Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church.
Today's musical selection begins with The Sons of the San Joaquin singing The Boss Is Hangin' out a Rainbow. This is a cover of a Sons of the Pioneers song, and the sing was written by Bob Nolan, one of the founding members of that group and one of my favorite songwriters. This version of the song come from the Sons of the San Joaquin's 1992 album, A Cowboy Has to Sing. Up next is Roy Rogers with Read the Bible and Pray. The bible tells us that we are constantly on a spiritual battlefield and that the way to constantly wear the armor of God. Since this is spiritual armor, we apply it spiritually. The way to do this is to stay in the word of God and keep our minds on the things of God. One of the best ways to do that is to read the bible every day and to pray often. This is followed by Elvis Presley with his 1957 recording of Peace in the Valley. As much as Elvis is known as the King of Rock and Roll, perhaps no other type of music was nearer and dearer to his heart than gospel music. This was the music he grew up with and that continued to have a major influence on him through all the years. Elvis has been quoted as saying "I know practically every religious sing that's ever been written." There is no doubt that these songs moved him very deeply. After Elvis had made his first two appearances on TV's The Ed Sullivan Show, he was clearly a very controversial figure. These performances consisted of pure rock and roll music and Elvis shook his hips to them in a way that was considered much too suggestive for the 1950's. Many groups were quick to condemn this as a horrible influence on the kids and some even claimed it to be demonic. Yet Elvis' third appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was quite different. This time Elvis did not perform rock and roll but instead did a gospel number in a slow and traditional manner. The song was Peace in the Valley and the performance was a huge success. Elvis had never done a studio recording of any gospel songs, but fans of the performance quite writing letters requesting a recording of Elvis singing Peace in the Valley. RCA quickly rushed Elvis to make a four-song gospel EP entitled Peace in the Valley. This EP of course included the title song, as well as Take My Hand Precious Lord, It is no Secret and I Believe. The EP was a huge success and gospel music would soon play a major role in Elvis' singing career. Next is Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt with Farther Along. This is from the first of two albums the group made together, 1987's Trio. The second of these albums would be 1999's Trio II. This is followed by Johnny Cash singing Children. This song comes from the soundtrack album for John's movie The Gospel Road. This movie was a passion project for John and something he pushed strongly for despite not being a filmmaker himself. To direct he got Robert Elfstrom, who had made the documentary film, Johnny Cash: The Man, His World, His Music. Elfstrom was a self-proclaimed agnostic, but he enjoyed working with John so much that he agreed to do the movie. About this film John stated, "The devil has plenty of movies these days... I felt I was obliged to make one for Jesus." Now we join The Osborne Brothers with their 1969 recording of Jesus Sure Changed Me. Today's musical selection ends with the Sons of the Pioneers with their 1948 recording of The 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. The song has the same effect today as it must have back then.
Now comes an episode of Gene Autry's Melody Ranch radio show that first aired on September 17, 1949.
Next is C.S. Lewis' essay, Evil and God.
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 2 Peter 3:9
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
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other. “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin; but now they have no excuse for their sin. Whoever hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them the works no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. As it is, they have seen, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’ “When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me. And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:1-27
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3
And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. Matthew 4:23
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful. James 5:11
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world. 1 Corinthians 11:32
Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city. Proverbs 16:32
For the commandment is a lamp and the teaching a light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life. Proverbs 6:23
Thanks for joining me come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.
Resources Used
https://www.countrythangdaily.com/how-great-thou-art-covers/
Johnny Cash: The Redemption of an American Icon by Greg Laurie
Elvis Presley: Amazing Grace: His Greatest Scared Performances liner notes by Charles Wolfe
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