Photo by Jon Tyson
About a month after my review of Elevation Worships’s song Do It Again, they released their latest album: Hallelujah Here Below. Though Do It Again was lackluster, O Come to the Altar is an excellent song; a staple at our church.
This review will be a first for Elevation Worship. Here Again was requested by one of you! The other two were my choice.
Note to new users: This is a different kind of review site! Read About the Berean Test and Evaluation Criteria prior to reading this review. I strongly encourage you to consider the potential blessings and dangers of this artist‘s theology by visiting Resources.
1. What message does the song communicate?
It makes several points cobbled together:
- God meets us at the present moment, while we have no control over our past and happenings in the future;
- We’re nothing without God;
- Desire for God above all else;
- God’s perfect love casts out fear; and
- God’s glory manifested in our weakness.
Elevation Worship makes two requests for things we already have, namely, for God to meet us here and for God to give us hope. While the first is answered in #1, above, the second is found in Jesus.
There is just enough hint to tip the scales as a Christian song, including the explicit mention of Lord and Holy Spirit, the valley, and dry bones, but there isn’t a lot of “uumph” that stirs my heart to worship. It seems dry as the dry bones in Stanza 6.
Score: 7/10
2. How much of the lyrics line up with Scripture?
These lyrics are biblically accurate; however, as mentioned in section 1, it contains two prayers that are already answered by God. Lyrics posted with permission.*
Since Here Again does not use standard lyric formatting, I will assign stanzas to each paragraph to organize my commentary.
[Stanza 1]
Can’t go back to the beginning
Can’t control what tomorrow will bring
In other words, we cannot control our past or future events that will change our lives.
But I know here in the middle
Is the place where you promise to be
That is, God promises to be with us in the middle of our lives (Deuteronomy 31:6-8, Joshua 1:5-9, Psalm 23:4, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 139:7-10, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Zephaniah 3:17, Matthew 6:25-34, Matthew 28:20, John 14:16-17, Hebrews 13:5, Romans 8:38-39, and Revelation 3:20).
[Stanza 2]
I’m not enough unless you come
Worse yet, apart from Christ, we can do nothing (John 15:5).
Will you meet me here again
This is a request for God to meet us where we are. The truth is, He already has, through Jesus, succinctly captured in Romans 5:6-8. Elevation Worship asks for something they already have.
Cause all I want is all you are
We can be nitpicky, criticizing this statement as clearly false, given that we have other desires, or we can recognize the heart of this message, that our desires ought to prioritize God first, consistent with the first commandment (Exodus 20:3), the Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:36-37 and Mark 12:28-30), and commanded by Jesus Himself (Luke 14:26-33).
Will you meet me here again
Repeats Stanza 2, line 2.
[Stanza 3]
As I walk now through the valley
…of the shadow of death (Psalm 23:4)…
Let your love rise above every fear
..I will fear no evil (Psalm 23:4). His perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18).
Like the sun shaping the shadow
In my weakness your glory appears
As the sun illuminates the shadows so God’s glory shines on our weakness. It is through this stripping-away process in that makes us strong (2 Corinthians 12:9).
[Stanza 4]
I’m not enough unless you come
Will you meet me here again
Cause all I want is all you are
Will you meet me here again
Repeats Stanza 2.
[Stanza 5]
Not for a minute
Was I forsaken
Though sometimes we feel abandoned, Psalm 22 teaches us that God does not forsake us (see commentary in Stanza 1, lines 3 and 4).
The Lord is in this place
The Lord is in this place
Yes, because God is omnipresent (1 Kings 8:27, Psalm 139:7-12, Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17, and Hebrews 4:13)
[Stanza 6]
Come Holy Spirit
Dry bones awaken
References Ezekiel 37:1-14, where the dry bones represent Israel (Ezekiel 37:11) whose hope is lost. Under the new covenant, this concept extends to all Christians who might feel hopeless. This request is for God to give us hope, something we already possess in Christ Jesus (see Romans 5:6-8 and Romans 8:18-25).
The Lord is in this place
The Lord is in this place
Repeats Stanza 5, lines 3 and 4.
Score: 8/10
3. How would an outsider interpret the song?
Given the explicit mentions of Lord and Holy Spirit, it will be difficult for the unsaved to interpret this differently than a Christian praise and worship song. Elevation Worship uses everyday language understandable even to the unchurched. Yet, I hesitate to recommend this for spiritual nourishment for them. Not so much because of the two questions, but how it coasts Christianity rather than screams it on the rooftops.
Score: 7/10
4. What does this song glorify?
It glorifies the Almighty, celebrating His love, compassion, and forgiveness; However, the lack of ambition and drive in this song brings it down a peg or two.
Score: 8/10
Closing Comments
Elevation Worship’s Here Again is OK I guess. Much of it is highly Biblical and has a great message that glorifies God; However, it also does not excite me much, with seemingly low effort to fully express God’s awesomeness, both to the churched and outsiders to Christianity. If you’re touched by it, great! I am happy for you. However, It’s just not terribly exciting to me. I think we can do better.
Final Score: 7.5/10
Artist Info
Track: Here Again (listen to the song)
Artist: Elevation Worship
Album: Hallelujah Here Below
Genre: Contemporary Christian Music (CCM)
Release Year: 2018
Duration: 6:45
Agree? Disagree? Don’t be shy or have a cow! Calmly and politely state your case in a comment, below.
*Copyright ©2018 Music by Elevation Worship Publishing (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.
Updates:
09/14/2021 – Per Artist Theology announcement, I expanded the red text to encourage others to study Elevation Worship’s theology.
04/29/2020 – Removed a repeated Psalm 23:4 Thank you Jarred Dawkins for reporting it!
Comments
Scott
Hello, I have never seen this sight; very interesting.
As for this particular review, very curious. I’m not an Elevation fan or detractor. They are not on my radar. That said, I think this review does a service to defend the song as scriptural. However, if worship songs always reflected only what we already have “Elevation Worship asks for something they already have,” tried in every song to scream everything that is true from the rooftops, no one would listen or be able to relate. Of course as Christians we already have “these things” but have you never had a human moment where you needed to acknowledge not what you know but what you feel? Besides, the answer comes with “not for a minute was I forsaken/the Lord is in this place.”
I teach a class in my church where I pastor and I try to lead the class to feel what can be felt in a trial before I simply give the pat answer which is we already have what we need. There is value in sympathizing with the journey and not simply shouting truth from rooftops.
Anyway, good efforts.
tastywallet
Scott,
Thanks for your thoughts! I get where you are coming from. My issue with this song is in regards to prayer specifically, not with viewing Scripture from an emotional/experiencial perspective. It is my conviction that we should not pray for things we already have. For example, I have salvation, why would I pray for God to save us? Rather, I should thank God for saving me if I break His Laws.
Another example: God is already faithful. If I were to pray for God to be faithful, it would communicate that, perhaps, He is not faithful. Rather, I would thank Him for His faithfulness.
I hope that clarifies my critique.
Thank you for your hard work in discipleship! There is a lot of responsibility to pastoring others.
-TastyWallet
C
It’s so interesting to see how others have reviewed this song. I don’t hate this song, but I tolerate it… I don’t like “come Holy Spirit” for a different reason. If someone is truly a believer, they have the indwelling Holy Spirit already! Why do we need to ask for Him to come? I guess it depends on where one stands with the moment of salvation being the baptism of the HS as well, or if they believe that happens at a separate time (I personally believe the former). When this song was recently used at our church, it was preceded by a prayer for the HS to come. I just don’t like that emphasis!
Steve Barhydt
C,
I have answered this quandary elsewhere on this website, I quote one of those here… (https://www.thebereantest.com/bryan-katie-torwalt-holy-spirit)
We believe that God is omnipresence!
However, there are times when our perception of His presence is heightened. (Either emotionally or physically Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10:44-47, Acts 11:15-18, Acts 19:5-6) It is this type of experience that the singers of this song are longing for.
Why? Because there is power and sustenance in the presence of God
2 Cor. 3:17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2 Cor. 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Psalm 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
It is this awareness of the presence of the Holy Spirit that “fills the atmosphere” and is the “evidence” that He is truly among us.
To quote from John Piper, (https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/what-does-it-mean-to-live-in-gods-presence)
So in summary, God is yes, to be sure, omnipresent in some of his influences like his sustaining all things at all times, holding every electron and every sub-nuclear particle in its place. But he makes his influence more manifestly felt and experienced in particular ways and particular times, and this is what we are referring to when we say with the psalmist, “For me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord my refuge, that I may tell of all your works” (Psalm 73:28). Here is Psalm 145:18: “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.” That doesn’t mean that God traveled some distance. It means he is near in the sense that he exerts his influence for our good in special ways and causes us to experience the sweetness of his reality in special ways.
(End of quote)
Throughout the Bible there are references that indicate both the omnipresence of God and instances of His specific presence…
Quotes are from the KJV unless otherwise referenced
1) In the Garden of Eden (Gen, 3:8) And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
2) Mount Sinai Exo. 19:10-11 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them to day and to morrow, and let them wash their clothes,
And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai.
3) Entering into the promise land Exo. 33:11-15 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people
And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
Skipping ahead to the New Testament…
4) The promise of the Holy Spirit John 14:16-17 ESV And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper,[fn] to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
5) The outpouring of the Holy Spirit Acts 2; Pentecost was unique only in that it was the first time that the Holy Spirit was poured out in this way. It was never meant to be “a singular event in history”
1And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. 3And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. 4And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 4
31And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
Acts 10
44While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. 45And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. 46For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
Acts 11
15And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.
Acts 19
5When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied.
6) The exercise of the Gifts of the Spirit 1 Cor. 14:24-25 ESV But if all prophesy, and an unbeliever or outsider enters, he is convicted by all, he is called to account by all,
the secrets of his heart are disclosed, and so, falling on his face, he will worship God and declare that God is really among you.
I could go on and on but I think that the point is made that although God is omnipresent there is also a palpable presence of God that believers in Him have experienced since the beginning of time.
It is this conspicuous, perceptible presence of God that we long for.
How does one experience this type of the presence of God?
James 4:8a Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.
The phrase “Draw nigh” comes from the Greek eggizō which according to Strong’s Concordance means…
ἐγγίζω engízō, eng-id’-zo; from G1451; to make near, i.e. (reflexively) approach:—approach, be at hand, come (draw) near, be (come, draw) nigh.
David Guzik has a wonderful commentary on this verse (https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Jam/Jam-4.cfm?a=1150008)
Draw near to God and He will draw near to you: The call to draw near to God is both an invitation and a promise. It is no good to submit to God’s authority and to resist the devil’s attack and then fail to draw near to God. We have it as a promise: God will draw near to us as we draw near to Him.
i. “When a soul sets out to seek God, God sets out to meet that soul; so that while we are drawing near to him, he is drawing near to us.” (Clarke)
ii. What does it mean to draw near to God? Spurgeon considered a few ways:
· It means to draw near in worship, praise, and in prayer.
· It means to draw near by asking counsel of God.
· It means to draw near in enjoying communion with God.
· It means to draw near in the general course and tenor of your life.
iii. In one way, this text illustrates the difference between the old covenant and the new covenant. In the old covenant, God told Moses to not come any closer to the burning bush and take off his shoes. Under the new covenant, God says to the sinner: “Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you.” Now the ground between God and the sinner has been sprinkled with the blood of Jesus, and we can come close to God on the basis of that blood.
iv. This also shows what God wants to do for the sinner. It doesn’t say, “Draw near to God and He will save you” or “Draw near to God and He will forgive you,” though both of those are true. But what God really wants is to be near man; to have a close relationship and fellowship with the individual.
v. From the rest of the chapter we see the results of drawing near to God:
· Drawing near to God helps us to resist the devil.
· Drawing near to God helps us to become pure.
· Drawing near to God helps us to sorrow for sin.
· Drawing near to God helps us to speak well of other people.
· Drawing near to God helps us to think of eternal things.
In conclusion, even though God is everywhere, all the time, there is a special sense of His presence that believer’s can have if they seek for it.
(End of quote)
It is by worship, singing songs such as this one (amongst other things) , that we both prepare ourselves for His presence (“Draw nigh to God”) and invite His presence to be with us (“He will draw nigh”)
When Charismatics / Pentecostals pray for the Holy Spirit to “fall” or “come”, this is what we are referring to.
Enough about the nature of God’s omnipresence being both simultaneously everywhere and specifically localized, let’s take a closer look the offending phrase “Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere”
The first ting to note is that it does not necessitate a physical manifestation “like some sort of gaseous cloud” (Although you will be hard pressed to find a scripture that says it can’t happen again.) It a more poetic way of saying, as Vince put it, “a request for increased sensitivity of the Holy Spirit’s Presence.”
The concept of the Holy Spirit being like a “Flood” is seen in Isa. 44:3
For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:
Another quote from David Guzik https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Isa/Isa-44.cfm?a=723003
Fear not … For I will pour water on him … I will pour My Spirit on your descendants: This is a glorious promise to a humble, returning Israel. God will not simply give them His Spirit; He will pour out His Spirit on them as if water was poured over them.
i. This is a freedom in the giving of the Spirit. This is a flow in the giving of the Spirit. This is abundance in the giving of the Spirit. This is an evident giving of the Spirit. God wants to pour His Spirit upon His people! If you experience a few drops, God wants to pour. If you are bone dry, God wants to pour. If you know the pour, God wants to keep pouring! We must learn to stop saying “when” as God pours!
ii. “Without the Spirit of God we can do nothing; we are as ships without wind, or chariots without steeds, like branches without sap, we are withered; like coals without fire, we are useless; as an offering without the sacrificial flame, we are unaccepted. I desire both to feel and to confess this fact whenever I attempt to preach. I do not wish to get away from it, or to conceal it, nor can I, for I am often made to feel it to the deep humbling of my spirit.” (Spurgeon)
iii. “I believe that, at this present moment, God’s people ought to cry to him day and night that there may be a fresh baptism into the Holy Ghost. There are many things that are desirable for the Church of Christ, but one thing is absolutely needful; and this is the one thing, the power of the Holy Ghost in the midst of his people.” (Spurgeon)
iv. Who receives this gift? I will pour water on him who is thirsty. When we are thirsty for the outpouring of the Spirit, ask for it and receive it in faith, we can expect to be poured on. God is looking for dry ground to pour out floods upon!
(End of quote)
What about “atmosphere”?
From the Macmillan Dictionary it can be literal “the air inside a room or other place” or, figurative “the mood or feeling that exists in a place and affects the people who are there”
It is the second definition the songwriter’s are referring to in my opinion. When I’m in a church service, worshiping the Lord, I want the presence of the Holy Spirit to be so real that It changes “mood or feeling that exists in a place” and “affects the people who are there.”
Is this a Biblical concept? Absolutely!
Although I quoted this scripture above, I’m going to do so again 🙂 This time from the NKJV
2Co 3:16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2Co 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
2Co 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
Do you want to look and behave more like Jesus? Spend time in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
********************end of quote******************
Jarred Dawkins
Not really anything weighty, but I do appreciate the review, but I don’t know if you realized it or not, but you referenced Psalm 23:4 twice under the second section of Stanza 1. Thanks, man!
Vince Wright
Jarred,
Thank you for the correction! I fixed it.
-Vince Wright
Ronnie
In reference to the very first comment from Scott above, there is a statement he makes regarding feeling versus what we know. Here is the statement ” have you never had a human moment where you needed to acknowledge not what you know but what you feel?”. Now I doubt Scott is trying to lead anyone astray purposely, however, if we are not careful it is those innocent times when we may do damage we are not aware of.
Let me say this, God is God and HE is all the Word says he is, period. (John1:1). As Christians there will be days when we do not feel like what we are “taught we are” in the word or we “have what the word says we have” and that is when what we know is more important than what we feel. We MUST not go by what we feel but we can lay every ounce of trust in what we KNOW. What we feel comes from our heart and we know the word says “our heart is deceitful, misleading more than anything” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Some days I may not feel like worshiping God and maybe I do not feel like I am what the Word of God says I am but regardless of what I feel, I worship and regardless of what I feel, I am What He says I am. Salvation comes from the Lord and there is nothing you and I can do to earn it so what I feel has no place, I only give place to what I know.
Be very careful trying to live for God by your feelings rather than what you KNOW the Word says.
God Bless everyone.
Nicole Strampel
In the first few lines of the song,
“Can’t go back to the beginning,
Can’t control what tomorrow will bring
But I know here in the middle is the place you promise to be.”
Makes it seem like God may not be with us tomorrow; however, scripture does say that God is always with us, and promises to be with us wherever we may go (present and future tense!)
Matthew 28:20 “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Hebrews 13:5 “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.'”
Also, “I am not enough” is not scripturally accurate.
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God chooses to redeem us, not because of what we have done/accomplished, but because of His great love. We are enough, because of His love.
“Unless you come again”…reminds me of the passage in John 6 where the crowd, having just witnessed (and eaten of) the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000…followed Him to Capernaum and demanded yet another sign before they could believe in Him. “So they said to Him, ‘What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?” John 6:30.
Vince Wright
Nicole,
Thank you for your comments!
You said,
“In the first few lines of the song,
“Can’t go back to the beginning,
Can’t control what tomorrow will bring
But I know here in the middle is the place you promise to be.”
Makes it seem like God may not be with us tomorrow; however, scripture does say that God is always with us, and promises to be with us wherever we may go (present and future tense!)”
I don’t get the sense that Elevation is saying God will not be with us tomorrow. They are saying that they can’t control what will happen tomorrow. They are acknowledging the truth as recorded in Proverbs 27:1 and James 4:13-16, that we cannot boast about tomorrow. We don’t know what will happen, and they are correct about that. They are also correct that God promises to be with us today. Had elevation said something like “But I know here in the middle is the only place you promise to be.”, I would have a problem because this denies the possibility that God will be with me tomorrow.
You also said,
“Also, “I am not enough” is not scripturally accurate.
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Romans 5:8 – But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God chooses to redeem us, not because of what we have done/accomplished, but because of His great love. We are enough, because of His love.”
The lyrics isn’t “I’m not enough”. It is “I’m not enough unless you come”. Isn’t that the same thing as you just explained?
Finally, you said,
““Unless you come again”…reminds me of the passage in John 6 where the crowd, having just witnessed (and eaten of) the miracle of Jesus feeding the 5,000…followed Him to Capernaum and demanded yet another sign before they could believe in Him. “So they said to Him, ‘What then do You do for a sign, so that we may see, and believe You? What work do You perform?” John 6:30.”
Again, the lyric is “I’m not enough unless you come”. It is not “Unless you come again”.
-Vince Wright
Nathan
I love this site and am often coming back here to read your reviews on different songs I listen to, but I am honestly surprised to see you rate this song lower than it could be because it felt “dry” to you. For me personally, I rated this one of the best songs of the year when it came out as I was deeply encouraged by it. I first heard this song at a worship night and I remember I was in a spiritually dry season where I technically knew that God was omnipresent, but I could not see or feel him with me. Through this song, I was reminded that “Not for a minute was I forsaken.” Then, when the song declared, “The Lord is in this place”, I had this realization that I was on holy ground and that resulted in me literally bowing down in worship. Since that time, this song has encouraged me multiple times through difficult seasons by reminding me of the very thing that you mentioned. When I am asking God for more of his presence, the truth is that I was never forsaken to begin with. I guess I’m sharing this story just to say that what may feel like a dry song to one person may still be deeply moving to someone else.
Vince Wright
Nathan,
Thank you for your comments!
That’s fair. Lots of people react differently to songs. Something that might be emotionally stirring to me might be “dry” to you and vice-versa. Feel free to take my comments with a grain of salt.
-Vince Wright
Roslev
Verses are okay, but the chorus doesn’t sit well with me. There’s no doubt God wants to meet us and for a true believer of Christ, I have no doubts He always wants us to in His presence. It is not a question to God but rather a question should be directed to us. God bless!
Steve Barhydt
Roslev,
Please see my (Steve Barhydt) comment above on May 24.2021 | 11:41 am.
It addresses why I don’t have a problem with asking God to “meet” us.
To be clear, Vince and I have different takes on the Holy Spirit ‘coming’
Randy
Nice review. Also wanted to mention for stanza 2, “cause all I want, is all You are.” I feel all humans desire love. That’s why we are motivated by our own desires a lot of the times. To either fulfill that need of love by replacing that emptiness with greed, adultery, and other sins. So the way I interpreted this line is we are all in desire for love and God is all we need to fulfill that.
1 John 4:16
That’s my take on it but awesome review nevertheless, keep it up!