 No Longer Slaves
Jonathan David Helser / Brian Joel Case / Mark Johnson You unravel me, with a melody You surround me with a song Of deliverance, from my enemies Till all my fears are gone I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God From my mothers womb You have chosen me Love has called my name I’ve been born again, into a family Your blood flows through my veins You split the sea so I could walk right through it My fears were drowned in perfect love You rescued me and I will stand and sing I am the child of God No Longer Slaves is a song by Bethel Music from Bethel Church in Redding California. It is important for us to be clear that we do not agree the doctrines of that church, and would not recommend them as a church, but they do put out an incredible amount of worship music that is very popular. This song is one that, with some explanation, is a very well written song, with a nice melody line, and an encouraging message that Christians can find reassuring. You unravel me, with a melody. You surround me with a song. Bands like Bethel, Elevation Worship, and Hillsong often write very poetic lyrics that need to be interpreted as such. The comparison of God’s work in our lives with a song is in view here. A literal song or melody does not save us, but God’s undeserving mercy in our lives can, like a song move us, affect us, and bless us. Of deliverance, from my enemies ‘till all my fears are gone. As Christians, our enemies are not the unsaved people in the world. They are the mission field. Our enemy is Satan and the sin that so easily besets us. When Jesus said, “It is Finished”, He, once for all, defeated sin and death on our behalf. We have no need to fear because we serve a God who is in control of every circumstance in our lives. I’m no longer a slave to fear, I am a child of God. Let me first say, fear can be a good thing, in the right measure. It is fear that keeps us from walking out in the highway. It is fear that makes us slow down when a sharp curve is ahead. Yes, there may be a sign that changes the speed limit for the curve, but it is usually the force we feel when we hit that curve too quickly that makes us naturally hit the brakes. It is also fear that can be a predominant factor in restraining from sin. Fear of God and His wrath is a good thing, for God’s wrath is real against sin. As a child of God, we don’t need to fear His wrath, but we should still fear His discipline. Now, there are plenty of other things in this world that can cause us to have a needless fear. Philippians 4:6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” This is a command to not be anxious over things. You could read it, “Be anxious over No Thing." However, back in chapter 2 Paul says, “But I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you shortly, so that I also may be encouraged when I learn of your condition. For I have no one else of kindred spirit who will genuinely be concerned for your welfare.” That word “Concerned” is the same word in chapter 4 that is translated “Anxious”. So, Paul was concerned over people, but not over things. Too many times, we let our fears consume us, and what that says to the world around us is that we don’t think our God is up to the task. It makes us poor ambassadors. We are children of God. We are children of the One who both created the universe, and sustains every molecule every second of every day. We’ve been saved and are kept in His care. We are no longer slaves to sin, no longer slaves to the flesh, no longer slaves to fear. From my mothers womb You have chosen me. Love has called my name. Actually, the Bible clearly states that we are chosen from before the foundation of the world. Ephesians 1 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him in love.” It gives me great confidence in knowing that it is not by my works or righteousness that I was saved, but by the works done by Christ that have been imputed to my account. My sins are forgiven. Jesus is not only the propitiation (satisfying the demands of a righteous God), but my expiation (He carried away my sins like the Old Testament scapegoat). When I stand before God, the Father will choose to see only the perfect life of Christ. He called my name, and as Romans 8:30 clearly states, "those whom He called, He also justified; and those whom He justified, He also glorified.” My glorification is as sure as my calling and justification. Because of that, I’m not longer a slave to fear. I’ve been born again, into a family. Your blood flows through my veins. Here, we need to be careful. The writers of this song moved from the poetic first couple of lines into a very literal rest of the song. However, this last line, they jump back to figurative language. God the Father has no blood. He is a spirit who does not have a body like us. Jesus does have a body and He did shed His blood, but Jesus’ blood is not in our veins. Most likely, He is a different blood type. There is nothing in scripture that tells us that we receive Jesus’ blood literally into our veins, so this clearly is a word picture saying that we are His family. Adoption is literally “Son-placing”. We are sons and daughters of God by adoption. We have a new family. It’s a family that is brought together for the purpose of building and edifying one another. We don’t need to fear, because we are a child of God, surrounded by a loving family. The song then meanders around with some improvised lyrics, but I will skip right to the bridge: You split the sea so I could walk right through it. My fears were drowned in perfect love. You rescued me and I will stand and sing, I am the child of God. Clearly, this is a reference to Israel being rescued from their attackers through the Red Sea. In this analogy, our attackers can be our sin, the power of the flesh, the devil, and even the wrath of God Himself. They could also be some worries and fears our flesh brings up that we need to lay on the altar of God’s sovereignty. Remember, that sovereignty is defined as the fact that nothing happens that God does not either cause or allow. That alone should break the chains so we are no longer a slave to fear.
0 Comments
 I Will Sing of My Redeemer
P.P. Bliss I will sing of my Redeemer And his wondrous love to me On the cruel cross he suffered From the curse to set me free Sing, O sing of my Redeemer With his blood he purchased me On the cross he sealed my pardon Paid the debt, and made me free I will tell the wondrous story How my lost estate to save In his boundless love and mercy He the ransom freely gave I will praise my dear Redeemer His triumphant power I'll tell How the victory he gives me Over sin and death and hell I will sing of my Redeemer And his heavenly love for me He from death to life has brought me Son of God, with him to be Psalm 96:2 says, “Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.” As Christians, we are always saved, so we can always sing. Our circumstances may change, but our standing with God never does. Our singing isn’t about us. If it was about us, there would be some times when we aren’t in the “right place” to sing, but our singing is about God, and God is always worthy to be praised. He never changes, His works are always good and glorious, and His attributes are always perfection. Wherever you are today in your walk, look to God and sing! I will sing of my Redeemer and his wondrous love to me. On the cruel cross he suffered, from the curse to set me free. Forget the daily blessings of being in Christ for a moment. Just the fact that Jesus suffered on our behalf should be reason enough for ceaseless praise. We are no longer under the curse of sin, no longer under the power and penalty of sin, and one day will be free even from the presence of sin. He is our redeemer and that fact alone warrants praise. Sing, O sing of my Redeemer. With his blood he purchased me. On the cross he sealed my pardon, paid the debt, and made me free. How embarrassed would you be if after unloading an entire basket of groceries on the belt at the supermarket, you realized that you had left your wallet at home. How grateful and elated would you be if the person behind you “Paid it forward” and bought your groceries for you! How many people would you tell that day, and for weeks and even years to come? You’d grab your phone and tweet or post on Facebook all about that remarkable tale of generosity. Jesus paid your eternal debt. Every sin, He bore on the cross for you so when you stand before the Almighty God, your sin debt is cancelled, paid in full. And yet, we rarely bring it up. Perhaps it is because we have grown used to it and aren’t reminded enough of that magnificent gift. That is why we sing of the works of our God every Sunday, to remind us of what it took to set us free. I will tell the wondrous story, how my lost estate to save. In his boundless love and mercy, He the ransom freely gave. The word “estate” has its origin in Latin and means standing or condition. Our condition was lost and it took the boundless act of love and mercy to reverse that condition and make us whole. I will praise my dear Redeemer, His triumphant power I'll tell. How the victory he gives me over sin and death and hell. God is powerful… that’s an understatement. God is all-powerful. God doesn’t stress over things. God doesn’t wear Himself out accomplishing all He does. It is not an effort to hold the universe together. This is the God who spoke and creation happened, "Ex Nihilo", out of nothing. His power is overwhelming. He speaks and life happens. It isn’t a struggle between God and Satan and our fingers are crossed to see who will win. Satan is a pawn in God’s plan and his “power” is only what God allows him to have. That is the God we serve. That is why we can have complete confidence that Jesus has absolute victory over death and hell. I will sing of my Redeemer and his heavenly love for me. He from death to life has brought me, Son of God, with him to be. The Bible contains over 400 references to singing and 50 direct commands to sing. We shouldn’t need to be commanded to sing when our eyes are fixed on the One who redeemed us, but too many times our eyes are elsewhere, and so we are commanded. Remember, it’s a commandment, not a suggestion!  By Faith
Keith & Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend By faith we see the hand of God In the light of creation’s grand design In the lives of those who prove His faithfulness Who walk by faith and not by sight By faith our fathers roamed the earth With the power of His promise in their hearts Of a holy city built by God’s own hand A place where peace and justice reign We will stand as children of the promise We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward Till the race is finished and the work is done We’ll walk by faith and not by sight By faith the prophets saw a day When the longed-for Messiah would appear With the power to break the chains of sin and death And rise triumphant from the grave By faith the church was called to go In the power of the Spirit to the lost To deliver captives and to preach good news In every corner of the earth By faith this mountain shall be moved And the power of the gospel shall prevail For we know in Christ all things are possible For all who call upon His name “One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving towards all He has made. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever.” Psalm 145:4, 13, 21 This verse is quoted on the Getty’s website as an inspiration behind the writing of this song. If the current generation is not telling of God’s mighty acts, we can’t expect the next generation to do so. If the current generation is not singing on Sunday, we shouldn’t expect the next to sing. If the current generation does not value the authority of the Word of God, we should expect the next generation to seek answers elsewhere. We have a responsibility to the next generation to walk by faith and not by sight, so that the next generation will trust, even when they don’t have our life experience and have yet to see God’s faithfulness through many years. By faith we see the hand of God in the light of creation’s grand design, in the lives of those who prove His faithfulness who walk by faith and not by sight. For those of us who have walked with Christ for a number of years, we can see God’s hand and faithfulness to us, not only in the sustaining of the world around us, but in the sustaining of our hearts in the midst of life’s circumstances. We need to be a walking testimony of God’s presence, grace, and peace in the midst of trial. If the world sees the we have no faith in our God, why would they want to serve Him as Lord? By faith our fathers roamed the earth with the power of His promise in their hearts, of a holy city built by God’s own hand, a place where peace and justice reign. The Bible is a collection of books, written over thousands of years, but still has one narrative, one main focus, and that is God’s plan of redemption through the work of Jesus Christ. As you read through the Old and New Testaments, you will immediately be impressed by the sovereignty and providence of God in the lives of His people throughout history. God has always had His people, from Adam to Noah to Abraham and his descendants to the New Testament church. He has always been building His Kingdom throughout different dispensations, and one day, His plan will be completed and He will reign forever with His people from throughout the ages. We will stand as children of the promise. We will fix our eyes on Him our soul’s reward. Till the race is finished and the work is done, we’ll walk by faith and not by sight. If we are in Christ, His promises should impact how we live our lives, how we interact as a family, how we reach out to others with the good news, how we respond to trials and tribulation, etc. Knowing that God’s eternal Kingdom is being built, and that much of what draws our attention is fleeting, should change our priorities. 1 Corinthians 13 says, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known.” We run the race, and even though we can’t see the finish line, we run as though we know it’s there. By faith the prophets saw a day when the longed-for Messiah would appear with the power to break the chains of sin and death and rise triumphant from the grave. The Old Testament saints had comparatively little revelation, but knew that “He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” They knew that “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” They knew a Messiah was to come and many were faithful to the end. How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? We have the gospels, we have the detailed story of Jesus, we have the testimony of the apostles. We have so much more, so much more will be required for us to walk by faith because we have so much more “sight”. By faith the church was called to go in the power of the Spirit to the lost to deliver captives and to preach good news in every corner of the earth. Since the beginning of the church, there have been a “great cloud of witnesses” who have given up their lives to defend the truth. Persecution has always been the fertile soil of church growth and the spread of the gospel. God has always had a plan and purpose and is working it out every day. Seeing the gospel spread around the world should spur us on to be a part of that work and embolden our faith. By faith this mountain shall be moved and the power of the gospel shall prevail, for we know in Christ all things are possible for all who call upon His name. We see God’s faithfulness in His sustaining creation, in the lives of the Old Testament saints, and in the spread of the gospel to the world by the church. All of those testimonies should change our lives and increase our faith. We have not seen all we will see, but we see enough everyday to build an unshakable faith in our Sovereign Lord.  Oceans (Where Feet May Fail)
Joel Houston, Matt Crocker, Salomon Ligthelm You call me out upon the waters The great unknown where feet may fail And there I find You in the mystery In oceans deep my faith will stand And I will call upon Your name And keep my eyes above the waves When oceans rise My soul will rest in Your embrace For I am Yours and You are mine Your grace abounds in deepest waters Your sov'reign hand will be my guide Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me You've never failed and You won't start now Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders Let me walk upon the waters Wherever You would call me Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander And my faith will be made stronger In the presence of my Savior Oceans is a song that was really big in 2013 and the few years following. I personally doubt it will be sung much 30 years from now, as it seems to be losing steam quickly. The problem with radio worship songs is that they are hugely popular for a year or so, then are so overplayed that people grow tired of them. Still, this is a song that many churches are still singing, and we have on occasion, so I’ll take this 40th Exegeting the Hymns and look back at a song that swept the nation (pun intended). My biggest problem with this song initially was the repetition. These words could be spoken in 30 seconds, but the song was over nine minutes. The excessive, almost comical repetition turned many off to some good lyrics without giving them a chance. When we sing it at our church, it lasts about 3 minutes, enough to make the point, teach the truth, and then move on. You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown where feet may fail. This is clearly alluding to Jesus calling Peter out onto the waters in Matthew 14. The disciples were out on the boat heading to the other shore. Jesus met them out on the water, walking on top of it, and Peter initiated the idea of walking on the water by saying, “Lord, if it’s you, tell me to come to you on the water.” Jesus replied, “Come”. This was a good object lesson of trusting and looking to Jesus in the midst of scary circumstances in our lives. There are unknown things we face, namely the future. God knows everything, but we do not. We must trust Him in faith daily. And there I find You in the mystery, in oceans deep my faith will stand. God has not revealed every detail of the future to us and we should be thankful for that. It is a mystery to our minds. And I will call upon Your name, and keep my eyes above the waves. When oceans rise, my soul will rest in Your embrace, for I am Yours and You are mine. The faith and the power to trust in Christ everyday, comes from Christ Himself. It is because of His power that we are safe, because of His arms around us that we are secure. There is no need for a believer to be overwhelmed by life’s circumstances. Not only is it a poor testimony to the world, but it is unnecessary because we can look to a sovereign Lord. Your grace abounds in deepest waters. Your sovereign hand will be my guide. Too often, we forget that God is sovereign, or don’t have a complete understanding of His sovereignty. God knows everything, past, present, future. God has a plan that will be accomplished from eternity to eternity. There is not a random molecule in this universe outside of His control (not even a sparrow falls to the ground without Him). Nothing happens that God does not either cause to happen, or allow to happen. When we understand that there are no accidents, luck, or karma, only providence, we can have true rest and true peace, regardless of the circumstances around us. Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me, You’ve never failed and You won't start now. Jesus promised never to leave us nor forsake us. God promised to work all things together for our good. We see all over scripture that God is not only in control, but is faithful to His promises. This should eliminate fear, even from the most frightful of circumstances. Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders. Let me walk upon the waters. Note here that Peter asked Jesus to “tell me to come to you on the water.” Then he stepped out, only after Jesus said, “Come”. Our trust does have, and should have borders only in that we are bound by what God has told us to do. One can’t do something contrary to God’s commands and trust that God will keep us from harm. We must first know what borders God has given us, and work within them. However, as long as the Holy Spirit is leading us, we will stay within His borders. The point of this line is not to let our fear construct borders short of where God is calling us to go. Wherever You would call me, take me deeper than my feet could ever wander, and my faith will be made stronger in the presence of my Savior. In our own power, we can do nothing (John 15:5), but we can do all things God calls us to do in His power (Phil. 4:13).  How Sweet and Aweful is the Place
Isaac Watts, Bill & Karen Itzel How sweet and aweful is the place With Christ within the doors While everlasting love displays The choicest of her stores While all our hearts and all our songs Join to admire the feast Each of us cry with thankful tongues “Lord, why was I a guest?” Lord, why was I a guest? Partaker in Your rest? Lord, nothing from me would suggest A worthy soul to bless “Why was I made to hear Thy voice And enter while there's room When thousands make a wretched choice And rather starve than come?” ’Twas the same love that spread the feast That sweetly drew us in Else we had still refused to taste And perished in our sin Pity the nations, O our God Constrain the earth to come Send Thy victorious Word abroad And bring the strangers home We long to see Thy churches full That all the chosen race May with one voice and heart and soul Sing Thy redeeming grace Lord why was I a guest? Partaker in Your rest? Lord, nothing in me to impress Or call me as a guest But You called me as a guest Isaac Watts (1674-1748) is one of the best known hymn writers in all of Christendom. He is credited with over 750 hymns such as “Joy to the World”, “Come Ye that Love the Lord”, “O God Our Help in Ages Past”, “I Sing the Mighty Power of God”, “When I Survey the Wondrous Cross”, and “Alas and Did My Savior Bleed”. This year, as I read a biography of Watts, I was impressed by one song in particular that I had never heard before. “How Sweet and Aweful is the Place” is the kind of hymn name that one in this day and age would easily skip over, but one would also miss out on a great song with great truths. The line that grabbed me was “Lord, why was I a guest?” I couldn’t get it out of my head, so Karen and I eventually wrote a chorus for the song and plan on recording it on our next CD. Therefore, at this point there are no YouTube link for the complete song with chorus, but here is is the link to the original hymn so you can hear the beautiful melody. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkE8Ou8iw-A How sweet and aweful is the place with Christ within the doors. First, don’t let the word aweful throw you. “Aweful” means full of awe; it doesn’t mean “Awful” as in terrible. Any place where Christ is, is not only sweet because of His presence, but aweful because of His presence. This sets up a picture of the King (in this case, the King of kings) having a feast and calling undeserving people off the street to be His guests. While everlasting love displays the choicest of her stores. God’s amazing love is greater than anything we can ever find anywhere else. While all our hearts and all our songs join to admire the feast, each of us cry with thankful tongues, “Lord, why was I a guest?” We are the homeless, lost, poor, needy whom the King calls in. Watts describes a rightful feeling of confusion as to why we are there? We are not worthy, but the King has brought us in to dine with Him. I wanted to expand this impression of unworthiness in the chorus: Lord, why was I a guest? Partaker in Your rest? Lord, nothing from me would suggest a worthy soul to bless. As Jesus calls us into His place of rest, we are constantly reminded that we are unworthy and unfit to be there. “Why was I made to hear Thy voice and enter while there's room when thousands make a wretched choice and rather starve than come?” This is a question that I can’t fathom an answer. I see so many around me who willingly choose to pay for their own sins for eternity in the lake of fire, even though they have been warned of their impending doom, and yet God has saved me, of all people. Again, “Lord, why was I a guest?” ’Twas the same love that spread the feast that sweetly drew us in. Else we had still refused to taste and perished in our sin. We are so blessed that God showed His love for us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). After viewing the personal salvific work of God, Watts evangelistically turns to a longing for the salvation of the people of the world. Pity the nations, O our God. Constrain the earth to come. Send Thy victorious Word abroad and bring the strangers home. We should have a burning desire for the lost to be saved. It would be very selfish for us to eat at the table, casually gaze at those freezing out in the cold, and not want to compel them to come in. We long to see Thy churches full that all the chosen race may with one voice and heart and soul sing Thy redeeming grace. We have the great blessing and responsibility to preach the gospel and make disciples. What a loss it will be for us if we shirk our duty to call those dying in their sin, to come and dine. Lord why was I a guest? Partaker in Your rest? Lord, nothing in me to impress or call me as a guest, but You called me as a guest. There is nothing in us, no deeds we have done, no amount of good in our souls that would trigger God to draw us in. It was His love and mercy and goodness that called us as a guest. Praise God every day and call others to join in the goodness of our Lord and King.  May the Peoples Praise You
w/m Keith Getty, Kristyn Getty, David Zimmer, Stuart Townend, Ed Cash You have called us out of darkest night into Your glorious light That we may sing the wonders of the risen Christ May our every breath retell the grace that broke into our strife With boundless love and deepest joy with endless life May the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad All Your blessing comes that we may praise May praise the Name of Jesus All the earth is Yours and all within. Each harvest is Your own And from Your hand we give to You to make Christ known May the seeds of mercy grow in us for those who have not heard May songs of praise build lives of grace to spread Your Word This our holy privilege to declare Your praises and Your name To every nation, tribe and tongue, Your church proclaims Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty Worthy, worthy is the Lamb Who was slain Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty All creation praise Your glorious Name According to the writers, this song was “Inspired by Psalm 67, this hymn is a call to worship and mission”. Psalm 67 says, “May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear him!” This psalm and this song are a call for God to receive all the blessing and honor and glory and majesty the He receives in heaven, from those of us here on earth. We know from Revelation 4–5 that the angelic beings, elders, and heavenly creatures praise God ceaselessly around the throne. May our praise, here on earth, join theirs in an unending chorus of praise. You have called us out of darkest night into Your glorious light that we may sing the wonders of the risen Christ. We were saved, not because God owed us anything, nor because He needed us, nor because we were desirable, but because God receives glory from saving us. He makes us alive so that we will bring Him honor, and we should forever praise Him for His love toward us. God can never receive too much glory, and through His creation, God will receive ultimate glory in both His justice and His mercy. May our every breath retell the grace that broke into our strife with boundless love and deepest joy with endless life. May the peoples praise You. Let the nations be glad. All Your blessing comes that we may praise, may praise the Name of Jesus. We know that one day every knee will bow, and our prayer should be that all men bring praise to Him here on earth, before they are forced to bow in judgment. God’s graciousness has been a blessing to all of the nations. We should count those blessings as an opportunity to praise the Giver of those blessings. All the earth is Yours and all within. Each harvest is Your own, and from Your hand we give to You to make Christ known. As believers, we have been promised every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies (Ephesians 1), but God also blesses us with so many physical blessings, our “daily bread”. May the seeds of mercy grow in us for those who have not heard. May songs of praise build lives of grace to spread Your Word. Too often, we receive the blessings of God and just sit back and enjoy, when instead, we should let those blessings spur us on to share the goodness of our God with others. Yes, in physical ways, but more importantly, in the life altering message of the gospel. This our holy privilege to declare Your praises and Your name to every nation, tribe and tongue, Your church proclaims. Evangelism is not only a duty, but a privilege. We are messengers, ambassadors for the King, and we have the greatest message ever to tell. What part are we playing in our role as evangelists? Do we live, speak, think, act, spend, worship, trust, and obey as though we serve the King of kings and Lord of lords? We have a duty to go into the world, wherever that leads us and be more than just spiritual gluttons who increase in knowledge, but never let that knowledge fuel us to action. This is an area I know I need to make a concerted effort to grow in. I want my friends, neighbors, everyone I come into contact with to sing with me… Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. Worthy, worthy is the Lamb Who was slain. Holy, holy is the Lord Almighty. All creation praise Your glorious Name.  In Need
w/m Ross King – (Luke 15:14, Philippians 4:19) In need of grace In need of love In need of mercy raining down From high above In need of strength In need of peace In need of things That only You can give to me In need of Christ the perfect Lamb My refuge strong, the Great I Am This is my song my humble plea I am Your child I am in need One of the dangers that worship leaders fall into is a lack of balance. For a worship leader like me who searches for profound theological teaching songs, I need to remember that sometimes, we need a refrain. We need to balance the deep levels of input with a simple chorus of output. That is why so many hymns and songs are written with verses and choruses, or refrains built into them. Some songs/choruses however, are written to be just for that purpose. This song is just such a song. It is one verse and one chorus, but the thing I love about it is, while it can be sung as a simple heartfelt melody, if one takes the time to say… exegete the song, you’ll find a lot of good truth in it too. In need of grace. In need of love. In need of mercy raining down from high above. Very simple, but there’s so much in that. One only needs to read Romans 1–3 to see the state of depravity into which we are all born. All have sinned, there are none righteous, we are all under the wrath of God, there are none that understand, none that seek after God. We are without excuse, unable to save ourselves. Without grace and mercy and love, we are justly bound for an eternity in the lake of fire. We need grace. We need love. We need mercy, but not just grace, love and mercy from anywhere. The answer cannot be found from within (although that is a popular false teaching today), nor can it be found in this world. It must be found from up above, from the one who judges, from the one we have offended. In need of strength. In need of peace. In need of things that only You can give to me. While the first half of the verse speaks of our need in salvation, the second speaks of the needs we have after our conversion. We need strength. God promised Israel in Isaiah 58, “The Lord will guide you always; He will satisfy your needs in a sun–scorched land and will strengthen your frame.” Isaiah 40 says, “but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Romans 8:26 says, “In the same way the Spirit also joins to help in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with unspoken groanings.” In looking at the ones God chose, He says, “Instead, God has chosen what is foolish in the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” We are in need of strength. We also need peace. In John 14, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Your heart must not be troubled or fearful.” While we are made new in Christ, we still have needs because we live in fallen flesh in a fallen world. That world tries to fulfill those needs, but only God can truly meet them. “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19) In need of Christ the perfect Lamb. My refuge strong, the Great I Am. Our reliance on God cannot be overstated. We depend on Him for everything, and as a good Master, He supplies our needs and loves us unconditionally. He also is our refuge and safety in the storms of life. This is my song my humble plea. I am Your child I am in need. Ross King gives us some insight into this last line of the chorus by letting us know he drew from Luke 15:14 in the parable of the prodigal son. The son who ran away from his father who loved and provided for him came back humbled. The father, who represents our Heavenly Father loved that son as a child. Our Father has made us to be sons and joint heirs with Jesus Christ and is preparing a seat at the table, a place in heaven, and is providing for our every need.  Jerusalem
w/m Jonny Robinson, Rich Thompson, Tiarne Kleyn See Him in Jerusalem Walking where the crowds are Once these streets had sung to Him Now they cry for murder Such a frail and lonely Man Holding up the heavy cross See Him walking in Jerusalem On the road to save us See Him there upon the hill Hear the scorn and laughter Silent as a lamb He waits Praying to the Father See the King who made the sun And the moon and shining stars Let the soldiers hold and nail Him down So that He could save them See Him there upon the cross Now no longer breathing Dust that formed the watching crowds Takes the blood of Jesus Feel the earth is shaking now See the veil is split in two And He stood before the wrath of God Shielding sinners with His blood See the empty tomb today Death could not contain Him Once the Servant of the world Now in vict'ry reigning Lift your voices to the One Who is seated on the throne See Him in the New Jerusalem Praise the One who saved us I have been listening to this song for a year now and always loved the melody and the lyrics I could make out on the recording, but it wasn’t until I sat down and actually read the words in preparation for Good Friday that I realized that this could very well be the best worship song I have ever heard. When I discern whether a song is one I want to sing, I usually read the words without the music first. Even mediocre lyrics can be moving with enough production and a pretty melody, but a truly great song will move you when you just consider the words. This one brought me to tears the first, second, third, and fourth time I read it. In fact, it still moves me just thinking about the beautiful poetry and deep theology carried along with such a moving melody. The song takes us from the passion of Christ, through His resurrection, and to His reigning glory, all the while keeping the city of Jerusalem in view. See Him in Jerusalem, walking where the crowds are. The first verse does such a masterful job of painting the humanity of Jesus, the suffering servant who emptied Himself and walked among men. Once these streets had sung to Him, now they cry for murder. The song starts out with a soft piano intro and paints a picture of Jesus walking with people… then, with the use of one word, “Murder”, proceeds to startle the listener, proclaiming that this is going to be different, something serious. That word is something you don’t hear in worship songs very often. I have always believed Palm Sunday to be a false coronation. Many of the same people that were spuriously calling for Him to be an earthly king by shouting “Hosanna”, were the same people that 4 days later were yelling “Crucify Him”. Jesus didn’t meet their expectations. He came for something much bigger! Such a frail and lonely Man, holding up the heavy cross. Jesus, who was beaten so badly that you could hardly tell it was a man had to carry his own cross, but this pitiful picture was hardly enough to dissuade the Jewish leaders and Roman guards to let up. See Him walking in Jerusalem on the road to save us. That is why He came. This was God’s plan from before He made this world. It was the will of the Father, and therefore it would be carried out. See Him there upon the hill. Hear the scorn and laughter. Silent as a lamb He waits, praying to the Father. On the one hand, it amazes me that Jesus would ask the Father to forgive his executioners because I don’t know that I would. But on the other hand, it does not surprise me, because that was the very reason Jesus was letting this happen to Him in the first place. They didn’t take His life, He laid it down freely to save sinners. See the King who made the sun and the moon and shining stars let the soldiers hold and nail Him down so that He could save them. That line just blew me away the first time I read it. If He had stopped them… and He could have… there would be no salvation, no way to eternal life. He let them kill Him SO THAT He could save them. See Him there upon the cross, now no longer breathing. What a sobering picture. I’m sure some were waiting for Jesus to just “do something”, anything to save Himself, and then the moment came when that idea had passed. He stopped breathing. It was finished. Dust that formed the watching crowds takes the blood of Jesus. This is probably my favorite line in the song. Dust… these people who crucified Jesus were nothing more than the created, created from the dust of the ground, and to dust they would return. What irony that the one who gave man life would have His life taken from the same man, that same dust. Feel the earth is shaking now. See the veil is split in two, and He stood before the wrath of God shielding sinners with His blood. In the Exegeting the Hymns on “Come Thou Fount”, I talked about the phrase “Interposed His precious blood”. This is the same picture. Jesus stood between the wrath of God and us. He bore God’s wrath in our place. Someone asked the question the other day, “Who is the enemy?” Obviously, they meant the Devil, and in the context of Christians, that would be the right answer, but for the unsaved, the Devil is not the enemy. The enemy is God. God will punish sin, all sin. He must, for He is just. Jesus took that punishment on our behalf and gave us His perfect life in exchange. See the empty tomb today, death could not contain Him. Once the Servant of the world, now in victory reigning. Jesus not only was raised from the dead, but is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and one day will judge the world. The frail and lonely man is no longer. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords. He is not just the ruler of an earthly city like Jerusalem, but of all of the heavens and the earth and will one day rule from the New Jerusalem. Lift your voices to the One who is seated on the throne. See Him in the New Jerusalem. Praise the One who saved us.  He Lives
w/m Alfred H. Ackley I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today I know that He is living whatever men may say I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer And just the time I need Him, He's always near He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today! He walks with me and talks with me Along life's narrow way He lives, He lives Salvation to impart You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart In all the world around me I see His loving care And tho' my heart grows weary I never will despair I know that He is leading thro' all the stormy blast The day of His appearing will come at last Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King! The hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find None other is so loving, so good and kind I grew up singing this song all the time in the little Baptist churches I attended. Looking back on the lyrics now with a more discerning eye, there are things I like about the song and things that just seem to fall short. First, the Good: We do serve a risen Savior. This is the one thing that sets true religion apart from false religion. Our Lord is alive! He is in the world today in that He is not only omnipresent in His deity, but He has sent out His Holy Spirit to restrain evil and lead His bride. We can see God’s hand of mercy everyday in our lives as believers, but also in the lives of unbelievers. God shows incredible mercy in that He lets this world continue even another minute. Every breath we take is an act of mercy by a loving and just God. Jesus does walk and talk with us in that He promised never to leave or forsake us. He is, through His indwelling Spirit, guiding our steps. Psalm 37:23 says “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord”. He also talks to us, but this line is a bit misleading. God speaks, but He does so through His Word. Too many people today look to hear from the Lord but never open His Word, so they attribute feelings they feel, or instincts they have, or dreams they dream as God speaking to them. If you want to hear from God, He is speaking… read the Bible. If you want to hear from Him audibly… read the Bible out loud. God’s loving care is all around us as there are many times God protects us from dangers we don’t even know exist. Even when tragedy and tribulation come, and our world falls down around us, God is lovingly caring for us. He is molding and shaping us through those circumstances to be more like Christ. We never need to despair. We do look forward to the day of Jesus’ coming. It is coming, and those who seek Him will find Him and be ready when that day comes. Second, the not as Good: We know that Jesus is alive. If we needed to proved it with evidence in a court of law, it would be a slam dunk. However, this song seems to use our belief and feelings as the evidence. “I know that He is living whatever men may say” is not really evidence. It is evidence to us, and we can sing it wholeheartedly, but it isn’t enough to convince a lost world that following Jesus is different. I would assume it took great faith in even a false religion to fly an airplane into a building on 9/11. Their belief was real… but our faith is only as strong as the object of that faith. The real line that bothers me when I sing it is “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart." Our anecdotal experiences may solidify God’s existence and Christ’s resurrection in our minds, but we can do much better in answering that question, “How do you know He lives?” There are many evidences to Christ’s resurrection:
You ask me how I know He lives? All of the evidences listed above… and He lives within my heart!  He is Risen, Hallelujah
w/m Bill & Karen Itzel Death could not hold Him down And the tomb could not keep Him bound So the lost could now be found He’s alive The blood is now applied For the cross on which He died Was the place God was satisfied He’s alive The stone was rolled away He is risen hallelujah He is risen from the grave He is risen hallelujah He is risen now to save Our God crushed His only Son His work on earth was done Through His loss, our lives were won He’s alive Grace on display for all Is applied to the ones who call and repent, on our knees we fall He’s alive This is an interesting Exegeting the Hymns because I happen to know the writers personally. Karen and I have been writing and recording songs since 1990, and a few have made for good congregational songs, but 2 years ago, after celebrating our 25th anniversary in music, we decided to focus on songs for corporate worship. This one is one of our first efforts. Death could not hold Him down and the tomb could not keep Him bound so the lost could now be found. He’s alive! The reason Jesus came to this world was to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). In Luke 15 Jesus tells 3 parables of precious things that were lost and then found (a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son). In each of the parables the owner/father had lost something dear to them, something that was theirs, and they did not stop until it was found. So it is with us. 1 Corinthians 15 says, “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, death, is your victory? Where, death, is your sting?” The man left the 99 and found the sheep, the woman searched everywhere and found the coin, the father forgave everything and ran to the son, and Jesus came to earth, was crucified, was buried, and rose again, defeating death, to save us. The blood is now applied, for the cross on which He died was the place God was satisfied. He’s alive! In Exodus 12, we read how the blood was applied to the doorposts of the houses that the angel of death would pass over. The blood of Christ is applied to our hearts, His perfect life and death applied to our account, so God’s wrath would be satisfied. Romans 3:25 says, “God presented him as an atoning sacrifice in his blood, received through faith, to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his restraint, God passed over the sins previously committed.” We no longer have to pay for our sins. Christ did that on the cross. The stone was rolled away. He is risen, hallelujah. He is risen from the grave. He is risen, hallelujah. He is risen now to save. If Jesus was still in the grave like all of the other men and women that people worship, we would have no hope of salvation. There is, however, an empty tomb. There is no body. No one could find the body of Jesus because He was using it, walking around, revealing Himself as the risen Messiah. Our God crushed His only Son. His work on earth was done. Through His loss, our lives were won. He’s alive! I have been talking to some friends about the atonement and the idea that the Father would pour out His wrath on Jesus. They seemed to think it was not a Biblical concept. However, Isaiah 53:10 makes it clear that “it was the will of the Lord to crush Him”. Jesus bore all of the wrath for our sins. 1 John 4:10 says, “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” Hebrews 2:17 says, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Jesus satisfied the wrath of God by bearing our punishment and exchanging our life for His. Grace on display for all is applied to the ones who call and repent, on our knees we fall. He’s alive! God’s grace is on display for all at the cross. Jesus said, “If I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me”, but that grace is only applied to the ones who repent, turn from their sins, and trust in Jesus. |
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. 
Archives
May 2018
Categories |
- Home
- Tours
- Store
-
Projects
-
2003 to Current
>
- Hope >
- The Glorious Trial >
- XXV >
- Sovereign >
- The New Life >
- I Am A Christian >
- Power and Might
- Live It Up >
- Revolutionary War >
- UP >
- Throwback >
- Mountain Climber >
- Misfit Family Christmas >
- Last Man Standing - 2008 >
- Flawed - 2007 >
- Soldiers - 2006 >
- Guns Blazin' - 2005 >
- It Takes a Family - 2004 >
- Return of the King - 2003 >
-
1990 to 2002
>
-
2003 to Current
>
- Media
- About us
- Articles
- Outreach
- Home
- Tours
- Store
-
Projects
-
2003 to Current
>
- Hope >
- The Glorious Trial >
- XXV >
- Sovereign >
- The New Life >
- I Am A Christian >
- Power and Might
- Live It Up >
- Revolutionary War >
- UP >
- Throwback >
- Mountain Climber >
- Misfit Family Christmas >
- Last Man Standing - 2008 >
- Flawed - 2007 >
- Soldiers - 2006 >
- Guns Blazin' - 2005 >
- It Takes a Family - 2004 >
- Return of the King - 2003 >
-
1990 to 2002
>
-
2003 to Current
>
- Media
- About us
- Articles
- Outreach
RSS Feed