Tag: Hillsong United

Why I Heart Hillsong United

  
This is my favorite band. Period. Birthed from Hillsong Church, which has blessed the world with powerful anthems of praise to God, United evolved from a youth group band into this thunder in the desert today, raising a voice to share the truth of Jesus.

“Life with God is fun, it’s an adventure,” says Joel Houston, leader of United. The lively Australian band has produced 13 albums in their 15 years of existence. They have continued to create music that drives hearts to know the truth of Jesus and enjoy a relationship with Him. “…our prayer and passion is that you are empowered to live life with God, encouraged to stay on the course and excited about all that He has for your future.“*

I was first exposed to United on the  Hillsong TV program. I really didn’t care for them. Then when I became a volunteer on the hope sharing ship ministry, OM Ships, I couldn’t escape from them. They were playing everywhere. Eventually, I started to take a regard to listen to their lyrics. There I found the treasure in their music. Almost every song has some link, root or connotation to Jesus and or His Word.  Through their worship in music, I saw an urge for understanding in the words of a God-praising song.                                                      

 ‘So often we hear the Word, sing it and yet not really understand what it truly means for us,” commented band member Mia Fieldes,  “To me, understanding makes all the difference.”**

I strongly feel that United is attempting to express the truth of Jesus in a creative style that would effectively connect and impact this generation.

I know it has impacted me.

By listening them, I am continually refreshed in my love for Jesus. For me, it’s like a person heart crazy about someone puts a favorite love song to gravitate their minds to their affection for that person. Jesus is our True Lover. His compassion runs nails deep and scarred written. Whenever we mediate on Him, there should be a pull of excitement, a rush of thrill and anticipation. Life with God is fun, it’s an adventure.

Where some see just lights and noise, I see an all out expression of crazy love for Someone Who totally deserves it. More and more, hearts for God grow cold; so I think in this expanding desert of lovelessness, we could use some thunder. What everyone can take from this is that Jesus loves us extravagantly, and we should be excited in loving Him.

…And at least YouTube some of their songs for a taste see. Here are some favorites to sample: “Saviour King”, “From the Inside Out”, “Desperate People”, “Take Heart”, “Came to My Rescue”, “One Way Jesus”, “Here Now”…(I could go on you know).

 Thanks United! Keep Telling the World Jesus lives!

 

 

*Joel Houston, About Hillsong United, http://www.hillsongunited.com/about

**Mia Fieldes, Song Story: Saviour King, http://hillsongcollected.com/creative/song-story-saviour-king

Take Heart

I wanted to bury myself. I had returned from my college video studio where I was working on a huge project. I had two problems: my equipment had malfunctioned and my project was overdue. I came that morning in hopes of checking out a camera to reshoot, but I watched in dismay as each of the cameras were handed out to other people who got there before me. It was bright and clear outside, but it felt like I was walking through a rainstorm. Then a song came on inside me. It was like my heart, for a brief moment, was a stereo. I listened as it remedied me softly:

“There is a light It burns brighter than the sun He steals the night And casts no shadow There is hope Should oceans rise and mountains fall He never fails…”

It was a song by Hillsong United entitled “Take Heart”. The song was a calm reminder of the Almighty God whom has conquered the grave and every circumstance that threatens to trodden us. It was hard to watch the street when a song such as this one was moving me to look up at Him (Jesus) from Whom all my help comes from.

When the chorus came around, I had to sing along:

[Chorus:] So take heart Let His love lead us through the night Hold on to hope And take courage again

Even if you feel separated from the world, nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. I felt impressed to give these verses to you, because my hope is that they will strengthen your heart as they did for me:

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,

Nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV). 

All our problems are dissolved in one statement. Jesus said:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NKJV)

It’s funny that God had me write this verse, because the bridge of the song breaks into this:

All our troubles And all our tears God our hope He has overcome All our failure And all our fear God our love He has overcome All our heartache And all our pain God our healer He has overcome All our burdens And all our shame God our freedom He has overcome

In the night of day, there is a Light that burns brighter than the sun: He is Jesus, the Light of the World (John 8:12). And He lives in you.