Song Review

My Wife’s Singing Gift

Adam Maarschalk 4 Comments

One of the many blessings I’m able to enjoy in my marriage (of 15 months and counting) is my wife’s beautiful singing voice. Back in April of this year, she posted five videos of herself singing on YouTube. Perhaps later she’ll add more songs, and even eventually some of the original songs she’s written which have never been shared publicly. With her permission, here are those five songs from seven months ago:

1. “Can’t Give Up Now” by Mary Mary (Cover)

2. “Shackles” by Mary Mary (Cover):

3. “Miss Celie’s Blues” (Cover):

4. “The Lord’s Prayer”:

5. “You Can See With Your Heart”:

For anyone who notices that most of these songs follow a theme of hopes and dreams, it might be good to point out that they were posted at a time when we were forced to give up on St. Paul Cultural Village, the multicultural marketplace and community center we were developing. By April 30th, less than a month after they were posted, we had vacated the building we were renting for that purpose. Once I update the St. Paul Cultural Village website, I plan to share in more detail what happened with that project. For my wife and I, January – April 2013 was a period marked by a lot of pain and shattered dreams, but God kept and sustained us then, and He continues to do so now.

-Adam

As The Deer (IHOP) and Like An Avalanche (Hillsong United)

Adam Maarschalk Leave a comment

Today, as I’ve been enjoying a much-needed day off from work, I’ve been listening to a number of worship songs. I’d like to share a couple of them here.

The first one is “As the Deer,” sung by Matt Gilman at IHOP (International House of Prayer)’s Fascinate Conference in Kansas City, Missouri in July 2011. This version of “As the Deer” is different than the song written by Marty Nystrom in 1981. That version, I’ve learned, was composed and arranged spontaneously by Marty at Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas (where I attended their 2-year Associate Degree program and the Third Year School of Missions from 1997-2000). Matt Gilman’s version is sung to an entirely different melody, but is also based on Psalm 42:1-2 in addition to Psalm 84:5-7. This recording is over 14 minutes long:

The second song I’d like to share is “Like An Avalanche” by Hillsong United. This is from a live worship event in Miami, Florida in 2012. I believe that Hayley Law is the lead singer here, and the lyrics are included in the video:

Letter to Radio Station RE: “Love Has Come” by Mark Schultz

Dave O Minnesota 17 Comments

Dave’s Letter to Praise FM Regarding the Song “Love Has Come” by Mark Schultz

Praise FM (95.3) “is a listener supported worship and prayer focused radio station serving the Twin Cities, Central Minnesota, Eastern South Dakota, South Eastern North Dakota and Africa through radio broadcasts, and serving the world through live internet broadcasts.” The following is a copy of a letter sent by Dave to Praise FM concerning the song, “Love Has Come,” by Mark Schultz.

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Dear Alex and David,

I really appreciate Praise FM. I’ve been listening for a little over a year and have found that your station really does usher me into God’s presence. I love to wake up to 95.3. Your ministry has been a blessing to me and a great encouragement to the Twin Cities and beyond.

Because your music and the commentary by the hosts is so Christ-centered, I felt like I wanted to send some feedback about a song that in my opinion does not line-up with the truth of the scriptures. The song is “Love Has Come” by Mark Schultz.

I’ve reprinted some of the lyrics below and want to suggest to you that they more closely resemble Universalism than they do the truth of the gospel. This repeated chorus, concerning the end of the age, is especially troubling:

Every heart set free, every one will see
God is love and love has come for us all

This statement leaves listeners with the impression that the end of the age will be a joyful and happy time for all people. Every heart will be set free when “love” comes for us all.

Jesus taught differently as I am sure you know. “Many” will enter the gate that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:14). Those who do not obey the Son shall not see life, but shall experience the wrath of God (John 3:36). Jesus will send some to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46). That every heart will be set free at the end of the age is, in my opinion, a dangerously false statement.

This verse also stood out to me:

For anybody who has ever lost a loved one
And you feel like you had to let go too soon
I know it hurts to say goodbye
But don’t you know it’s just a matter of time till the tears are gonna end
You’ll see them once again and in that moment . . .

Again, it suggests to the listener that all people will be saved and reunited with loved ones at the end of the age. In reality, it is true only of those who belong to Christ.

Finally, this repeated verse takes great liberties with Philippians 2:10:

Every knee shall bow, every tongue confess
That God is love and love has come for us all

The text says “at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.” (ESV) To take the words of a familiar text and insert other words seems like a very wrong use of the Bible.

Thanks for considering my feedback. God bless you as you serve the Lord and encourage His people.

In Him,

Dave

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The lyrics to this song can be seen in full here.