First Baptist Church of Euless – BEHIND THE PRAISE
Worship songs
March 29, 2009
“Nothing But the Blood”
Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, would write these words, "Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God." (Romans 3:25) The emphasis of this verse is on the shed blood that satisfies or propitiates our sin debt. Another way of saying the same thing is, "What can wash away our sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus." More than likely it was this verse or one like it, dealing with the subject of blood, which caused Pastor Robert Lowry to write a hymn.
Born in Philadelphia, on March 12, 1826, young Robert accepted Christ as his personal Savior at the age of 17 and later graduated from Bucknell University with high scholastic honors. In the 73 years of his life here on earth, he pastored churches in Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York City and Brooklyn. Along with his preaching, Dr. Lowry also had the gift of music in the writing of hymns. When asked about his method for writing songs, he would answer by saying:
"I have no set method. Sometimes, the music comes and the words follow…. I watch my moods, and when anything strikes me, whether words or music, no matter where I am, at home or on the street, I jot it down…. My brain is sort of a spinning machine, for there is music running through it all the time. The tunes of nearly all the hymns I have written have been completed on paper, before I tried them on the organ. Frequently, the words of the hymn and the music have been written at the same time."
He supplied the music for such familiar hymns as "We’re Marching to Zion", "Savior, Thy Dying Love", "Where Is my Wandering Boy Tonight", "I Need Thee Every Hour" and Fanny Crosby’s song, "All the Way My Savior Leads Me". The words and music would come together in 1864 to produce "Shall We Gather at the River". Then, in the Easter season of 1874, "Christ Arose" would flow from his pen and his heart. Finally, in 1876, Pastor Lowry would give us the answer to our sin debt in his song, "Nothing but the Blood".
Down through the ages, man has tried to work off his sin debt in good works and religion—only to fail. The Bible says, "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22) Robert Lowry understood this very well:
Oh! Precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.
Click here to sing along with the song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxDHamIhF7o
Click here for an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvNNFPBkEsw
Click here to purchase the Passion version of "Nothing But The Blood":
“I Will Rise Up”
Mike Ash wrote this song of confession. This song has been one of Mike’s most popular worship songs to date. It was first released in 1998 as part of a CD called "Xtreme Mercy" that was produced before the Band had the name “Thirsty Child”. A very short time later the song was changed slightly and it became part of the Maranatha Praise Band 9 – Forever CD (“You Are The One” by Mike is also on this CD). The song was chosen to be part of the compilation CD for Release Magazine’s April/May 1999 Issue. In 2001 the song was included in the “The Best of Maranatha Praise Band” CD. The song has also been released as part of the “Family Life : I Still Do” CD (recorded by Billy Batstone). Paul Baloche’s version was included in the original release (as one of the bonus tracks) of Maranatha’s Top 25 Praise Songs. In September 2002 a new version of the song was released as the first song on Maranatha’s Top 25 Heart Seekers Vol. 2. The Music links below trace the history of the song (starts with Mike’s original version, then The Praise Band version and then several other recordings of the song including some from various churches across the country).
You're calling me to a deeper place
You're calling me to come away
This is the day that You have made
To walk in Your love and Your grace
And I will sing to You, My King
Forever and ever
Chorus
I will rise up and worship Your holiness
I will sing a song of Your faithfulness
On the mountains, Through the valleys
Your love will be my peace
And I will sing of Your love for me
Click here to download the song:
www.thirstychild.com/html/iwillriseup.html
Click here to purchase Paul Baloche's version of "I Will Rise Up"
"That's Why We Praise Him"
This song was written by Tommy Walker: Tommy has led worship at Christian Assembly in Los Angeles, California with his pastor, Mark Pickerill, since 1990. He has traveled with Promise Keepers, Greg Laurie Harvest Crusades and Franklin Graham.He has also been privileged to serve with such church leaders as Jack Hayford, Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. He has recorded worship projects for Maranatha! Music, Integrity Music, and Get Down Ministries. He has written over 100 songs that are currently being tracked by C.C.L.I. and are being sung in churches around the world, including "He Knows My Name", "Only A God Like You", "That's Why We Praise Him", "Lord I Believe In You", "Mourning Into Dancing", "Break Through", "This is What Christmas Means to Me", and his latest song, "I Have a Hope". For the last decade Tommy has traveled internationally holding worship concerts and mercy ministry outreaches in places where people are in great need. He has led his worship team to the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Guatemala, Zambia and Brazil. Tommy has been married to his wife, Robin, for seventeen years. They have four children, Jake, Levi, Emmie and Eileen. To be found faithful to His God, his family and his local church will always be his greatest achievement.
Check out Tommy Walker here:
http://www.tommywalker.net/
Click here to sing through the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3OopRS5hYg
Click here to listen to the song:
http://wordmusicnow.com/Song.asp?SongID=100
Click here to purchase Tommy Walker's version of "That's Why We Praise Him"
"Grace Greater Than Our Sin"
Sometimes the argument is advanced that since God's grace covers all our sins, then we are free to live as we please. God's grace does provide for our freedom, but it is meant to free us from a slavery to our selfish, sinful nature in order that we might pursue "every good work" - to become all that God intends us to be.
Julia Johnston was for many years involved in the work of Sunday schools at the First Presbyterian Church of Peoria, Illinois, and as a writer of lesson materials for primary age children for the David C. Cook Publishing Company. She also wrote approximately 500 hymn texts. The composer of this hymn, Daniel B. Towner, was for many years the director of the music department at Moody Bible Institute. "Grace Greater than Our Sin" first appeared in Towner's compilation, Hymns Tried and True, 1911.
Click here for an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2SAlqwXhUU
Click here to worship along with the Women of Faith:
www.imeem.com/jhayem211/music/rwZtP7LA/women_of_faith_grace_greater_than_our_sin
Click here to purchase a quartet arrangement of "Grace Greater Than Our Sins"
“Open the Eyes of My Heart”
Dove Award winner Paul Baloche believes the best worship songs spring from the act of worship itself. Case in point: "Open the Eyes of My Heart," birthed during prayer time at Community Christian Fellowship in Lindale, Texas, where he has served as worship pastor for more than 15 years.
Several years earlier Baloche heard a pastor pray, "Open the eyes of our hearts so that we can understand Your Word." The phrase stuck, inspiring Baloche to search the Scriptures—primarily Ephesians 1:18 and stories of biblical heroes who had seen the Lord in His glory.
Then one morning Baloche was lightly strumming his guitar as men and women came to the altar during a revival at his church. "The music had gone on for hours, and I had played everything I knew," he remembers. Aloud, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, we ask You to come and touch our hearts." At that moment "the phrase popped into my mind: 'Open the eyes of our hearts, Lord. We want to see You.'
"It felt right—a sincere prayer," he says. "I sang the phrase a few times and people started singing with me. I don't recall how the rest came about. I was just remembering when Isaiah saw the Lord, and thought, Lord, to see You high and lifted up. It's shining so bright, Lord. Shining in the light of Your glory."
Later that week, Baloche polished the idea into a simple prayer song. "I'd much rather stumble upon a song idea in the midst of worship or in the midst of prayer," he says, "because it rings more true than sitting in a room trying to come up with clever lyrics."
Baloche receives numerous e-mails from Christians sharing the impact the song has had in their lives. His voice cracks as he tells the story of a family that had gathered around the deathbed of a loved one who had asked them to sing "Open the Eyes of My Heart" together as his last prayer.
The song has been recorded many times and in many languages. According to Baloche, some of the most exciting moments on his recent world tour occurred in Sweden and Germany when he sang the song and the audience sang it back to him in their native language.
"It was beautiful," he says. "I feel extremely grateful to be part of a song that helps people connect with God."
Click here to listen to the song: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJ3tn2nJrDo
Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutmEjdbedE
Click here to purchase Paul Baloche's "Open the Eyes of My Heart"
"Sing to the King"
This song was written by Billy James Foote. The song is based upon the hymn by Charles S. Horne. Here are the original words penned in 1910. Notice the similarity between the Horne's words and Billy's adaptation of the song.
Sing we the King Who is coming to reign,
Glory to Jesus, the Lamb that was slain.
Life and salvation His empire shall bring,
Joy to the nations when Jesus is King.
Refrain
Come let us sing, praise to our King,
Jesus our King, Jesus our King,
This is our song, who to Jesus belong:
Glory to Jesus, to Jesus our King.
"In the summer of 2001, I was sitting in my office, in Evergreen, CO, reading through a Baptist Hymnal when I came across an old hymn called Sing We the King, written by Charles Silvester Horne. As I read the first verse I was amazed by the lyrics. There was not a wasted word. I had been working on a melody for several weeks, but did not have any lyrics. Horne’s first verse was a perfect match to the melody I had written. It did not take long to come up with a chorus. The second verse takes two phrases from Horne's last verse including, "satan is vanquished and Jesus is King". Of course, I have documented this on both of my worship projects and try to make sure everyone who records Sing to the King does the same.
My prayer is that this song will remind the church that the King really is coming back. It seems as though we have left this fact out of worship songs for too long. It is encouraging to be reminded that the enemy does not win (Rev. 20:10). We have a hope in the knowledge that the King is going to one day split the sky and the dead in Christ will rise, and believers, who are alive, will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him. I also pray this song will give the church a sense of urgency to win the lost; as Fanny Crosby said, to "rescue the perishing, care for the dying." We must not be idle, but live as those who know the King and know He is coming to reign."
Learn more about Billy's ministry on his myspace website & ministry website:
www.myspace.com/billyfooteband
Learn more about Billy's ministry here:
www.billyfoote.com/
Click here to worship along on the Passion recording:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrsrPfGmpPg&feature=related
Click here to purchase Billy Foote's “Sing to the King”
"My Savior, My God"
Aaron Shust was reading through an old hymnal and thought that the verses to this hymn would make a great worship song. The hymn was "I am not Skilled to understand". Aaron wrote the original chorus while sitting at a red light on the way home from a rehearsal.
The hymn “I Am Not Skilled To Understand” was written by Dorothy Greenwell (1821-1882). Sometimes known as “Dora,” Ms. Greenwell lived in the rectory in Northumberland, England in 1848. She wrote poems and hymns. “I Am Not Skilled to Understand” was published in 1873, in the hymnal Songs of Salvation.
Click here to learn more about how Aaron wrote the song:
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-308-MySaviorMyGod-Shust.mp3
Click here to visit Aaron's myspace:
www.myspace.com/aaronshust
Click here to worship along with Aaron Shust
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt0WluTpFTg
Click here to purchase Aaron Shust's version of "My Savior, My God"
"Mighty To Save"
This is another song from the Hillsong music ministry in Sydney Australia. This song is by Reuben Morgan & Ben Fielding. This song has a great re-occuring text. "OUR GOD IS MIGHTY TO SAVE". This is taken from the passage in Zephaniah 3:17, "The LORD your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing."
Click here to read more about Reuben Morgan: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reuben_Morgan
Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXCAhKDZRlo
Click here to worship along with the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=sR8rlTIU8_Y
Click here to purchase the Hillsongs' "Mighty to Save"
