Category: Music

Music Mondays: “Our Great God” by Fernando Ortega and Mac Powell

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

Today’s song is one I’ve enjoyed for quite some time now, since I first heard it in church maybe a year or so ago. It speaks of who God is, and calls all of creation to praise His name. I pray it will encourage you this week in your walk with our great God.

Our Great God

Words & Music by Fernando Ortega & Mac Powell

Eternal God, unchanging, mysterious and unknown
Your boundless love, unfailing, in grace and mercy shown
Bright seraphim in ceaseless flight around Your glorious throne
They raise their voices day and night in praise to You alone

Chorus:
Hallelujah! Glory be to our Great God!
Hallelujah! Glory be to our Great God!

Lord, we are weak and frail, helpless in the storm
Surround us with Your angels, hold us in Your arms
Our cold and ruthless enemy, his pleasure is our harm
Rise up, O Lord and he will flee before our Sovereign God

Let every creature in the sea and every flying bird
Let every mountain, every field and valley of the earth
Let all the moons and all the stars in all the universe
Sing praises to the Living God who rules them by His Word

 ©2002 Word Music.

You can listen to the entire song by watching this video clip. The song is also available for a free listen at rhapsody.com. Sheet music can be previewed (and purchased) easily at this link, and a guitar sheet is available for free here (.pdf).

Music Mondays: “Desert Song” by Brooke Fraser

~ Bob Hayton ~ 1 Comment

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

Two Sundays ago I heard this song for the first time. It followed a heartfelt, God-centered, prayer by a man whose wife only has weeks to live. Perhaps it was the juxtaposition of this song following the prayer of that man that made it so meaningful to me. It speaks of why we can praise God even in hard times. If you’re like me, you’ve had a few hard times yourself. May this song minister to you like it did to me.

Desert Song

Words & Music by Brooke Fraser
Arranged by Joel Mott

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

This is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved of more worth than gold
So refine me Lord through the flame

Chorus:
I will bring praise, I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice, I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

Bridge:
All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favour and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow.

 ©2008 Hillsong Publishing (Admin. in U.S. by Integrity’s Hosanna! Music)

You can listen to the entire song by watcing this video clip. There’s also a touching story surrounding the song, one of the performers (or possibly the author??) had just lost a premature baby. The song gave her strength to make it in that tough time.

The song is also available for a free listen at rhapsody.com. Sheet music can be previewed (and purchased) easily at this link. I also stumbled across many comments about the song and its impact at this link.

Finally, this song is a Hillsong production, and is showcased on their This is Our God CD. You can pick up a copy at Amazon.com. Learn more about Hillsong, at hillsongmusic.com.

Jesus is Alive – Shai Linne

~ Bob Hayton ~ 9 Comments

I thought I’d start out my blogging this year with something fun. I’ve been shown this video clip a few times now, and I thought it would be great to share it with you all.

Shai Linne is a Christ-centered, reformed rapper. The lyrics to this song will challenge and encourage you. I encourage you to give it a try, you’ll find that holy hip hop isn’t so scary. Especially the variety that Shai Linne and Timothy Brindle and company dish out. Check out their label: Lampmode Records.

Music Mondays: “Jesus, Thank You” by Pat Sczebel

~ Bob Hayton ~ 2 Comments

Music Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

This Sunday one song in particular blessed my heart. The words “Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table” always send chills down my spine as I think about how glorious it is that God saves us sinners who were His enemies. He saves us and also bestows on us incredible honors and blessings.

I found myself also thinking of Mephibosheth, a potential rival to David’s throne, who was welcomed to his table in a place of honor. Mephibosheth’s own servant had left him alone and vulnerable.   He was lame. A normal king would have killed him to ensure his place as king. But David, prefiguring Jesus, accepted him into his house, and set him at his table. The same has been done for me by my Lord Jesus. (The story can be found in 2 Samuel 9).

Enjoy the words of this song today as you seek to worship Christ throughout the work week.

Jesus, Thank You

Words and music by Pat Sczebel

The mystery of the cross I cannot comprehend
The agonies of Calvary
You the perfect Holy One, crushed Your Son
Who drank the bitter cup reserved for me

Your blood has washed away my sin
Jesus, thank You
The Father’s wrath completely satisfied
Jesus, thank You
Once Your enemy, now seated at Your table
Jesus, thank You

By Your perfect sacrifice I’ve been brought near
Your enemy You’ve made Your friend
Pouring out the riches of Your glorious grace
Your mercy and Your kindness know no end

Lover of my soul
I want to live for You

 © 2003 Integrity’s Hosanna! Music (ASCAP)/Sovereign Grace Worship (ASCAP).

Listen to a sample of this song, or hear the whole thing for free on rhapsody.com. You can download guitar sheets or a simple score of the song for free. You can purchase an mp3 download of the song, or purchase either of these albums which include the song: Worship God Live, and Cover the Earth.

Music Mondays: “Jesus Paid It All” (arranged by Alex Nifong)

~ Bob Hayton ~ 4 Comments

Jesus Paid it All is on the Everything Glorious CD by the Passion bandMusic Monday posts highlight the music which touched my heart on Sunday. I pray the message of these songs will help us all to live in the spirit of Worship all week long.

For a while now, I’ve really enjoyed a new arrangement of Jesus Paid It All. This hymn has always been one of my favorites. The only change the new arrangement makes (besides the contemporary orchestration) is adding a line on the final chorus. The ending words bring the song to a climax as we give praise to Jesus for paying our debt. This makes the song more personal and encourages a worshipful response to the wonderful theology that is being sung. I hope you are blessed by this song as much as I am.

Jesus Paid It All
by Elvina Hall and John Grape
additional words / arrangement by Alex Nifong

I hear the Savior say,
“Thy strength indeed is small;
Child of weakness, watch and pray,
Find in Me thine all in all.”

Chorus:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.

Lord, now indeed I find
Thy pow’r, and Thine alone,
Can change the leper’s spots
And melt the heart of stone.

And when before the throne
I stand in Him complete,
I’ll lay my trophies down,
All down at Jesus’ feet.

Ending Chorus:
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Oh Praise the One who paid my debt
and raised this life up from the dead (continued repeat)
 ©2006 worshiptogether.com songs (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing) sixsteps Music (Admin. by EMI Christian Music Publishing).

Free guitar chord sheets can be found here [pdf] and here [html]. You can listen to the song for free at Rhapsody.com (from the Passion band’s Everything Glorious CD), or you can watch a Youtube video clip of the song. If you like the song, consider purchasing the Everything Glorious CD through Amazon.

The story behind the song (explained in this post), basically consists of Alex Nifong using the song in prayer to God, and spontaneously praising God with those words. Eventually he shared the line with all of us through his arrangement. Check out Alex’s website for more info on him and his songs.

Other great songs we sang Sunday were:

  • Rejoice the Lord Is King (hymn)
  • You are God Alone (Billy & Cindy Foote)
  • The Lord Is (Pat Sczebel & Bob Kauflin)
  • Lord, I Remember (Jason French)
  • O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus (hymn)