American Praise

Lyrics © 2010 by Dennis L. Harrison

Long, long time ago, God devised a perfect plan…
     With His spoken word, the universe began.
He worked real hard for five long days,
     And even He was quite amazed.
He admired His work and saw
     That it was good.

The next day He created man…
     He formed them with His loving hands.
He placed them in a garden.
     God’s rules were soon forgotten.
God said, “You have to leave this place;
     You’ve brought death to the human race.
I’ll save man with redeeming grace,
     Someday…when Jesus dies.”

So praise, praise to the One crucified…
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     The Bible says that He is alive. In my heart I know that He is alive.

For a thousand years man was on his own…
     Reapin’ a crop from the seeds he had sown.
You might say they were all alone
     Then God befriended ol’ Abraham.
And that covenant today still stands
     By faith Abe entered the Promised Land.

Israel ended up in slavery…
     So God sent Moses to set them free.
The words spoke to Pharaoh were “Let My people go!”
     Pharaoh’s heart was hard like stone,
So Egypt lost all her firstborn.
     The death angel passed Israel by because the blood was applied.

And we’ll be singing praise, praise to the One crucified…
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     The Bible says that He is alive. In my heart I know that He is alive.

The Ten Commandments were God’s first laws…
     But the Pharisees made that list too long.
God had a better plan;
     He would send His one and only Son—
The perfect sacrificial Lamb—
     The Messiah God sent to you and me.

God said, “If you will believe on Him…
     His blood will set you free from sin.”
No longer held in chains,
     The world would never be the same.
So in the town of Bethlehem,
     Mary gave birth to the Son of Man.
It was a happy day…yet kind of sad;
     They knew He would have to die.

So praise, praise to the One crucified…
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     The Bible says that He is alive. In my heart I know that He is alive.

Jesus worked real hard as a carpenter…
     Then for three short years as a minister.
Got baptized by His cousin John.
     Then He put together a band of men,
And He taught the twelve to be fishers of men.
     And He told them how things are gonna be.

He healed people from their disease…
     Opened eyes so that the blind could see,
Caused the lame to walk, and caused the dumb to talk.
     He had the power to forgive sin,
And He called back Lazarus to live again.
     And lots of times He told His friends that He was gonna die.

And there was singin’ praise, praise to the One crucified…
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     The Bible says that He is alive. In my heart I know that He is alive.

The Lord had enemies, and He made them mad…
     When He came to town and they saw the crowds
Waving palms and “Hailing Him King.”
     Then later that week in the Upper Room,
Christ washed their feet and told them of His doom.
     And that His time had come to go away.

Then Judas left and turned Him in…
     And the Pharisees sent a hundred men.
They led Him away in chains and all night He was feelin’ our pain.
     The next day at His famous trial, they beat Him down,
And put thorns on His brow, and nailed Him to the rugged cross.
     That’s the day that Jesus died.

And we were singing praise, praise to the One crucified..
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     The Bible says that He is alive. In my heart I know that He is alive.

Well, I didn’t mean to make you cry,
     But I’ve been called to testify
About how Jesus
     Has done so much for me.

It started back at Calvary…
     When a perfect Man died on a tree
For a world of sinners just like me.
     And when I called upon His name,
I’ve never ever been the same.
     No longer bound by sin, you might say…
I was “born again.”

It’s getting late and it’s time to go,
     But there is one thing that you should know:
Your debt was settled long ago—
     The day that Jesus died.

So praise, praise to the One crucified…
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     The Bible says that He is alive. In my heart I know that He is alive.

So praise, praise to the One crucified…
     They drove the nails into His hands and feet, a spear in His side.
He was beaten and bruised for all the world He did die;
     In my heart I know that He is alive.