The month of February 2023 is indeed exceptional. In my experience, I had the greatest overseas trip of my life as I went to Israel on a pilgrimage tour with my local church. There, I witnessed the Holy Bible come to life at the many sites in the Holy Land. As such, I am grateful to the Lord and will always be faithful to Him.
On another significant matter, February 2023 also marked the 65th year of Israel-Philippines friendship which was celebrated a few weeks back according to a news article by the Philippines News Agency (PNA). For the newcomers reading this, Israel and the Philippines have a deep relationship with each other and lots of cooperation has been done.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the PNA article. Some parts in boldface…
The Philippines and Israel celebrated 65 years of friendship on Sunday, marking an already warm and historic relations with increased interactions in the areas of agriculture, commerce, and development.
In the past 12 months alone, the two nations signed various deals — from a memorandum of understanding to initiate joint activities on trade and investment to a cooperation agreement in technological innovation, research, and development.
The “milestone” Philippine-Israel Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement was also concluded in June 2022, signaling the two nations commitment to create environment for investments in water management, agriculture, cybersecurity, defense industry, smart transportation, manufacturing, and diamond industry development, among others.
Envisioning an even closer economic relations in the years beyond, Israel Ambassador to Manila Ilan Fluss sees the field of innovation as an area the two countries could further develop.
“My vision is that we will establish bridges of innovation in technology between Israel and the Philippines,” he told the Philippine News Agency in a recent interview.
“For this, we’re working a lot on both on two levels, one on the startup community and how we can get an exchange between startups and to get Philippine startups enter into Israel,” he added.
As an innovation hub, Fluss believes Israel could support the Philippines in building a stronger startup industry through training and guidance in “internationalizing” Filipino startups.
In 2022, there were over 6,000 startups active in Israel, making the country a world leader in startups per capita.
Israeli firms, on the other hand, could enter the Philippines and provide solutions that address challenges unique to the country.
“[The Philippines] could help Israeli startups who are usually focused more on the developed markets, enter into the Philippines, adjusting what they’re doing to the challenges in the Philippines which are different than Europe and the United States,” Fluss said.
“So we want to help them diversify and enter the Philippine markets. So this is a very major effort that we are doing in the embassy,” he added.
Israel and the Philippines’ friendship is founded on deep historical and moral connections, with Manila opening its doors to 1,300 Holocaust refugees in late 1930s even before Israel became a state.
The Philippines was one of the 33 countries to vote in favor of a United Nations resolution in 1947 that created the State of Israel.
65 years of not only friendship but strong cooperation and commitments between Israel and the Philippines clearly shows that the two nations were chosen by God to be together. Be thankful to God for all the breakthroughs and the continuing progress of Israel-Philippines ties. Israel-Philippines ties are essential!
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 by all. 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.
In ending this I Love Israel piece, posted below are Israel-related videos for your viewing pleasure and enlightenment. I encourage you all to watch them.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official social media account of the subject business is also used. Take note that this is not a sponsored article at all. 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! This is the 4th chapter of my ongoing series of articles about the holy nation of Israel with recollections about the experiences and discoveries I had during the pilgrimage tour I joined with my local church (hosted by its strategic partner Behold Israel). To see my previous Israel tour articles, click here, here and here.
In this latest edition of my Israel 2023 series, I share with you my observations and captured images about our group tour of Nazareth Village which is an open-air museum located in the outskirts of the biblical city of Nazareth. Yes, this is indeed the very same place that was the hometown of our Lord and Savior Jesus and the Holy Bible has records about it.
A very informative local tour guide led our pilgrimage tour group at the outdoor village set-up reflecting 1st century Nazareth village life.
Built on ancient agricultural land that includes the area’s last remaining first-century wine press, Nazareth Village was designed to fully immerse visitors into the first-century with an actual farm and archaeologically accurate recreation of the hometown of our Lord and Savior Jesus. There is a well designed physical set-up of the 1st century Nazareth complete with several olive trees and crops planted as well as villagers played by actors who themselves were fully immersed with the life and processes of the said era. Adding to the high level of details about the village are tools, clothing, raw materials and other physical setups that recaptured the livelihood of 1st century Nazareth.
This is a glimpse of the huge outdoor physical set-up at Nazareth Village. There were life-sized replicas of 1st century houses, crops, farming structures and more. Exploring them all by foot was a very immersive experience. The cloudy and slightly wet weather did not hamper the experience.
In the background, you can see a replica of a 1st century tomb.
Shortly after arriving at Nazareth Village, our pilgrimage tour group was oriented about the village and eventually a local tour guide led us on a tour that involved walking from one spot to another, each one with lectures and explanations.
Our tour guide led us to real farm land (with crops), replicas of 1st century houses, olive presses and even a synagogue with a scroll inside. Very clearly, Nazareth Village’s team of specialists really captured the look, the structures and feel of the 1st century Nazareth.
An olive press that was made to actually work. No local donkey was available at the time of our tour but an improvised demonstration of the functionality of the machine was enough to give us a clear view about how it worked. Actual pressed olives were shown to us as well.
Real crops growing.
A close look at the structures. There were also lots of olive trees around the area.
As part of the tour, we met a 1st century Nazareth potter, a weaver and a carpenter in different locations. Each of them showed their skills on making things as it was during the time of Lord Jesus. What we witnessed was enlightening and amazing. We gained a clear look at what 1st century village life of Nazareth was like.
A carpenter showed us his skill and actual crafting.
A weaver showed how the tool she had functioned.
The potter kindly showed us how he made pots and containers from scratch.
Each and every one of those displayed items were made by the potters of Nazareth Village. This is an astounding display of 1st century manual crafting.
Me posing with the weaver.
Nazareth’s connection with Lord Jesus – As mentioned earlier, Nazareth has been recorded in the Holy Bible and this includes its connection with Lord Jesus. Refer to the holy scriptures below with Nazareth references in boldface…
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Acts 2:22-25 (NKJV)
How God anointed and consecrated Jesus of Nazareth with the [Holy] Spirit and with strength and ability and power; how He went about doing good and, in particular, curing all who were harassed and oppressed by [the power of] the devil, for God was with Him.
Acts 10:38 (AMPC)
Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”
John 19:19 (ESV)
Every year Jesus’ parents went to worship at Jerusalem during the Passover festival. When Jesus turned twelve, his parents took him to Jerusalem to observe the Passover, as was their custom. A full day after they began their journey home, Joseph and Mary realized that Jesus was missing. They had assumed he was somewhere in their entourage, but he was nowhere to be found. After a frantic search among relatives and friends, Mary and Joseph returned to Jerusalem to search for him.
After being separated from him for three days, they finally found him in the temple, sitting among the Jewish teachers, listening to them and asking probing questions. All who heard Jesus speak were awestruck at his intelligent understanding of all that was being discussed and at his wise answers to their questions.
His parents were shocked to find him there, and Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, your father and I have searched for you everywhere! We have been worried sick over not finding you. Why would you do this to us?”
Jesus said to them, “Why would you need to search for me? Didn’t you know that it was necessary for me to be here in my Father’s house, consumed with him?”
Mary and Joseph didn’t fully understand what Jesus meant.
Jesus went back home with them to Nazareth and was obedient to them. His mother treasured Jesus’ words deeply in her heart. As Jesus grew, so did his wisdom and maturity. The favor of men increased upon his life, for he was greatly loved by God
Luke 2:41-51 (TPT)
When Jesus arrived in his hometown of Nazareth, he began teaching the people in the synagogue. Everyone was dazed, overwhelmed with astonishment over the depth of revelation they were hearing. They said to one another, “Where did this man get such great wisdom and miraculous powers?”
Mark 13:54 (TPT)
And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
Mark 14:67 (NKJV)
In addition to the selected holy scriptures above, it is essential to examine the rejection Lord Jesus received in Nazareth. Refer to the holy scripture below…
So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”
Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.
And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ”
Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; but to none of them was Elijah sent except to [Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff. Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.
Luke 4:16-30 (NKJV)
Inside the replica of the 1st century Nazareth synagogue. The local tour guide showed to us a replica of a scroll that reflected what was used in teaching God’s Word to those who attended.
To put things in perspective, the synagogue originated during the Exile, when the Jewish people were separated from the temple services in the holy city of Jerusalem. The synagogue was both a religious and educational institution. A member or visitor who was judged worthy was frequently asked to read the Scripture and make the appropriate comments. Lord Jesus regularly engaged in worship with the members of the synagogue. As He was handed the book of Isaiah and made His declaration in front of many, it symbolized the ultimate fulfillment awaiting the coming of the messianic age. Lord Jesus claimed to be the promised Messiah and His defined ministry became the ongoing essence of the good news of the gospel of God’s Kingdom. Eventually, He passed His ministry to the disciples (refer to Luke 9:1-2) and trusted them.
It should be noted that the locals who perceived Him only as the son of Joseph did not realize the truth that He is God’s only begotten Son. They failed to realize Him as the Messiah, God in the flesh, the Savior and Lord of all. They did not believe in Him. The locals were so blinded with what is worldly, they failed to realize the holiness of Lord Jesus who has been identified with their locality that is Nazareth.
With regards to the people’s rejection of Him, He anticipated the demands from the locals that He should make miracles happen in Nazareth as He had done in Capernaum. Of course, His signs are not for skeptics but for those who truly believe in Him. It should be noted that the people who are most familiar with great people are sometimes the least appreciative of their greatness.
Even though they were filled with so much rage (in reaction to His declarations) and went as far as bringing Lord Jesus out of Nazareth and on to the cliff to kill Him, the locals ultimately failed. They were a mob driven by wrath but the holiness and power of Lord Jesus proved to be too much for them. This was a supernatural event that saw Him walk His way through the mob and proceeded to Capernaum in the region of Galilee. This should remind you that God had an ultimate plan for His Son Jesus which resulted in victory which we the faithful are living with now.
I brought my Holy Bible with me during the Nazareth Village tour.
For added insight, posted below is the New Living Translation (NLT) of Luke 4:16-30…
When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures. The scroll of Isaiah the prophet was handed to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where this was written:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free,
and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.
Then he began to speak to them. “The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!”
Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”
Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.
“Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.”
When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious.
Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
Luke 4:16-30 (NLT)
In ending this biblical teaching, let me point out that in the Book of John, Lord Jesus declared that those who believe and follow Him can expect persecution. He reminded us all that the unbelieving world is filled with wrath and hatred. In the Book of Revelations is a verse that connects with what was declared in the Book of John. Do not forget that Lord Jesus is the mediator between man and God, and He too is also the Alpha and the Omega. He is the Savior! The holy scriptures below should help you. Always remember that being worldly makes you unholy, and it separates you from the Lord. That being said, be faithful and always follow Lord Jesus with all your heart no matter what happens to you.
Me with the Holy Bible inside the 1st century synagogue at Nazareth Village.
If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before it hated you.
If you belonged to the world, the world would treat you with affection and would love you as its own. But because you are not of the world [no longer one with it], but I have chosen (selected) you out of the world, the world hates (detests) you.
Remember that I told you, A servant is not greater than his master [is not superior to him]. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word and obeyed My teachings, they will also keep and obey yours.
But they will do all this to you [inflict all this suffering on you] because of [your bearing] My name and on My account, for they do not know or understand the One Who sent Me.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin [would be blameless]; but now they have no excuse for their sin.
Whoever hates Me also hates My Father.
If I had not done (accomplished) among them the works which no one else ever did, they would not be guilty of sin. But [the fact is] now they have both seen [these works] and have hated both Me and My Father.
But [this is so] that the word written in their Law might be fulfilled, They hated Me without a cause.
But when the Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Advocate, Intercessor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, Whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth Who comes (proceeds) from the Father, He [Himself] will testify regarding Me.
John 15:18-26 (AMPC)
And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
Revelations 21:3-8 (NKJV)
For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the manChrist Jesus,
1 Timothy 2:5 (ESV)
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last (the Before all and the End of all).
Revelations 22:13 (AMPC)
Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”
And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
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 8:2-12 (NKJV)
Conclusion
Our group met these two 1st century villagers during one of the stops of the tour. Indeed, we had a great tour of Nazareth Village and I encourage you all to visit the place when you come to Israel.
I can say that the time we spent at Nazareth Village was not just a very enlightening look back at 1st century living but it was also an opportunity to closely examine the Word of God for Nazareth’s biblical inclusion, Nazareth’s connection with Lord Jesus, and the rejection of Him by the locals who failed to realize His holiness. This article is not about condemnation at all. In fact, this article is an opportunity for you readers to look at Nazareth with biblical truth as well as living on with the victory Lord Jesus achieved for the faithful. That being said, I encourage you readers to learn to love and bless the Jewish people while living on with the Word of God. Let the Holy Spirit lead you.
For those of you who plan to visit Israel on pilgrimage tours, I highly recommend visiting Nazareth Village and in preparation for that, I encourage you to read the Holy Bible not just for Nazareth references but also the entire Old and New Testaments for full immersion with God’s Word. The greater your understanding of God’s Word is, the more the Holy Bible will come to life in front of you when you visit Nazareth Village. This goes the same with visiting other holy sites around Israel. For the best quality pilgrimage tour experience, I strongly recommend Behold Israel’s Bible Experience Tours. Come visit Israel to seek the Lord’s Kingdom (read Matthew 6:33). Ask God about His plans for you in connection to visiting Israel.
To follow Nazareth Village for information and key updates, visit https://www.nazarethvillage.com/ and follow their social media accounts at Facebook and Instagram. Nazareth Village is a great place to visit for your faith in the Lord, and it also has a lot to offer to visitors from around the world apart from the on-site guided tours.
Lastly, I urge you all to stand united with Israel (read Genesis 35:10-12), to love and bless the Jewish people (read Genesis 12:1-3) and pray for the peace of Jerusalem.
Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel articles here.
Disclaimer: This is my original work with details sourced from my personal experiences and observations during the Israel pilgrimage tour I joined. Additional information from the official website of the subject business is also used. 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.
During the one and only free day I had in my recent tour of Israel, I decided to make use of the extra time to visit the Temple Mount, the Western Wall (note: my return for prayer), the Jewish Quarter, King David’s Tomb and Oskar Schindler’s grave on foot. It was also my plan to have lunch at the popular Mahane Yehuda market.
Coming from the old city of Jerusalem, I marched along Jaffa Street heading towards Mahane Yehuda. However, the accumulated stress of very long walks in the morning caught up with me and I needed a break. It was then I decided to pursue finding a certain Jerusalem joint known for good food, drinks and books which was featured on the YouTube channel of Israel (called Jerusalem’s culture café). That place is Tmol Shilshom and as soon as I saw a sign of it along the very busy Jaffa Street, I made the decision to search for it knowing it was a challenge to do so.
What exactly is Tmol Shilshom? It is described as “the one holy place of Jerusalem that stands above the fray,” quoting Amoz Oz.
According to the official material of theirs, Tmol Shilshom is a Jersualem institution. A café-restaurant and bookstore that was established in 1994 in a century-old building in the Nahalat Shiv’a quarter of the city center. The joint’s name means “yesteryear”, is the title of a classic Hebrew novel by Nobel laureate S.Y. Agnon. Tmol Shilshom was founded as a unique way to combine culture, good food, and a cozy atmosphere, as imagined by the late David Ehrlich who was the business partner of the joint’s owner Dan Goldberg.
For several minutes, I struggled to find Tmol Shilshom going through a few narrow walkways coming from Jaffa Street. I did not have mobile Internet access with me and there was no way Google Maps could help me. I simply paid attention to details of the walkways and the signs that I saw. There was a point when I thought I got lost but I found another sign leading to the place. After some further walk, turns and climbing up some steps, I finally made it to Tmol Shilshom!
My experience inside Tmol Shilshom
As soon as I entered the café-restaurant, I felt this great relief not only from the cold weather outside but also because I found the place’s beautiful interiors very welcoming and cozy instantly. The place’s heater was so good, I took off my trench coat and sat at the nearest table enjoying the instant warmth and comfort.
As it was my plan to have lunch at Mahane Yehuda, I first wanted to try Tmol Shilshom’s coffee. On the table, however, I noticed there was this visual reference about their special drinks offered complete with descriptions and prices (in Shekels) displayed. After some thinking and wanting to try something really unique, I decided to order their Halva Drink which is a vegan beverage composed of date honey, tahini, hot soy milk and shredded Halva. I stated my order to the waiter who passed it on to the counter. The waiter was also helpful in granting me access to their Wi-Fi.
After several minutes of browsing and checking updates online, a pretty blonde served to me my Halva Drink and she said, “Enjoy.”
The Halva Drink is one of the special drinks from Tmol Shilshom and I enjoyed this a lot! You should go for this when you visit!
Just looking at the Halva Drink, I was very impressed with the way it looked and how Tmol Shilshom made it. As a native of the Philippines who had been to local cafés and other cafés in the United States, Canada, Japan and Hong Kong, the drink truly looked one-of-a-kind to me!
After marveling at it, I finally decided to start drinking my Halva Drink. The first sensation of my tongue registered a mild sweetness that was also delightful. Naturally, I wanted more of the enjoyable taste so I continued consuming it. The combination of Halva combined with the other mentioned ingredients made it a pretty engaging and very unique drink experience for me. Whoever prepared the Halva Drink there at Tmol Shilshom deserves admiration and thanks! The same should also go to whoever designed the drink there.
As I enjoyed my drink, I took a break from my smartphone and observed the really nice interiors around me. There was this unique feeling of being at home (note: explanation in the Conclusion section) while also feeling comfortable as a consumer. I have been to many cafés and restaurants in my life but Tmol Shilshom is not only very unique but also a standout.
Lots of books on display. Tmol Shilshom is also a bookstore and if you love literature, you should ask for their recommendations.
It comes to no surprise that the Halva Drink, combined with the warmth, the coziness and fine atmosphere of the interior, relaxed me a lot. The stress and the slight soreness of my feet faded away, and I was ready to move on to Mahane Yehuda for lunch and further exploration. Before leaving, I ordered bottled water (to keep myself hydrated), paid the bill and tipped them.
Conclusion
That’s a cozy looking spot and the decorations around are really nice.
While my stay at Tmol Shilshom lasted less than an hour, my experience there still proved to be memorable with the mentioned factors above. I really enjoyed the place (note: the building was originally residential and it got converted for commercial use) and the minimal interior space was not a problem to me at all. Their workers were very professional, friendly and accommodating. It should be noted that apart being a fine place for dining, reading and working, Tmol Shilshom also established itself as a place for special events and gatherings.
If ever I will get to revisit Jerusalem, I would not hesitate to return to Tmol Shilshom and try out their meals and other offerings. It is truly a very special place of Jerusalem and I encourage you to visit them for your food and beverage interests. I personally thank our Lord for guiding me to find the place.
As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:6-7 (NKJV)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
To each of you reading this, I highly recommend visiting Tmol Shilshom when you are in Jerusalem. For your reference, visit their website at https://www.tmol-shilshom.co.il/en/home/ and follow them on Instagram.
Watch out for more Israel 2023 travel pieces here.
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on Lord Your Goodness, an original worship song of Hillsong Worship with lyrics written by Reuben Morgan.
If you want to discover and learn more about Hillsong Worship, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram) and here (YouTube).
Before getting into the analysis of the Biblical relevance of Lord Your Goodness, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Reuben Morgan.
I will come to You with an open heart
And bring a sacrifice of praise
I have seen Your power in the holy place
And I have known Your mighty ways
–
I will remember Your mercy
And Lord Your faithfulness
–
Lord Your goodness and Your love will follow me
All the days of my life
I’m surrounded with the favour of the Lord
Always and forever
To begin with, let’s take a close look at the first section of the lyrics above: I will come to You with an open heart, And bring a sacrifice of praise, I have seen Your power in the holy place.
The above lines emphasize that we the faithful children must always come to Him with open hearts and that means being completely transparent and honest with Him as there is simply no hiding of darkness nor sin deep within. To be born again in Christ means having His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – in the heart and always prioritizing the Lord with complete honor and obedience towards Him. Remember when you were still living your old sinful life? You not only had a closed heart hardened by sin, you also had a heart that did not have the Holy Spirit which clearly means it was not a heart of worship. For the lost and unsaved souls thinking about coming to God, always open your heart first before coming to His Jesus for repentance and getting born again. If you are an unsaved or lost soul who still has unholy elements in your heart (note: homosexuality, political correctness, wokeness, idolatry, religion, Marxism, socialism, Communism, atheism, agnosticism, transgender obsession, terrorism, fascism and others), you must get rid of them all and you must reject Satan before you come to the Lord for salvation. Be ready to repent to Him. Once you have a fully opened, worship-oriented heart, praise is inevitable for everyone to do to realize the Lord’s power and holiness. Learn from the scriptures below…
But the moment one turns to the Lord with an open heart, the veil is lifted and they see. Now, the “Lord” I’m referring to is the Holy Spirit, and wherever he is Lord, there is freedom. We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (TPT)
And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.
Ezekiel 36:26-27 (ESV)
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (MSG)
What joy overwhelms everyone who keeps the ways of God, those who seek him as their heart’s passion!
Psalms 119:2 (TPT)
Through Him, therefore, let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of lips that thankfully acknowledge and confess and glorify His name.
Hebrews 13:15 (AMPC)
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all.
Both riches and honor come from You, and You reign over all. In Your hands are power and might; in Your hands it is to make great and to give strength to all.
Now therefore, our God, we thank You and praise Your glorious name and those attributes which that name denotes.
1 Chronicles 29:11-13 (AMPC)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics: I will remember Your mercy, And Lord Your faithfulness.
The mercy and faithfulness of the Lord are undeniably true and real. While there are still lots of religious people who believe the falsehood that the Lord is always very strict and rarely grants mercy, His mercy is actually great and He is compassionate as well. The Lord is faithful (lasting loyalty and trustworthiness in relationships) and His love for His faithful children is connected with faithfulness, mercy and compassion. Lord Jesus proved it all to be true and real. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”
Exodus 34:6-7 (NKJV)
It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His [tender] compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.
Lamentations 3:22-23 (AMPC)
The Rock, his work is perfect,
for all his ways are justice.
A God of faithfulness and without iniquity,
just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4 (ESV)
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
John 3:16 (AMPC)
By the time Jesus came ashore, a massive crowd was waiting. At the sight of them, his heart was filled with compassion, because they seemed like wandering sheep who had no shepherd. So he taught them many wonderful things.
Mark 6:34 (TPT)
There failed no part of any good thing which the Lord had promised to the house of Israel; all came to pass.
Joshua 21:45 (AMPC)
This is why he had to be a man and take hold of our humanity in every way. He made us his brothers and sisters and became our merciful and faithful King-Priest before God; as the One who removed our sins to make us one with him. He suffered and endured every test and temptation, so that he can help us every time we pass through the ordeals of life.
Hebrews 2:17-18 (TPT)
For God’s Word is something to sing about! He is true to his promises, his word can be trusted, and everything he does is reliable and right.
Psalms 33:4 (TPT)
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and abounding in mercy and loving-kindness.
The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
Psalm 145:8-9 (AMPC)
Celebrate with praises the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has shown us his extravagant mercy. For his fountain of mercy has given us a new life—we are reborn to experience a living, energetic hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.
1 Peter 1:3 (TPT)
Next, take a close look at the following lines of lyrics:Lord Your goodness and Your love will follow me, All the days of my life, I’m surrounded with the favour of the Lord, Always and forever.
As the faithful children of God, we have His favor, His love, His goodness and much more. To be faithful to Him and living by His Word (and spreading it) are our responsibilities as Christians. Our faith in Him must always be unbreakable and unwavering. We reject idols and reject unholiness because we are meant to be with the Lord and follow His ways in accordance to His Word. Never forget our union with Lord Jesus, the Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit. Learn from the holy scriptures below…
Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear, revere, and worship You, goodness which You have wrought for those who trust and take refuge in You before the sons of men!
In the secret place of Your presence You hide them from the plots of men; You keep them secretly in Your pavilion from the strife of tongues.
Psalm 31:19-20 (AMPC)
For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].
Ephesians 2:10 (AMPC)
Oh, thank God—he’s so good!
His love never runs out.
All of you set free by God, tell the world!
Tell how he freed you from oppression,
Then rounded you up from all over the place,
from the four winds, from the seven seas.
Psalm 107:1-3 (MSG)
Give thanks to God—he is good
and his love never quits.
Say, “Save us, Savior God,
round us up and get us out of these godless places,
So we can give thanks to your holy Name,
and bask in your life of praise.”
Blessed be God, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Then everybody said, “Yes! Amen!” and “Praise God!”
1 Chronicles 16:34-36 (MSG)
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12:2 (NKJV)
God, everyone sees your goodness, for your tender love is blended into everything you do.
Psalms 145:9 (TPT)
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too.”
John 14:6 (TPT)
No one is holy like the Lord,
For there is none besides You,
Nor is there any rock like our God.
1 Samuel 2:2 (NKJV)
Jesus commented, “Even more blessed are those who hear God’s Word and guard it with their lives!”
Luke 11:28 (MSG)
It is confirmed and obvious that Lord Your Goodness is a very holy worship song as the Lord anointed Reuben Morgan on writing the lyrics. The same can be said about others at Hillsong Worship who worked behind the scenes on making Lord Your Goodness. The evidence of holiness is spread all over the lyrics and brought to life even more musically.
As it is holy and captures the biblical messages about the goodness of our Lord, I strongly recommend the use of Lord Your Goodness for your local church’s Sunday worship service as well as in praise-and-worship events that involve the church’s music team. Lord Your Goodness is a lively reminder of not only of His goodness, but also of the love, blessings, care, attention and compassion towards each and every faithful child of His with established personal relationships with Him.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there. Also please consider making a donation to support my publishing of faith articles and CMAs.
Hillsong Church, one of the major Christian churches in Australia, announced recently that the next edition of their popular Hillsong Conference will be held from July 3 to 5, 2023. The good news here is that people are welcome to register online for Hillsong Conference 2023 by clicking here.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from Hillsong’s official announcement about Hillsong Conference 2023. Some parts in boldface…
With the success of Hillsong Conference 2022 including over 300 decisions for Christ, 49 nations represented in person and online, and an amazing atmosphere of worship and Spirit-inspired preaching, we are excited to announce that we have dates for Hillsong Conference next year on Monday 3rd – Wednesday 5th July.
2023 conference theme is, Again to our First Love.
This is a new era for Hillsong Conference, and with this in mind we asked for your thoughts on how we can best take the conference forward in the most relevant and meaningful way. A huge thank you to those who participated and provided valuable feedback to help us move forward in strength and with relevance. Survey results were particularly useful as a window into the specific areas of delegates’ interests. This information helps us to focus and refine our direction.
The results revealed approximately 60% of those surveyed want to keep Hillsong Conference in July and for the same length of time. 2022 was attended in the majority (75%) by members of Hillsong Church and 25% from other churches – in keeping with our mandate to champion the cause of the local church. Many of those who attend, do so to hear the speakers and experience corporate worship. Over 65% of those who responded to the survey said their areas of interest were leadership and creative, although almost 25% expressed other areas such as evangelism, the Holy Spirit, theology, and biblical learning, plus areas of social and family support, among others. Feedback on the availability of streaming services and interactive live sessions was very positive, with 75% saying they were open or interested.
In relation to the above announcement, check out this official promo video about Hillsong Conference 2023.
For the newcomers reading this, Hillsong Conference is a very popular and long-running annual worship and Bible-focused event of Hillsong Church. The local church where I attend regularly has pastors who were sent to attend Hillsong Conferences years ago and what they learned was not only valuable but also anointed by the Lord. Hillsong Conference undeniably helps worship leaders from around the world gain insight on worshiping the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, and leading more people to the Lord.
To see the official photos of Hillsong Conference 2022, click here. To register early for Hillsong Conference 2023, go to https://hillsong.com/conference/
Let me end this post with the bible scriptures below.
Lord Almighty, you are the one who created all the nations. Look at them—they’re all on their way! Yes, the day will come when they all will worship you and put your glory on display.
Psalms 86:9 (TPT)
O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and supplication].
Psalm 95:6 (AMPC)
Beloved friends, what does all this imply? When you conduct your meetings, you should always let everything be done to build up the church family. Whether you share a song of praise, a teaching, a divine revelation, or a tongue and interpretation, let each one contribute what strengthens others.
1 Corinthians 14:26 (TPT)
Whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17 (NASB)
Know (perceive, recognize, and understand with approval) that the Lord is God! It is He Who has made us, not we ourselves [and we are His]! We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
Psalm 100:3 (AMPC)
That’s plain enough, isn’t it? You’re no longer wandering exiles. This kingdom of faith is now your home country. You’re no longer strangers or outsiders. You belong here, with as much right to the name Christian as anyone. God is building a home. He’s using us all—irrespective of how we got here—in what he is building. He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation. Now he’s using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone that holds all the parts together. We see it taking shape day after day—a holy temple built by God, all of us built into it, a temple in which God is quite at home.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (MSG)
Now my beloved ones, I have saved these most important truths for last: Be supernaturally infused with strength through your life-union with the Lord Jesus. Stand victorious with the force of his explosive power flowing in and through you. Put on God’s complete set of armor provided for us, so that you will be protected as you fight against the evil strategies of the accuser!
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there. Also please consider making a donation to support my publishing of faith articles and CMAs.
Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and all those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! As I write this, I declare that I, along with many thousands of others, got blessed by the Lord through the Planetshakers Greater Asia Tour worship event I attended on the evening September 10 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
For the bigger picture, Planetshakers returned to the Philippines for the first time since early 2020 (shortly before COVID-19 lockdown happened) and they organized worship events for four consecutive nights from September 8 to 11, 2022. Indeed, the Lord blessed the Philippines with Planetshakers whose music and leading of worship are clearly anointed by Him.
For the newcomers reading this, Planetshakers is a Christian church based in Australia and their worship music team produced a lot of worship songs that became not only popular with Christians around the world but also became part of their worship of the Lord. I reviewed several Planetshakers worship songs on this website and I encourage you to take to read my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) articles of their songs by clicking here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
If you want to discover and learn more about Planetshakers, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page), here (Instagram), here (Twitter) and here (YouTube). To know more about Planetshakers itself, visit https://www.planetshakers.com/
Before attending the Planetshakers Greater Asia Tour worship event of September 10, 2022, I should say that I literally wrestled a bit to secure an Upper Box ticker online at SM Tickets’ website when the tickets where first released on July 21, 2022. On that particular day, I was in a virtual line as there were more than 2,600+ others ahead of me on SM Tickets. That was a great reminder of how popular Planetshakers worship leaders and musicians really are among my fellow Filipinos. I did not see the long line as a problem at all as I kept faith that my turn will come and that a ticket with a good seat will be available.
After more than 30 minutes waiting, I had my turn searching for whatever available tickets I could find and all the tickets for the VIP section were already sold out which is not surprising at all. Thanks to the Lord, I got myself an Upper Box ticket and successfully used my credit card to complete the transaction. Eventually, all four nights of Planetshakers worship events here in the Philippines got sold out! I picked up my ticket at an SM Tickets branch a few weeks later at the near SM shopping mall.
On the evening of September 10, I went inside SM MOA Arena more than 90 minutes ahead of schedule. As I arrived, I noticed Planetshakers merchandise being sold as well as backdrops related to the church for picture-taking. I bought two posters before moving upstairs.
As I made my way going upstairs, I felt the excitement and high energy around me which is not a surprise since the Planetshakers worship event was expected to be amazing as it has been anointed by the Lord.
Planetshakers Greater merchandise sold at the ground floor of the SM MOA Arena.
The Planetshakers backdrop for picture-taking.
Finally, with the help of an usher, I find my assigned seat in the Upper Box section of the SM MOA Arena. While the foot space was little, my seat was comfortable enough and I had a diagonal view of the stage below. Already, I was thankful to our Lord and Savior Jesus for the blessing. This event was my 2nd time in life to see Planetshakers lead worship with music but it was my first time to actually attend a Planetshakers-led event. To be clear, I first saw Planetshakers live on stage during the Jesus Global Youth Day in 2019.
Another spot for Planetshakers event merchandise at one of the upper floors of the SM MOA Arena.
At a little past 8PM, almost all the seats were filled and then Planetshakers’ worship event started very energetically! The music was amazing and the lights on the stage and in other parts of the venue really dazzled! It was more than a raving experience…it was holy as the Holy Spirit in my heart moved within. As the music was played, I really experienced blessing from Him, I reached out to Him, expressed my thanks to Him for the blessings and emphasized the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus.
While my Upper Box seat was distant from the stage below, the monitors by the stage were clear enough to help me see who was speaking and who was on stage. Planetshakers co-founder and global senior pastor Sam Evans was there and so was Joth Hunt, their dance ministry members and the others.
The view from seat. Tremendous worship led by Planetshakers combined with music, dazzling lights and the strong faith of the attendees in the Lord proved this was an anointed event.
The worship songs played during the event was a mix of past and new (from the newest album GREATER). Each song played drew praise towards the Lord from the many thousands who attended. A lot stood up, raised and waived their hands to the Lord as the music played and the lights dazzled. The praise towards the Lord was undeniably real and powerful with Planetshakers helping lead attendees to Him. This reminds me of what was written in Chapter 150 of the Book of Psalm in the Holy Bible which goes as follows:
Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to His excellent greatness!
Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet;
Praise Him with the lute and harp!
Praise Him with the timbrel and dance;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes!
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with clashing cymbals!
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:1-6 (NKJV)
Very clearly, Planetshakers’ worship events are aligned closely with the above holy scripture. What I attended was a lot more than “just a concert”. It was truly worship of the Lord with Planetshakers’ worship music, modern instruments, strong focus and a strong leading of prayers to Him.
Speaking of prayers, I am very thankful to God that I personally witnessed Pastor Sam Evans leading prayersand got blessed that night. Whenever she leads prayers, it is always powerful, truly wholehearted, engaging and compelling! Pastor Sam Evans is truly anointed by the Lord to lead people to Him. The power and holiness of worship led by Pastor Sam Evans is even more tremendous when she is physically present with you. Her prayer was clearly done with all of her heart! This ultimately confirms the Lord’s blessing of the Philippines with Planetshakers and its sold-out worship events! More on the power of praying to the Lord and the truth about Him listening to us, learn from the holy scriptures below…
Call to Me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things, fenced in and hidden, which you do not know (do not distinguish and recognize, have knowledge of and understand).
Jeremiah 33:3 (AMPC)
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.
Jeremiah 29:12 (ESV)
Seek the Lord and His strength;
Seek His face evermore!
1 Chronicles 16:11 (NKJV)
You are the Lord who reigns over your never-ending kingdom through all the ages of time and eternity! You are faithful to fulfill every promise you’ve made. You manifest yourself as kindness in all you do.
Weak and feeble ones you will sustain. Those bent over with burdens of shame you will lift up.
You have captured our attention and the eyes of all look to you. You give what they hunger for at just the right time.
When you open your generous hand, it’s full of blessings, satisfying the longings of every living thing.
You are fair and righteous in everything you do, and your love is wrapped into all your works.
You draw near to those who call out to you, listening closely, especially when their hearts are true.
Every godly one receives even more than what they ask for. For you hear what their hearts really long for, and you bring them your saving strength.
God, you watch carefully over all your devoted lovers like a bodyguard, but you will destroy the ungodly.
I will praise you, Lord! Let everyone everywhere join me in praising the beautiful Lord of holiness from now through eternity!
Psalms 145:13-21 (TPT)
During that same event, a prepared video was played recalling Joth Hunt’s bout with cancer a few years ago. Being hit with cancer is always difficult and even heart-breaking. Ultimately, Hunt did not give up as he kept his faith in the Lord. He never gave up on God! He recovered successfully from cancer and remains active with Planetshakers to this day! Hunts’ testimony and recovery are proof that the Lord will never abandon His children and only He can heal and restore you as long as you maintain unwavering faith in Him! Learn from the following scriptures below…
Fear not [there is nothing to fear], for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice.
Isaiah 41:10 (AMPC)
For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome.
Jeremiah 29:11 (AMPC)
Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed;
Save me and I will be saved,
For You are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14 (NASB)
And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Job 42:10 (AMPC)
More on the latest album GREATER – which itself is a key theme in the latest Planetshakers tours of worship events – there is biblical significance behind its title. It is a lively reminder about the greatness of our Lord and that we must always be with Him, follow Him and walk with Him in faith. The Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus our Lord and the Holy Spirit are always greater! Learn from the scriptures below…
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; and His greatness is [so vast and deep as to be] unsearchable.
Psalm 145:3 (AMPC)
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 the Lord your God is the God of gods and Lord of lords. He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, who shows no partiality and cannot be bribed.
Deuteronomy 10:17 (NLT)
Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and Yours it is to be exalted as Head over all.
1 Chronicles 29:11 (AMPC)
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV)
Go ahead—sing your new song to the Lord! Let everyone in every language sing him a new song. Don’t stop! Keep on singing! Make his name famous! Tell everyone every day how wonderful he is. Give them the good news of our great Savior. Take the message of his glory and miracles to every nation. Tell them about all the amazing things he has done. For the Lord’s greatness is beyond description, and he deserves all the praise that comes to him. He is our King-God, and it’s right to be in holy awe of him.
Psalms 96:4 (TPT)
Another shot from my seat. See if you can identify who is who on stage.
By the end of the September 10 worship event, I got very blessed by the Lord and I noticed many others around me left for home happy, thankful and positive. There were no signs whatsoever about disappointment and that is not surprising at all because the event was a blessing from the Lord. I felt great and deeply satisfied as I walked to the parking area to get into the car. I was overwhelmed with the Lord’s holiness and was really happy as I drove all the way back home.
Very clearly, Planetshakers and their highly successful worship events are big blessings of the Lord for the Philippines! In 2020, people prayed for His protection as COVID-19 swamped the nation. In 2021, people prayed to Him for social and economic recovery from COVID-19. This year, our faith in Him strengthened further which will lift the Philippines to emerge from the COVID-19 stronger and more confidently. Planetshakers’ events here in the Philippines are clearly part of the Lord’s plans for the Filipino people. As such, I urge you my readers to always pray to the Lord, ask for His plan for you, follow His Word and live with uncompromising faith in Him. Become a blessing to others as you get blessed by Him. Always remember that the personal relationship with the Lord is truly essential.
Always remember that God has plans for you and you only need to decide to let Him into your hear, to walk with Him, follow Him all the way and let His Spirit – the Holy Spirit – in your heart work in guiding you. Never forget that Jesus is our most definitive Lord and Savior and it is only through Him that we can connect with the Heavenly Father. That being said, the Planetshakers event I attended heavily emphasized Lord Jesus’ name as worship went on inside the SM MOA Arena. All our praise and all the glory are for God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Always have unwavering faith in the Lord! Always praise, honor and thank the Lord with all your heart!
At this point, I encourage you all to pray to the Lord wholeheartedly and with enduring faith in Him. For true quality time with Him, be in your room with the door closed and locked, then pray to Him. As the Lord blessed our nation with Planetshakers and their four nights of sold-out worship events, I also encourage you to pray for Planetshakers so that their ministry and network of church will continue to preach God’s Word and help people come to Jesus. Pray for Planetshakers’ co-founders Russell and Sam Evans so that the Lord will bless them as they keep on working tirelessly in serving Him and leading people to Him. Pray for Planetshakers’ pastors, musicians, dance ministry members and all their employees and stakeholders so that the Lord will bless them and support them as they organize more worship services. As Planetshakers keeps on serving the Lord and help lead people to Jesus, the following holy scripture below will resonate with the faithful and those who seek Him. I also encourage you to share the scripture to others…
Those who give thanks that Jesus is the Son of God live in God, and God lives in them.
1 John 4:15 (TPT)
In ending this article, I posted below the official music videos of worship songs related to Planetshakers’ latest album. May these enlighten you, delight you and motivate you to come to God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit without hesitation. Seek Lord Jesus first, follow His light and always be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus! Live by Jesus’ eternal victory! Peace and amen to you all!
Now that he has been proclaimed as 17th president of the country, Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. appealed to Filipinos: “Pray for me. Wish me well.”
“Beyond that, I promise you that we may not be perfect but we will always strive to perfection. Thank you very much,” Marcos Jr. told reporters following his proclamation as winner in the May 9 presidential race at the Batasan Pambansa in Quezon City on Wednesday.
“I am inspired by this responsibility that has been given me… Ask you all, pray for me, wish me well. I want to do well because when a president does well, the country does well. And I want to do well for this country,” he added.
Marcos Jr. further said: “I am humbled because for anyone in public service or in a public life, the most valuable thing you may receive from a fellow citizen is their vote.”
“Because embedded in that vote are their hopes and their aspirations for the future. But also embedded in that vote are the trust and the confidence that they give to you to take them to that aspirational future,” he also said.
For the newcomers reading this, President-elect Marcos is the son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos (he served from 1965 to 1986, died during exile in 1989 in Hawaii) who has a very controversial legacy to say the least. For decades, the Marcos family has been hit by criticism and hatred in relation to the legacy of the first President Marcos.
More on the incoming President of the Philippines, Bongbong Marcos’ appeal to the Filipino to pray for him and wish him well so that the entire nation will do well is a big reminder for all of us Christians to return to the Holy Bible which contains a very important scripture that we should pray for our leaders as it is acceptable and pleasing to God. I am talking about the holy scripture in 1 Timothy 2:1-3. To start with, posted below is the scripture from the New King James version of the Holy Bible…
Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (NKJV)
Verse 2 of the above scripture emphasizes that we must pray for those who are in authority over us if we wish to reap the benefits of good government, which is a prized gift from the Heavenly Father for the church’s welfare and advancement of the gospel. While the word “kings” is mentioned in Verse 2, it is not limited to kings or monarchies here on Earth. In fact, 1 Timothy 2:1-3 applies to any form government and any head of state in this divided world we live in. That being said, we must pray for our leaders from as high as the top of the national government right down to the lowest parts of the national government, the regional government, the local government and the civic groups, the homeowners’ associations/federations and other forms of authorities on the community level.
As for the newly elected officials, we must also pray for them as they prepare themselves to take office. As it is acceptable and pleasing to God, we must set aside political ideologies, set aside favoritism and kill off idolatry to pray for current leaders and the next batch of leaders so that they will open their hearts to the Lord and look up to Him for His guiding light so that they can govern properly, make the right decisions and lead our communities and the nation to prosperity, opportunities, positive changes and happiness.
For more holy insight, posted below are versions of 1 Timothy 2:1-3 in the Message, Amplified Bible Classic Edition and The Passion Translation.
The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (MSG)
First of all, then, I admonish and urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be offered on behalf of all men,
For kings and all who are in positions of authority or high responsibility, that [outwardly] we may pass a quiet and undisturbed life [and inwardly] a peaceable one in all godliness and reverence and seriousness in every way.
For such [praying] is good and right, and [it is] pleasing and acceptable to God our Savior,
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (AMPC)
Most of all, I’m writing to encourage you to pray with gratitude to God. Pray for all men with all forms of prayers and requests as you intercede with intense passion. And pray for every political leader and representative, so that we would be able to live tranquil, undisturbed lives, as we worship the awe-inspiring God with pure hearts. It is pleasing to our Savior-God to pray for them.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (TPT)
Always remember we only worship the Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit, not people, not paintings, not statues/statuettes and not whatever new forms of idols come out. Idolatry, which is common among fanatical and extreme followers of politicians when it comes to politics in any nation, is always an abomination to our Lord.
Going back to praying for our leaders so that we can reap the benefits of good government and more blessings from our Lord, posted below is a very meaningful and truthful holy scripture to pray with…
Now then, you kings, act wisely!
Be warned, you rulers of the earth!
Serve the Lord with reverent fear,
and rejoice with trembling.
Submit to God’s royal son, or he will become angry,
and you will be destroyed in the midst of all your activities—
for his anger flares up in an instant.
But what joy for all who take refuge in him!
Psalm 2:10-12 (NLT)
Psalm 2:10-12 clearly shows that our leaders are subject to our Lord who is absolutely watching them all the time. Community and government officials who wield power have responsibilities to live up to and they should make themselves transparent and accountable not only to the constituents but also to the Lord Himself. Any leader or official who becomes corrupt and gets crooked will be subject to eternal judgment by God. There is simply no hiding and no running away from the Lord no matter how big or how much government resources leaders wield.
Leaders who wield power over the people should always remember that the Lord is always the greatest authority over them and there is no way they can match His authority. As they serve the constituents, leaders are destined to serve the Lord high above them. Like all other people, leaders belong to the Lord as it is written in the Holy Bible. Learn from the four translations of Psalm 22:27-28 below…
All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s
And He rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:27-28 (NASB)
All the ends of the world
Shall remember and turn to the Lord,
And all the families of the nations
Shall worship before You.
For the kingdom is the Lord’s,
And He rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:27-28 (NKJV)
All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the Lord,
and he rules over the nations.
Psalm 22:27-28 (ESV)
From the four corners of the earth,
the peoples of the world will remember and return to Yahweh.
Every nation will come and worship him.
For Yahweh is King of all, who takes charge of all the nations.
Psalms 22:27-28 (TPT)
Finally, I want to encourage you to pray that the next batch of leaders are righteous people. If any of them is not yet righteous, pray for them to help them become righteous under the watch of our Lord. Righteousness on the part of the leader is essential. Wickedness is absolutely an abomination! Learn from the scripture below…
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan.
Proverbs 29:2 (NKJV)
For the future of the Philippines which will have several newly elected and re-elected government officials on all levels taking office on June 30, 2022, I encourage you all to pray for the incoming leaders starting from the top with Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos as President, Sara Duterte as Vice President, the Marcos administration’s Cabinet, the Senators, the House of Representatives members, provincial governors, provincial legislators, city government officials, town officials and others. I encourage you to let go off your biases, your emotions and pain to pray for the incoming leaders so that they will all look up to the Lord and follow Him accordingly so that they will govern cleanly, clearly and will lead the entire Philippines to a brighter, more prosperous future.
To the people who voted for the losing candidates of the 2022 Philippine general elections, I encourage you to let go off your bitterness and hatred, and pray for the incoming leaders to obey God as they take office and will function in the years to come. Pray for the leaders – the current and the incoming ones – so that the Philippines will rise stronger from the COVID-19 crisis and more new jobs will be created for the many people who lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Look up to the Lord for His guiding light and His path to the brighter future. Always remember that the Lord’s authority is always higher than that of the entire forms of government in the Philippines! The Lord’s authority is always higher than that of the Philippine President and any other government or civic leader. Come to the Lord as He is always worthy of all the praise!
From this point on, I would like to reach out to all the lost and the unsaved people reading this. Did a religious and idolatrous extremist ruin your life? Have you been living in bondage for too long? Did the atheists, the humanists and the secularists fool you and abused you? Were you victimized by crook? Have you been living as a homosexual or as a transgendered person? Are you still addicted to sex, drugs and other inappropriate elements? Did you spend an entire life worshiping statues, statuettes, images, people and relics? Are you a toxic person or one of those modern-day Leftist activists (Black Lives Matter, Democratic Socialists of America, Antifa, the abortionists and others) who got fed up fighting for worthless causes? Did you kill someone and have been living so long with the guilt?
All of the darkness related to what were mentioned above can finally end and you can decide to do it! How? You can save yourselves by submitting yourselves to the Lord Jesus willingly and realize He is the Light! No force and no coercion here. You have time and freedom to decide to receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior. For those who have decided to get born again now and gain salvation, please read the instructions and follow the prayer that I learned from a pastor.
Are you ready? Firstly, open your heart to the Lord and pray this simple prayer in sincerity from your heart:
Father God,
I thank You. I believe Jesus is Your Son. I believe that He died for me and redeemed me from all of my sins. He took my sins and, Father, thank You for loving me and You demonstrated Your love for me through Your Son Jesus Christ. Forgive me for all of my sins. Jesus, I open my heart to You. I welcome You to enter into my heart. I confess today that You are now my Lord and Savior. Thank You for forgiveness. I receive forgiveness. Thank You for Your blood that cleansed me from all of my sins. I will follow You, Jesus. Thank You for Your plan. I receive the Holy Spirit. And Holy Spirit, help me to follow the will of God in my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Congratulations! You are now a child of God! You have received Holy Spirit in your heart! This is easily your greatest decision ever made and also the greatest miracle of your life. Always praise, thank and honor the Lord. No more darkness in your life caused by politics, radicalism, toxicity, rebellion, religion, unbelief, evil, idolatry, traditions and rituals! Leave behind the darkness of your life and don’t look back to it. Remember that idolatry is evil, Purgatory is a lie, penance is a deception and Satan always used religion and unbelief to prevent people from being saved by the Lord. Also, do not ever hail Mary (the mother of Lord Jesus) because all the praise and honor belong to God, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit only.
With Lord Jesus, you are already moving forward and the best is yet to come! You also have a personal relationship with God, a relationship that is strictly off-limits to others (even to your household members or biological family members).
The Holy Bible is the ultimate authority and nothing else comes close to it for it is the Word of God. Remember always that Lord Jesus did not die on the cross to start religion. He died to redeem us all and showed that we must be led by faith in Him, faith in the Holy Spirit and faith in God the Heavenly Father. He rose from the dead and made His earthly presence felt once more to those who believed in Him. Lord Jesus ascended to Heaven and He promised to return in the future. His return is what we must always remember and keep living with holiness under the watch of God. We can do our part in building up God’s kingdom here on Earth by preaching His Word, blessing the Jewish people and saving the countless lost and unsaved souls around us by leading them to Lord Jesus. Living as a Christian is always about the personal relationship with the Lord, and it is certainly not about religion. Never let the idolaters, the idol makers, the ritual practitioners and other sinister forces fool you into becoming unholy.
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.
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on the worship song titled Touch From Heaven which is from New Life Music. To follow New Life Music on social media and on their YouTube channel, I encourage you to click here (Facebook page) and here (YouTube). New Life Music is part of New Life Philippines whose main church is located in Muntinlupa City, Philippines. To know more about New Life Philippines, visit https://newlife.ph/
The featured worship song Touch From Heaven is part of New Life Music’s album titled To The Other Side. The official video of Touch From Heaven was recorded live at New Life’s main church in 2021 and you will see it before this piece ends.
Before analyzing the Biblical relevance of Touch From Heaven, posted below for your reference are the lyrics composed by Nash Soliven, Addi Cena, Jazmine Rivera, Jat Bondoc, Daryl Pinon and Kyle Ruelo.
VERSE 1
He is here
Here to lift your burdens
Here to mend what’s broken
Here to ease your fears
–
Here to heal
Heal all your afflictions
Heal you from depression
Heal all your disease
–
PRE-CHORUS
So be still
And know that He is God
He is here
To rescue every heart
–
CHORUS
Jesus, let Your healing come
And let Your will be done
And mark us with a touch from heaven
–
Jesus, let Your kingdom come
And let Your will be done
And heal us with a touch from heaven
–
VERSE 2
He is here
With power, might and glory
Strengthening the weary
His hand upholding me
–
And as I praise
He’s clothing me with gladness
Joy for all my sadness
Hope for better days
–
PRE-CHORUS 2
So it is well
I know that He is God
He is here
There’s freedom in His love
–
BRIDGE 1
There’s nothing too hard for You
No mountain You cannot move
There’s nothing too hard for You
No limit to what You can do
–
BRIDGE 2
We will rise
We will walk
In the strength of the Lord
We will stand
We will see
His salvation drawing near
–
VERSE 3
He is here
He is our protection
He is our provision
He’s the Prince of peace
–
He is here
Here to heal our nation
He hears all our petitions
And wipes away our tears
To begin with, let’s take a close look at the lyrics of Verse 1 of the song: He is here, Here to lift your burdens, Here to mend what’s broken, Here to ease your fears, Here to heal, Heal all your afflictions, Heal you from depression, Heal all your disease.
The Verse 1 lyrics are truthful as there many references to the healing and restoration that the Lord has done and continues to do for those who suffered and had fallen. To experience healing, recovery and restoration, people only need to come to God wholeheartedly and in faith. Refer to the holy scriptures below…
Fear not, for I am with you;
Be not dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you,
Yes, I will help you,
I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10 (NKJV)
You open the eyes of the blind, and you fully restore those bent over with shame. You love those who love and honor you.
Psalm 146:8 (TPT)
“Return and say to Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of your father David says: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I am going to heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord.”
2 Kings 20:5 (NASB)
I am convinced that my God will fully satisfy every need you have, for I have seen the abundant riches of glory revealed to me through Jesus Christ!
Philippians 4:19 (TPT)
Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;
save me, and I shall be saved,
for you are my praise.
Jeremiah 17:14 (ESV)
Next are the following lines from the Pre-Chorus part of the song: So be still, And know that He is God, He is here, To rescue every heart. Those lyrics are truthful and are related to the following bible scriptures below…
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV)
Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Matthew 5:10-12 (NKJV)
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
Psalm 37:5 (NLT)
The Pre-Chorus lyrics as well as the above verses emphasize the truth that God our Heavenly Father and true Creator will always love us – His faithful children – and anyone who has fallen, or suffered or got persecuted need to come to Him in faith. We should never let the elements of this divided world we live in prevent us from coming to Him and that being said, our established relationship with Him is never to be compromised. God is faithful and only He can lift up the sufferers and restore them fully.
Next we look at the lyrics in the Chorus which are as follows: Jesus, let Your healing come, And let Your will be done, And mark us with a touch from heaven, Jesus, let Your kingdom come, And let Your will be done, And heal us with a touch from heaven.
Healing by the Lord is once again emphasized. The sufferers who come to the Lord in faith truly get healed. The healing power of God goes way beyond anything that science, technology and medicine can ever explain and ever achieve. The Lord’s healing is truly supernatural and it is way beyond anything worldly healing can produce. Learn from the holy scripture below…
Now, in the crowd that day was a woman who had suffered horribly from continual bleeding for twelve years. She had endured a great deal under the care of various doctors, yet in spite of spending all she had on their treatments, she was getting worse instead of better. When she heard about Jesus’ healing power, she pushed through the crowd and came up from behind him and touched his prayer shawl. For she kept saying to herself, “If I could touch even his clothes, I know I will be healed.” As soon as her hand touched him, her bleeding immediately stopped! She knew it, for she could feel her body instantly being healed of her disease!
Jesus knew at once that someone had touched him, for he felt the power that always surged around him had passed through him for someone to be healed. He turned and spoke to the crowd, saying,“Who touched my clothes?”
His disciples answered, “What do you mean, who touched you? Look at this huge crowd—they’re all pressing up against you.” But Jesus’ eyes swept across the crowd, looking for the one who had touched him for healing.
When the woman who experienced this miracle realized what had happened to her, she came before him, trembling with fear, and threw herself down at his feet, saying, “I was the one who touched you.” And she told him her story of what had just happened.
Then Jesus said to her, “Daughter, because you dared to believe, your faith has healed you. Go with peace in your heart, and be free from your suffering!”
Mark 5:25-34 (TPT)
Still on the Chorus, the lyrics about the touch from heaven – which is also the title of this worship song – I believe are connected to this particular holy scripture below…
Step down from heaven, Lord, and come down!
Make the mountains melt at your touch.
Loose your fiery lightning flashes and scatter your enemies.
Overthrow them with your terrifying judgments.
Reach down from your heavens
and rescue me from this hell
and deliver me from these dark powers.
They speak nothing but lies; their words are pure deceit.
Nothing they say can ever be trusted.
My God, I will sing you a brand-new song!
The harp inside my heart will make music to you!
I will sing of you, the one who gives victory to kings—
the one who rescues David, your loving servant,
from the fatal sword.
Deliver me and save me from these dark powers
who speak nothing but lies.
Their words are pure deceit,
and you can’t trust anything they say.
Deliver us! Then our homes will be happy.
Our sons will grow up as strong, sturdy men
and our daughters with graceful beauty,
royally fashioned as for a palace.
Our barns will be filled to the brim,
overflowing with the fruits of our harvest.
Our fields will be full of sheep and cattle,
too many to count,
and our livestock will not miscarry their young.
Our enemies will not invade our land,
and there’ll be no breach in our walls.
What bliss we experience when these blessings fall!
The people who love and serve our God will be happy indeed!
Psalm 144:5-15 (TPT)
Psalm 144:5-15 emphasizes God’s tremendous and unchallenged power, and He is truly able to come to the faithful on this chaotic world for healing, protection, restoration, prosperity, love and salvation. His Son Lord Jesus, who sacrificed Himself to save us all, overcame death and went to Heaven with the promise of returning to us. Rest assured, Lord Jesus never abandoned the faithful and He will always be with the faithful. Going back to the song, I believe that the respective lyrics of Bridge 1 (There’s nothing too hard for You, No mountain You cannot move, There’s nothing too hard for You, No limit to what You can do), Bridge 2 (We will rise, We will walk, In the strength of the Lord, We will stand, We will see, His salvation drawing near) and Verse 3 (He is here, He is our protection, He is our provision, He’s the Prince of peace, He is here , Here to heal our nation, He hears all our petitions, And wipes away our tears) connect well with Psalm 144:5-15 plus other holy scriptures below…
Jesus explained, “I am the Way, I am the Truth, and I am the Life. No one comes next to the Father except through union with me. To know me is to know my Father too. And from now on you will realize that you have seen him and experienced him.”
John 14:6-7 (TPT)
“I tell you this timeless truth: The person who follows me in faith, believing in me, will do the same mighty miracles that I do—even greater miracles than these because I go to be with my Father! For I will do whatever you ask me to do when you ask me in my name. And that is how the Son will show what the Father is really like and bring glory to him. Ask me anything in my name, and I will do it for you!”
John 14:12-14 (TPT)
Soon I will leave this world and they will see me no longer, but you will see me, because I will live again, and you will come alive too. So when that day comes, you will know that I am living in the Father and that you are one with me, for I will be living in you. Those who truly love me are those who obey my commands. Whoever passionately loves me will be passionately loved by my Father. And I will passionately love him in return and will reveal myself to him.”
John 14:19-21 (TPT)
Let them shout for joy and be glad,
Who favor my righteous cause;
And let them say continually,
“Let the Lord be magnified,
Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”
Psalm 35:27 (NKJV)
For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT)
“It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”
Deuteronomy 31:8 (ESV)
Indeed, the lyrics of Touch From Heaven are holy and anointed! I can say without hesitation that the essence of this particular worship song from New Life Music is truly based on God’s Word as well as His love for the faithful. Musically speaking, Touch From Heaven is beautiful and solemn at the same time. That being said, the song clearly has a place for musical use and worship of the Lord during Sunday worship services or during church special events. Lastly, I declare Touch From Heaven is immersive and will help church attendees on strengthening their faith to God. Once more, I encourage you readers to visit New Life Music on Facebook and YouTube plus visit New Life Philippines at https://newlife.ph/ and also their official YouTube channel.
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.
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/
Author Carlo Carrasco 