Nobody does tours like NewSong. When the group introduced its annual "WinterJam Tour Spectacular" in 1995, NewSong started to change the public face of Christian music. The mega-event on wheels has become one of the Christian music world's biggest annual tours, with some history-making moments along the way. To this day, NewSong's multi-artist, ticketless concerts give thousands the opportunity not only to hear incredible music but, of course, to also hear the Gospel message.

During 2012's tour, an estimated 164,711 WinterJam attendees made either first-time decisions to follow Christ or rededicated their lives to Him. More than 67,000 copies of the Gospel of John were given out. More than half-a-million fans attended the 47 dates of the 2012 WinterJam Tour. I interviewed NewSong member Matt Butler in-person before WinterJam about “The Same God” and experienced the band performing the song from One True God, in Reading, Penn., which I wrote about here.

Please tell me about your personal story that connects to your song "The Same God."

On our Christmas tour--before this song even had a lot of momentum--we recorded videos with each band member talking about what this song means to them. I get to share my story every night on the WinterJam tour, but it was neat to hear everyone in the band talk about the song. It is a great song of hope and encouragement. That’s what we want people to know about the song. What tied it together for me, is that when my wife was six months pregnant with our second baby, everything was going great. My seven-year-old son’s birthday is around Christmas time, and we also give him a gift to celebrate his birthday in the summertime.

June 26th a couple of years ago we celebrated his five-year-old birthday party. We had a fire truck and his friends from school and church. It was a really big deal. That morning I took my wife to the hospital for a pregnancy check-up and we had three miscarriages since our son was born, and she hadn’t carried six months since our son was born so we were nervous.

We got to the hospital and the doctor said she had no amniotic fluid. Her water must have already broken. We thought that was impossible, and we remembered a time a SeaWorld where we were all wet and maybe that’s when it happened. My wife carried around our daughter for two weeks with no fluid which is a miracle in itself. They needed to do an emergency surgery and deliver my daughter that day. We missed my son’s birthday party and some friends hosted for us. The took my daughter straight to the neonatal intensive care unit. She was only three-and-a-half pounds and in an incubator hooked up to wires. We didn’t know if she’d make it or not. Forty days later, we were able to take her home.

Please tell me about any Bible verses that connect to the message of the song. Any life verse?

The song is based on Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”

...and my life verse is Psalm 119:11: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.”

What do you consider to be the takeaway message of the song?

We don’t remember much about that 40-day period while we waited to take my daughter home from the hospital, but we know we needed God to carry us through that tough time. God proved Himself faithful, and we were able to bring my daughter home. She’s two-and-a-half now. It’s an amazing testimony that God is sovereign and He’ll do whatever He wants or knows we need. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. No matter what happens, we need to remember that He’s in control of everything. If we really believe that, we have no reason to doubt or fear. We’re human and fallen so we do, but God carried my family through that time. The same God who brought us into that situation brought us out.

I especially want young people to be challenged by that concept. I think it is important that people spend time in God’s Word. A lot of times, musicians think about how getting into people’s hearts is through their headphones. That’s why I do what I do, but I also think it’s important that people spend time with God by reading The Bible. I love that our songs are scripture-based. That’s our ministry as a band and this song is filled with that type of challenge.

Lyrics:
Back to the wall scared you’ll fall
What you gonna do
Day and night don’t know why
It’s like the worlds against you
You’re prayin for a breakthrough
There was a day when your faith couldn’t be held down
God was near enough to hear every word
But somehow, you wish He heard you right now
Don’t you know

The same God with you then
Is with you now
The same God who led you in
Will lead you out
So take all the fear and doubt
Go on and lay them down
The same God, the same God
Is with you now

Oh, can’t ya see
Everything happens for a reason
There’s a time there’s a place for every season
He knows what’s best for you
So don’t be afraid

Just keep holdin’ on
Just keep holdin‘ on

Yeah, He’s with you now

Matthew Henry’s commentary: "The ruin of the young is either living by no rule at all, or choosing false rules: let them walk by Scripture rules. To doubt of our own wisdom and strength, and to depend upon God, proves the purpose of holiness is sincere. God's word is treasure worth laying up. Let this be our plea with Him to teach us his statutes, that, being partakers of his holiness, we may also partake of his blessedness. And those whose hearts are fed with the bread of life, should with their lips feed many. In the way of God's commandments there is the unsearchable riches of Christ. But we do not meditate on God's precepts to good purpose, unless our good thoughts produce good works. I will not only think of thy statutes, but do them with delight. And it will be well to try the sincerity of our obedience by tracing the spring of it; the reality of our love by cheerfulness in appointed duties."

I’ve followed this band since I was saved due to seeking Jesus after hearing the Gospel messages of Christian music in the mid-1990s, for which I’m eternally grateful. Pretty much everyone has heard "The Christmas Shoes," and my favorite NewSong album to date is Sheltering Tree.

The band has undergone multiple line-up changes and Russ Lee is now back as the main lead vocalist, and keyboardist Matt Butler shares lead vocals on the title track and "The Same God," which are both stand-out songs on One True God. I love songs that are filled with biblical truth, and several stand-out tracks on the album have biblical references, especially "One True God", "Love Is The Medicine", "The Same God", "Why Worry?" and "Between The Cross And Crown." 

The album is filled with catchy and inspirational adult contemporary songs. Don’t miss the amazing duet "The Way You Smile," featuring Francesca Battistelli. If you like MercyMe, Casting Crowns and classic NewSong, One True God is their best album since Sheltering Tree.

In "The Same God," Butler softly sings: "the same God with you then is with you now, the same God who led you in, will lead you out, take all the fear and doubt, go and lay them down, the same God with you then is with you now, He's with you now."

Jesus is ever true to His Word. What He spoke on Earth, He affirms in Heaven. The Word is a message of grace. We can all take comfort in the Truth expressed in this song which comes directly from God’s Word: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Amen to that!

(You can listen to the song here.)