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Actually, my biggest issue with today is whether to say, “Her mother and I”, or “I do”. The idea that the father gives the bride to the groom goes all the way back to biblical times. It isn’t until just recently that including the mother became the thing to do. After all, she did as much, if not more, in the bringing up of the bride. However, in reality, this idea goes back even before the very first wedding. John 6:37-39, 10:29, 17:2-24 speak over and over again of us, as the bride, being given from the Father to the Son. The contract was never between the bride and the groom. It was between the father of the bride and the groom. We have lost this concept in modern evangelicalism. Salvation is looked at as a contract between you and Jesus, but the real agreement went back long before we were on the scene.
Today, the father walking the bride down the aisle is tradition, but the real contract today is between the bride and the groom. They fell in love with each other and made the decision. If the groom is old fashioned, he’ll ask the father’s permission, but this is not the picture of Christ and His bride. This isn’t a deal worked out between Jesus and us. The Father chose the bride and gave her to the Son from before the foundation of the world. It is sealed. It is done. THAT is the picture. So culturally, I should say, “her mother and I”, but theologically, it is a clearer picture to say “I do.” People keep asking me, “Are you sad that you are losing a daughter?” I could give the cliche’ “No, I’m gaining a son”, but to be honest, this was the plan all along. I have always looked at bringing up my children, especially my daughters, toward this day. It’s like practicing with a choir for a big performance. You’re not sure how it’s going to come together in that first practice, you work for a long time to fix the things that need to be fixed and then performance day comes and you are prepared, the music is God-honoring, and the work paid off. This was always my job. Jessica is ready to be married and we are at the end of my role in the performance. It’s not sad to me any more than the excitement of a final performance. My goal has always been this day. She is a woman of God, theologically sound, and prepared to start her family today. So no, I’m not sad. I finished the race with her and am handing her over to the groom to take it from here. I am still in the middle of the race with more daughters and there will be a “performance day” for them. I am too fixed on having them prepared to be sad. So, I’ll still probably say “her mother and I” because among the masses, cultural significance wins the day, and this is too long a story to be explaining all afternoon, but I thought I’d write it here to clarify. And when I say “Her mother and I”, know that it’s not a script I am reading, but a reality I have worked hard for for 26 years. Those words mean something to me.
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 Gift of Faith
w/m - Bill Itzel, Karen Itzel, Shannon Itzel The gift of faith I have received not of my will but God’s And now, I am a child, an heir and no longer at odds Lord, how could you pardon me who bore sin’s heavy load? I give to You with every breath the worship You are owed I am blessed for He was cursed I’m made right, and He made sin The wrath of God was in the cup It pleased the Lord to crush Him All we like sheep have gone astray and none seek after You The Shepherd came to rescue those whom in Your love foreknew The Savior came unto His own, His own did not receive But in mercy, opened up the eyes of many to believe Christ, You are the sovereign King, You save whom You will save But I look upon the wretch I am and stand today amazed This is the title song of our new CD and one of my favorite songs we’ve ever written. Shannon wrote the beautiful melody and Karen and I wrote the lyrics. We think of the grace of God being a gift offered that we don’t deserve, and so it is, but Ephesians 2:8-9 also tells us that “By grace you have been saved through faith and THAT, all of that is not of yourselves, it is a gift of God." So not only is the grace a gift, but the faith is as well. We have nothing to boast about (v9). The gift of faith I have received not of my will but God’s. It is not of ourselves. 2 Timothy 1:9 tells us that God “saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of His own purpose and grace, which He gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began.” Romans 9:16 tells us that, “it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.” And now, I am a child, an heir and no longer at odds. John 1:12 says, “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God”. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!” (1 John 3:1) We are Heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). Lord, how could you pardon me who bore sin’s heavy load? I give to You with every breath the worship You are owed. After viewing the theology of salvation in the first 2 lines, we now see our right reaction. First it is amazement over God’s grace, followed by worship and adoration of the one who saved us. I am blessed for He was cursed. I’m made right, and He made sin. This is what is called “The Great Exchange”. Jesus took all of our sins on Himself, becoming sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) on our behalf. We were under the curse of sin, and Jesus, through His blood, took the punishment for that curse in our place. We now have a right standing before God because Jesus bore God’s wrath for us. The wrath of God was in the cup. It pleased the Lord to crush Him. These are some of the hardest lines to wrap my mind around, but the Bible is clear. Jesus prayed in the garden to let the cup pass from Him, but it was not the Father’s will. The cup did not pass from Him, and Isaiah 53:10 says that it pleased the Father to crush the Son. This was all done so that God might receive more glory. All we like sheep have gone astray and none seek after You. This line is a combination of the truths in Isaiah 53:6 and Romans 3:11. These are passages that show the total depravity of man. The Shepherd came to rescue those whom in Your love foreknew. Luke 15 tells of the parable of the lost sheep, “What man among you, who has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open field and go after the lost one until he finds it?” Jesus is the Good Shepherd who gave up His life for His sheep. He seeks after that lost sheep “until He finds it”. Romans 8:29-30 is called the “Golden Thread of Salvation”. It begins with God “Foreknowing” and goes all the way to glorification. The term “ginosko” or “to know” has the idea of having an intimate, personal love relationship. To foreknow means God had this love relationship beforehand. John 10:14, 10:27 speak of this love, “I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me”. The Savior came unto His own, His own did not receive, but in mercy, opened up the eyes of many to believe. The first line comes from John 1:11, speaking of the Jewish people. Ephesians 1:18 speaks of “having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.” Ephesians 2 tells us that, “when we were dead in trespasses and sins, God regenerated us, made us alive. Mark 10:45 says, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Christ, You are the sovereign King, You save whom You will save, but I look upon the wretch I am and stand today amazed. Romans 9:15 says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” We have no room to boast, but can only thank God for His plan and purpose from before the foundation of the world. Today, thank God for His gift of salvation, which includes both the gift of grace, AND the gift of faith.  O Praise the Name
w/m - Dean Ussher, Marty Sampson, Benjamin Hastings I cast my mind to Calvary Where Jesus bled and died for me I see His wounds, His hands, His feet My Savior on that cursed tree His body bound and drenched in tears They laid Him down in Joseph's tomb The entrance sealed by heavy stone Messiah still and all alone O praise the name of the Lord our God O praise His name forever more For endless days we will sing Your praise Oh Lord, oh Lord our God Then on the third at break of dawn The Son of heaven rose again O trampled death where is your sting? The angels roar for Christ the King He shall return in robes of white The blazing Son shall pierce the night And I will rise among the saints My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face This is our new song for November. It’s another song from Hillsong from a few years back and like some of their songs, sounds more like an old melodic hymn than it does a typical modern worship song, and that is to its credit. One thing that many modern worship writers have not learned from the past is how to write a timeless melody, but once in a while, they get it right. I cast my mind to Calvary where Jesus bled and died for me. I see His wounds, His hands, His feet, my Savior on that cursed tree. While this verse is not the most creative of poetry, I appreciate it any time someone writes about the work of Christ on the cross. There is no more appropriate subject matter for the church to sing, than the ultimate show of love by our Savior. His body bound and drenched in tears, they laid Him down in Joseph's tomb. The entrance sealed by heavy stone, Messiah still and all alone. We look back at the friends and family of Jesus and wonder why they didn’t get it. He even told them plainly that He would be crucified and would rise again in three days. Still, crucifixion seems so final, and their tears were justified. The most horrible death had just been suffered by the most innocent man. O praise the name of the Lord our God. O praise His name forever more. For endless days we will sing Your praise, oh Lord, oh Lord our God. This is a wonderful chorus, but if I were arranging the song, I would have sung the third verse first, then moved to the chorus. As the story is told, it lifts up joyous praise with Christ still in the tomb, but even in the tomb, He is worthy of praise for what He bore on that cross in our place… the wrath of God. Then on the third at break of dawn the Son of heaven rose again. O trampled death where is your sting? The angels roar for Christ the King. Jesus, through His death and resurrection defeated death and sin. Sin still has power over most people, but for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are saved from its penalty, its power, and one day its presence. This is something we could never do. Regardless of the “good” things we accomplish, they are as filthy rags with selfish and not God-honoring motives. Thank God for His work in making you alive while you were dead in trespasses and sins. He shall return in robes of white. The blazing Son shall pierce the night, and I will rise among the saints. My gaze transfixed on Jesus' face. The word “Transfixed” is a difficult one to work into a song and have it flow, but it makes sense here. It gives the idea of being mesmerized by something, and if the face of Jesus Himself does not do it, nothing will. We don’t know when Jesus will return. It may be at night, but we do know that the world will be in darkness, not looking for His return. From that day onward, all the saints will continually, day and night, praise the name of the Lord Most High!  Forever
w/m - Chris Tomlin Give thanks to the Lord Our God and King His love endures forever For He is good He is above all things His love endures forever Sing praise sing praise With a mighty hand And an outstretched arm His love endures forever For the life that's been reborn His love endures forever Sing praise sing praise Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us Forever forever From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever And by the grace of God We will carry on His love endures forever This has been a standard around the world in all different types of churches for almost 2 decades. One of the reasons it has stood the test of time is because it is a catchy tune, but far more influential to its staying power is because it comes almost directly from scripture (Psalm 136). Scripture songs are always going to be the best, because no words that songwriters can pen can match the inspired writings of the Holy Spirit. Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, His love endures forever. We all know the standard things to be thankful for, but how many times are we thankful for the trials and tribulations? How many times have we thanked God for the ways He providentially led us through circumstances and dangers we were unaware of? There is no circumstance in which we cannot give thanks. For He is good, He is above all things. His love endures forever. We understand that God’s power is so far above our power, and God’s love is so far above our love, but do we realize that God’s wisdom is so far above ours that we should never even question Him? We are His children so He lets us, and sometimes even gives us an answer, but He is under no obligation to let us know what He is doing or why He is doing it. With a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. His love endures forever. God’s love gives comfort, but when we understand His amazing omnipotence, it gives the ultimate foundation for rest. We can trust in His love because He can always back up His promises to us. For the life that's been reborn, His love endures forever. God loves His children. He gave up His life for His sheep. He loved us even when we were lost sheep, because even though we were lost, we were still His sheep. He gives us new life, we are born again and brought back into the fold. Thanks to God for searching until He found us. Forever God is faithful. Forever God is strong. Forever God is with us. That should be not only a cause for joy, but also a warning, that all our ways are known to Him. What is amazing is that even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. From the rising to the setting sun His love endures forever, and by the grace of God we will carry on. As sure as the sun rises and sets, God is faithful. It is only by the grace of God that we can carry on. As another popular song says, “The strength to follow Your commands could never come from me.” It is only by His grace that we are saved, and only by His grace that we will live with Him forever.  Everlasting God
w/m - Brenton Brown, Ken Riley Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord Wait upon the Lord, we will wait upon the Lord Our God, You reign forever Our hope, our strong deliverer You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not faint, you won't grow weary You're the defender of the weak You comfort those in need You lift us up on wings like eagles This one is a very simple verse and chorus. Life is full of highs and lows, mountains and valleys, struggles and rest, questions and answers. The message of this song is one of encouragement as we struggle through the “dark night of the soul” waiting for the light on the other side. Clearly, the song is derived from Isaiah 40:28-31, “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord. Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God will give us strength and hold up the righteous with His hand, and so we are to “Be strong, and let our heart take courage, all those who wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 31:24). Our God, You reign forever, Our hope, our strong deliverer. The Bible is replete with statements that God will reign forever (Exodus 15:18, Psalm 146:10, Lamentations 5:19, Revelation 11:15). God is also the one who delivers us in His timing, in His plan (Psalm 18:2, Psalm 56:13, Psalm 144:2, Jeremiah 14:22, 2 Corinthians 1:10, 1 Timothy 4:10, Hebrews 10:23). You are the everlasting God. You do not faint, you won't grow weary. You’re the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need, You lift us up on wings like eagles. The very best congregational songs are the ones taken directly from the Word of God. I can craft some nice poetry, but it will never be on the level of that which the Holy Spirit inspired. There is comfort in the words we speak to those who are weak, but our words will never offer anything with as much value as the comforting words of the Everlasting God!  Do It Again
w/m - Mack Brock, Chris Brown, Matt Redman, Steven Furtick Walking around these walls I thought by now they'd fall But you have never failed me yet Waiting for change to come Knowing the battle's won For you have never failed me yet Your promise still stands Great is your faithfulness Faithfulness I'm still in your hands This is my confidence You've never failed me yet I know the night won't last Your word will come to pass My heart will sing your praise again Jesus you're still enough Keep me within your love My heart will sing your praise again I've seen you move, You move the mountains And I believe I'll see you do it again You made a way where there was no way And I believe I'll see you do it again This is our next new song for church in the month of October. I can see why it is a big radio hit, the melody is memorable and the words bring comfort to those in the midst of a trail. However, there is also a warning, but more about that later. Walking around these walls, I thought by now they'd fall, but you have never failed me yet. Clearly, the writers are using the Old Testament analogy of Israel walking around Jericho. God had promised to deliver that city into their hands and, even though the path to victory was a curious one, it was a certain and clear promise from God. Here, the writer inserts himself into the story and uses God’s dealing with Israel as a pattern for how he views his own victory over the walls that stand in his way. Waiting for change to come, knowing the battle's won, for you have never failed me yet. The writer’s story is one of faith and that is the focus of this song. God is faithful to His promises. He never will leave us, and in an eternal sense, the ultimate battle is won. Your promise still stands. Great is your faithfulness. I’m still in your hands, this is my confidence: You’ve never failed me yet. We have trials and tribulation. Jesus, Himself promised we would. Along with that promise of tribulation comes the promise that Christ has overcome the world (John 16:33). In that we can rest. I know the night won't last. Your word will come to pass. While the night won’t last throughout eternity, the night can last for a very long time here on earth. Here, we begin to see a bit of a problem in the parallel between God’s promise to Israel and the way He helps us through trials. God made specific timely promises to Israel about taking the land, but I don’t know of any specific promises regarding the length or even temporal outcome of our trials. In some circumstances, it can last for years, decades, even to the end of our lives. God’s Word always comes to pass, but nowhere in His Word are we guaranteed to have everything work out the way we desire. Verses like Mark 11:24 have been taken by some false teachers to mean that we have power to “Speak things into existence”. It is tied to the prosperity gospel and has led many well-intentioned believers down a road of discouragement when they don’t get what they believed so hard would happen. How many people have even turned their backs on God because they believed they would get a “miracle” and it never came to pass? When Jesus spoke in places like Mark 11 and Matthew 17:20, He was saying that there are no limits on a believer’s prayers as long as they are according to God’s will and purpose. Sadly, I have even heard “preachers” say that we should never pray “If it be your will” because we are the ones who make our desires and dreams come true by speaking them. There are also those who believe (falsely) that all temporal dominion and physical healing is guaranteed us in the atonement, but that is not a Biblical view. There are some prayers that are answered in the definitive “NO”. While this song does not teach that, there are parts of it that could be interpreted that way, and my warning is simply that we view this song as praying, believing that God will do what is best for us… that is His promise. My heart will sing your praise again. Please, let this line be simply descriptive and not prescriptive. Our heart should always sing God’s praise. Let us be like the psalmist in Psalm 30:12, 57:7, and 138:1 and “steadfastly” praise Him “forever”. I appreciate the theology of Casting Crown’s “Praise You in the Storm” in this regard. Jesus you're still enough. Keep me within your love. My heart will sing your praise again. There may be times we don’t feel like singing God’s praise and maybe the writer is speaking of the day in the future when he’ll “feel like” singing God’s praise again, but we should not wait until we “feel” that God is worth praising. The writer even remarks that he knows that Jesus is enough and that God keeps him in His love. Certainly that should be enough to praise Him now, and to have never stopped praising so as to have to start “praising Him again”. I've seen you move, You move the mountains, and I believe I'll see you do it again. You made a way where there was no way, and I believe I'll see you do it again. Sometimes God moves the mountains away… and sometimes, God makes us climb every jagged, stony step of that steep incline. Sometimes God gives us what we want, and sometimes God knows better and helps us grow by leading us onto a path that we don’t want go, so we will grow in Christlikeness and patience and faith. Remember, if God takes the mountain out of our way, He is removing the thing that will help us grow in endurance and patience. It may be an easier thing, but would it be a “good” thing? (Romans 8:28) God’s children may spend their life in a wheelchair, some will die of cancer, some may even face great persecution and be burned at the stake. So, as you sing this song, it’s a good thing to trust God, pray to God, and believe that God will move your mountain. My only advice is that if He chooses not to, don’t be angry with the all wise and all loving God because He chose not to “do it again.”  Love on the Line
w/m - Aryel Murphy, Brooke Ligertwood, Scott Ligertwood You put Your love on the line To bear the weight of sin that was mine Washing my river of wrongs Into the sea of Your infinite love With arms held high Lord I give my life Knowing I'm found in Christ In Your love forever With all I am In Your grace I stand The greatest of all romance Love of God my Savior Mercy roars like hurricane winds Furious love laid waste to my sin To the One who has rescued my soul To the One who has welcomed me home To the One who is Savior of all I sing forever This song was recorded by Hillsong a few years ago and is still popular among many of their fans. Some songs by Hillsong are very plain and theological like the one I wrote of a couple of weeks back, “Who You say I am”, but sometimes they write songs that require some explanation. Much of this song is clear, and we can rejoice in those lyrics. Other parts can be confusing and must be understood in a certain way so that the teaching of the song does not head down an undesirable path. John Piper, in referring to songs that require a lot of explanation, writes to songwriters, “Do not ask too much of the sheep. As we sit in service, give us songs whose original meaning we can joyfully affirm because they are fully biblical. Don’t give us too many where we have to change the meaning in order to be faithful.” You put Your love on the line to bear the weight of sin that was mine. Jesus did bear the weight of our sin on His shoulders. He laid down His life for His sheep. While it often is understood as such, we must make clear that the idea of “Putting your life on the line” does not involve risk when speaking of the work of Christ. “Risk” implies not knowing the outcome. Jesus knew and planned the detailed outcome of His work on the cross from before the world was made. He put His “life on the line” must speak of the act whereby He stood in the way of God’s wrath, bearing it for His own. Washing my river of wrongs into the sea of Your infinite love. I really do love this line. Note the contrast between “river” and “sea”. If you’ve ever seen a raging river, it can be quite massive in it’s destruction, much like our sins. However, compared to a sea, a river is nothing. Our sins, no matter how destructive and extensive are no match for the mercy of God. With arms held high, Lord I give my life, knowing I'm found in Christ, in Your love forever. This cry is from a believer because it says, “Knowing I’m found in Christ”, so the line, “Lord, I give my life” must be seen as a daily commitment and dedication of ourselves to Christ. With all I am, in Your grace I stand. This is a great picture of the synergism of sanctification. We stand in God’s grace and His Holy Spirit works in us to make us holy, but at the same time, we do all we can to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. The greatest of all romance: Love of God my Savior. Now this is one line, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around. I am very literal in the way I write songs. Words mean things, and when I write, I say what I mean and mean what I say. I know others write more poetically. When I think of the word “Romance”, for some reason I think of “romantic love”. Perhaps “Romance” and “Romantic” may have a similar root. Seriously though, there are several meanings of “romance”, but far and away, to most people, it conjures up the picture of the love between a man and a woman. I recall another recent worship song that spoke of “Heaven meeting earth like a sloppy, wet kiss, and my heart turns violently inside of my chest.” To me, this over-emotionalizes God’s love, but to others this is simply poetic language. Can we sing the song and speak of God’s love as a romance? If I had my way, I’d change the line to say, “Greater than all romance” which would say that as wonderful as romantic relationships are in this life, they can’t compare to the love of God because it is different. However, if we view this word “romance” in purely poetic terms, I think we can. In other words, I like to think of it as putting quotes (“”) around the word romance when I sing it. The reason I point this out is because many do believe in this dangerous idea of “feeling their way through theology.” It is common for many popular preachers like Bill Johnson to speak of our “lustful pursuit” of God, and preach a theology that romanticizes our relationship to the Sovereign Lord. They draw huge crowds and even infiltrate solid evangelical churches and lead people into many false doctrines and practices. Yes, we are the bride of Christ, but not in a sensual way… and no, I do not believe Song of Solomon is about Christ and His church… and for more than just dispensational reasons. However, this line, if understood as poetry and not literal can be sung. Mercy roars like hurricane winds. Furious love laid waste to my sin. It looks as though the writers went all out with the thesaurus on this song. I’m not sure it helps me understand God’s mercy more clearly by comparing it to a hurricane, but the act that came from God’s love did put sin to death. I’m not sure God’s love was angry or furious, but His wrath definitely was, and my sins are all gone because of it. To the One who has rescued my soul. To the One who has welcomed me home. To the One who is Savior of all, I sing forever. The bridge gives our minds a rest from interpreting the unique poetic language of the verses, and lets us commit to praise the one who loves us and gave Himself for us. One important thing to comment on here is the line, “To the One who is Savior of all”, must be qualified as “All those who believe”. Everyone is not saved, and Jesus is not Savior and Lord to every person who has ever lived. This is speaking of His sheep… all His sheep. If one takes a literal view of this song (which is what exegeting the hymns does) this song can be difficult to understand, but if we view the song as a piece of poetry, we can see that the basic truth being presented here is that God’s love and mercy know no limits for His children.  His Mercy is More
w/m - Matt Boswell, Matt Papa What love could remember no wrongs we have done Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore Our sins they are many, His mercy is more Praise the Lord His mercy is more Stronger than darkness, new every morn Our sins they are many, His mercy is more What patience would wait as we constantly roam What Father, so tender, is calling us home He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor Our sins they are many, His mercy is more What riches of kindness He lavished on us His blood was the payment, His life was the cost We stood 'neath a debt we could never afford Our sins they are many, His mercy is more The Modern Hymn movement has been been led, in recent years, by the Getty's and Sovereign Grace music, but there is a new batch of writers who are making a real name for themselves with their timeless, theological songs. Matt Boswell and Matt Papa (Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery) and Matt Merker (He Will Hold Me Fast) are quickly filling in the new canon of congregation-oriented songs with offerings like this one. Not only is it singable, which is a reasonable (if not feeble) standard, but is the kind of melody that you can’t rid yourself of. Time will tell, but I believe the combination of uplifting theological lyrics, fantastic hook, and enduring melody will make this song one of the greats. It won’t have the benefit of industry-driven airplay, but will be sung by congregations across the country who desire more to their worship than “burger and fries”. What love could remember no wrongs we have done? Omniscient, all knowing, He counts not their sum. Thrown into a sea without bottom or shore. Our sins they are many, His mercy is more. The paradox of God’s omniscience and “forgetfulness” are on clear display here. By God’s omniscience, I mean the fact that He knows all, past, present, future, and even what would be or could be in every given circumstance. By “forgetfulness”, I am clearly speaking anthropomorphically (attributing human characteristics to God). The term “Sea of forgetfulness”, that is commonly used, is not actually in scripture, but the principle is found in Micah 7:19, “He will again have compassion on us; he will tread our iniquities underfoot. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” How can a God who knows all forget our sins? Clearly, He doesn’t, but once forgiven, our sins are never brought up again for they have been atoned for by the blood of Christ. It is this merciful atonement, this payment for all our sins, past, present, and future that makes this eternal forgiveness possible. As I write this, my heart is overflowing with thanksgiving for His mercy and grace, and that is where the song turns in the chorus: Praise the Lord! His mercy is more. Stronger than darkness, new every morn. Our sins they are many, His mercy is more. We have been forgiven for our past sins, but just as stunningly, our sins of the present and future are also removed from our account. Every day, God’s mercy is shown to us. Praise the Lord! What patience would wait as we constantly roam? What Father, so tender, is calling us home? He welcomes the weakest, the vilest, the poor. Our sins they are many, His mercy is more. I am glad that God is not like me. My impatience would quickly be the end of this creation. I can’t hardly abide someone driving 5 miles an hour under the speed limit in front of me, and yet God daily forgives my every wickedness committed against Him. I recently heard it said that Jesus saw the best in me… and then He died to forgive me for it. Like Paul in Romans 7:18, I say, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.” And yet, God still forgives and holds no sin to my account. What riches of kindness He lavished on us? His blood was the payment, His life was the cost. We stood 'neath a debt we could never afford. Our sins they are many, His mercy is more. The song so far has looked at God’s mercy in not giving us the punishment we so deserve, but now it shifts to His grace and tells of the blessings He gives that we don’t deserve. We are so blessed… on both sides of heaven, and that very blessing was bought with the blood of Christ. Left to our own, even amid a life of good work after good work (as if there is such a thing), we would be able to add not a single penny to our account that is daily, with every beat of our heart, being more and more overdrawn. We are without hope if we are without Christ. With every breath we fall short of God’s glory and yet, even though our sins have piled up to be a mountain higher than Everest… His mercy is more!  Who You Say I Am
w/m - Ben Fielding, Reuben Morgan Who am I that the highest King Would welcome me? I was lost but He brought me in Oh His love for me Oh His love for me Free at last, He has ransomed me His grace runs deep While I was a slave to sin Jesus died for me Yes He died for me Who the Son sets free Oh is free indeed I’m a child of God Yes I am In my Father’s house There’s a place for me I’m a child of God Yes I am I am chosen, not forsaken I am who You say I am You are for me, not against me I am who You say I am This is a brand new song from Hillsong and is probably my favorite one from that band. There is a lot of theology in this song and the melody is very singable. I personally love this song because it takes a very popular theme in evangelicalism today (We are who God says we are), and rather than fall into the common trap of the “self-esteem gospel”, it keeps its focus on Christ and His work. Surrounded by a flood of songs that follow the model of “don’t let anyone tell you you’re not good enough” (If my theology was that I was good enough, I’d never bow the knee), this one recognizes that in me there is no good thing (Romans 7:18), and if there is any good in us, it is Jesus. Who am I that the highest King would welcome me? Joel Osteen opens all his services with the words, “This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do.” Then continues ironically, “Today I will be taught the word of God.” I say ironically, because the focus is often on God wanting to make us comfortable, and there is power within us to do (and get) great things. This false, prosperity gospel may pack stadiums, but is the opposite of the way we should view God and view ourselves. In contrast, this song gets it right. “Who am I?” That’s the question. Isaac Watts wrote the classic line, “Lord, Why was I a guest?”. When we begin with this attitude of humility and reverence, we can then truly, and rightly enjoy the blessings of God’s grace. I was lost but He brought me in, oh His love for me! This simple line can’t be overstated. We were lost, not like “lost at the mall and can’t find the Gap” lost, but more like “dropped out of a plane in the middle of the jungles of South America” lost. We were lost with no hope of survival, no hope of finding civilization, no hope. It was the Good Shepherd who went out and searched until He found us. What love! Free at last, He has ransomed me. His grace runs deep. We were not only infected by sin, it owned us. Sin was our master and we had no choice but to serve it. The Bible goes even further, it describes our slavery to sin as something we actually loved (John 3:19), not something we struggled to get away from (Romans 3:11). In ransoming us, God not only changed our status, He changed our desires (Philippians 2:13). What grace! While I was a slave to sin, Jesus died for me. This is the most amazing part of our redemption, God the Father punished His Son, Jesus in our place. A price needed to be paid to buy us out of that slave market, and Jesus paid it all, 100% of the cost. Who the Son sets free, oh is free indeed. I’m a child of God, yes I am. This line in the song is particularly well placed because it is in the very context that the Bible places it. In John 8, Jesus distinguishes between the Pharisees, those who are enslaved and are children of their father, the devil, and believers who have been set free and are children of God. This song of freedom can be sung by those who live in freedom or those who have been imprisoned for their faith. They may lock up the body, but in Christ, we are really, truly free indeed. In my Father’s house, there’s a place for me. I’m a child of God. Here, the relationship is brought out between a father and a child. The father loves his child, so he provides for them. God, our Heavenly Father loves us because we are His children and has a place prepared for us. I am chosen, not forsaken. I am who You say I am. You are for me, not against me. I am who You say I am. The bridge here shows the blessings of the Children of God. These blessings are only for God’s children, they are not for everyone and not everyone can claim them. As a child of God, we know that He chose us. 130 times in the Bible it speaks of God choosing. All the implications of this can and should be discussed further, but for now, it is clear we are chosen by God. The contrast is to be forsaken and left to continue in our willful sin and rebellion. God is for His children. He promised to work all things together for our good, but that promise is only for the children of God. If we are truly in Christ, let us enjoy the blessings that come from Him knowing they don’t originate with us. I am who God says I am.  Jesus is Mine
w/m - Matt Merker, Jordan Kauflin, Keith Getty Fade, fade, each earthly joy Jesus is mine Stronger than fleeting hopes Jesus is mine Dark is the wilderness Earth has no resting place Jesus alone can bless Jesus is mine In days of fragile peace Jesus is mine Through tearful nights of grief Jesus is mine His voice commands the storm His presence stills my soul He will sustain my hope Jesus is mine Jesus is mine Jesus is mine When all else fails, He still remains Jesus is mine When on that final day Jesus is mine Before his radiant face Jesus is mine Safe in his arms I’ll cling Praising my Savior King Forevermore I’ll sing Jesus is mine This is a brand new song, but my guess is, you’ll never hear it on the radio. There’s very little money to be made from a simple, theological song like this. However it did catch my eye because of the powerhouse writing team that composed it, Matt Merker (He Will Hold Me Fast), Jordan Kauflin (All I Have is Christ), and Keith Getty (In Christ Alone). Those are three of the best modern hymns penned and had not the Newsboys recorded In Christ Alone, the majority of churches would have never heard any of them. In the midst of a torrent of sloppily written, vague, but commercial songs given to the church today, once in a while, true timeless gems emerge, if you know where to look for them. This is one of those songs. Fade, fade, each earthly joy. Jesus is mine. What a convicting way to start a song. While most songs call for “mountains to be moved” and “trials to be taken out of our way” so we can live our “best life now”, this one calls for our “joys” to fade. I am convicted just typing this as to all the earthly joys that will burn up as “wood, hay, and stubble” (1 Corinthians 13:12). No man can serve two masters, and too often I am serving myself a plate of the pleasures of this life, when I need to remember that “All I have is Christ”. Stronger than fleeting hopes. Jesus is mine. We put so much of our hope in things that are passing away, but Jesus is the “Blessed assurance”. Dark is the wilderness. Earth has no resting place. Jesus alone can bless. Jesus is mine. Jesus told a scribe who asked to follow Him that, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” There is a cost to following Jesus. The Hyper-grace movement would have us believe that we just need to say a prayer and walk an aisle and we’ve fulfilled the requirement of a disciple, but Jesus said, “Any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33). In days of fragile peace, Jesus is mine. Turn on the news. Fighting is not just in the Middle East, but in the halls of Congress, in front of cake shops, and even in churches. Hearing of a service disrupted by gunfire would not surprise any of us anymore, but our God is sovereign over all. He is the one who can bring true peace. Through tearful nights of grief, Jesus is mine. Jesus told us that in this world we would have tribulation, but He also told us that we should be of good cheer because He has overcome the world. If Jesus truly is mine, then even though "I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, because He is with me.” His voice commands the storm, His presence stills my soul, He will sustain my hope. Jesus is mine. Our hope is only as strong as the object of that hope. If our hope is in the one who controls every molecule in the universe, our soul can find rest. He doesn’t promise that there will be no storms, but does promise that it will be used for our good, and that He will be with us in that storm. When all else fails, He still remains, Jesus is mine. My prayer for myself, my family, my church, and for all of God’s people is that we learn to rely on Christ before we try all else. Of course, we can turn to Jesus when all else fails, but shouldn’t we run into His arms first? He was here before all things, and while all things fade away, He will always be God. When on that final day, Jesus is mine. Before his radiant face, Jesus is mine. What a blessing and comfort it will be to know we have bowed the knee to our Lord on this side of heaven! While most will tremble in fear, we can know that in Christ, we are home and stand as holy because of the work of Jesus. Safe in his arms I’ll cling, praising my Savior King. Forevermore I’ll sing: Jesus is mine. If you don’t know Jesus as Savior, Lord, and friend, this reality can be yours if you simply repent of your sins and trust in Jesus today. He paid the price for our salvation that would take us an eternity in hell to pay. Instead of the pleasures of this world you may be fighting to win, true joy is found when you can say, “Jesus is mine!” |
AuthorBill Itzel has been a worship leader and singer/songwriter for almost 30 years and is based in Westminster, MD. His family tours and leads worship, not only in their home church (Mt. Airy Bible Church), but around the country. This is a blog about congregational worship and the latest news in the The Itzel's ministry. 
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