Rebel to Redeemed…Sharing HIS Kind of Love
Dave Moody was preparing for the worship service he was to lead that evening in 1977. He sat down at the piano and began to worship God. A song came to him, and as he played the melody and words seemed to flow out of him. That evening he felt led to sing this song at the worship service. People […]
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This is Mama’s favorite song. In honor of her birthday this week, I thought I would cover the history of this song of praise. The song was written by Jack William Hayford, who is a pastor. Rev. Hayford is said to have composed over 400 songs, hymns and musical works. The inspiration for this song came from a 1977 vacation […]
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This hymn was written by Ralph Carmichael in the mid-1950s. Mr. Carmichael shares that his pastor, Lester Harnish, requested he write a new hymn to be used as an invitation each night for the upcoming revival. This revival was scheduled to last for two weeks and would be sung at the end of the sermon. At the beginning of the […]
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This hymn was written in 1952 by Rev. John M. Moore. Rev. Moore was born in Kirkintilloch, Dunbartonshire, Scotland on September 1, 1925. He shares that he was raised by godly parents and accepted Christ when he was sixteen years old. He studied the ministry in Glasgow, Scotland and served several churches in the area. Before immigrating to […]
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Edward Perronet was born in 1726 England, the grandson of a French immigrant. He followed in his father’s footsteps and entered the ministry. He became close friends with John and Charles Wesley, eventually leaving the Church of England and becoming a traveling Methodist minister. One story about Perronet says that Wesley encouraged him {Perronet} to preach, but he was resistant. […]
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This popular hymn was written by Fanny Crosby, author of over 8,000 hymns and songs. She often collaborated with composer William Doane. Doane wrote the music and then the melody was played for Crosby. Upon hearing the melody she said she felt it said, “Jesus, Keep me near the cross.” She said down and wrote the words for this hymn. […]
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God wants to show us His faithfulness, but sometimes we have to surrender all before He can prove that He is faithful to us. Great is Thy Faithfulness was written by Thomas Obadiah Chisholm as a “testament to God’s faithfulness through his very ordinary life.” Chisholm was born in 1866 in a log cabin in Franklin, Kentucky to James Washington […]
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Love Lifted Me was a joint effort of James Rowe and Howard E. Smith. The two friends wrote the hymn together. James Rowe was born in Horrabridge, Devonshire, England in 1865. He was the son of a copper miner. James worked for the Irish government for four years, before immigrating to America. He was 24 years old when he settled […]
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Send the Light was written by Charles H. Gabriel. Charles Hutchinson Gabriel was born August 18, 1856 in Wilton Iowa and raised on a farm. As a boy, Gabriel taught himself to play a small reed organ. He was following in his father’s footsteps and leading singing schools by the age of 16. One folklore of his youth, is that […]
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The verse to O How I Love Jesus was written by Frederick Whitfield. Frederick Whitfield was born in Threapwood, Shropshire, England on Jan. 7, 1829. After attending Trinity College in Dublin, he became an Anglican Church clergyman. In 1875, he reached the pinnacle of his carrer when he was appointed to St. Mary’s Church in Hastings. He is credited with […]
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Fanny Crosby went blind at the age of six weeks in 1820. Her blindness was not necessary but was due to an improper medical procedure. One day in 1873, Fanny was visiting her friend Phoebe Knapp. Phoebe began to play a tune for Fanny, which she {Phoebe} had composed. She asked Fanny what the tune said to her. Fanny’s […]
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Because He Lives, was written by Bill and Gloria Gaither. The couple are still a popular Southern Gospel performers and songwriters of our day. The couple met while they were both teachers and were married in 1962. By the end of the 1960s, the Gaither’s had two daughters and were expecting their third child. They were traveling and singing […]
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Just A Closer Walk with Thee was considered one of the favorite southern gospel hymns of the 20th Century. However, its origins remain a mystery. The hymn is considered to be one of the most requested songs at funerals. The song gained national popularity in the 1930s, when African American churches sung it at musical conventions. By the 1940s, the […]
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Imagine all of your children were dead? Would you still be able to praise God? That is just the beginning of the story behind It Is Well with my Soul. This was not the first, nor the last, tragedy endured by the author, Horatio Gates Spafford. The beginning of their suffering began in 1871. In 1870, Horatio Spafford and his […]
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