Perception of the keenest kind is little to avail

When focused on the causes that explain just why we fail

To recognize the reason even if we are correct

Falls short of grace and power any weakness to perfect

We might can see the root of sin’s depravity to blame

And point our righteous finger all at Adam we defame

But little do we realize that this insight so sure

Does barely more than medicate the cause without a cure

Isaiah delivered a message to the “watchmen” of Israel –“I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give Him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.” Is 62:6-7 The Septuagint uses an orthopedic term for “establishes” that literally translates as “MAKE STRAIGHT”. Yahweh wants things MADE STRAIGHT so that Jerusalem will become the praise of the earth.

The LORD is never impressed with “straight theology” and “crooked ways”. We should never deceive ourselves into believing that agreeing with Him in how we should be acting is acceptable; NO – He demands conformity to His will in speech and conduct. Consider this verse in Proverbs 16:1 with the same Greek word “make straight” – “Let the heart of a man consider righteousness in order that his FOOTSTEPS SHOULD BE SET STRAIGHT by God.” God demands our walk equal our talk.

Highways are not a natural phenomenon - they must be constructed. Highways are what make traveling in well developed countries safe and efficient. Vehicles last longer and long distances are covered in much less time than in undeveloped countries where roads have not been so well constructed.  

Have we realized that the Lord has constructed a super High Way called "The Way of the Lord?" The prophet Isaiah saw it being built in a vision (the Highway in the Wilderness) and described the construction: "Prepare ye the WAY (highway) of the Lord"...

Every Valley shall be FILLED

Every Mountain and Hill shall be MADE LOW

The ROUGH WAYS shall be made SMOOTH

The CROOKED WAY shall be made STRAIGHT

When Valleys are FILLED, Mountains are MADE LOW, Rough ways made SMOOTH, and Crooked ways made STRAIGHT, you have LEVEL GROUND that makes traveling EASY!

This is the High Way Jesus traveled. He called His own journey "easy" and His burden "light". He traveled with JOY in the WAY His Father had prepared, in fact He DELIGHTED to walk in the Way of His Father.

What is it that the Law can not do?   There are two things that the Law is unable to do.  Many of us know this one – “For the Law makes nothing perfect” – “therefore by the Law shall no flesh be justified.”   The second thing the Law can not do goes hand in hand with the first and underscores the reason for the Law’s inability to make perfect or justify anyone.  Paul put it this way: “For if there had been a Law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by Law.” 

We can see from these two truths that it takes LIFE to produce RIGHTEOUSNESS.  There was no life to be found in the Law, only rudimentary principles, ie the basic precepts of God’s order.  What the Law could not do, God did by sending His own Son in the flesh.   The Law had no life to give, so God sent His only begotten Son and IN HIM WAS LIFE and the LIFE was the light of men.   This LIFE of God in Christ Jesus is “the Law of the SPIRIT OF LIFE” whereby all the righteous requirements in the Law are fully met by those who walk according to the SPIRIT  - Whose mind is LIFE AND PEACE.  LIFE produces RIGHEOUSNESS and PEACE is the FRUIT of RIGHTEOUSNESS.  The mind of the Spirit is the very LIFE of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit speaks the words of Jesus which are SPIRIT AND LIFE to those who are LED BY HIM.   Those led by the Spirit of Life are living by the WORDS OF LIFE.

"The Meek shall He guide in judgment, the Meek shall He teach His way"

Why are the Meek the ones who our Lord guides? Perhaps the answer is in the meaning of the word itself. Meekness is a "learned restraint" (taught by the Holy Spirit) that brings carnal impulses under the rule of "self-restraint". Meekness was a word used to describe the well trained Greek war horse that had been broken of yielding to "IMPULSE" and trained to respond only to its rider's command.

Walking according to the flesh is merely surrendering to its constant carnal "impulses". No one can "keep in step with the Spirit" who is continually yielding to the "impulses" of the flesh. If we are ever to follow Jesus Christ, we must learn to "deny" the impulses of "self". The "MEEK" have learned the purpose and blessing of "self-restraint" or "self-denial" and thus in refusing to respond to the impluses of the flesh, they are enabled to wait for the "leading of the Holy Spirit." This is why the "MEEK" are guided by the Lord and taught His way. They "deny themselves" so that they can follow the Lord Jesus.

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~ Summary Index ~  
1. Godly Christian Ministries General Updates  
2. Godly Christian Music - New Songs  
3. Prayer Requests

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1. Godly Christian Ministries General Updates

This has been a busy season. I just got back a couple days ago from being on the road for about a week. Daniel Martin (one of the musicians on www.GodlyChristianMusic.com) just got married to Ashley (whose last name used to be Ider).  A large part of my trip was attending their wedding in New York. While I was traveling, I also spent some time in Ohio recording eight songs with a brother named Christian Stevens and his friend Buzzy. I still need to mix, possibly record some more tracks, and finish mastering the songs before they will appear on www.GodlyChristianMusic.com. As a result, it will probably be a month or two before you all will get a chance to hear their songs. Nevertheless, to those I visited on the trip I want to say thank you, my heart was refreshed and encouraged by you all.

I am still working on writing the new book, but it has been very slow as my time has been broken up and I am seeking direction about how to communicate the truths that are on my heart. Currently, there is no time frame to which the book may get finished. It could be a month or maybe a year. It is more important to me that the book is pleasing to God than to try to finish it asap.

Lastly, the transition to the new server for www.GodlyChristianMusic.com has not been without its bumps. Nevertheless, thanks to the help of a couple people reporting the errors they found, things should be running fairly smoothly now. In addition, to fixing several little bugs, I also added the ability to share both an artist and each song on facebook by clicking a simple picture link. Sometime in the next week or so I hope to add a flash – html 5 fall back support for iOS users. This update will only work on the single song player. Flash will remain required for the jukebox/playlist players.

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2. Godly Christian Music - New Songs

There were 44 new songs since the last newsletter…
Christ Our Life – 1 new song
Rob Haymes – 1 new song
St. Paul’s Ensemble – 2 new songs
Naked Like Adam – 3 new songs
Soul Soothing Songs – 2 new songs
Rev. Anthony Mark LaMort – 4 new songs
Christofori – 2 new songs
Mike and Martha Tifft – 5 new songs
Br James – 1 new song
Under the Blood - 2 new songs
Palimaakki – 3 new songs
Michelle Ward – 11 new songs
Susan Hawthorne – 8 new songs

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3. Prayer Requests

Please be praying for me as I continue to work on the websites. I have been juggling a lot of different projects and I am continually seeking more direction for my life in general. Currently, my needs have been met by working at a children’s home, but I have been considering different possibilities. Please be praying as I weigh out the balance of having time to minister through Godly Christian Ministries and the taking on of new work related responsibilities. Also, please be praying with regard to the new book I am working on. It is important to me that I accurately and concisely communicate God’s truth. Please pray that the Lord would grant me wisdom and skill as I sit down to write.

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~ Summary Index ~  
1. Godly Christian Ministries General Updates  
2. New Book  
3. Godly Christian Music - New Songs

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1. Godly Christian Ministries General Updates

www.GodlyChristianMusic.com has outgrown the share hosting environments where it has resided for the last 6 years and is getting moved to its own server. As a result, all new artists are currently on hold and I will get back with each of them once everything is switched. This process has been very difficult and time consuming. Nevertheless, I am fairly close to doing the switch. I am hoping there is little to no downtime on the site during the switch, but because of the numerous issues I have faced, I can’t guarantee that it will occur without some bumps. If you do experience problems, please report them here. Please be praying for me because this has been a stressful process.

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2. New Book

I want to apologize for not getting back with those who have volunteered to help with proofreading the book I am working on. The process has been very slow over this last month, but I am almost ready to send one or two chapters your way. I am trying to keep the book short, but I am also trying to hit several key points. As a result, I have discarded several drafts before settling on the current ones that I will send out. I plan on writing a couple more chapter, but I will let people get started looking over what I have so far. If anyone is interested in helping with this you can write me here. Those who have already expressed interest should be hearing from me within a week or two.

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3. Godly Christian Music - New Songs

There have been a few new updates this month to the music site that you can find by going to http://www.godlychristianmusic.com/New_Updates_Artists.aspx

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~ Summary Index ~  
1. Godly Christian Ministries General Updates  
2. Godly Christian Music - New Songs  
3. Prayer Requests

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1. Godly Christian Ministries General Updates

This has been a busy season for me since I recently purchased some property with a place to live in south east Missouri, USA. I had been renting it, but after purchasing the property, I have been making several needed renovations. Nevertheless, the work on the websites has been busy too... Since the last news update the bug in download album feature has been fix so that Mac users can now also download a whole album at once. In addition, those of you who have been long awaiting the ability to play all the songs of an artist will be happy to find this feature working smoothly. In addition, you can also play all the songs in a genre and theme via the new jukebox.

Over the next little season, I will primarily be doing more upkeep type work with www.GodlyChristianMusic.com and focusing more time on writing. In the next couple months, I am planing on putting together a small book for new believers and those looking to start fresh in their Christian walk. The book will layout the basic elements of entering into fellowship with God, becoming a member of His body, and growing toward maturity. If some of you are interested in helping to proofread for this book, please send me an email and I will try to include you in the process.

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2. Godly Christian Music - New Songs

There are 71 new songs added to www.GodlyChristianMusic.com

Christ Our Life - 2 new songs
Ichthus -13 new songs
Nick Mott - 2 new songs
Rob Haymes - 1 new song
Susan Hawthorne - 4 new songs
Dave Hershey - 1 new song
Alan Thomas - 1 new song
Violet Ewing - 2 new songs
Elizabeth Snow - 1 new song
Soul Soothing Songs - 13 new songs
Mike and Martha Tifft - 30 songs
Songsculptor - 1 new song

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5. Prayer Requests

This last season of programming and house work has been very busy. In the midst of all the business I found myself spiritually dry. Nevertheless, over the last two weeks I have been finding more time to go to the fountain of life and receive spiritual refreshing. I definitely need your prayers in order to effectively serve you.

In the upcoming summer months, I am hoping to organize several outreach efforts with my local church. The short book I will be writing will serve as a tool in this outreach to give to new converts and those who have been lukewarm. Please pray for me while I am writing, that the Lord would grant me wisdom of how to communicate the vital truths of the scripture. Also, please pray for those who will be getting this book, that the Lord would use it to help them enter into a new life with Christ.

I’d rather have pain than porosis (hardness)
It’s better to hurt than be hard
If I would be formed in His image
Like Him I'll be bruised and be scarred

Since my Lord was made perfect through suffering
Then even in this let me share
Taste His grief, feel his pain through men's buffering
Till pride of self worth is laid bare

For stony hearts wince not at chastening
But scourgings make hearts of flesh bleed
And broken hearts yield to this mercy
While proud hearts stay blind to their need

Lord save me from vain love of comfort
And take from me my heart of stone
I know hearts of flesh know more suffering
But they also feel love like Your own