on the Sega Genesis (referred to as Sega Megadrive in other parts of the world) console and it became a massive success with consumers and the game critics.
In the above Japanese print ad, a very captivating display of light and energy rays dominated the space leaving a minority share left for Sega’s console, screenshots and even a UFO Catcher arcade machine picture. While I could not understand the Japanese text, it seems to me that the flashy visual concept of the ad reflected Sega’s high ambitions with Sonic. How many gamers in Japan bought a copy of Sonic the Hedgehog because of this ad remains undetermined.
6. Japanese Super Star Wars print ad
A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Before Nintendo released its 16-bit game console (referred to as Super Nintendo Entertainment System in America, and Super Famicom in Japan), there were lots of Star Wars video games released on varied platforms and the arcade.
With Nintendo’s 16-bit gaming platform realized, lots of game designers and business partners saw opportunities to make new games with gameplay concepts and designs using the technological advantages of the time. For LucasArts and its partners, taking Star Wars gaming into the next level was inevitable and they made it all come true in 1992’s Super Star Wars video game.
Published in Japan by JVC Musical Industries for the Super Famicom, Super Star Wars was a major leap forward in game design, visuals, sound and enjoyment. Apart from the 2D side-scrolling run-and-gun gameplay, gamers were deeply immersed into Star Wars’ universe with the Mode 7 landspeeder and X-Wing fighter sequences, as well as the first-person trench run sequence.
The Japanese print ad above cleverly presented screenshots from the game while using official imagery from the Star Wars movie poster of 1977 (look at how young Harrison Ford, Mark Hammill and the late Carrie Fisher were back then). The ad is a fine example of combining the greatness of the classic George Lucas-directed film with the highly enjoyable design of Super Star Wars. Lastly, these should remind you that there was a time when Star Wars was not yet tainted by wokeness and the garbage values of the Satanic Leftists (read: woke Disney).
2024 is finally here. Whether you look back to the year that passed or look forward in the new year, never let anything nor anyone separate you from the Lord and His Word (the Holy Bible).
In my experience, 2023 was a very blessed year. The Lord blessed me when I visited Israel on a pilgrimage tour with my local church New Life Alabang. Together, we visited several significant sites in the Holy Land such as the Pool of Siloam, the Dead Sea, the Yardenit baptismal site, Hezekiah’s Tunnel, Caesarea Philippi, Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee and its region, and, of course, Jerusalem. Following God’s Word, I arrived in Israel to love and bless the Jewish people for the rest of my natural life. My support for Israel is uncompromising!
For those of you who enjoyed my Israel 2023 tour feature articles, I will be posting some more this year. As it was a blessing from the Lord, the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour I joined was truly a blessing from Him and along the way I witnessed the Holy Bible come to life right there at the holy sites we visited. What was written in Matthew 6:33 is absolutely true!
This image of the sun rising in the distance was from my early morning visit at the Dead Sea beach (Ein Bokek) during the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour I joined. I took this picture.
This was me touching the pillar inside the Upper Room during the Israel 2023 pilgrimage tour. I’ll soon be posting new articles of Israel 2023 sites I visited.
I am also thankful to the Lord for other blessings in the past year such as the establishment of a new business entity (my first-ever registered), the successful selling of comic books from my collection (click here to see more), the very anointed New Life Conference 2023 I attended, and the continuing reach of my official website and blog at www.CarloCarrasco.com
Speaking of my website, I am thankful to our Lord and also happy to share with you what was achieved in 2023. Over 136,000 hits (page views) worldwide were achieve in the past year with over 97,000 visitors worldwide recorded. The top f nations of hits and visitors are the Philippines, Cambodia, the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. The 2023 numbers pushed my website’s lifetime hits to over 940,000 worldwide and I hope the figure will reach the 1,000,000 hits mark this year.
When it comes to newer developments online, I am thankful for the first-ever online donations the came in related to my website and I wish to thank all the donors for trusting my online publishing. Those who wish to donate can do so at https://carlocarrasco.com/donate/. Your donations will be very helpful in keeping my website and blog going.
January 4, 2024 will mark the 5th anniversary of my website. Looking back to the day it all started – January 4, 2019 was a Friday – I am very happy with what was achieved with www.CarloCarrasco.com through the years. The blogging of local community developments, magnified news articles or reports, special features, Christian teachings, Christian music appreciation, entertainment pieces and other forms of content helped me achieve good connections (and the trust) of varied communities, organizations, businesses, local churches and many other people. My thanks to the Lord God for these growing achievements and connections, and I am also grateful to you readers, the local government units, the homeowners’ associations, local churches, the local news media outlets and other private entities your trust in my website and blog.
For 2024 and the future, I urge all of you readers to never lose faith in the Lord and keep living on with unwavering faith in Lord Jesus who is truly the hope of all nations! Keep moving forward with faith in Him and the Word of God. May the following scriptures below help you all…
Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
John 8:12 (NKJV)
For God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and the sons of men—the true man, Jesus, the Anointed One.
1 Timothy 2:5 (TPT)
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6 (NLT)
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 (AMPC)
For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father [of Eternity], Prince of Peace.
Isaiah 9:6 (AMPC)
Therefore, the honor that belongs to the Father he will now share with his Son. So if you refuse to honor the Son, you are refusing to honor the Father who sent him.
John 5:23 (TPT)
Always trust, honor and praise the Lord God as His love for the us the faithful children is endless and He made plans for each and every one of us which clearly means He will not abandon us. God’s mercy is real and His promises never fail. Learn from the scripture below…
Bless the Lord, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Psalm 103:1-5 (NKJV)
Always remember to maintain unwavering faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus to move on with the year 2024. Reject the evil ways of the world, push the idols out of the way, and reject religion, political correctness, wokeness, atheism and secularism so that you can clear your path of faith in the Lord and make room for Him in your heart. In addition, I request you all to pray for Israel to overwhelm its enemies, rescue the hostages and ultimately push back against the forces of evil. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
Welcome back readers, fellow people of faith and supporters of Israel. Last time around, I magnified a GMA Network news report about Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss confirming that Filipinos present in Israel are being taken care of as the Jewish State’s war with Palestinian terrorist group Hamas goes on. The latest news that Filipinos should pay attention to is the Israeli government’s confirmation of extending support to the families if the four Filipinos (identified as Grace Prodigo Cabrera, Loreta Alacre, Angeline Aguirre, and Paul Vincent Castelvi) who lost their lives when Hamas launched its attacks on Israel, according to a GMA Network news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA News report. Some parts in boldface…
The Israeli government will extend long-term support to the families of the four Filipinos who were killed during the attack of militant group Hamas in Israel.
According to Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on Unang Balita on Friday, this was the information received by the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) from the Israel Embassy in the Philippines.
“Sila ay treated like an Israeli citizen, so kung ano ‘yung benepisyo na nakukuha ng isang Israeli citizen, gan’un din ang ibibigay sa kanila,” said OWWA administrator Arnell Ignacio.
(They are treated like Israeli citizens, so their benefits are the same as those of an Israeli citizen.)
Aside from assistance in burial and mourning expenses, the families of the four Filipinos will also receive monthly support and yearly cash benefits.
The Israeli Embassy has earlier said it would extend assistance not only to the families of the Filipinos killed in the violence but also to who were injured.
Israeli Ambassador to the Philippines Ilan Fluss confirmed that Israel will extend assistance to foreign victims of the ongoing violence, including Filipinos.
“We recognize them as victims of terrorism and for that then they will be receiving assistance, either the parents, spouses or children accordingly,” Fluss said in the Unang Balita report.
“Financial assistance, their monthly income. If they need assistance in education, in healthcare, housing… as long as they are in Israel and documented,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ignacio said 58 Filipinos from Israel are set to arrive in the country on Monday, October 30.
In relation to the above news, we Filipinos should thank the Jewish State for the assistance and other forms of support for Filipinos there in Israel who got affected by the continuing attacks by the terrorists. We should also thank the Lord God for the thriving Israel-Philippines ties which for me are truly essential and more Filipinos should value the said ties. Having been to Israel myself (click here, here, here, here, here and here), I witnessed the Holy Bible coming to life at the Holy Land sites our pilgrimage tour group visited and I developed love and support for the Jewish people in accordance to God’s Word. As my faith in the Lord is unbreakable and uncompromising, I will always stand united with Israel.
As Israel and the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) keep on fighting the terrorists not only in Gaza but also in other parts of the country (across borders with nations that somehow accommodated the terrorists), we who believe in the Lord should keep on praying to Him to ensure Israel’s victory, to support the Jewish people, to support the families of the Filipino victims as well as others who became victims of terrorism. Pray also for the innocent and dissenting Palestinians who did not want to be part of the evil activities of Hamas and the Palestinian Authority.
Be aware that the United Nations (UN), Hamas, Iran, the Democrats, the Palestinian Authority (PA), the woke, Black Lives Matter, the socialists/Communists/Marxists/liberals, the anti-Semitic mob, the climate change extremists, the LGBT mob, the diversity zealots and their inclusion counterparts are all doing the dirty works of Satan. Those are the worldly forces who do not even realize that they have been consumed by evil and they have members who decided to become evil. Along the way, the evil legacies (anti-Israel) of Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton and murder Yasser Arafat are still being felt.
That being said, supporting Israel and the Jewish people with God watching us is the right, the moral and holy thing to do. We need to keep on praying to Him for Israel and if God commands you to do something in serving him, do it without hesitation. Ask the Lord how you can support the Jewish State and help contribute to Israel’s next victories while putting out the fire of hatred around the world. For insight about Israel’s place under the Lord and why victory with Him (crushing evil) is inevitable, refer to the holy scriptures below…
Now [in Haran] the Lord said to Abram, Go for yourself [for your own advantage] away from your country, from your relatives and your father’s house, to the land that I will show you.
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].
And I will bless those who bless you [who confer prosperity or happiness upon you] and [a]curse him who curses or uses insolent language toward you; in you will all the families and kindred of the earth be blessed [and by you they will bless themselves].
Genesis 12:1-3 (AMPC)
After these events, God tested and proved Abraham and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am.
[God] said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah; and offer him there as a burnt offering upon one of the mountains of which I will tell you.
So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him and his son Isaac; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and then began the trip to the place of which God had told him.
On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place in the distance.
And Abraham said to his servants, Settle down and stay here with the donkey, and I and the young man will go yonder and worship and come again to you.
Then Abraham took the wood for the burnt offering and laid it on [the shoulders of] Isaac his son, and he took the fire (the firepot) in his own hand, and a knife; and the two of them went on together.
And Isaac said to Abraham, My father! And he said, Here I am, my son. [Isaac] said, See, here are the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt sacrifice?
Abraham said, My son, God Himself will provide a lamb for the burnt offering. So the two went on together.
When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built an altar there; then he laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar on the wood.
And Abraham stretched forth his hand and took hold of the knife to slay his son.
But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, Abraham, Abraham! He answered, Here I am.
And He said, Do not lay your hand on the lad or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear and revere God, since you have not held back from Me or begrudged giving Me your son, your only son.
Then Abraham looked up and glanced around, and behold, behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up for a burnt offering and an ascending sacrifice instead of his son!
So Abraham called the name of that place The Lord Will Provide. And it is said to this day, On the mount of the Lord it will be provided.
The Angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time
And said, I have sworn by Myself, says the Lord, that since you have done this and have not withheld [from Me] or begrudged [giving Me] your son, your only son,
In blessing I will bless you and in multiplying I will multiply your descendants like the stars of the heavens and like the sand on the seashore. And your Seed (Heir) will possess the gate of His enemies,
And in your Seed [Christ] shall all the nations of the earth be blessed and [by Him] bless themselves, because you have heard and obeyed My voice.
Genesis 22:1-18 (AMPC)
Again God said to him, Your name is Jacob [supplanter]; you shall not be called Jacob any longer, but Israel shall be your name. So He called him Israel [contender with God].
And God said to him, I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall come from you and kings shall be born of your stock;
The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land.
Genesis 35:10-12 (AMPC)
Thus says the Lord: For three transgressions of Gaza [a city in Philistia] and for four [for multiplied delinquencies], I will not reverse the punishment of it or revoke My word concerning it, because [as slave traders] they carried away captive the whole [Jewish] population [of defenseless Judean border villages, of which none was spared, none left behind] and delivered them up to Edom [for the slave trade].
So I will send a fire on the wall of Gaza which shall devour its strongholds.
And I will cut off the inhabitants from Ashdod and him who holds the scepter from Ashkelon, and I will turn My hand against Ekron; and the rest of the Philistines [in Gath and the towns dependent on these four Philistine cities] shall perish, says the Lord God.
Amos 1:6-8 (AMPC)
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.
Romans 12:19 (AMPC)
O my God, make them like whirling dust, like stubble or chaff before the wind!
As fire consumes the forest, and as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,
So pursue and afflict them with Your tempest and terrify them with Your tornado or hurricane.
Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek, inquire for, and insistently require Your name, O Lord.
Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever; yes, let them be put to shame and perish,
That they may know that You, Whose name alone is the Lord, are the Most High over all the earth.
Psalm 83:13-18 (AMPC)
If you truly believe in Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God the Heavenly Father wholeheartedly and you continue to be faithful, you should be aware that Christians are meant to stand united with Israel and love the Jewish people 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. The Lord is faithful and He is capable of winning battles and wars that are too great for us to deal with. Have unwavering faith in Him knowing that victory is His that we can be part of.
Welcome back my readers and fellow people of faith! By now, you should be aware of my love for Israel and the Jewish people. I was there in Israel this past February because I seek God’s kingdom (Matthew 6:33) in the Holy Land, and I blogged many times about it (to read my Israel 2023 articles, click here, here, here, here, here and here) and I’ll be posting more about the pilgrimage tour I joined. Check out the video clips of my time in Israel below…
For this post, I want to highlight the 75th year of independence of Israel. Seventy-five years ago, the State of Israel was established which marked the fulfilment of God’s promise to the Jewish people (Abraham’s descendants through his son Isaac and grandson Jacob).
For behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,’ says the Lord. ‘And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.’
Jeremiah 30:3 (NKJV)
The land of Israel was designated by God for the Jewish people and no other (read Genesis 35:10-12 in the Holy Bible). The Lord Himself declared that He bless those who bless His people, and He will curse those who curse His people (read Genesis 12:1-3). God protected Israel and the Jewish people when the Arab nations attacked them shortly after the 1948 establishment of the State of Israel, during the Six Day war in 1967 and the war in 1973.
Israel survived and their people are growing and thriving no matter what attacks the terrorists and Leftists do against them. Let it be clear that evil forces of the world such as Iran, the Palestinian terrorists, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, socialists, Communists, Marxists, liberals, the demonic Democrats of America and all the other terrorists and anti-Semitic forces have no stake in Israel and its future while the eternal God is watching! Israel and the Jewish people are here to stay and they still have time to come to Lord Jesus willingly! I encourage you to stand united with Israel as part of your Christian living. When you think about your faith in Lord Jesus, be mindful of the time He spent in Israel and the impact of His holiness on the people.
Seventy-five years ago, a declaration signed in a Tel Aviv art gallery changed the world forever.
Against overwhelming odds, the fledgling State of Israel not only survived, but has grown beyond expectation, launching it for the next three quarters of a century on the path to becoming a world power.
David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s leading founder and first prime minister, declared the birth of modern Israel in Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall on May 14, 1948, and for the first time in nearly 2,000 years, the Jewish people had a nation.
“Ben-Gurion chose the words, ‘we hereby declare the establishment of a Jewish state in the Land of Israel to be known as the State of Israel,’” Independence Hall tour guide Isaac Dror recalled. “This was the birth of a Jewish state as for all Jews. Ben Gurion was standing here as the voice of 11 million Jews around the world who had no voice, who had no address and nowhere to go to.”
Dror leads the education effort at the site. “This was promised to us by God,” he explained. “We are the only people in the history of the world that live on the same land, speak in the same language and believe in the same God more than 3,000 years.”
From a Biblical perspective, many see Israel fulfilling the prophecy in the book of Ezekiel, where the “dry bones” of the Jewish people come to life after two thousand years of exile.
Organizations such as the Jewish Agency helped lay the groundwork for the two thousand years in the making of the Jewish state.
Danielle Mor of the Jewish Agency told CBN News, “The Jewish Agency was the lead organization in establishing and giving birth to the modern state of Israel. The whole purpose of establishing the Jewish Agency was, on the one hand, unite the global Jewish people, and to bring the global Jewish people in front of the British mandate to be the organization that would lead and establish a national home for the Jewish people in the land of Israel.”
Dani Dayan, Chairman of Israel’s Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial, recounted the genocide that preceded Israel’s independence. “To fully comprehend the miracle of the country’s birth,” he said,” consider that it happened in the shadow of the Holocaust – or “Shoah” in Hebrew – when the world learned how Nazi Germany murdered six million Jews.”
He continued, “When you understand that only three years after the end of the Shoah, the lowest point the Jewish people reached in its exile, we started our redemption process and we … regained our independence after 2000 years of terrible events. Well, if that’s not a miracle, I don’t know what a miracle is,” he said.
Even so, Dayan dispels one myth about the connection between Israel’s beginning and the Holocaust.
“Israel was not established because of the Holocaust. Israel was established in spite of the Holocaust,” he insisted. “Israel would have been a much (more) robust, greater, secure, successful country if there were additional 6 million Jews and their descendants in the world. But Israel is the guarantee that they will be no more – no other Shoah for the Jewish people.”
Now, after 75 years, Israel maintains its safety and security with one of the most powerful militaries in the world.
Former Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokesman Jonathan Conricus described how the military was transformed.
“Then, it was small units of very (patriotic) people, some of them Holocaust survivors, who just came off the boat from Europe and put on IDF uniforms and joined battle and defended Israel in 1948 against six Arab armies. Today, we are a highly organized, developed, and well-funded military, perhaps the strongest in the region, that enjoys a significant technological advantage over all of our enemies.”
Israel is also an economic miracle. This tiny country of less than 10 million people has the highest concentration of new businesses per capita in the world, earning it the nickname of “Startup Nation.”
Jon Medved, founder of Our Crowd, a venture capital investment company, showcases these accomplishments in his annual investor summit.
“This is what Israel is supposed to be doing,” he explained. “If Israel wasn’t the startup nation, what are we going to be? Okay, I’m sorry, this is our destiny. Our destiny is to create. Our destiny is to you know, fix the world.”
Medved added, “And we’re just a little people. We make a lot of noise, but I think most Israelis – if they wear a yarmulke or they don’t wear a yarmulke – view this as a spiritual undertaking, that we are doing this not just to make money, but to do good.”
Yet throughout its history, Israel has faced nearly insurmountable odds. Just hours after Ben-Gurion declared the state, 6 Arab nations drive to drive it into the sea.
While it survived, Israel would be challenged again in the 1967 Six-Day War the 1973 Yom Kippur war. After thousands of years in exile and 75 years as a country, Israel stands, despite enemies within, along each border, and beyond.
For Israel’s Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, a former Israeli ambassador to the U.S., the phenomenon has one explanation. “It’s a modern miracle, the rebirth of the Jewish state against all odds,” he told CBN News.
Be thankful to God that the State of Israel continues to thrive no matter what their internal problems and external challenges are. Be thankful to Him as many millions of people around the world who believe and follow Lord Jesus now have more opportunities to visit the Holy Land to deepen their faith in Him even more.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. This is not a sponsored article. Anyone who wants to use this article, in part or in whole, needs to secure first my permission and agree to cite me as the source and author. Let it be known that any unauthorized use of this article will constrain the author to pursue the remedies under R.A. No. 8293, the Revised Penal Code, and/or all applicable legal actions under the laws of the Philippines.
Welcome back, readers and fellow followers of the Lord! This is the 6th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by its strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel 2023 tour articles, click here, here, here, here and here.
In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you my observations and captured images about my visit to the Pool of Siloam (also referred to as the Pool of Shiloah) in the City of David (just outside of the wall of Jerusalem) which is a highly significant pilgrimage site and, as of this writing, there are developments being done to improve it physically. At its current location, the pool’s remains were discovered in the year 2004 covering an area of three dunams, or three-quarters of an acre dating back to the era of the Second Temple (2nd Jewish Temple).
As of our visit, only a minor portion of the ancient pool was made accessible for visiting and viewing, and there is a lot more excavation work that needs to be done to uncover it and eventually reveal its full size.
The Pool of Siloam is an ancient, rock-cut pool located outside of the wall of the old city of Jerusalem. Water from the Gihon Spring that passed through the Siloam Tunnel (AKA Hezekiah’s Tunnel) made its way to the Pool of Siloam. During biblical times, the pool was an essential destination for Jewish people to get purified first before traveling all the way up along a wide road leading to the Temple Mount in the old city of Jerusalem. Today, there is a tunnel at the end of the site of the pool moving up. The tunnel, which was discovered in recent years, points towards the Temple Mount at least in its current form. It is believed that the tunnel includes a drainage channel that apparently was used as a hiding place for the last Jewish rebels against the Romans in the year 70 CE. The Pool of Siloam ceased to function after the destruction of Jerusalem and as time passed by, it vanished from sight as it got filled with earth. That being said, its 2004 discovery is indeed a miracle from God for people of faith to visit and witness the Holy Bible come to life in front of them. Years from now, the Pool of Siloam’s full size and scope will be realized. The best is yet to come from our Lord!
To put things in perspective, our pilgrimage tour group first went through the ancient City of David and even explored the tunnels moving south. There was even water from the Gihon spring flowing along the way. After regrouping, we marched further to the site of the Pool of Siloam which has a physical set-up designed to accommodate visitors. The site was suitable for tour group members to sit down and listen to a biblical teaching and/or key updates from the tour guide. There was also excavation going on at the opposite side of the site. You can see the place in motion as I captured it with my Samsung Galaxy A50’s camera. The raw video has been uploaded on my YouTube channel and you can watch it below…
Also worth watching is this CBN News YouTube video about the ancient pool. The video was published about a month before our pilgrimage tour happened.
The biblical significance of the Pool of Siloam
The Pool of Siloam is more than just ancient and more than just a great example of construction…it is biblical. It was made during the time of King Hezekiah and the following translations of 2 Kings 20:20 below confirmed it…
Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah—all his might, and how he made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
2 Kings 20:20 (NKJV)
The rest of the deeds of Hezekiah and all his might and how he made the pool and the conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
2 Kings 20:20 (ESV)
The rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made the pool and the canal and brought water into the city, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
2 Kings 20:20 (AMPC)
Under King Hezekiah’s leadership, two crews dug the tunnel (as referred to in 2 Kings 20:20 NKJV) through solid rock. One crew started from the Pool of Siloam while the other at the spring of Gihon. Given the fact that they accomplished their tasks without even having the modern technologies of today, the tunnel is absolutely remarkable as a feat of engineering. God made a way for this accomplishment and with Him, nothing is impossible. With constant water flowing from the Gihon spring, the Pool of Siloam was not just a place for people to get cleaned at or a place to refresh themselves at but it became the destination for purification that Jewish people needed before they go to the Temple Mount which remains a very holy place to this day. God had all of these planned and it was executed in Israel by King Hezekiah. Remember this when you visit the Pool of Siloam in Israel.
The Pool of Siloam got mentioned in Chapter 3 of the Book of Nehemiah which itself emphasized a remarkable display of unity in relation to the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The mention also made clear its location at the bottom of the City of David. Learn from the holy scripture below…
The Fountain Gate was rebuilt by Shallun son of Col-Hozeh, mayor of the Mizpah district; he repaired it, roofed it, hung its doors, and installed its bolts and bars. He also rebuilt the wall of the Pool of Siloam at the King’s Garden as far as the steps that go down from the City of David.
Nehemiah 3:15 (MSG)
The water that flowed from the spring of Gihon and filled up the Pool of Siloam was not ordinary. It was living water and it was essential for the Jewish people and their honoring of the Lord God during those days. Each day during the Feast of Tabernacles, a joyous celebration was observed in which priests brought water from the Pool of Siloam using golden pitchers and brought them to the Jewish temple at the Temple Mount. During the procession, the people recited Isaiah 12:3. The water was poured out on the altar as an offering to God as there were people shouting and singing. Lord Jesus was the fulfillment of all that the ceremony typified. Read the bible verses below…
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
John 7:37-39 (NKJV)
I brought my Bible with me to the site of the Pool of Siloam in Israel and took time to read scriptures pertaining to the blind man who got healed at the pool because he followed and trusted our Lord and Savior Jesus. The man who got healed was clearly faithful to Him.That being said, I encourage you to bring the Bible with you when you visit each holy site in Israel.
What makes the Pool of Siloam even more significant within the Holy Bible is the miracle that took place in Chapter 9 of the Book of John. I’m talking about the miracle of our Lord and Savior Jesus healing a man who was born blind and the ancient pool itself was place where the faith-driven healing was realized. Learn from the translations of John 9:1-11 below…
Afterward, as Jesus walked down the street, he noticed a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Teacher, whose sin caused this guy’s blindness, his own, or the sin of his parents?”
Jesus answered, “Neither. It happened to him so that you could watch him experience God’s miracle. While I am with you, it is daytime and we must do the works of God who sent me while the light shines. For there is coming a dark night when no one will be able to work. As long as I am with you my life is the light that pierces the world’s darkness.”
Then Jesus spat on the ground and made some clay with his saliva. Then he anointed the blind man’s eyes with the clay.
And he said to the blind man, “Now go and wash the clay from your eyes in the ritual pool of Siloam.”
So he went and washed his face and as he came back, he could see for the first time in his life!
This caused quite a stir among the people of the neighborhood, for they noticed the blind beggar was now seeing! They began to say to one another, “Isn’t this the blind man who once sat and begged?” Some said, “No, it can’t be him!” Others said, “But it looks just like him—it has to be him!” All the while the man kept insisting, “I’m the man who was blind!”
Finally, they asked him, “What has happened to you?”
He replied, “I met the man named Jesus! He rubbed clay on my eyes and said, ‘Go to the pool named Siloam and wash.’ So I went and while I was washing the clay from my eyes I began to see for the very first time ever!”
John 9:1-11 (TPT)
Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, “Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?”
Jesus said, “You’re asking the wrong question. You’re looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world’s Light.”
He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay paste with the saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man’s eyes, and said, “Go, wash at the Pool of Siloam” (Siloam means “Sent”). The man went and washed—and saw.
Soon the town was buzzing. His relatives and those who year after year had seen him as a blind man begging were saying, “Why, isn’t this the man we knew, who sat here and begged?”
Others said, “It’s him all right!”
But others objected, “It’s not the same man at all. It just looks like him.”
He said, “It’s me, the very one.”
They said, “How did your eyes get opened?”
“A man named Jesus made a paste and rubbed it on my eyes and told me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ I did what he said. When I washed, I saw.”
John 9:1-11 (MSG)
Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay.
And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing.
Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?”
Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.”
He said, “I am he.”
Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?”
He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
John 9:1-11 (NKJV)
What we can learn from the above miracle is that faith in Lord Jesus is essential as He is God in the flesh and someday He will return to us here on Earth. This is about trusting in Him wholeheartedly and following His commands and His direction without hesitation and without any trace of doubt. The blind man, who also had been a beggar who suffered for a long time, followed Lord Jesus and went to the Pool of Siloam (as he was directed by Him) where the healing manifested. It was healing that was super natural because the Lord Himself is greater than the forces of the world.
In response to His disciples’ question about the man’s blindness, Lord Jesus noted that beyond the tragedy of human defects, which result in a general way from man’s fall and the consequent entry of sin, sickness, affliction and death into the world, God’s merciful and sovereign race is available. The many lost and unsaved souls may not realize it yet, but the truth is that Lord Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, and nobody can come to the Heavenly Father except through Him (refer to John 14:6). Lord Jesus is also the mediator between God and people (read 1 Timothy 2:5). As the Anointed One, Lord Jesus emphasized responsibility in connection to doing the works of God. He took it upon Himself to help the blind man and physically used His own saliva on the ground to make clay and spread it on the blind man’s eyes before directing him to the Pool of Siloam where he should wash it off. Then the healing manifested.
For a short while, let us visit a different part of the Holy Bible pertaining to miraculous healing in the presence of Lord Jesus – Mark 5:25-34. There was this suffering yet faithful woman who was truly determined to reach out and touch Lord Jesus to be healed. This miracle has common elements with the miracle at the Pool of Siloam. Read the scripture below…
Now, in the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered horribly from continual bleeding for twelve years. She had endured a great deal under the care of various doctors, yet in spite of spending all she had on their treatments, she was getting worse instead of better. When she heard about Jesus’ healing power, she pushed through the crowd and came up from behind him and touched his prayer shawl. For she kept saying to herself, “If I could touch even his clothes, I know I will be healed.” As soon as her hand touched him, her bleeding immediately stopped! She knew it, for she could feel her body instantly being healed of her disease!
Jesus knew at once that someone had touched him, for he felt the power that always surged around him had passed through him for someone to be healed.
He turned and spoke to the crowd, saying, “Who touched my clothes?”
His disciples answered, “What do you mean, who touched you? Look at this huge crowd—they’re all pressing up against you.” But Jesus’ eyes swept across the crowd, looking for the one who had touched him for healing.
When the woman who experienced this miracle realized what had happened to her, she came before him, trembling with fear, and threw herself down at his feet, saying, “I was the one who touched you.” And she told him her story of what had just happened.
Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart, and be free from your suffering!”
Mark 5:25-34 (TPT)
The above biblical account proved that the woman got healed because of her faith in Lord Jesus who in turn recognized her faith in Him. Without faith in Him, there would not have been any healing. Going back to John 9:1-11, the blind man who got healed at the Pool of Siloam fully trusted Lord Jesus with all his heart and this confirms his faith in Him. The man believed in Jesus!
Lord Jesus’ mixing of His saliva with the substance on the ground to make clay is symbolic. The spit and clay symbolize Jesus as God in the flesh (the form of a man). The saliva that came from His mouth symbolize the spoken Word of God and God as incarnate. The clay symbolizes man for our human vessel is a jar of clay. The blind man previously heard people spit as they walked by him and expressed their disgust of him. They were disgusted because they believed that blindness was caused by a curse (refer to Deuteronomy 28:28). Of course, those people did not realize that Lord Jesus was God in the flesh nor did they realize that God’s only begotten Son walked among them and only He could make super natural healing and other miracles happen.
After getting healed and gaining vision, the blind man caught the attention of the people there at the Pool of Siloam and he revealed to them he met Lord Jesus and followed His instructions faithfully.
A view of the site of the Pool of Siloam facing the entrance going to the tunnel.
The story of the miracle at the Pool of Siloam did not end there, however. In fact, the impact of the miracle made the people bring the healed man to the Pharisees and it was on the Sabbath when the encounter with Jesus happened. Learn from the bible verses below…
Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”
Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.”
Others said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such signs?” And there was a division among them.
They said to the blind man again, “What do you say about Him because He opened your eyes?”
He said, “He is a prophet.”
But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”
His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; but by what means he now sees we do not know, or who opened his eyes we do not know. He is of age; ask him. He will speak for himself.” His parents said these things because they feared the Jews, for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue. Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.”
He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.”
Then they said to him again, “What did He do to you? How did He open your eyes?”
He answered them, “I told you already, and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become His disciples?”
Then they reviled him and said, “You are His disciple, but we are Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses; as for this fellow, we do not know where He is from.”
The man answered and said to them, “Why, this is a marvelous thing, that you do not know where He is from; yet He has opened my eyes! Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him. Since the world began it has been unheard of that anyone opened the eyes of one who was born blind. If this Man were not from God, He could do nothing.”
They answered and said to him, “You were completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” And they cast him out.
John 9:14-34 (NKJV)
To make things very clear about the biblical account above that took place after the miracle at the Pool of Siloam, I want to stress to you all that Lord Jesus did not lead the healed man into trouble. In reality, it was the Pharisees’ failure to realize that Jesus is Lord and Savior of all as they were stuck with their old ways, their religion and blindness to the truth. The perverse reasoning of the Pharisees placed them in a dilemma from which the only escape was to disprove the miracle that happened. They expressed that no miracle could have occurred because it was the Sabbath, and that God would never violate the law of rest by healing a person.
The undeniable fact that a man born blind got healed and gained perfect sight refuted the theory of the Pharisees. Thus, they must either deny the facts or confess the divine nature and holiness of Jesus. The logic of the healed man was undeniable and irrefutable. Unable to deny the man’s testimony, the religious leaders took the cowardly way out by excommunicating him. To be removed from the synagogue was a tremendous loss for most Jews. The religious leaders had their chance to realize the truth and submit themselves to Lord Jesus but they blew it because they did not have faith and they did not realize that Lord Jesus was God in the flesh walking among many people. As the Pharisees excommunicated the healed man, the above biblical account still has the elements which reminds me of the Nazareth Jews who rejected Lord Jesus.
Of course, Lord Jesus learned about the healed man’s excommunication. Read the biblical account below…
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when He had found him, He said to him, “Do you believe in the Son of God?”
He answered and said, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?”
And Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”
Then he said, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Him.
And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into this world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.”
Then some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said to Him, “Are we blind also?”
Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but now you say, ‘We see.’ Therefore your sin remains.
John 9:35-41 (NKJV)
This is the view of the Pool of Siloam facing the other direction. In the distance is the entrance and exit for visitors.
As the man who was previously blind submitted himself to Lord Jesus with undeniable faith, He eventually encountered the unbelieving Pharisees responsible for excommunicating the healed man. What Lord Jesus told the Pharisees was about spiritual blindness (as opposed to physical blindness).
Lord Jesus moved the discussion from physical blindness to spiritual blindness. To believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior means to see spiritually, whereas those who do not believe in Him remain blind.
Furthermore, even though the healed man was unable to read Scriptures due to the blindness he was born with, he still established his faith in Lord Jesus! This should remind you all that traditions and superficial knowledge of the Bible can blind our hearts if we do not believe in Lord Jesus above all other religious dogmas. There are many out there who knew the Scriptures but still refused to believe. There are many people out there who strictly practice religion, idolatry, rituals, traditions, the vow of poverty, worldliness and distorted teachings about the Bible while failing to realize that faith in the Lord and His Word is always essential. There are lots of people out there who are not only lost and unsaved, but also spiritually blinded! This should remind you that as Christians, we should never give up evangelizing others with God’s Word and help them come to Lord Jesus in faith.
Ultimately, the miracle that happened at the Pool of Siloam proves that God had come to see us!
Conclusion
A wider view of the site of the Pool of Siloam with ongoing excavation at the other side. In due time, the entire ancient pool will be recovered and it will become an even greater site for pilgrimage tours in Israel.
In a greater context within the Holy Bible, the Pool of Siloam links King David, King Solomon, King Hezekiah and Lord Jesus together with Jerusalem as the holiest city of all. Also connected are the stories of Isaiah and Jeremiah. The Pool of Siloam served as the water system and place of purification of Jerusalem in biblical times. Today, the excavation at the Pool of Siloam continues to go on and in due time, its entirety will be realized and that would make it an even greater holy site for faithful people to visit.
Indeed, our pilgrimage tour group’s visit to the Pool of Siloam is a big blessing from God. I myself brought my Holy Bible to the site and took time out to read the verses about Lord Jesus’ healing of the blind man. Me and our group companions got blessed all throughout the pilgrimage tour of the Holy Land.
Going back to Chapter 9 of the Book of John, the biblical account is a lively reminder that we must always have unwavering faith in Lord Jesus, follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, live on with the truth that miracles and super natural healing are only possible with Him, and we must never allow religion, unbelief, traditions, biblical distortions, idolatry, rituals and the wickedness of the world to get in the way of our faith in Him. We need to seek Lord Jesus first and follow His light. We need to be faithful to the Lord always and I encourage you to read the following holy scriptures below…
Now faith brings our hopes into reality and becomes the foundation needed to acquire the things we long for. It is all the evidence required to prove what is still unseen. This testimony of faith is what previous generations were commended for. Faith empowers us to see that the universe was created and beautifully coordinated by the power of God’s words! He spoke and the invisible realm gave birth to all that is seen.
Hebrews 11:1-3 (TPT)
Therefore then, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us,
Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 12:1-2 (AMPC)
As you can see, Hebrews 11:1-3 and Hebrews 12:1-2 connect well with the healing of the man who was previously blind at the Pool of Siloam which is the result of him being faithful and trustful to Lord Jesus who helped him and gave him a direction. It is his faith in God’s only begotten Son that is the highlight of the miraculous healing at the ancient pool. Jesus is clearly the finisher, the author, the leader and source of our faith!
As John 9:1-41 includes the unbelieving religious Jews who excommunicated the healed man and came into conflict with Lord Jesus Himself, let me remind you not to get into conflict with the lost and the unsaved, and never ever fall into anti-Semitism (prejudice against the Jewish people) which is still a global disease and proof that being worldly is unholy.
Do not reject the Jews who reject Lord Jesus. Instead, you should keep on persevering to love and bless the Jewish people, preach God’s Word to them, share your testimony with them and help (not force) lead them to Jesus so that they can decide for themselves to accept Him as Lord and Savior. The pilgrimage tour in Israel proved to be a very holy and enlightening experience for me and I can clearly say that Israel has a special place in my heart. This is not surprising at all because visiting Israel was God’s answer to my prayers and it was destiny for me to join the pilgrimage tour through my local church. There is nothing like witnessing the Holy Bible come to life while visiting many sites where the recorded events happened. The Holy Bible is more than just a book – it is the living Word of God and it is eternally holy!
Along the way, I encourage you all to stand united with Israel no matter what happens within the country and around the world. Israel is clearly the land that God designated for the Jewish people and His declaration stands way above the so-called rules and philosophies of wicked worldly entities or groups like the United Nations, Amnesty International, Black Lives Matter (BLM), Iran, the so-called state of Palestine, the U.S. Democrat party and others. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
And God said to him, “Your name is Jacob; no longer shall your name be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name.” So he called his name Israel. And God said to him, “I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations shall come from you, and kings shall come from your own body. The land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac I will give to you, and I will give the land to your offspring after you.”
Genesis 35:10-12 (ESV)
Now the Lord had said to Abram:
“Get out of your country,
From your family
And from your father’s house,
To a land that I will show you.
I will make you a great nation;
I will bless you
And make your name great;
And you shall be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
And I will curse him who curses you;
And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Genesis 12:1-3 (NKJV)
Finally, to the readers who are about to visit the Holy Land, I encourage you to verify with your tour group leader the inclusion of the Pool of Siloam in the itinerary of Jerusalem. Israel is a great and holy place to visit! Visit Israel with the Holy Bible! Pray to the Lord and reveal to Him your heart’s desire to visit Israel to deepen your faith in Him. Always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel articles here. There is more to come!
Author Carlo Carrasco 