Tag: Music

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)

2008 Desiring God Conference: The Power of Words and the Wonder of God

~ fundyreformed ~ 4 Comments

I am blessed to be a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church, where my pastor is John Piper. His sermons and writings have made a lasting impact in my walk with Christ. He is a very humble man, even though he is an evangelical leader with an ever-growing influence. Desiring God is the ministry our church started to help spread pastor John’s writings and books. And for the past several years they’ve held a national conference here in Minneapolis.

I haven’t yet attended one, largely because it conflicts with my job schedule and I can’t afford it. But with Desiring God’s policy to spread sermons in print, audio and video formats for free, I get to enjoy them anyway. Here’s a run down on this year’s conference. I haven’t started listening yet, but I’m planning on downloading and listening to all the messages.

  • This link will take you to the conference online headquarters with info about the speakers, and all the introductory videos, etc.
  • This link will list the links for downloading all the messages or listening/watching them online.
  • Here is a list of a series of blog posts at DG’s blog which summarize the 6 messages and 2 speaker panels:

If you did attend the conference, share your thoughts with us. In the meantime, I think I’ll start with Bob Kauflin’s message. I have great respect for his wisdom and insights, and he has written some of the best and richest songs I’ve ever heard.

Music Mondays: “We Will Dance” by David Ruis

~ Bob Hayton

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.

I know it’s not Monday, but the sickness around here (3 of us have strep throat) pushed this post out a day.   This song has a Jewish sound to it and an expectant hopeful focus on Heaven.   It becomes an avenue of expressing joy to our Lord and Savior.   I hope the message of the song blesses you all today.

We Will Dance
by David Ruis

Sing a song of celebration
Lift up a shout of praise
For the Bridegroom will come
The glorious one
And oh, we will look on his face
We’ll go to a much better place

Dance with all your might
Lift up your hands and clap for joy
The time’s drawing near
When He will appear
And oh, we will stand by His side
A strong, pure, spotless bride

Chorus:
We will dance on the streets that are golden
The glorious bride and the great Son of man
From every tongue and tribe and nation
Will join in the song of the lamb

Tag:
Sing aloud for the time of rejoicing is near (women echo)
The risen King, our groom is soon to appear (women echo)
The wedding feast to come is now near at hand (women echo).
Lift up your voice, proclaim the coming Lamb (women echo)

 © 1992 Mercy/Vineyard Publishing

To listen to this song, try this you-tube video clip or search for it on Rhapsody.com.   Here is a free guitar chord sheet with the words.

Other great songs we sang Sunday were:

Christian Musician Ray Boltz Declares He's Gay

~ fundyreformed ~ 27 Comments

This news shocked me. But I really appreciate Fred Butler’s assessment on this. It’s sad, as this reveals Boltz has sung about but very likely never truly embraced the Gospel. There is still hope for him. May God convict him. And may he wisen many of us up to the damning allure of sin.

If you don’t recognize his name, Boltz was a CCM singer who won numerous awards over the years. He’s most famous for his song “Thank you for giving to the Lord”.