Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and all those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! There is something new and exciting to help you keep worshiping the Lord with and that is none other than the brand-new album of Planetshakers Church (Australia) titled REVIVAL!
REVIVAL was recently released and people around the world can avail of it through multiple online venues such as Planetshakers’ official YouTube channel, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and Deezer.
To understand REVIVAL more, posted below is the excerpt from Planetshakers’ official announcement. Some parts in boldface…
As the world faces one of its most challenging predicaments and the church globally faces restrictions in the free world that are surprising, to say the least, God declared over Planetshakers, as a movement, ‘REVIVAL!’
REVIVAL, the album was recorded live during the Planetshakers REVIVAL Conference held in Melbourne, Australia, during a brief break in the pandemic lockdowns.
“He then opened up a window of opportunity for us to join together as a church to hold REVIVAL Conference…It was raw, emotional and powerful! In the midst of restriction, God was not restricted. He moved in healing power—restoring, renewing, reviving.” exclaims Worship Leader and Pastor Sam Evans.
A view of the REVIVAL conference of Planetshakers and their unwavering worship of the Lord.
Capturing the pent-up, heartfelt roar of praise and worship that erupted during the conference, in perhaps the most raw live recording ever released from Planetshakers, REVIVAL is a full production experience.
“The songs we were singing and the declarations we were making were sothe opposite of what we were experiencing. We want to share this experience with the world with the hope of encouraging and empowering others to stand on God’s promise and believe in His ability to revive any situation with His mighty resurrection power.” continues Pastor Sam.
In relation to what was stated above, it is indeed true that when God’s children fall down, He lifts them up. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on people and societies around the world and the effects include the prohibition of on-site, indoor worship services in churches. Still Planetshakers successfully organized its REVIVAL conference when the situation in their city eased thanks to the Lord’s intervention and I still believe that in due time this pandemic will end because God will make a way for as long as we have unwavering faith in Him and continue to praise Him and glorify Him eternally. Learn from the following holy scriptures…
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I amgentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30 (NKJV)
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! Praise God in his holy sanctuary!
Praise him in his stronghold in the sky!
Praise him for his mighty miracles!
Praise him for his magnificent greatness!
Praise him with trumpets blasting!
Praise him with piano and guitar!
Praise him with drums and dancing!
Praise him with loud clashing of cymbals!
Praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals!
Let everyone everywhere join in the crescendo
of ecstatic praise to Yahweh!
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Psalm 150:1-6 (TPT)
Going back to Planetshakers’ music, REVIVAL’s worship songs include I Know You Can, Way Truth Life, All My Life, I Stand in Awe, Back to Life, Above The Storm, Free Indeed, I Gotta Praise, Running, In Your Presence, and Revival’s Here.
In ending this piece, posted below are the latest music videos of the songs All My Life, I Know You Can and I Stand in Awe from REVIVAL for you to enjoy. All praise and glory to our Lord! Be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Welcome back, my readers and fellow Christians! In this newest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we will focus on the worship song titled Mercy on Display written by Darlene Zschech and performed by the music team of Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC).
For the newcomers reading this, HopeUC is a Christian church founded in Australia. As of this writing, it is led by Pastor Darlene Zschech and her husband Mark. According the church’s website: Ps Mark and Darlene have a strong passion for the local church that exists to see the hope of Jesus Christ reside in every heart, across the Central Coast, Hunter Region and throughout the world.
Their desire is to see people living life out of the power that God intended for each and every one of us. Healing, wholeness and victory.
They believe in, and strongly support, mission works around the world and helping the poor by using what we have in our hands to make and be the change in this world.
They believe that the Church should be a people of faith and worship, who put God at the centre of their lives and that His Word is dependable and true for living successfully everyday, in every relationship, and situation.
Going back to the worship song, HopeUC premiered the official music video of Mercy on Display on their YouTube channel on April 14, 2021.
Before analyzing the Biblical relevance of the song, posted below for your reference are the lyrics of Mercy on Display.
Verse 1
I see the cross of Calvary
I see the pain you bore for me,
Your mercy on display for all to see
–
Verse 2
The earth grew dark and held its breath
As victory over hell and death was
Finished in Your perfect sacrifice
–
Chorus 1
The cross has made the way for us
So we can come and call upon Your name (Jesus)
And now oh death, you’ve lost your sting
As love has triumphed over sin & grave
–
Verse 3
For nothing now shall separate us
From Your love and from Your presence
Forever at the table of the Lord
–
Verse 4
Where everyone is welcome here
The veil is torn, the battle has been won
We worship You our God
–
Chorus 2
You Washed me clean as white as snow
I stand in awe, Your love won’t let me go, Jesus
I’ll Praise You now and evermore
You raised me up, Forever I am Yours
–
Bridge
You rewrote my story
I will ever praise Your name
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
–
I am crowned with blessing
I will always sing Your praise
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
–
For analysis, let’s start with Verse 1’s lyrics – I see the cross of Calvary, I see the pain you bore for me, Your mercy on display for all to see. Calvary is the place where Lord Jesus got crucified at along with the criminals who were present with Him. For greater perspective and clarity, read the scripture below…
And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.
Luke 23:33 (NKJV)
It should be noted that Calvary is derived from the Latin term calvaria which means “a skull.” The Passion Translation of the same scripture is read as follows…
When they came to the place that is known as The Skull, the guards crucified Jesus, nailing him on the center cross between the two criminals.
Luke 23:33 (TPT)
As Lord Jesus got crucified, He endured tremendous pain and He also paid for humanity’s sins. It was also there at Calvary where His cross was set up in full view of the people. At His cross, Lord Jesus told the Heavenly Father to forgive the people (grant them mercy). Refer to the scripture below in New King James Version and The Passion Translation…
Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”
And they divided His garments and cast lots.
Luke 23:34 (NKJV)
While they were nailing Jesus to the cross, he prayed over and over, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they’re doing.”
The soldiers, after they crucified him, gambled over his clothing.
Luke 23:34 (TPT)
With the above scriptures, it is clear that Verse 1 of the song is indeed biblically relevant in reference to the crucifixion (Lord Jesus’ paying the price for our sins) and the mercy from God (as Lord Jesus reached out to Him to forgive the people).
Moving on, Verse 2’s lyrics are as follows – The earth grew dark and held its breath, As victory over hell and death was, Finished in Your perfect sacrifice. Personally, I strongly believe that Verse 2 is directly related to the holy scripture below…
Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.
So when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God, saying, “Certainly this was a righteous Man!”
Luke 23:44-47 (NKJV)
In the above scripture, the sacrifice of Lord Jesus was completed and the victory was realized not only for that point of time but for all time which paved the way for further generations of people to find Him and decide to repent to Him, submit to Him, become faithful to Him and receive salvation. The Roman centurion who witnessed His death realized that He was God, worshiped (refer to New Living Translation) and glorified (refer to the Passion Translation) Him. As we all know, Lord Jesus returned from the dead days later.
Moving on are the lyrics from Chorus 1 – The cross has made the way for us, So we can come and call upon Your name (Jesus), And now oh death, you’ve lost your sting, As love has triumphed over sin & grave. Those words remind me that not only is our Lord our source and salvation, He is also our protector and healer which in turn should remind all of you to come to Him. In any time of darkness or trouble, the Lord is our light and we need to come to Him and be faithful to Him. Learn more about coming to Him and reaching out to Him by calling His name wholeheartedly from the scriptures below.
God, hear my prayer. Listen to my heart’s cry.
For no matter where I am, even when I’m far from home,
I will cry out to you for a father’s help.
When I’m feeble and overwhelmed by life,
guide me into your glory, where I am safe and sheltered.
Lord, you are a paradise of protection to me.
You lift me high above the fray.
None of my foes can touch me
when I’m held firmly in your wraparound presence!
Keep me in this glory.
Let me live continually under your splendor-shadow,
hiding my life in you forever.
Psalm 61:1-4 (TPT)
And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16 (NKJV)
in writing you this letter addressed to the community of God throughout the city of Corinth. For you have been made pure, set apart in the Anointed One, Jesus. And God has invited you to be his devoted and holy people, and not only you, but everyone everywhere who calls on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ as their Lord, and ours also.
1 Corinthians 1:2 (TPT)
Lord Jesus, who overcame death, is truly the ultimate and definitive savior, and anyone who seeks salvation only need to reach out to Him and be faithful to Him. The above scriptures clearly reflect that and the lyrics in Chorus 1 of the song Mercy on Display are indeed holy. You want mercy from high above? Come to the Lord and get born again (read the words of Lord Jesus in John 3:3).
Movie forward, here are the lyrics in the Bridge – You rewrote my story, I will ever praise Your name, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, I am crowned with blessing, I will always sing Your praise, Hallelujah, Hallelujah. These words are a lively reminder that once you get born again and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you become a new creation. You also become a child of God, one who is faithful to Him, who follows His Word (the Holy Bible which is the ultimate written authority) and preach His Word to the rest of the world. It is also true that each of us has been created by God to worship Him, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit eternally. Learn from the holy scriptures below.
Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)
Come and kneel before this Creator-God;
come and bow before the mighty God, our majestic maker!
Psalm 95:6 (TPT)
Everyone praise the Lord God of Israel, always and forever!
For he is from eternity past
and will remain for the eternity to come.
That’s the way it will be forever.
Faithful is our King! Amen!
Psalm 41:13 (TPT)
Indeed, the lyrics analyzed confirm that HopeUC’s song Mercy on Displayis holy. Mercy from the Lord is true and anyone who repents and submits to Him will gain it and move forward with the new life dedicated and filled with faith in Him. Musically, Mercy on Display is beautiful to listen to and it is a suitable song to be played at church during Sunday worship services or during church special events whenever there is a need to play something smoother or more solemn to the church attendees. Lastly, I can say that Mercy on Display was written to help deepen a person’s faith in the Lord.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Welcome back, my fellow brothers and sisters of the Spiritual Family (God’s Family)! I’ve got great news to share with you here. Chances are, you are familiar already about how much I loved the worship song Yahweh Oh (by COG Worship) for its very holy lyrics, its energetic tone, its wonderful music and the fact that it was written to lift up the hearts of the faithful to keep on pursuing Lord Jesus, the Holy Spirit and God our Heavenly Father.
Yahweh Oh is such a great song, I believe that the rest of the world has to hear it. I also believe the song can help many people worldwide to find their paths leading to the Lord for their salvation! Going back to the great news mentioned earlier, I am happy to share with you that COG Worship (a group truly anointed by the Lord) produced and released the official music video of Yahweh Oh which you can find right below (note: lyrics and credits placed below the music video). I encourage all of you to watch it and also take time to share it to others. Enjoy Yahweh Oh and keep on persevering as the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
Lyrics
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh
Woah woah
–
Yahweh! Yahweh! Yahweh! Yahweh!
–
Almighty God
We want to praise You for all the things You’ve done
For us You’ve shed your blood
To take away all our sins and shame
–
To You be all the glory and the praise
We raise our hands and shout Your Name!
–
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
–
Unfailing God
We want to thank You, for your unending love
For us Your promises
They come alive more and more in our lives
–
To You be all the glory and the praise
We raise our hands and shout Your Name!
–
We will worship ‘til tomorrow comes
Forever we’ll sing our praises to You
In Your presence You have changed our lives
Now we’re ready to go
–
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
Yahweh oh oh oh
Yahweh oh oh oh (Great are you Lord)
–
Credits
Executive Producer: Gigi Velasco
Director: Patricia Miranda
Asst. Director: Noli Maranan
Lighting & Videographer: Renzo Portacio
Art Director: Denise Velasco
Editor: Renzo Portacio, Jedtroy Sienes, Paul Glovo
Production Design: Denise Velasco, Red Baluyot
Production Manager: Leah Oñate
Stylist: Karla Calitisen
Hair & Makeup: Think Tank Glam Team
Written by Noli Maranan. Music produced by Joshua Pacleb and Raynard Mame. Arranged by Raynard Mame and Sai Apolinario on guitars, Joshua Pacleb on bass, Joshua Fabella on drums, Jeff McCullough on synthesis and other instruments. All programming and instrumentation by Jeff McCullough. Choir vocals Felix Ancheta, Jencis Honorio, Angelica Jizmundo, Raynard Mame, Joshua Pacleb. Mixed by Jeff McCullough and Joshua Pacleb. Mastered by Jeff McCullough.
And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’
Exodus 3:14-15 (NKJV)
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable.
Psalm 145:3 (NKJV)
+++++
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Welcome back, my fellow Christians, music enthusiasts and those who seek the Heavenly Father, Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit! In this newest edition of my ongoing Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series, we are about to examine the holiness and relevance of another worship song by the great musicians of Planetshakers Church (Australia) titled Great Outpouring.
Great Outpouring is one of the songs included in Planetshakers’ most recent album Over It All. Its title alone is a great reminder of the truth recorded in the Holy Bible…there truly is a significant outpouring of the Holy Spirit which is something that Christians, each and every member of the Body of Christ, can always keep living with while being faithful to the Lord.
Here are the lyrics for your viewing and musical learning. The analysis of key parts of the lyrics will follow afterwards.
[Verse 1]
Come upon me
Overwhelm me
Overshadow
In Your glory
I am ready
I am willing
Heart surrendered
To Your leading
–
[Pre-Chorus]
You said to wait
For power to clothe me
You’d send a flame again
–
[Chorus]
So come now
Lord resurrect us
In Your power
Fill us afresh
And here now
Pour out Your Spirit again
Pour out Your Spirit again
–
[Verse 2]
There’s a stirring
Things are moving
There’s a hunger
You’re restoring
We are counting
On Your Spirit
Send Your rushing
Wind again
–
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh You said to wait
For power to clothe me
You’d send a flame again
–
[Chorus]
So come now
Lord resurrect us
In Your power
Fill us afresh
And here now
Pour out Your Spirit again
So come now
Lord resurrect us
In Your power
Fill us afresh
And here now
Pour out Your Spirit again
Pour out Your Spirit again
–
[Bridge 1]
I can hear it
The sound of a rushing wind
I can feel it
The flame of Your fire again
I receive it
The power that raised the dead
This is the great outpouring
–
[Bridge 2]
Can you see it?
Revival is in the air
There is freedom
Let churches be filled again
In this season
Heaven is rushing in
This is the great outpouring
–
[Refrain]
Woah
This is the great outpouring
Woah
–
[Chorus]
So come now
Lord resurrect us
In Your power
Fill us afresh
And here now
Pour out Your Spirit again
So come now
Lord resurrect us
In Your power
Fill us afresh
And here now
Pour out Your Spirit again
Pour out Your Spirit
–
[Bridge 1]
I can hear it
The sound of a rushing wind
I can feel it
The flame of Your fire again
I receive it
The power that raised the dead
This is the great outpouring
–
[Bridge 2]
Can you see it?
Revival is in the air
There is freedom
Let churches be filled again
In this season
Heaven is rushing in
This is the great outpouring
–
[Refrain]
Woah
This is the great outpouring
Woah
–
[Outro]
For analysis, let’s start with Verse 1’s lyrics – Come upon me, Overwhelm me, Overshadow, In Your glory, I am ready, I am willing, Heart surrendered, To Your leading. Verse 1 is about making the decision to submit to the Lord, repenting to Him and allowing the Holy Spirit to come not only to you but also into your heart – receiving the Holy Spirit! From that point on, being led by the Holy Spirit and being faithful to the Lord become the new ways of living. This also means living as the new creation under Christ which is the result of getting born again (that Lord Jesus Himself made clear)! All of these happen when the seeker willingly decides to be Christian and get baptized spiritually (note: water baptism does not save anybody). Learn from the following holy scriptures below…
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Matthew 3:11 (NKJV)
Peter replied, “Repent and return to God, and each one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to have your sins removed. Then you may take hold of the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 (TPT)
We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God freely gives to all who believe in him.
Acts 5:32 (TPT)
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3:3 (NKJV)
Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (TPT)
Moving on, the following lyrics from the longer version of the Chorus, I believe, is the very heart of the song as it deals with the outpouring of the Holy Spirit which goes as follows – So come now, Lord resurrect us, In Your power, Fill us afresh, And here now, Pour out Your Spirit again, So come now, Lord resurrect us, In Your power, Fill us afresh, And here now, Pour out Your Spirit again, Pour out Your Spirit.
Let’s get straight to the point here…the outpouring of the Holy Spirit is real and here are the holy scriptures that confirm it is indeed true…
And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.
Joel 2: 28-29 (NKJV)
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.
Joel 2:32 (NKJV)
For I will pour water on the thirsty land
And streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out My Spirit on your offspring,
And My blessing on your descendants;
Isaiah 44:3 (NASB)
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:1-4 (NKJV)
But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’
Acts 2:16-21 (NKJV)
“If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.”
John 14:15-17 (NKJV)
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
Ephesians 1:13 (NKJV)
As seen in the above verses, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit was prophesied in the Old Testament by the prophets Joel and Isaiah. The Old Testament prophecies got fulfilled within the New Testament on the Day of Pentecost and the apostle Paul, in front of many people, confirmed that the prophecy of Joel was fulfilled. By believing in Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we get saved and allow the Holy Spirit to occupy our hearts. Jesus Himself referred to the Holy Spirit as the Helper from the Heavenly Father, and the Spirit of Truth. Getting saved (born again) makes us children of God and as such we must allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit, let Him guide us, reform us, restore us, prosper us and ensure we each have a personal relationship with the Lord. Along the way, the outpouring of the Holy Spirit for us manifests and becomes clearly true.
Going back to the lyrics in the longer chorus, I believe that the line Pour out Your Spirit again is about urging the Holy Spirit to make its presence felt not only for faithful Christians who continue to pursue the Lord but also to those who are still lost and unsaved which our screwed-up world is so full of. It should be noted that there are also Christians who, unfortunately, backslid and lost faith due to circumstances (example: the current pandemic that brought down societies and economies worldwide) at a time when their faith was not strong enough nor refined enough.
That being said, I believe the song Great Outpouring can help deepen the faith of the faithful ones while also working as an invitation to the lost and unsaved souls who have not realized that they can stop suffering by becoming born again and submitting themselves to the Lord for true reform. I assure all of you reading this that there are still lots of people who did not accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior because of religion, unbelief, idolatry (which is truly unholy), traditions, rituals, homosexuality, anarchy, terrorism, socialism, Communism, racism, Leftism, feminism, corruption, immorality, critical race theory, rebellion, political correctness, anti-Semitism, dishonesty and other negative elements used by Satan all over the world. There are lots of people who remain lost and unsaved because of their failure to have true fellowship with the Lord, because they did not believe nor prioritized the Word of God (the Holy Bible), because they allowed themselves to be consumed by evil forces in this world, and because they embraced religion or unbelief instead of getting into a relationship with the Heavenly Father, His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Obviously, the lost and unsaved souls have not realized the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and they can have it by simply deciding to submit themselves to the Lord. That being said, we Christians should keep on persevering with praying for the lost and unsaved souls, and help them realize God’s Word is always true. Again, the song Great Outpouring can be used to reach out to the lost and unsaved souls around us.
Musically, Great Outpouring is indeed beautiful to listen to and, more importantly, its lyrics are truly holy. I believe that Planetshakers’ music team were led by the Holy Spirit in composing the song and formulating its music before officially recording it. Take note of the following lines from different parts of the lyrics – Let churches be filled again (Bridge 2), The flame of Your fire again I receive it(Bridge 1), There’s a stirring, Things are moving (Verse 2) – and you should see that they are all based on the Holy Bible.
When it comes to playing Great Outpouring at church during Sunday worship service, I would suggest to church music teams/bands to consider playing the song as the conclusion if they want to set solemnity with the church attendees after playing the more energetic songs during the early part of the musical performance. Planetshakers’ Great Outpouring is highly recommended!
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Welcome back, my fellow faithful Christians, pursuers of our Lord and readers who love music. This is the latest edition of my ongoing Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series and today we will examine together the holiness and beauty of the worship song My Strength.
My Strength was performed live at EpicLife Church during a Sunday worship service in 2020 with Pastor Martha Munizzi leading the singing with their church music team (including her two very talented and anointed daughters). The video of the said performance is posted near the end of this article.
That being said, we can start looking at the official lyrics of My Strength and analyze them afterwards. Here are the lyrics for your reference and faith in the Lord…
Verse 1
My strength My strength
Oh, the joy of the Lord is
My strength My strength
Oh, the joy of the Lord is
My strength that is enough to overcome the world
–
Chorus
You’re the joy no one can take away
You’re the joy no one can take away
You’re the peace inside I can’t explain
You’re the strength I need you will always be
–
Verse 2
My strength my strength
Oh, the joy of the Lord is
My strength my strength
Oh, the joy of the Lord is
My strength that is enough to overcome the world
–
Bridge
Stronger stronger, I’m getting stronger
The joy of the Lord, it makes me stronger
Greater, greater, my God is greater
His power, His power it make me stronger
What is easy to point out here for analysis are the following lyrics that served as the first and second verses of the song: My strength My strength, Oh, the joy of the Lord is, My strength My strength, Oh, the joy of the Lord is, My strength that is enough to overcome the world.
So more than once, the joy of the Lord is our strength was expressed. It is about strength that is so abundant, it is enough to overcome the world. Overcome the world not in the political sense and certainly not in the militaristic sense. It is all about faith in the Lord that will heal people in our screwed-up world, restoring them to God’s original plan for each of them, blessing them, uplifting them from the darkness of the world and leading them to His kingdom. There is one notable holy scripture that easily comes to mind…
Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Nehemiah 8:10 (NKJV)
Nehemiah 8:10 in the New King James Version (NKJV) emphasized the cultivating and promotion of the joy of the Lord among the people of God as a powerful source of spiritual strength. As Christians, we are meant to be strong, optimistic, fearless and aggressive since we are led by our faith in the Heavenly Father, our Lord and Savior Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The joy of the Lord as our strength is a key part of our growing into Godliness. In fact, understanding and obeying scriptures in the Holy Bible (the Word of God) brings joy to our lives and orients us to acknowledge His hand in our success. This is something we can do to help all the unsaved and lost souls find their way back to the Lord. Now let’s take a look at Nehemiah 8:10 in two other translations…
And Nehemiah continued, “Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”
Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT)
Then he said to them, “Go, eat the festival foods, drink the sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your refuge.”
Nehemiah 8:10 (NASB)
Nehemiah 8:10 in the New Living Translation (NLT) has the exact same nine last words as the same scripture in the New King James Version. In the North American Standard Bible (NASB) translation, the joy of the Lord is described as the Christian’s refuge, meaning a spiritual stronghold. Stronghold obviously reflects our strength in God.
In Nehemiah 8, Ezra (the associate of Nehemiah) read God’s Word to His people who suffered through severe consequence for their rejection of the Lord, rejection of His covenant and because they did not live in accordance to God’s law. Rebellion was also a defining value of the people Ezra read to. Still, God was willing to forgive the people and restore them. This was emphasized by what Ezra declared to them in Nehemiah 8:10, which ultimately lifted them up. They were told not to grieve as the joy of the Lord is their strength. Along with strength came restoration, forgiveness of sins, and a greater understanding of God’s will for them. The joy of the Lord provided people strength to reach for the provision of love and salvation from Him. Learn from the following scriptures…
Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.
Isaiah 12:3 (NKJV)
The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.
Zephania 3:17 (NKJV)
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Psalm 16:11 (NKJV)
Going back to the song, the lyrics used in verses 1 and 2 make sense and are indeed holy with their composition. The joy of our Lord is our strength and with it, we can spread His Word around the world, help Lord Jesus save the lost and unsaved souls, and free them all from the darkness of unbelief, religion, idolatry, traditions, rituals and Satan.
Furthermore, other lines from the lyrics such as You’re the joy no one can take away, You’re the peace inside I can’t explain, You’re the strength I need you will always be and The joy of the Lord, it makes me stronger, Greater, greater, my God is greater, His power, His power it make me stronger seamlessly connect with the holy scriptures mentioned here.
Now that we know the truth about the joy of our Lord, here is one more holy scripture to help deepen your faith in Him.
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 should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.
Ephesians 1:3-6 (NKJV)
Going back to the song My Strength, I can declare that its lyrics are indeed holy and written in close attention to the Holy Bible. Musically, My Strength is a smooth yet motivating worship song and Pastor Martha Munizzi’s lead performance of it is indeed lively. It is such a good song, I would suggest to church leaders and ministry organizers reading this to consider have their church band play My Strength as an opening song during Sunday worship services.
Finally, in concluding this CMA, embedded below is the official church performance video of My Strength held at EpicLife Church in Florida with Pastor Martha Munizzi leading the song with their church band. It is a very fine performance and it should help you get motivated in worshiping the Lord. For your strong faith in the Lord, always remember to have fellowship with the Lord Himself in private, practice Christian habits (click here and here), get planted and stay planted in a local church, and always keep on being the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Hey everyone! Welcome back to this newest edition of my ongoing Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series. Are you ready to pursue God our Heavenly Father, His Son Lord Jesus and the Holy Spirit through holy music? You need a worship song to keep your faith enhanced right now? This website is the place!
With the details made clear, we can start with the lyrics displayed for you all below. The analysis of the lyrics will then follow. Enjoy the lyrics…
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Verse:
We come into Your presence
With singing
Come into Your presence
With praise
And enter Your gates
With thankful hearts
We are going to celebrate
All of heaven’s waiting
Power is on its way
So we shout hallelujah
Lifting to You
A mighty roar of praise
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Chorus:
You deserve the highest praise
That we can give and more
Lord we give You our praise
That’s what we came here for
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Bridge:
Everything within me
Reaches out to You
Your power Your majesty
Grace and mercy too
There’ll be singing and dancing
Hearts and voices raised
You have set Your people free
Now the house is filled with praise
–
You deserve the highest praise
You deserve the highest praise
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So you have now read the lyrics. Now we can examine lines and analyze its their connections with the Holy Bible starting with: We come into Your presence, With singing, Come into Your presence, With praise, And enter Your gates, With thankful hearts. To start with, singing to the Lord is recorded in many parts of the Holy Bible. Singing is one of the more definitive forms of praising Him, honoring Him and thanking Him for being our provider, protector, creator and our eternal refuge. Learn from the following scriptures below…
I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, And will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.
Psalm 7:17 (NKJV)
Sing, O heavens, for the LORD has done it! Shout, you lower parts of the earth; Break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every tree in it! For the LORD has redeemed Jacod, And glorified Himself in Israel.
Isaiah 44:23 (NKJV)
Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the LORD, For He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him.”
Exodus 15:1-2 (NKJV)
But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.
Acts 16:25 (NKJV)
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Psalm 100:1-2 (NKJV)
The above holy scriptures relating to singing and praising the Lord in His presence with thankful hearts are just some of the many related scriptures recorded in the Holy Bible. I recommend you study the Bible in and out, especially when it comes to singing and praising to Him.
Now we proceed to the chorus of the song with the lines as follows: You deserve the highest praise, That we can give and more, Lord we give You our praise, That’s what we came here for. There is no doubt that the Lord deserves the highest praise we, His children, can give. There is no denying that each of us were created by God with plans already written even before we got created. We were NOT created to worship idols (the carved, the living and other things) and allow Satan to harm us and separate us from God by embracing evil. The truth is the Lord created us to glorify Him, serve Him, praise Him, honor Him and live by His Word (the Holy Bible), preach His Word and help Him save the many lost and unsaved souls here on Earth. Going back to the above lines from the chorus, the most relevant holy scriptures I found relating to them are posted below. Read closely…
Oh sing to the LORD a new song! Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are idols, But the LORD made the heavens. Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give to the LORD, O families of the peoples, Give to the LORD glory and strength. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Oh, worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness! Tremble before Him, all the earth. Say among the nations, “The LORD reigns! The world also is firmly established, It shall not be moved; He shall judge peoples righteously.” Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; Let the sea roar, and all its fullness; Let the field be joyful, and all that is in it. Then all the trees of the woods will rejoice before the LORD. For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness, And the people’s with His truth.
Psalm 96:1-13 (NKJV)
I will extol You, my God, O King; And I will bless Your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, And I will praise Your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; And His greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise Your works to another, And shall declare Your might acts. I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, And on You wondrous works. Men shall speak of the might of Your awesome acts, And I will declare Your greatness. They shall utter the memory of Your great goodness, And shall sing of Your righteousness.
Psalm 145:1-7 (NKJV)
Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His might firmament! Praise Him for His might acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150:1-6 (NKJV)
As seen in the above scriptures, we are mandated to not only praise the Lord but give Him the highest praise! Do your very best in praising Him! Always remember that as this is indeed essential in Christian living.
Now we can proceed with further lines as follows: Everything within me, Reaches out to You, Your power Your majesty, Grace and mercy too. Reaching out to the Lord, submitting to Him, seeking His forgiveness and establishing a personal relationship with Him by being faithful (not religious) are inevitable and they can start by seeking Him. Seek God wholeheartedly! Learn from the following scriptures below…
But seek the first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
Hebrews 11:6-7 (NKJV)
But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
Deuteronomy 4:29 (NKJV)
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14 (NKJV)
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sings, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence.
Ephesians 1:7-8 (NKJV)
Jesus answer and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of Good.”
John 3:3 (NKJV)
As seen above, God will always welcome people who seek Him and get born again by submission to Him and accepting His Son Jesus as Lord and Savior. A real seeker of the Lord is one who is not merely interested but really seeks Him wholeheartedly and with everything from within. It is by becoming born again a seeker can truly become a child of God. Getting baptized by water does NOT really save anybody, rather it is the baptism by the Holy Spirit (receiving the Holy Spirit after getting born again) is the way to be saved, followed by receiving God’s grace, mercy, guidance, protection and more!
This leads me to one more line for analyzing: You have set Your people free. Part of seeking God and becoming His child by getting born again includes getting freed by Him from the darkness of religion, unbelief, idolatry, traditions, rituals and the wickedness of Satan. As you should know, Adam’s rebellion against the Lord set everyone back until Lord Jesus paid the tremendous price to free humanity from sin which marked God’s victory over Satan. There is a reason why each and every lost and unsaved soul around us needs to get born again even though they don’t realize it. They need to seek God wholeheartedly and make their own decision to get born again. We the children of God can help by praying for them and preaching God’s Word around. They can still be saved. Once they get saved, then it means the Lord set them free.
Indeed, That’s What We Came Here For is a really holy song. Musically, it is a fast-paced song and that makes it ideal to be played early during a local church’s Sunday worship service as it can really motivate church members to praise and pursue the Lord. Darlene Zschech’s singing of this song is unsurprisingly great and wonderful. That’s What We Came Here For is highly recommended to all!
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Hey everyone! Welcome back to the latest edition of my Christian Music Appreciation (CMA) series. Previously I published CMAs of worship songs of the Australia-based Planetshakers Church and so far I’ve seen that their songs are not only greatly composed and very nicely performed, their musicians and creators are indeed anointed by God. For easy reference, check out my CMAs of How I Praise, So Good, Encounter Song and All.
For the newcomers reading this, Planetshakers was established as a church by the couple Russell and Sam Evans in Melbourne, Australia back in 2004 out of a deep desire to see more people encounter Lord Jesus. Before even the church’s establishment, Russell Evans had a radical encounter with the Heavenly Father and this compelled him to establish a conference called Planetshakers in 1997. That conference went on to become renowned for the passionate praise and worship done. The rest became history.
In this CMA, we are about to take a close look at one of Planetshakers’ recent worship songs which has been played a lot this year during their Sunday worship services. That song is called 247 365 (pronounced twenty-four seven three-six-five) and it is the opener of their brand new album titled Over It All. The said album – released November 6, 2020 – was recorded during the pandemic and for encouragement, Planetshakers referred to Psalm chapter 96 in the Holy Bible.
Going back to the song for review, Planetshakers confirmed (via the official description of the official music video also released on November 6, 2020) that 247 365 was birthed as a soundtrack to Psalm 118: 24 in the Holy Bible. It is a declaration to praise God all twenty-four hours each day, and for each day of the year regardless of what situation you are experiencing. For holy insight, refer to the different translations of the holy scripture below…
This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 (NKJV)
This is the very day of the Lord that brings gladness and joy, filling our hearts with glee.
Psalm 118:24 (TPT)
This [day in which God has saved me] is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24 (AMP)
Now that the holy inspiration for 247 365 has been made clear, below are the lyrics of the song. Follow it and enjoy.
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[VERSE 1]
What a beautiful day that You have made
I will praise ‘ya
What a glorious day that You have made
I will praise ‘ya
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[PRE-Chorus]
Lord, I bless ‘ya
Lord, I bless ‘ya
In all things, my soul will sing to You
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[Chorus]
Everybody sing
Everybody sing unto the king
Let the praises ring
Let the praises ring
It’s all for Him
It’s all for Him
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[VERSE 2]
Every moment I wake
I’ll lift up Your name
I will praise ‘ya
Not a day goes by without lifting You high
I will praise ‘ya
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[PRE-Chorus]
Lord, I bless ‘ya
Lord, I bless ‘ya
In all things, my soul will sing to You
–
[Chorus]
Everybody sing
Everybody sing unto the king
Let the praises ring
Let the praises ring
It’s all for Him
It’s all for Him
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[BRIDGE – x2]
I got a 24/7, 365 kind of praise, yeah!
I got a love so deep
It’s flowin’ out like a river
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[Chorus]
Everybody sing
Everybody sing unto the king
Let the praises ring
Let the praises ring
It’s all for Him
It’s all for Him
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Now we can start with the analysis of the lyrics. The opening lines What a beautiful day that You have made, I will praise ‘ya, What a glorious day that You have made, I will praise ‘ya can be easily traced back to Psalm 118: 24 in the Holy Bible. In my experience having attended many Sunday worship services at church, the words “the day the Lord has made” is occasionally repeated and our pastor emphasized that the day God made is one that should be treasured always as it is the time that we – children of God led by faith – must use in praising Him, honoring Him, thanking Him and exalting Him without any hesitation. It is also a day for us to rejoice in His presence. Also we must remember that when we attend worship service, gather together as a spiritual family (we are part of God’s family) and praise Him, we do it out of willingness and with firm decisions. Because really, worship of the Lord is not meant to be done by obligation and certainly not to be done out of tradition. That being said, He created us to worship Him, follow Him, be faithful (not religious) to Him and more. Praising the Lord is itself meant to enjoyed, hence the rejoicing. The Lord loves not only the faithfulness and willingness of His children, He also loves their cheerfulness.
Next are the following lines: Lord, I bless ‘ya, In all things, my soul will sing to You. While we His children are blessed, guided and protected, we should always bless the Lord in return. Take note of the holy scripture below.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places of Christ.
Ephesians 1:3 (NKJV)
The apostle Paul praised God for all the blessings He has bestowed on His people. The said blessings are ours because of our relationship with Lord Jesus. There is also the spiritual blessing which refers to divine privileges and resources available now. It is essential that we bless our Lord willingly and wholeheartedly.
Next lines to analyze: Everybody sing unto the king, Let the praises ring, Let the praises ring, It’s all for Him. Singing to the Lord is an expressive and lively way of praising Him. Refer to the following holy scriptures.
I will sing of the mercies of the LORD forever; With my mouth I will make known Your faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 89:1 (NKJV)
Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, And let Your saints shout for joy.
Psalm 132:9 (NKJV)
Sing to the LORD a new song, And His praise from the ends of the earth, You who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, You coastlands and you inhabitants of them!
Isaiah 42:10 (NKJV)
The above scriptures are just a few of the many scriptures related to the singing to the Lord found in the Holy Bible. That being said, the lines of Everybody sing unto the king, Let the praises ring, Let the praises ring, It’s all for Him are indeed relevant and holy. Lastly, singing rises out of the essence of our souls.
Next lines to tackle: I’ll lift up Your name, I will praise ‘ya, Not a day goes by without lifting You high. As Christians, we don’t just keep on worshiping the Lord, we must also magnify Him. By magnifying the Lord, we can help Him save the many lost and unsaved souls living with us in this divided world. We can also help other Christians who are backsliding (losing their faith) and help them strengthen their faith and keep on being in the path of God and be with Him. Learn from the following scriptures…
Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His might firmament! Praise Him for His might acts; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; Praise Him with the lute and harp! Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with clashing cymbals! Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
Psalm 150:1-6 (NKJV)
I refuse to be ashamed of sharing the wonderful message of God’s liberating power unleashed in us through Christ! For I am thrilled to preach that everyone who believes is saved—the Jew first, and then people everywhere!
Romans 1:16 (TPT)
Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the LORD with the harp; Make a melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; Play skillfully with a shout of joy. For the word of the LORD is right, And all His work is done in truth. He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Psalm 33:1-5 (NKJV)
The final lines to be analyzed are as follows: I got a 24/7, 365 kind of praise, yeah! I got a love so deep, It’s flowin’ out like a river. The first line clearly reflects the title of the song. It essentially expresses unending endurance of praising, honoring and exalting the Lord. We don’t praise the Lord out of tradition nor obligation, rather we do it out of very deep love and a whole lot of heart. The last line referring to flowing and the river can be linked to the holy scripture below with the words of Lord Jesus…
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
John 7:37-38 (NKJV)
So there you have it! As I analyzed in accordance to what was written in the Holy Bible (God’s Word), 247 365 is indeed a very holy song and its lyrics were written by anointed people. Musically, the song is very hip and highly energetic. It is so energizing, it is ideal to motivate worshippers at church with it and it will help boost them to keep on praising the Lord, pursing Him and reaching up to Him even more! It’s no wonder why 247 365 was played a lot during Planetshakers’ Sunday worship services this year. I personally love this song. The worship song is indeed great and you should consider buying the album Over It All.
In concluding this article, embedded below is the official music video of 247 365. Watch it, enjoy it, share it to others via social media and praise the Lord with it. Keep on praising the Him and always remember to be the fearless and aggressive church of Lord Jesus!
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Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
Hello everyone! Welcome back to my ongoing series called Christian Music Appreciation (CMA). Today we will take a close look at an old worship song from the 1990s titled I Live To Know You which was released years before social media started. As of this writing, the official video of a live performance of the song is available for viewing at the YouTube channel of Hillsong Worship.
Now we can start with the lyrics of the song presented below for your reference…
Standing in Your presence
Lord, my heart and life are changed
Just to love You and to live to
See Your beauty and Your grace
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Heaven and earth cry out Your name
Nations rise up and seek Your face
And Your Kingdom is established
As I live to know You more
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Now I will never be the same
Spirit of God, my life You’ve changed
And I’ll forever sing Your praise
I live to know You, Lord
I live to know You, Lord
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You’ve called me, I will follow
Your will for me I’m sure
Let Your heart beat feel my heart’s cry
Let me live to serve Your call
Now we can start analyzing parts of the lyrics and find out how they are related to the ultimate authority of reference, the Holy Bible (God’s Word). Standing in Your presence, Lord, my heart and life are changed, Just to love You and to live to, See Your Beauty and Your grace – These lyrics easily relate to our true purpose as Christians. Being creations of the Heavenly Father, we are truly meant to praise Him, glorify Him, love Him and take our rightful place by Him. We were never made to be separated from God. Follow the scriptures below…
This people I have formed for Myself, They shall declare My praise.
Isaiah 43: 21 (NKJV)
“But the hour is coming, and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
John 4: 23-24 (NKJV)
Praise the name of the LORD; Praise Him, O you servants of the LORD! You who stand in the house of the LORD, In the courts of the house of our God, Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; Sing praises to His name, for it is pleasant.
Psalm 135: 1-3 (NKJV)
Of course, before people can enter His kingdom, everyone needs to be born again. For the newcomers reading this, this is about submitting yourselves to the Lord, ask for forgiveness and then making the sacred decision to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Getting saved and become new creations under the Lord are what the lineLord, my heart and life are changed is about. Learn from the following scripture below…
Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
John 3: 3 (NKJV)
Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new creation. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new.
2 Corinthians 5: 17 (TPT)
Next lines to analyze – Nations rise up and seek Your face, And Your Kingdom is established. These lyrics symbolize the realization of people who decide to seek the Lord and be willing to do His will instead of their own will. It is a fact that we all live in a screwed-up world because Satan (a long-time loser who is immortal because Adam gave him dominion by betraying God) continues to deceive a lot of people trapping them with unbelief, religion, idols, traditions, rituals, fear, strife, violence, poverty and more of what is worldly. It was with the victory of Lord Jesus over Satan that humanity got saved and brought real hope to everyone. It is up to people to decide to rise up, seek the Lord, submit themselves to Him and get saved. Once saved, they will become true children of God and be willing to do His will as He has a plan for each and everyone! Learn from the scriptures below…
For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Jeremiah 29: 11 (NKJV)
Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever, Amen.
Hebrews 13: 20 (NKJV)
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
Matthew 6: 33 (NKJV)
Next lines to analyze – Now I will never be the same, Spirit of God, my life You’ve changed, And I’ll forever sing Your praise, I live to know You, Lord. While the first three lines are connected with Isaiah 43: 21, John 4: 23-24, Psalm 135: 1-3 and other related verses in the Holy Bible, the line I live to know You, Lord is itself highly significant and very in-depth.
For people who have yet to be saved, knowing is based on the academic approach of this world which itself is not spiritual. To know the Lord truly is not limited to just reading books…it is about having an established personal relationship with Him and having fellowship with Him by means of privately praying in tongues to Him, being totally faithful to Him and living on with the Holy Bible as the ultimate authority of reference of their lives. To know the Lord truly involves personal interaction and communication with faith in Him as the foundation. Of course, anyone who has yet to really know the Lord must first decide to open his or her heart to Him and get saved (born again). Be open to the Holy Spirit. Learn from the following scriptures below…
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Romans 12: 2 (NKJV)
We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.
1 John 4: 6-9 (NKJV)
“But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel and those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Jeremiah 31: 33 (NKJV)
“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”
John 14: 26 (NKJV)
God revealed to the prophets that their ministry was not for their own benefit but for yours. And now, you have heard these things from the evangelists who preached the gospel to you through the power of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—the gospel containing wonderful mysteries that even the angels long to get a glimpse of.
1 Peter 1: 12 (TPT)
Finally, the next lines to be analyzed are as follows – You’ve called me, I will follow, Your will for me I’m sure, Let Your heart beat feel my heart’s cry, Let me live to serve Your call. It is very clear we are all God’s creations and long before we were even created, He made plans for each and every one of us. Long before we were even born, the whole world and humanity declined since Adam rebelled against God who later sent His Son Lord Jesus to save humanity and defeat Satan. As creations of God, it should not be surprising that He calls out to us. The calls He made, we must answer immediately and with the utmost priority. Learn from the scriptures below…
So never be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor be embarrassed over my imprisonment, but overcome every evil by the revelation of the power of God! He gave us resurrection life and drew us to himself by his holy calling on our lives. And it wasn’t because of any good we have done, but by his divine pleasure and marvelous grace that confirmed our union with the anointed Jesus, even before time began! This truth is now being unveiled by the revelation of the anointed Jesus, our life-giver, who has dismantled death, obliterating all its effects on our lives, and has manifested his immortal life in us by the gospel.
2 Timothy 1: 8-10 (TPT)
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who call you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are not the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
1 Peter 2: 9-10 (NKJV)
So there you have it. The lyrics written by Darlene Zschech for I Live To Know You are truly holy in accordance to what was written in the Word of God. Very clearly Zschech, who leads Hope Unlimited Church (HopeUC) with her husband Mark, was anointed by the Lord to compose this song during her time with Hillsong Church. When it comes to the music, I Live To Know You is played with a medium pace and is soothing to listen to. It also makes for easy singing and praising to the Lord.
Thank you for reading. If you find this article engaging, please click the like button below and also please consider sharing this article to others. Sharing this Christian piece means spreading the good news of the Lord to others. It can help you save the unsaved and the lost souls out there.
In my old life, I used to be fond of celebrating Halloween. Having been Born Again, I realized my true purpose in life under God the Father and His Son Jesus. That being said, I realized how wrong it is to celebrate Halloween which is essentially evil and unholy for any Christian (including those who practice idolatry which itself is sinful). Halloween will take Christians away from the Lord and that alone is reason enough to reject it.
Halloween’s origin is Celtic by nature and it is connected with observing the sacrifices to gods under the Druidic culture. There is also Samhain, a dark lord who sends out evil souls to attack humans who try to save themselves by wearing disguises with the images of those very evil souls.
Sounds familiar? It is because there are these modern day Halloween practices that are linked to the evil rites and superstitions of Halloween. In the modern world where Halloween gets celebrated, people (including many children) go out and around their local communities wearing costumes of horror figures like zombies, demons, monsters and pop culture-related villains (examples: Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger, Michael Myers). These costumed Halloween participants, looking horrific, would visit any household that offers candy for trick-or-treat. Wearing “non-horror” costumes like superhero attire or fantasy attire (example: dressed like a princess) does NOT reduce the evil that comes with Halloween. There is no such thing as an innocent way of celebrating Halloween.
And then there are those multimedia-related ways of celebrating Halloween like watching horror movies back to back or playing video games that carry strong horror themes. There is also the business aspect of Halloween as food retailers promote the season by linking it with selling candy and chocolate (clearly to take advantage of families or groups that intend to give away the sweets during trick-or-treat Halloween celebrations in the local communities).
Halloween trick-or-treat here in the Philippines even made its way to local government units. In October of 2016 and 2017, the City Government of Parañaque organized trick-or-treat at City Hall which attracted kids wearing costumes (including horror and superhero attire) who visited varied offices that give away candy. During those times, the City Government even organized special events at the nearby city sports complex celebrating Halloween which I find rather disturbing.
In my old life, I enjoyed celebrating Halloween and I used to ignore the claims that it was unholy and evil. While I never went out for trick-or-treat as a kid, I helped out in giving candy to costumed visitors. I also hiked around the local area photographing the Halloween activities flocked by participants, and then uploading those pics online for social media users to view. I also took time celebrating Halloween by watching horror movies.
Looking back, I honestly admit that celebrating Halloween was indeed wrong. Now that I’m a saved soul and a dedicated Christian with a living relationship with the Lord, I declare that Halloween is wrong, unholy and evil. Halloween is a popular tool used by Satan to take people away from God and Jesus. Halloween definitely should be rejected always and we Christians must always be with God. Let me discuss the following points.
“Is it okay for a Christian to celebrate Halloween?”
The answer is a definite NO. Let’s take a look at the Holy Scripture below.
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; you cannot partake of the Lord’s table and of the table of demons.
1 Corinthians 10:21 (NKJV)
And now the Amplified version.
You cannot drink [both] the Lord’s cup and the cup of demons. You cannot share in both the Lord’s table and the table of demons [thereby becoming partners with them].
1 Corinthians 10:21 (AMP)
Very clearly, there is no room to worship both the Lord and evil. If you want to be with the side of God and Jesus, you really need to purify yourself and free yourself from whatever form of evil thrown at you by Satan. Satan is a loser indeed, however he still exists because Adam gave him dominion (read about Adam’s Rebellion) and as long as he exists, he will do anything to take you away from God, to prevent you from worshiping the Lord and will use anything (including religion and idolatry) to prevent you from making progress with the Lord. Halloween is one of Satan’s weapons against Christianity. Halloween is also a long-time tool of the enemy to embrace evil.
If you sinned by celebrating Halloween and committing other sinful acts in your past, you can still be saved (note: you need to be born again to be saved. Heed the words of Jesus in John 3:3) because God is merciful and you need to be willing to repent, submit to Him and dedicate yourself to Him with an established personal relationship with Him.
Be aware that goodness comes from God and evil comes from Satan. It’s as clear as night and day. If you are a saved soul, then it is clear you should stand with God and His Son Jesus. Being dedicated to the Lord will spare you from evil, and that takes willingness and decisiveness from your end.
Learn from this Holy Scripture.
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others.
But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:1-10 (NKJV)
Each and every one of us was created to be loyal, faithful, loving and dedicated towards our Heavenly Father God and His Son Lord Jesus even as we were granted the freedom to think, act and decide. Even before we were even made, God established a plan for each and every one of us. Worshiping Satan, embracing evil, celebrating Halloween and living a life full sin and wickedness are obviously NOT part of God’s plan for us all.
By realizing the true purpose of your existence under God, you will realize that it is your destiny to be saved and to be faithful (not religious) to the Lord. Satan used a whole lot of tools to prevent God’s creations from being with Him. Satan used not only Halloween but also religion, idolatry, money, power, destruction, secularism, atheism, agnosticism, Marxism, socialism, Communism, Leftism, entertainment and a whole batch of other tools to bring Christians down and make evil stronger.
Going back to Halloween, that celebration of evil includes witchcraft which is an abomination! In our world, it is too easy for people to go out wearing costumes to look like witches and this alone spreads the influence of evil around. There are also filmmakers and other creative people out there who made witchcraft look cool or even a good custom to practice. The 1996 Hollywood movie The Craft is one such example of spreading Satan’s influence to the public and I personally recommend to you readers to avoid watching that movie (note: destroy whatever physical or digital copies you have of it) at all. In addition, I urge you to avoid spending your hard-earned money on such evil, and that means boycotting promotional products of Halloween and anything related to evil. Witchcraft and related stuff like sorcery, necromancy and magic are abominations as written in the Holy Bible. Read the Holy Scripture below.
“When you come into the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, or one who practices witchcraft, or a soothsayer, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who conjures spells, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead. For all who do these things are an abomination to the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD your God drives them out from before you.”
Deuteronomy 18:9-12
Those abominations that look good in entertainment media are all made to deceive you and prevent you from achieving progress and purity with the Lord. From time to time, there are media reports about real life people who practice witchcraft, sorcery and other unholy customs that make this world a terrible place under the eyes of God. That is, obviously, very unfortunate because it proves how screwed up our physical world really is.
Even appearances can add to the influence of evil. You think going out in local community Halloween celebrations dressed as a witch, or as a magician or as a sorcerer (or even cosplaying as Marvel’s Doctor Strange) is okay with the Lord for as long as you don’t practice witchcraft and the like? Wrong! Imagery or appearances of evil spread evil and deceives others. Such imagery also will influence people to embrace idolatry which itself is a sin. Already there are many people who not only celebrate Halloween (Satan’s festival) but also idolized evil figures like the Jack-O-lantern, Dracula, Jason Voorhees, Freddy Krueger and more. Idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God! Very clearly, idolatry is unholy! Learn from the scripture below.
Surely you must know that people who practice evil cannot possess God’s kingdom realm. Stop being deceived! People who continue to engage in sexual immorality, idolatry, adultery, sexual perversion, homosexuality, fraud, greed, drunkenness, verbal abuse, or extortion—these will not inherit God’s kingdom realm.
1 Corinthians 6:9-10 (TPT)
Rejecting Halloween Effectively
You might be wondering: how are we Christians supposed to reject Halloween and its evil effectively?
First, we must realize our purpose as Christians from the following Holy Scripture.
You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in this world.
1 John 4:4 (NKJV)
And the Amplified version…
Little children (believers, dear ones), you are of God and you belong to Him and have [already] overcome them [the agents of the antichrist]; because He who is in you is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world [of sinful mankind].
1 John 4:4 (AMP)
With that Holy Scripture in two versions, it is clear that as children of God, we are victorious for we believe in the victory of Jesus over Satan. With God on our side, nothing is impossible and we have the power to reject fear, reject evil and reject Satan ultimately. It is by faith in the Lord, not religion and not idolatry, that Christians are special and holy. Stronger than Satan too.
With God on our side, Halloween’s global popularity can be wiped away and its influence of evil on others can be removed and be replaced with the goodness and the biblical truth emphasizing the holiness and victory of Jesus.
If you are looking for practical ways to reject Halloween (and Satan), I would suggest the following:
Instead of watching horror movies or anything that carries the influence of evil, go watch YouTube videos of Christian praise-and-worship songs like the following below.
Instead of going out on Halloween trick-or-treat, pray to the Lord in your room with the door shut (refer to Matthew 6:6 in the Holy Bible) and be aware that in this way, the Lord is in a secret place and when He sees in secret, you will be rewarded openly. If your church is open or has a holy activity at the same time as Halloween is being held on October 31, make an effort to go to church with the Lord in mind.
Instead of looking at evil images or reading materials that are related to Halloween, better read the Holy Bible or a Christian book.
Christian books that you must read.
By now, it is clear that as Christians we must always maintain strong faith, trust and dedication to God and His Son Jesus. It also means we must be pure in holiness and there definitely is no room for us to accommodate evil in all its forms. As such, Halloween must be rejected always and its evil presence only means we must persevere more to meet God’s high call. We are all God’s creations and He made plans for each and every one of us even before we were even created. Obviously we were NOT created to worship nor magnify evil at all! We are destined to be saved (be born again) and live in holiness following Jesus. We pray to Him, serve Him, thank Him and dedicate ourselves to Him for the rest of our time.
Let me end this with one more Holy Scripture.
He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.
Colossians 1:13 (NKJV)
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