Saturday, February 5, 2011

Never liked January...

January isn't a good blog month. So I waited until February to blog this year. It's on purpose. Really.... (ok I just failed).

Hmm, service #16 for Rock Bible Church this week. Praise God!

Let's see here, I've introduced a few songs since my last post: Our God (Is Greater), Jesus Messiah, How He Loves, I Will Follow and Christ Is Risen. Five new songs in 7 weeks - not bad! :p

Our God (Is Greater) - I understand that this tune is made popular and played most frequently by Chris Tomlin, but for the most part, it's written by Matt Redman (...Blessed Be The Name, You Never Let Go, You Alone Can Rescue). The first time I heard this song I was struck by the middle section. What a proclamation! "If our God is for us / Who could ever stop us? / And if our God is for us / What could stand against?" This is straight from Romans 8 (go read the whole chapter, it's awesome!). The chorus, similarly, encourages me and challenges me. I know that God is greater, stronger, higher, healer, and awesome in power. But at the same time, by singing this truth, I am challenging my heart to take it deeper and strengthen my faith.

Jesus Messiah - Jesus Messiah, Name above all names, Blessed redeemer, our Ransom, our Rescue, Jesus Messiah: the Lord of all. Enough said.

How He Loves - Some songs are straight forward, like the first two I've mentioned. Other songs, like How He Loves, are overflowing in metaphor about our Lord and His grace. How could we describe grace? This song suggests that "if His grace is an ocean / we're all sinking". What a picture of abundant grace! He is "jealous" for us? James 4:5 gives us some context: "Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, "He yearns jealously over the spirit that He has made dwell in us?"" Lastly - what a simple praise of our awesome God "yeah He loves us! Oh how He loves us! Oh how He loves!" There is no love like His love. Amen.

I Will Follow - Reading through the early chapters of John, preparing for the first few weeks of RBC in 2011, I was struck by how the early disciples followed Christ. He called, they answered and left to follow Him. This song is a response to Him that likewise we too would follow Christ: where He goes, where He stays, when He moves, whom He loves, how He serves - if it costs me my life - I will follow Him. What a challenge.

Christ Is Risen - The 'newest' of the bunch. I love the call to "Come awake", not just in this song, but in other songs and in Ephesians 5: "Come awake, oh sleeper! Arise! And let the light of Christ shine upon you!" Some scholars (read: the commentator in my bible) believe this is one the earliest Christian songs; Paul is quoting a common writing or lyric to the people of Ephesus. Christ is risen, we are one with Him again. Amen? Amen.


Communion tomorrow. Stoked: