Hello my friends and welcome to another service of Cowboy Church.
Hank Williams seemed to have a fondness for songs about the dark days that will follow the rapture of church as foretold in the book of Revelations. He recorded quite a few of them in his career. One of the best was The Pale Horse and His Rider. Johnnie Bailes had written the song in 1939 and quite a few artists began to record the song starting about a decade later (one by the great Roy Acuff). In 1950, Hank recorded this song with his wife Audrey, but since that recording was found to be poor, that version would not be released until 1956 (after Hank's death). However audiences had heard Hank sing this song during Hank's life time when in 1951 he sang the song on the Mother's Best Radio Show. This solo version is quite better than the version he did with his wife. One reason for this is that the pace was slowed quite down and this adds an intensity and powerfulness to the song that can not be found in a faster paced version. Hank's delivery of each word here is so full of heartbreaking emotion that I can never help but being moved listening to this. This may be the best version of this song ever recorded. Next comes another song inspired by the Book of Revelations. This is We're Living in the Last Days Now as recorded by the Bailes Brothers. This song reminds us that turning to Jesus isn't something that we should keep putting off to another day but something we should do right now. This is followed by The Killer, Jerry Lee Lewis, with his recording of Lord I've Tried Everything But You. Next is The Purple Hulls with How Deep the Father's Love. This song written by Stuart Townend (Who also wrote In Christ Alone) has become one of the most popular modern day gospel songs and I know at my church we sing this all the time. Townend talked about writing this song stating, "The danger now is that we are so focused on the experience our worship can become self-seeking and self-serving. When all of our songs are about how we feel and what we need, we’re missing the point. There is a wonderful, omnipotent God who deserves our highest praise, and how we feel about it is in many ways irrelevant! I want to encourage the expression of joy, passion, and adoration, but I want those things to be the by-product of focusing on God – I don’t want them to become the subject matter. I’m trying to write songs that refer to us as little as possible, and to Him as much as possible!" This version comes from the Purple Hulls' 2012 album, Close to Home. This is followed by George Jones singing The Old Rugged Cross. This song was written by George Bennard and C. Austin Miles in 1913, the same year they had written, I Come to the Garden Alone. Next the Sons of the Pioneers ask that age old theological question, Will There Be Sage Brush in Heaven with a fantastic 1947 recording. Next is The Charlie Daniels Band with the song, End of the World from their 1994 Christian album, The Door. Charlie Daniels wrote in his book, Never Look At The Empty Seats, "I think the most pressure I was ever under as a songwriter was when I wrote the songs for our first gospel album, The Door. It was such a special project to me. I wanted it to be much more than just another gospel album. I wanted the lyrics to have impact and hopefully speak to some of the people who, like me, had such a hard time understanding the gospel message and were falling through the cracks. I wrote, rewrote, rejected, accepted, started over, changed and rearranged the songs until I was satisfied with the words and how the fit the music. It was all worth the effort." Today's musical selection ends with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans singing The Cowman's Prayer.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27:12
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
Jesus replied, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but you can also say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done." Matthew 21:21
I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. Romans 12:3
Blessed the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. James 1:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. Romans 12:12
Thanks for joining me come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
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