Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Power in the Blood. This hymn was written by Lewis Edgar Jones in 1899 while he was attending a camp meeting at Mountain Lake Park, MD. Though he wrote nearly 200 hymns, this song remains his best known. Other hymns by Lewis Edgar Jones include, I've Anchored in Jesus and We Shall See the King Some Day. In this recording the lead vocal is done by Leonard Slye, who would later change his name to Roy Rogers. The bass vocal is done by Hugh Farr. Next is George Jones singing Family Bible. This song was written by Willie Nelson, when he was an aspiring songwriter hoping to make it in the country music industry. Yet when this song was first recorded Willie did not receive any credit for writing it. The credit instead went to Claude Gray, Walter Breeland, Paul Buskirk. Paul Buskirk was a guitar instructor and when he and Willie were having dinner together Willie could not pay for the check. Willie then sold this song to Buskirk for the check plus $50. Buskirk would give the song to singer Claude Gray. Claude would have the first major hit of this song in 1960. George Jones recorded the song later the same year and also had a hit off of it. Willie himself would not record it until his 1971 album, Yesterday's Wine. Speaking of Claude Gray, here he is with another song he recorded in 1960, Home Coming in Heaven. Though many music critics and Dylan fans either look down on or just overlook, Bob Dylan's Christian period, I think Bob's work of this period is simply fantastic. Bob made three Christian music albums that caught the music world by complete surprise from 1979 to 1981. These albums (Slow Train Coming, Saved and Shot of Love) received incredible criticism from his peers, who could not understand Bob's sudden change into a Christian. Long time fans became upset when at concerts Bob would only perform Christian songs, leaving out many of his biggest hits from the past. Keith Richards may have referred to this period as a cash grab, but to me it seems like personally alienating your audience and creating Christian rock music before Christian rock music became a thing is an incredible risk and not something you would do to make a quick buck. Yet I admit that his Christian albums truly touch and move me whenever I listen to them. For this Cowboy Church post I have picked Bob's 1980 live performance of Pressing On from his second Christian album, Saved (released the same year as this performance). Next comes Johnny Cash with He'll Be A Friend. The song was written by John himself and comes from his 1959 gospel album, Hymns By Johnny Cash. This was John's second album for Columbia records. John would state that his main reason for leaving Sun Records and moving to Columbia is because producer Sam Phillips would not allow him to record a gospel album. This was especially important to John because he never set out to be a country singer or a rock and roll singer, but a gospel singer. Therefore it should come as no surprise that as soon as he left Sun he would set out to make a gospel record. Hymns By Johnny Cash became his first of many gospel albums and proved to be a success with his fans. Out of all of the recordings done of Carl Boberg's classic hymn, How Great Thou Art, Elvis Presley's 1972 live version is by far my favorite. Next is Ray Price with Now the Day is Over from his 1960 album, Faith. This is followed by Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with Jesus in the Morning. This song comes from their 1973 gospel album, In the Sweet Bye and Bye. Then comes The Charlie Daniels Band with an original song from their 1997 Christian album, Whose Side Are You On. Today's musical selection ends with Gene Autry and Dinah Shore singing Old Rugged Cross. The song itself dates back to 1913 and was written by evangelist, George Bennard. Actually the first verse was written in 1912. It was written while Bennard was a part of a series of revival meetings in Albion, Michigan. He was worried about the complete disregard for the gospel around him and wrote this verse as a repose. Of writing it Bennard said, "I seemed to have a vision ... I saw the Christ and the cross inseparable." The song wouldn't be completed for several months, when he was leading meetings at a local church in Pokagan, Michigan. He played it for Rev. Leroy (the sponsoring pastor) and his wife, Ruby Bostwick, both of whom found themselves moved to tears. It was then incorporated into a service at that church on June 7, 1913.
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9
Then he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” And they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Acts 16:30-33
Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people! Selah Psalm 3:8
Let the wicked forsake their ways and the unrighteous their thoughts. Let them turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on them, and to our God, for he will freely pardon. Isaiah 55:7
No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the LORD. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.” Jerimiah 31:34
Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. Proverbs 28:13
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. Romans 13:8
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Romans 12:10
But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Luke 6:35
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. Colossians 2:8
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18
Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin condemns any people. Proverbs 14:34
Thank you 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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