Monday, January 11, 2010

Behind the Praise - Sunday January 17, 2010

BLENDED 9:30AM

"I Know Whom I Have Believed"

Daniel Webster Whittle and James McGranahan, author and composer of this hymn, supplied many other choice gospel songs, including "There Shall Be Showers of Blessing," "The Banner of the Cross," and "Christ Liveth in Me." Whittle was a Civil War veteran who accompanied Union general William Sherman on his march through Georgia. At the close of the war Whittle was promoted to the rank of major and was thereafter known as Major Whittle. After the war he returned to Chicago, where he became treasurer of the Elgin Watch Company. In 1873, at the urging of D. L. Moody, the major left his successful position to become an evangelist. He enjoyed a most effective ministry for the rest of his life. He was ably assisted musically by P.P. Bliss and later James McGranahan. Many of Whittle's hymns bear the pseudonym "El Nathan." The piece "I Know Whom I Have Believed" is known by that name.James McGranahan had a limited formal education, but at the age of nineteen he was teaching in singing schools throughout the East. He became known for his beautiful tenor voice and commanding personality. After Bliss died in 1877, McGranahan became music director for Major Whittle's evangelistic campaigns in England and North America. McGranahan was a pioneer in his use of male choruses. He collaborated with Ira Sankey and other musicians in many gospel publications. in addition to supplying the music for many of Major Whittle's texts, McGranahan composed the music for such gospel favorites as "My Redeemer," "Christ Returneth," "Christ Receiveth Sinful Men," "Verily, I Say unto You," and "Go Ye into All the World."Note that the chorus of this testimonial song repeats the apostle Paul's statement to young Timothy, "For I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day, " (2 Tim. 1-12 AV).

Click here for an acapella version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=61U_94AgUuo&feature=rec-LGOUT-exp_fresh+div-1r-3-HM

Click here for an organ arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAG21ETPqqg&feature=related

"The Solid Rock"

The name of Edward Mote does not often rest on the lips of the church today in the saym fashion as Fanny J. Crosby, B.B. McKinney, Ira Sankey, or other greats in hymnody. However, the testimony of his life is one that should inspire all Christians. Mote was note brought up in a godly home and did not have the advantage of early exposure to Scripture. In fact, his parents managed a pub in London and often neglected young Edward, who spent most of his Sundays playing in the city streets. Of his theological upbringing, he said “So ignorant was I that did not know that there was a God.”
Eventually Mote became exposed to the Word of God, and was baptized at the age of 18. This event, however, did not send Mote immediately into the ministry. He was apprenticed to become a cabinetmaker, a career which he successfully conducted for another 37 years. Eventually, at the age of 55, he became pastor of a Baptist church in Horsham, Sussex, where he did not miss a Sunday in the pulpit for the next 21 years.3 He resigned from this pastorate in 1873 due to ill health, and died the following year at the age of 77.
It was with this background that Mote wrote the hymn we have today, "The Solid Rock." It was during his career as a cabinetmaker that the hymn came into being. One morning in 1834 as he was walking to work, it entered his mind to write a hymn. By the time he got to work, he had the chorus. He wrote four more verses over the course of that day and two additional verses before he was finished.

‘On Christ the solid Rock I stand,All other ground is sinking sand.’

In the day I had four first verses complete, and wrote them off. On the Sabbath following I met brother King as I came out of Lisle Street Meeting…who informed me that his wife was very ill, and asked me to call and see her. I had an early tea, and called afterwards. He said that it was his usual custom to sing a hymn, read a portion, and engage in prayer, before he went to meeting. He looked for his hymn-book but could find it no where. I said, ‘I have some verses in my pocket; if he liked, we would sing them.’ We did, and his wife enjoyed them so much, that after service he asked me, as a favour, to leave a copy of them for his wife. I went home, and by the fireside composed the last two verses, wrote the whole off, and took them to sister King…As these verses so met the dying woman’s case, my attention to them was the more arrested, and I had a thousand printed for distribution.

Click here to listen to an arrangement by the Cadet sisters
www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJnb3l9UuYU&feature=related

Here is a gospel arrangement by the:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGv-2Yb8a4&feature=related

Here is a more traditional arrangement of the song on organ:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=kkGv-2Yb8a4&feature=related

“My Faith has Found a Resting Place”

The lyrics to this great hymn were written by Eliza E. Hewitt, and was first published in Songs of Joy and Gladness in 1891. Some Hymn­als often show the author as Lidie H. Edmunds, Eliza’s pseudonym. The Music: “LandÃ¥s,” Norwe­gian folk melody was arranged by William J. Kirkpatrick.

Kirkpatrick participated in many of the Camp meetings the Methodist churches held. He often led the music portion of the meeting and enlisted the help of soloists and other musicians to perform for the attenders. During one of these meetings, he became saddened by his observation of the soloist, who would perform the required songs and then leave without staying to hear the preacher. William feared that this young man did not really know Christ and so he began to pray that God would somehow get a hold of the soloist's heart. One evening while he was praying, a song began to form in his mind. He quickly jotted down the lyrics and asked the soloist to sing the song that night. The lyrics of the song convicted the young man's heart and he ended up staying and listening to the message. When the preacher gave the alter call at the end of the night, the soloist got up and went to the front of the tent and accepted Jesus into his heart. The lyrics that so touched this young man, and many people since, are: "I've wandered far away from God, Now I'm coming home; The paths of sin too long I've trod, Lord, I'm coming home. Coming home, coming home, Nevermore to roam; Open now Thine arms of love, Lord, I'm coming home." The song, Lord, I'm Coming Home, was based on the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15.

Click here to learn more about William J. Kirkpatrick the composer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_J._Kirkpatrick

Click here to listen to the song Hale & Wilder sing a duet of the song:
http://hale-and-wilder-my-faith-has-found-a-res-mp3-download.kohit.net/_/212007

"Friend of God"

Israel Houghton serves as one of the worship pastors for Lakewood Church in Houston. Here is a portion of his amazing story.

I really should have been one of those abortion statistics you read about. My mother became pregnant with me when she was 17. My mother's white and my biological father's black. Her family wasn't supportive of their relationship and gave her the choice to have a back-alley abortion or to be disowned. I'm here because of the decision she made-and because of her conversion shortly after that. So when I lead worship I'm crazy. I realize how fortunate I am to be called by God and to be protected, to be covered by him. I'm incredibly grateful.

I grew up in a fairly legalistic home. My parents loved God, and they did the very best they could with what they knew. They came from a very discipleship-oriented, fairly heavy-handed way of doing kingdom work. So I would have more easily said, "I am afraid of God" than "I am a friend of God." The view I had of God was dysfunctional, almost like he was looking for opportunities to punish me. That was more what I caught than what was taught. But the more I said "I am a friend of God," the more that old, condemning view was purged from my life. I gained a healing sense of God saying, "I want to know you."

Here is a devotional thought on the song
www.gospelflava.com/articles/songinword-friendofgod.html

Here is an interview with Israel that gives great insight into Israel’s walk with the Lord. www.cbn.com/700club/guests/interviews/israel_houghton_041205.aspx

Click here to listen to the song
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ty0SO7IvtXM

CONTEMPORARY 11:00AM

“Marvelous Light”

This song was written by Charlie Hall. Charlie Hall has been traveling for almost 15 years, from OKC to Kuala Lumpur, enthralling friends and strangers with his goatee and his songs. With a musical journey that has crisscrossed all kinds of rock music, folk music, and electronic music, he carries a songwriting sense that aims to capture dense images of life with God, in compositions that can be carried with the listener.He aims to tell the old story of the Gospel in an ever-shifting world, without resorting to easy truisms, or lazy language. His new collection of songs, The Bright Sadness, echoes a journey pressed to the chest of God, joyful and sorrowful at once, with God's heart clear and pulsing in each note and word. It wraps liturgy with the unexpected, and daily mundanity with daily surprise.

Click here to learn more about Charlie Hall:
www.charliehall.com/

Click here to visit Charlies’ myspace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=60771694

Click here to worship along with Charlie Hall:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTkB6cBJGZg

Click here for a slower arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbEEeB0Dyew

"God of Wonders"

This song by Steve Hindalong has become a classic. Here is a description of how the song came about: When Marc played the chord progression and melody, it felt really big. I kind of got a chill-I got goose bumps on my arms. I just thought, 'This song needs to be big, with really vast language.' So 'God of wonders beyond our galaxy' was as big as I could think." Having attended an Episcopal church for the last few years, Hindalong has been introduced to a new inspiration for his songwriting. "The liturgy, the old words, is kind of new to me. I flipped through The Book of Common Prayer, and I remember 'Lord of all creation, water, earth and sky.' That became the first line of the song." Lord of all creation Of water, earth and sky The heavens are your tabernacle Glory to the Lord on high God of wonders beyond our galaxy You are holy, holy The universe declares Your majesty You are holy, holy Lord of heaven and earth Lord of heaven and earth But it isn't the vastness of the song that seems to really impact people, relates Hindalong. "People have sent me emails about the song and referred to the second verse. I think the real power of the song is there, when all of the sudden it gets intimate. It says 'When I stumble in the darkness, I will call Your name by night.' This God that is the God of not only our earth, but of all the worlds, that is so big-but when I'm afraid, when I'm alone, when I sin, when I'm in trouble, He comes close enough that I can call His name. It's the truth that's powerful, not the song.
It is that particular truth that is so moving."

Click here to worship along with Third Day & Caedmans' call
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CBNE25rtnE

Click here for another version:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZL0cjcLBYY

"The Glory of it All"

When David Crowder was attending Baylor University in Waco, Texas in the mid 1990's, he learned that more than half of the 14,000 students enrolled in the college were not attending church. This was very disturbing to Crowder, and after many conversations with a friend of his, they decided to start a church that was college friendly. Thus, University Baptist Church was born. That was 1996. Today, almost a decade later, nearly 1,000 people, most of which are college students, are attending the church.
When David first started writing music, he mainly focused on lyrics that discussed the difficult things he was going through. At that time there were not many congregational worship songs that did that so he struck a chord with many people. Today, David says that he writes many of his songs while riding in the car in the country with his wife. Even though his audience has changed, though, David always writes his songs with his University Baptist Church congregation in mind. Although the David Crowder Band is comprised of six different individuals, they have all committed themselves to work together in an effort to give hope to those who have left the church, as well as those who have come back. They feel very blessed by the work God has done in their lives and look forward to what He has planned for them in the future.

Click here to listen to the song:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zg-1yM6insA

“Agnus Dei”

Michael Whitaker Smith has become one of the most enduringly popular artists on the Christian Contemporary Music front and is also finding considerable success as a mainstream artist. He was born in Kenova, West Virginia, the son of an oil refinery worker and a caterer. He became a devout Christian at age ten and spent his teens hanging around with a solid support group of fellow believers who frequently gathered to play and make music. After high school, that support group split up, and Smith turned to alcohol, drugs and wild times. He scraped through a couple semesters of college and began honing his songwriting skills. In 1978, a songwriting company expressed interest in his songwriting, and he moved to Nashville, where he played with local bands, including Rose. He was still heavily into drugs and continued using until October 1979, when he suffered a sort of emotional mental breakdown that culminated in recommitting to Christ. The next day he auditioned for a new CCM group, Higher Ground, as a keyboardist. While touring with them, Smith cleaned up his act.

In 1981, he signed to Meadowgreen Music as a staff writer, where over the next few years he provided gospel hits for such artists as Sandi Patti, Kathy Troccoli, Bill Gaither and Amy Grant. He began touring as a keyboardist with Grant in 1982 and the following year, after releasing his first album, The Michael W. Smith Project, became her opening act. His debut album garnered him a Grammy nomination for Best Gospel Performance.Agnus Dei is a Latin term meaning Lamb of God, and was originally used to refer to Jesus Christ in his role of the perfect sacrificial offering that atones for the sins of humanity in Christian theology, harkening back to ancient Jewish Temple sacrifices.

Click here to worship along with Michael W. Smith and a fantastic boy’s choir:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTWFYRA2j74&feature=related

Click here to worship along with Third Day:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbKXJ1Jm_jg

THIRD 6PM

"Here is our King"

This worship song was written by David Crowder in response the Tsunami on December 24, 2004. David and his wife were watching the images of devastation preparing to attend the Passion meeting in Nashville later that month. David was having trouble processing the level of devestation. He remembered telling his wife that 9-11 made more sense, as we are used to humanity doing something to each other. Historically we've done unkind things to each to each other and all we have to do is turn on the news. David knew how to process that devestation, but to be able to see such devestation unfold before his eyes was a new process for him. He struggeld with how to look at that and still say "God is Good". This song was David's response to God in the face of such a tragedy.From wherever spring arrives to heal the ground From wherever searching comes the look itself A trace of what we’re looking for So be quiet now and wait The ocean is growing the tide is coming in Here it is Here is our king, here is our love here is our God who’s come to bring us back to him He is the one, he is Jesus, Jesus

Click here to worship along with David Crowder:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=n6Fl_nqGJc0

Click here to listen to David share about how the song came about:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aea5Mq4sSUA

“Here I Am to Worship”

If songs are like children to their writers, then 25 year-old Englishman Tim Hughes carried "Here I Am To Worship" to full term, letting the reverent tune take perfect shape over a nine-month period. Back in 1999 while still in college, he first sat down to craft a musical response to his reading of Philippians 2:5, which says, "Make your own attitude that of Christ Jesus." And from the start, he had the humility part mastered."I was playing around with my guitar when the verse just came out," he modestly recalls. "However, I couldn't get a chorus that I was happy with. The original one was embarrassingly bad!"Thankfully, Tim recorded the verse into his Dictaphone, and months later during a quiet creative time, he patched it together with another strong melody idea and brought "Here I Am To Worship" to fruition."I'd been reading about the cross and thinking through Jesus' amazing sacrifice," Tim says of the lyrical theme. "Sometimes when God meets with us we don't quite know how to respond properly. It's often too much for us to take in. Hopefully in a small way the chorus captures that: 'Here I am to worship. Here I am to bow down. Here I am to say that you're my God. You're altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful.'"Although the song had been completed, the writer was still not convinced of its potential. Leading worship at his Soul Survivor home church one day, Tim sang "Here I Am To Worship" for his fellow members and was duly advised by his pastor Mike Pilavachi to start using it more often. Since then, Hughes - who built his own chops leading Delirious and Matt Redman favorites - has seen the song take on a life of its own.It must be a God thing.... People have seemed to really connect with it, and we've had some special times in worship using the song," he admits. "I remember one time at the end of a Worship Together conference in San Diego when we'd been performing the song. The band stopped, and then the congregation just kept singing the chorus for about 15 minutes."

Click here to listen to the story behind the song by Tim Hughes.
www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-196-HereIAmtoWorship-Hughes.mp3

Click here to worship along with Darlene Zschech in Australia leading the song.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2d10n1Cpcc&mode=related&search=

Click here to read more about the composer Tim Hughes
www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/worship/1227531/

“Jesus, Lover of My Soul”

If you’ve ever heard Paul’s songs or been in a context where Paul has lead worship, then you won’t have failed to notice the consuming passion to know God that characterizes his songwriting. This song alone stands out as one of Paul’s fine contributions to the kingdom. Reminding us that everything should center around the Lord.
His international profile continues to grow. This last year has seen Paul travel to Canada, South Africa, Holland, Germany, Scotland and Northern Ireland and more recently, invitations have opened up for Paul to travel to Brazil, the States, Portugal, Germany and Holland again this year.
Although he travels a lot, Paul and his family are very committed to Church of Christ The King, their home church in Brighton (UK), where he regularly leads the 1,000 strong congregation in worship alongside Dave Fellingham, Stuart Townend, Matt Redman, Phatfish and Kate Simmonds.

Click here to visit Paul’s myspace:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=73404442

Click here to worship along:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD-ZdMOx_HY

Click here for another arrangement:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWBeOfoESt4

“The Wonderful Cross”

ISAAC WATTS & CHRIS TOMLINThe original song was written by Isaac Watts, the new chorus was written by Chris Tomlin. Isaac was born in 1674 and Chris was born in 1972. Even though they are separated by three hundred years, there is no separation between their passion and commitment to leading God's people in worship. WOW! The past meets the present.

Click here to hear Chris Tomlin talk about how this new arrangement came about. www.theheartofworship.org/stories/Story-306-TheWonderfulCross-Tomlin.mp3

Click here to learn more about Chris Tomlin
www.christomlin.com/

You can listen to more of Chris Tomlins' music on his myspace website.
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=94631118

Isaac Watts (July 17, 1674 – November 25, 1748) is recognized as the "Father of English Hymnody", as he was the first prolific and popular English hymnwriter, credited with some 750 hymns. Many of his hymns remain in active use today and have been translated into many languages.

Click here to read more about Isaac Watts.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_Watts

This is an interesting read on Isaac Watts.
www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/w/a/t/watts_i.htm

Isaac is best known for his emphasizing the role of music in worship, where the congregation actually began to sing with the choir. Watts became the congregation's pastor in 1702. Just five feet tall, he was an unprepossessing figure in the pulpit. Health problems continued to plague him, and an assistant had to be appointed to fill in for him after a severe bout with illness in 1703. Despite these problems, Watts was a powerful preacher. The Mark Lane congregation outgrew its quarters and twice had to move to larger facilities, and Watts' sermons began to be collected and printed. Part of his success was due to his emphasis on the role of music in worship. A minister, he felt, should not only write sermons but should seek to involve his congregation in worship through music.

"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.


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 listen to the Passion version: http://de.tunesbag.com/music/Candi+Pearson+Shelton/638024-the-best-of-passion-so-far-disc-2/7188463-sing-to-the-king.html






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