Our God Is With Us

Reposting this from December 2008....

This is one of my favorite songs you don't hear much any more. Michael Card and Steve Green sing this song reflecting on the incredible reality of what we celebrate.

GOD WITH US
We can't even begin to fathom, 2000 years later, what that was really like, what that meant to those living at the time of the Messiah's birth, to the shepherds who received the good news from the angels, to the Magi who followed the star and fell at their feet to worship the Christ Child. I've alluded to this before, but studying the Old Testament and the lives of the ancient Israelites made Christmas so precious to me.

Think of the Israelites: Years of slavery followed by wandering in the wilderness, finally reaching the Promised Land only to settle for earthly kings who fell fall short of God's requirements. Trying to follow a law that only revealed the darkness within their adulterous hearts which turned away time and time again from their covenant God to worship dead, worthless, man-made idols. The tabernacle and the temple, with its Holy of Holies where only the high priest could enter, and then only once a year. The continual need for a sacrifice, which could only cover - but not remove - sin. Hearing a word from God only through prophets. Carried away once again in exile to a foreign land. Finally allowed to return home. But then. . .silence.

400 long years of silence. No prophets. No signs. No word from God.

When suddenly, the very Son of God took on flesh and was born as a baby.

Immanuel. Our God is with us.

IMMANUEL
Words and Music by Michael Card

A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity

The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His Son
But gave Him for us all
On earth there is no power
There is no depth or height
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

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TSMSS - Immanuel

I think I share this song every year, but it's too good not to listen to at least once. Here are Michael Card and Steve Green from around 2002 singing a song written by Michael Card in the 1980s or early 1990s. This is absolutely one of my favorite Christmas songs, and it's a shame that they don't play it on the radio anymore.



Visit Amy's for more songs.

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TSMSS - How Firm a Foundation

This is a wonderful old hymn that is rarely sung anymore. Even more rarely are all the verses included. It makes me so sad to see so many of these incredible old hymns, which are steeped in theology and Biblical truth, fading away. There are some wonderful new songs being sung today, but I find some of them to be emotion-driven and lacking spiritual depth. Sadly, many who call themselves Christians have ignored and even rejected "how firm a foundation. . .is laid for [their] faith in His excellent Word."

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Immanuel

I always have to listen to this song in December. Beautiful.

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who can stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

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TSMSS - A Bunch of Foolishness

How has it been 17 years since my firstborn was placed in my arms? (This is even his exact birthday; he was born on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend.) Now he's taller than I am. . .and I'm 5' 10"! Happy 17th Birthday to my boy! We are so proud of you!


When I saw the news article which states that physicist Stephen Hawking, in his new book to be released Tuesday, says that gravity, not God, is responsible for creation, I have one response:

Um, I don't think so.

The fool says in his heart,
"There is no God."
Psalm 14:1, Psalm 53:1
"This is what the LORD says—-your Redeemer,
Who formed you in the womb:
I am the LORD, Who has made all things,
Who alone stretched out the heavens,
Who spread out the earth by myself,
Who foils the signs of false prophets
and makes fools of diviners,
Who overthrows the learning of the wise
and turns it into nonsense..."
Isaiah 44:24-26
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar?
Where is the philosopher of this age?
Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
For since in the wisdom of God
the world through its wisdom did not know him,
God was pleased through the foolishness
of what was preached to save those who believe.
I Corinthians 1:20-21
...what may be known about God is plain to them,
because God has made it plain to them.
For since the creation of the world
God's invisible qualities—his eternal power
and divine nature—have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1:19-20

Then there are chapters 39-41 of Job, where God answers him with a list of His wondrous power as manifested in creation!

I couldn't help but think of this old song by Michael Card. I pray that Hawking and other brilliant minds would be willing to become a fool for God!

GOD'S OWN FOOL
by Michael Card

It seems I've imagined Him all of my life
As the wisest of all of mankind
But if God's Holy wisdom is foolish to men
He must have seemed out of His mind

For even His family said He was mad
And the priest said a demon's to blame
But God in the form of this angry young man
Could not have seemed perfectly sane

[Chorus:]
When we in our foolishness thought we were wise
He played the fool and He opened our eyes
When we in our weakness believed we were strong
He became helpless to show we were wrong

So we follow God's own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable
Come be a fool as well

Come lose your life for a carpenter's son
For a madman who died for a dream
Then you'll have the faith His first followers had
And you'll feel the weight of the beam

So surrender the hunger to say you must know
Have the courage to say, "I believe"
For the power of paradox opens your eyes
And blinds those who say they can see

[Chorus]

So we follow God's own Fool
For only the foolish can tell
Believe the unbelievable
Come be a fool as well

Visit Amy's for more music for your weekend.

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TSMSS - An Amazing Reality: God With Us!

Since doing a study of the Old Testament, I have fallen in love with God's name that is Emmanuel (Immanuel). As a modern-day Gentile believer who has never experienced the limitations of the Jewish law, I can't fathom what it would have been like to be an Israelite on the journey to the Promised Land when God's presence hovered as a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. To imagine experiencing that, as well as the system of sacrifices and the stipulation that only the High Priest could venture into the Holy of Holies -- and only once a year, at that! -- and then to ponder the reality of Emmanuel. . .God dwelling with us! Oh, how much I take for granted!

This is a beautiful song from years ago that you rarely hear any more, unfortunately. Michael Card has been gifted with writing incredible songs that speak from and to the heart, and Steve Green joins him in singing this one. Their voices blend so seamlessly. I know I posted it last year, but it deserves to be played regularly!

IMMANUEL
Words and Music by Michael Card

A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity
The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel

For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

So what will be your answer?
Will you hear the call?
Of Him who did not spare His Son
But gave Him for us all
On earth there is no power
There is no depth or height
That could ever separate us
From the love of God in Christ

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us?
Our God is with us
Immanuel

More songs can be found at Amy's.

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NDP - This Song Still Fits!

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Each year a song is commissioned for this event. You can hear this year's song, Somebody's Praying by Ricky Scaggs, here.

However, I wanted to reach into the memory banks and post the song chosen for the 1993 NDP, a song which is still oh-so-timely today, Heal Our Land by Michael Card.

HEAL OUR LAND
Forgive oh Lord - and heal our land
And give us eyes to seek Your face - and hearts to understand
That You alone - make all things new
And the blessing of the land we love - are really gifts from You

Refrain:
If My people - Will humbly pray
And seek My face and turn away - From all their wicked ways
Then I will hear them - And move My hand
And freely then will I forgive - and I will heal their land.

Unite our hearts - in one accord
And make us hungry for Your peace - and burdened for the poor
And grant us hope - that we might see
The future for the land we love - our life, our liberty

Refrain:
If My people - Will humbly pray
And seek My face and turn away - From all their wicked ways
Then I will hear them - And move My hand
And freely then will I forgive - And I will heal their land
And I will heal their land
Heal their land

Written by Michael Card

If My people, who are called by My Name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
II Chronicles 7:14

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