Cowboy Church #248

 Hello my friends and welcome back for another service of Cowboy Church. 

Today's musical selection begins with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans with May the Good Lord Take a Likin' To Ya. 

Afterwards is The Louvin Brothers with This Little Light of Mine. This song is often credited to Harold Dixon Loes, but there is some debate as to whether or not he wrote the song. This hymn is said to date back to the 1920's. However the first known recording of the song comes from 1934, where it was sung by a man named Jim Boyd, who at the time was imprisoned in the Huntsville, Texas State Penitentiary. In 1939 a recording was made of a woman named Doris McMurray, who was serving time in a prison in Huntsville. She stated that she learned the sing from her grandmother in Waco. Since she was an African American woman this supports the belief that this song was originally an African American spiritual. In the 1950's and 60's this song would take on a whole new meaning as it would be used for the Civil Rights movement. Civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer would state, "Singing is one of the main things that can keep us going. When you're in a brick cell, locked up, and haven't done anything to anybody but still you're locked up there and sometimes words just begin to come to you and you begin to sing. Like one of my favorite songs, 'This Little Light of Mine, I'm Going to Let it Shine.' This same song goes back to the fifth chapter of Matthew, which is the Beatitudes of the Bible, when he says a city that sets on a hill cannot be hid. Let your light shine so that men would see your good works and glorify the father which is in heaven. I think singing is very important. It brings out the soul." 

Then comes The Carter Family with their 1941 recording of Something Got a Hold of Me. 

Up next is Stonewall Jackson with Save a Little Place for Me. This recording comes from his 1969 gospel album, The Old Country Church. 

Then is Del McCoury with Get Down on Your Knees and Pray. One of the easiest things for a Christian to do and one of the most harmful is for us to not pray. To speak to God is one of the greatest privileges we have as Christians, and it is our best way not to fall into temptation. It also keeps our minds from drifting from the things of God and on to the things of this world, until we get to the point that we are no longer living for God. Being able to talk directly to the God of this universe is an incredible blessing and one we should never take for granted. How truly blessed are we. 

Following will be Randy Travis with Blessed Assurance.  This hymn came about when songwriter Fanny Crosby visited composer Phoebe Palmer Knapp. Knapp played a tune for Crosby and asked what came to her mind with that tune. Crosby said, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!" She then immediately followed it with more lyrics that would be in the finished song. The song was published in 1873 and first appeared in a monthly magazine for which the editors were Joseph Fairchild Knapp and Phoebe Palmer Knapp (who were husband and wife). When it later appeared in 1887's Gospel Songs, No. 5 by Ira Sankey, this we lead it to greater fame as it would be commonly sung in the revivals of Dwight L. Moody and Sankey. By 1889, the hymn commonly appeared in Methodist hymnals. 

Now for Tim Spencer (from the Sons of the Pioneers) and his family with Circuit Riding Preacher. 

Afterwards is George Jones with How Beautiful Heaven Must Be. Though we like to think about Heaven and what things will be like when we get there, the truth is none of us can come even close to comprehending just how beautiful Heaven truly is. 

Today's musical selection ends with The Sons of the Pioneers with their 1937 recording of Leaning on the Everlasting Arms. This hymn began with a man named Anthony Showalter. As a fan of gospel music and an elder in a Presbyterian church, he held many "singing schools" at various churches in the south. One day he received two letters from former students who were struggling after their wives had passed. To respond to these letters, Showalter consulted scripture. He came across Deuteronomy 33:27, "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." After reading this verse lyrics for a song chorus went through his head and he wrote down, "“Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; Leaning, leaning, leaning on the everlasting arms.” After using this in the letters to his former students he sent this chorus to his friend hymnist, Elisha Hoffman. In the letter he also wrote, “Here is the chorus for a good hymn from Deuteronomy 33:27, but I can’t come up with the verses.” Hoffman then wrote the rest of the lyrics to which Showalter put to music. The hymn was published in 1887.

Now for an episode of Roy Rogers' radio show. 

Now for a message from Billy Graham.

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. Acts 1:8

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? Romans 10:13-14 

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? Matthew 6:27

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:14

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13 

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

Thank you for joining me. Come back next week for another service of Cowboy Church. Happy trails to you until we meet again.