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Friday

Grace - On the Road to Damascus (1980)



Another shining collection of original songs in the same acoustic folkrock style. Upbeat tunes (‘Run For Jesus’), some with a light bluesy shuffle (‘The Pessimist’ with electric guitar, ‘Lean Upon My Jesus’, ‘He Is Real’), balanced with stirring acoustic ballads (‘Always’, ‘Have You Ever Been Alone’, ‘All I Really Need Is You’). If The Pat Terry Group had included a girl in their line-up and stuck to simple unplugged arrangements, they might have sounded something close to this. Nice natural flow to the music, carried along primarily by acoustic guitars, electric bass and drums, embellished with lead guitar, with no keyboards, strings or horns. Other selections: ‘The Moment I Believed’, ‘Love, Peace And Joy’, ‘Andrew’ and the title track. 500 made. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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David Horn & Rodney Alexander - Walk These Streets (1974)



Another scrumptious serving in the same dreamy acoustic folk/soft-rock format. The title track with its weeping steel guitar lead is one of the prettiest songs you’ll ever hear. The same can be said for ‘Can You Hear My Savior Call?’ and ‘Who Is This Man?’, effectively backed with harpsichord and organ respectively. Moog synthesizer also makes an appearance. ‘I Turn To Jesus’ and ‘Psalm 151’ provide simple acoustic melodies, while the country angle returns for ‘Somethin’ Good Is Happenin’ To Me’ and ‘Tune Me Now’. These guys really connect with me. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Dennis Ryder - Let Me Take You to the Kingdom (1973)



This album’s one of the better acoustic sets to come out of the States. Combining classical guitar with layered vocals and double acoustic leads, the effect is often mysterious and moody. There’s a lot of classical influence here - parts made me think I was listening to Christopher Parkening. A pair of recorders join in at a couple parts recalling the intro to ‘Stairway To Heaven’. ‘The Worship Song’ is nothing more than a pipe organ, guitar, and Ryder’s mildly twangy vocals. Light electric organ here and there - ‘Make It Right’ sounds a bit like Dylan’s ‘Lay Lady Lay’. The original cover has a beautiful intricate illustration of Dennis walking beside a stream with Christ in the background. The photo of Dennis on the back was later enlarged and placed on the front for the Windy Distribution pressing. See also Scripture Songs. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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The Guitar Ensemble - Have Faith (1970?)



While the record fairy seems to have distributed an ample supply of You-N-You albums across the country, known copies of their other recording Have Faith seem to be almost non-existent. An equally good lp with the same mix of organ, bass, drums and percussion behind the acoustic guitars. Similar to You-N-You in a lot of ways (you can definitely tell right away it’s them), but different in others (minimal female vocals, not quite as “dreamy”, sometimes pushing more toward folk-rock than folk). A couple songs appear on both lps: the title track and ‘This Is A Man’ (a much slower version). Includes covers of ‘Into Your Hands’, ‘Hear, O Lord’ and ‘Joy Is Like The Rain’, all rendered with the group’s characteristic strum. The vibrant ‘Let There Be Thunder’ has some excellent Latin action going down. Includes three instrumentals: ‘Dock Of The Bay’, ‘Today’, and a rather unique version of ‘Greensleeves’ with nice psychy organ backing and flamenco-style picking. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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The Rock of Ages Band - No Greater Love I've Found (1980)




Some fine hard rock moves on this four-man Bremerton, Washington outfit’s obscure private release. ‘Only By His Grace’, ‘Wait Until The Judgement’, and ‘There’s Power In The Word’ all rock heavily with good electric guitar and flashes of Daniel Band, Boston and DeGarmo & Key. ‘Don’t Slip Away’ is a decent classic rock ballad, while ‘Song Of Praise’ turns on the synths, brass and chunky bass for a funky Sweet Comfort Band feel. Other tracks work well in the soft rock category, either folky and acoustic (‘We’re Going Home’, ‘Last Song’) or carried by a light jazz samba lilt (‘Since I Met The Savior’, the title track). Also a couple ballads with strings. Features twelve original songs in all, most of them written by member Michael Castanares. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Shiloh - Before the Lord (1974)



Shiloh is the duo of Mike Kelley and Dennis MacIntosh. Before The Lord has a refreshingly simple unencumbered format that avoids the clutter of numerous musicians. Most of the time the only folks backing the duo’s acoustic guitars are Rich Martin (bass and additional guitar) and Rosemary Kelley (vocal harmony), allowing the harmonies and acoustic guitar work to take prominence. Sneaking in occasionally are piano, percussion, harmonica, and violin. The typical Shiloh song is a country-flavored acoustic finger-picked tune with a somewhat sad quality and quiet yet urgent pleading vocals. ‘Touch Me’ and ‘Song To God’ reflect their somber trademark ballads style, but the guys sound just as much at home on laidback rural strollers (‘Halelujah’, ‘Jesus Is Coming Again’), as well as the more upbeat ‘Jesus Never Fails’ and ‘He Treats Me Good’. Mostly an acoustic emphasis, although some electric guitar turns up in spots. The original Adriel press has a tan border around the cover photo, while the 1976 Sonburst issue (SBR 101) has a black border and different graphics. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Concern - America Where Are You (1973)


Another super scarce one with something like a 200-300 press I’ve heard. On America, Where Are You? the former Guitar Ensemble (now renamed Concern) duplicates seven of their best songs from the You-N-You sessions plus a couple from Have Faith. But it’s the previously unheard tracks that are the real treat here. The addition of electric guitar to all four songs pushes the group’s sound further in the rock direction. At the same time the organ is given more prominence in the mix, making their previously subtle psych edge noticeably more distinct. The opener ‘Lone Man’s Plea’ has a cool wah-wah thing going down coupled with dizzying organ – a sound not too distant from Azitis. ‘Clap Your Hands’ employs a catchy mid-tempo banjo-plunking rhythm, followed by the mesmerizing ballad ‘Abortion’ where the soft-psych vibe is in top form. Add the sharp marching hippie beat of the title track and you could potentially even snag a Jefferson Airplane fan or two. Comes in a very plain-looking red cover with the title in white, the back of similar design with exclamations of “Unity!”, “Sharing!”, “Abortion!”, “Identity!”, “Prejudice!” and “Pollution!”. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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The New Beginning - People Who Walk in Light (1974)



Dreamy surreal folkrock moods coupled with underground electric homemade psych sounds give this excellent Arizona male/female group an atmosphere similar to Rebirth and The RFD. The opening ‘Jesus Never Was A Sinner’ is one of the heavier tracks with its garagy electric guitar and organ combination. Same deal with ‘Benjie Ducaine’. Quieter fragile folk/psych textures can be found on ‘Walk On The Water’, the title track and ‘Lullaby’, all with floating moody harmonies (beautiful violin on the latter). ‘Born Again’ plunks along with a relaxed banjo rural hippie attitude, while ‘Flight 647’ recalls the electric folkrock style of groups like Phoenix Sonshine and Parable. The harpsichord-backed ballad ‘Come’ takes me back to those early Children Of The Day albums. ‘Hey’ has an unusual slow quiet mysterious mood crafted by electric bass and flute, with lyrics like “looks like Armageddon coming”.  Member Bernie Rolfe had a solo album in the early ‘80s and can also be found helping out on Glory Road’s Exit lp. Bernie and some of the others here also went on to be in the group Sonrise (the 1978 lp on the Hand In Hand label, see entry). (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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The Sixth Station - Deep Night (1982)



Stunning soft rock set of dreamy celestial moods carried by a steady beat and rife with phased electric rhythm guitar for a wonderful unfiltered slightly out-of-tune quality. Lead vocalist sounds a lot like Neil Young with his fragile shaky delivery. Deep creative lyrics to match, with all original songwriting and titles like ‘I See’, ‘Ways You’ve Never Known’, ‘Over And Over’, ‘Sunrise’ and ‘Remember The Pilgrim’. Plenty of solo leads on top of the rhythm guitar, sometimes two in tandem, sometimes with light fuzz or other effects, reaching some hard-hitting moments on tracks like ‘Scar Of Love’ or the powerful ‘Before The Snowfall’. The only other instruments are bass and drums (no keyboards or even acoustic guitars from what I can tell). Some of the most beautiful selections are the ballads, like ‘Make A Way For Me’ or the delicate title track. Catholic I’m guessing – the back cover has references to “nihil obstat” and “imprimatur”, plus a thanks to the Bishop of Peoria. Simple sunset cover photo. One of the most impressive post-80 custom recordings I’ve heard. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Poema - Beautiful Day (1979?)


I imagine the most obvious comparison for the Wisconsin trio of Joe Glatzel, Jeanine Krull and Geri Stencel might be 2nd Chapter Of Acts. The two ladies sometimes emulate 2CA’s vocal style, and while Glatzel himself does not sing his piano figures foremost in the arrangements. The music is a stylish form of poprock and ballads that stretches out musically from symphonic and brooding to catchy and upbeat. Several musicians involved contributing guitars, organ, synthesizer, sax, flute, oboe, bass and drums, with members of the Milwaukee Symphony on strings. For those with ears to hear, some stunningly beautiful moments await on lush dreamy tracks like ‘Come Then My Love’, ‘Love Song’, ‘Messiah Mine’, ‘Song Of The Sea’ and Bob Cull’s ‘Love Is Pure’. Very attractive pen-and-ink cover illustration. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Shiloh - Where Is the Peace (1976)



Where Is The Peace? provides another quality round of rural acoustic rock, country folk and melancholy ballads, with natural hands-off pastoral arrangements that are refreshing to the ear. ‘Country Song’ recalls Arlo Guthrie’s version of ‘City Of New Orleans’ which oughta give the uninitiated an inkling of the group’s sound. Nice electric guitar lead on ‘The Captain Song’. Simple string arrangements gently embrace the title track, ‘Elaine’s Song’ and the piano ballad ‘The Saints Who’ve Gone Before’, while fiddle helps to fire up ‘I’ll Give Him My Life’. If the country bands on Maranatha are too overproduced for your tastes you’d do well to give Shiloh a try. From Redwood City, California. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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U.S. Apple Corps - Let the Music Take Your Mind (1976)



More loud intense soulful hard rockin’ on this tougher-to-find follow-up. A new male singer takes over most of the lead vocals, pouring it on with a fervency equal to his female predecessor. And while their debut was strictly standards, Let The Music Take Your Mind is comprised mostly of original material. The music is both heavier and more diverse, including some blues-rock moves on the gospelly ‘That’s What My Man Is For’ and the throbbing slow burner ‘Closer To The Man’. The flames rage outta control on the Southern-styled ‘Dead’ featuring slamming triple guitar action. ‘Get High On Jesus’ was also covered on the mega-rare Earthen Vessel monster. Wild colorful psychedelic praying-hands-cross-Afro-head cover. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Tree Top - Goin' the Other Way (1984)


 An appealing dreamy acoustic sheen surrounds this good understated rural-edged soft rock custom from the Colorado male foursome Tree Top. Wholesome summery melodies with a warm blend of 12-string guitar, piano and gentle airy harmonies. A few harder-edged tracks with basement electric guitar, like the opener ‘Jesus Is Coming’ or the rocking ‘Watergrave’-ish ‘Tell Me Where Have You Gone’. Delicate synth accompaniment on a couple tracks, bringing a wispy ethereal edge to ‘Pamelove’. I’d say more of a ‘70s sound than ‘80s. All twelve songs written by member Tim Wacker. Very uplifting. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Sons of Thunder - Day Follows Night (1972)










Although this is the same group as the above album (plus and minus a few members), the styles are as different as night and day. Day Follows Night is a more modern, diverse and soulful set, all the ‘60s angles of the previous lp having been laid to rest. The group delivers some decent basement rock moves on Larry Norman’s ‘Sweet Song Of Salvation’ and the femme-led ‘Mighty Hard Road’. Also a couple loud fuzzy guitar riffs roughing up ‘Carpenter Man’ and ‘Early In The Morning’. Good strong organ presence throughout. The opening title cut left me wondering if perhaps Johnny Mathis had spent some time fronting for Santana. Some mellow female piano-based tracks, including ‘Friendship Song’ which begins slow, then shifts into an artsy mood with jazzy piano soloing. ‘I Heard The Voice’ brings back the Mathis guy for its loungy percussive Latin vibe. Nice female vocals on ‘Long Long Ago’, a solemn moody piece backed solely by acoustic guitar. Custom recording from Bethesda, Maryland. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Kinfolk - Kinfolk (1972?)







Florida’s Kinfolk began with a humdinger folkrock custom sporting a joyous yet underground kind of sound thick on the drums with some garagy electric guitar. With Robbie Trice and Fred Emery on guitars and vocals, Martha Trice on vocals, Rodney Lancaster on bass and violin, and David Brown on drums, they play in the spirit of the early Maranatha bands - a time when creativity and excitement were high and budgets were low. ‘Endless Age’, ‘Alpha And Omega’ and ‘Jesus Gonna Work It Out’ are perfect examples of that ‘70s rural Jesus folkrock sound, acoustic in focus but with heavy rhythm section. ‘Holy Spirit Song’ and ‘Right On Brother’ both get enlivened with basement electric riffs, while ‘It Takes Faith’ adds texture through use of volume pedal. The violin adds a nice touch to the acoustic ballads ‘Amazing Grace’ and ‘Everytime’. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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U.S. Apple Corps - U.S. Apple Corps (1970)


The Jesus movement and the whole hippie thing crossed paths on this excellent big-label Shelby Singleton production featuring bluesy soul-soaked hard rock covers of gospel standards like ‘Peace In The Valley’, ‘Will The Circle Be Unbroken’, ‘Down By The Riverside’, ‘Ride On King Jesus’, ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ and Edwin Hawkins’ ‘Ain’t It Like Him’. Guitars sizzle and jam while a black female lead singer pours on the juice. Includes a large poster lyric sheet. Promo copies on blue vinyl. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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His - Forever Together (1974)



The soft pastoral rock sounds of this five-man Wisconsin band reflect much of the same spirit as the cherished Horizon lp from Florida. The music coasts along in a wholesome electric format supported by airy background harmonies and melodic piano accompaniment. Bill Eisner heads up the group, providing all the songwriting as well as acoustic guitar, organ and most of the lead vocals. The rest of the guys contribute piano, synthesizer, electric guitar, bass and drums. Forever Together has a certain authenticity about it, refreshingly lacking any Arp-string MOR emulsifiers that sometimes crop up on lesser country rock acts. I dig the whole album, but three tracks in particular stood out to me: the near 7-minute ‘Why Don’t The People Understand’, the rural ballad ‘Look To Calvary’ with its simple deep wistful guitar lead, and the closing song ‘A Child Grew Up’ which has a nice psych-edged vibe. (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Kinfolk - Clean (1974)


While maintaining a solid acoustic base, Clean softened the harmonies a tad and added some new instruments to the mix, including electric piano and synthesized strings. The end result is a much smoother sound than the debut, with a couple songs inching toward MOR. Still a strong record overall with some decent folkrock grooves ala The Bridge. The organ adds extra zing to the electric title track and a remake of ‘Alpha And Omega’, while the string synth washes a dreamy mellotron-like presence over ‘Walking In His Likeness’, ‘Some Think It’s Foolishness’ and the Pat Terry Group-ish ‘Wait On The Lord’. Steel guitar and fiddle bring a country edge to ‘Bank Of Heaven’ and ‘On That Day’. Also includes covers of ‘He Looked Beyond My Fault’ and Jamie Owens’ ‘Let Me Introduce You To A Friend’. The cartoon cover of a freshly river-baptized beaming Jesus freak is rather adorable. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Rich Martin - Rich Martin (1975)


Rich Martin’s country-flavored acoustic rock style and fragile vocal delivery remind me of artists like Dennis Ryder, Dave Mattson, Marc Haney, or even some of the stripped-down early Larry Norman recordings like Street Level and Bootleg. Martin handles most of the instruments himself including acoustic and electric guitars, bass, mandolin, harmonica, drums and miscellaneous percussion. ‘I Give You My Life’ has some beautiful flute accompaniment while ‘Day Of The Son Of Man’ recognizes some good electric leads. Martin’s wit is revealed on titles like ‘Soap Opera Blues’ and ‘Life’s Cheatin’ Heart’, as well as lyrics in ‘Praise The Lord Tonight’ (“I don’t want no hickey on my brain from reading True Confession”) and the Mark Heard-flavored ‘Just As I Am’ (“I ain’t as good lookin’ as the Marlboro man, but Jesus he loves me, just as I am”). A real Jesus music classic here. Same tiny label as James O’Connell and the first two Shiloh records. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Joe Wise - He Has Come (1977)



A meditative album of acoustic Christmas songs. Classical guitarist John Pell’s arrangements highlight such instruments as harp, flute, recorder, cello and woodwinds for a soothing European classical-folk mood. Includes ‘Silent Night’ in German, ‘What Child Is This’, ‘I Wonder As I Wander’ and ‘Cherry Tree Carol’ among others. I personally prefer this kind of thing to Amy Grant singing about chestnuts going pop pop pop. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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The Mission Street Salvation Band - Adriel (1973)


Had this one years ago, got rid of it like an idiot, and subsequently had to wait years to right my wrong. With piano at the center of their modest soft rock sound these six Oregon guys sometimes strike a mild resemblance to groups like Love Song, albeit with a much more custom feel. Can be difficult to approach on the surface, but deeper listens reveal some respectful attempts at an artful edge as well as a few nice underground electric angles, including some fuzz on ‘Living Lonely’. Includes a Verne Bullock boogie tune ‘Thunderin’ with twangy guitar. Self-written numbers include ‘Door At The Foot At The Cross’, ‘Raincoat For The Rain’, ‘Cry Me No Rivers’, ‘Adriel’, ‘Glorious Day’, ‘Praise For The Trials’, others. Not a huge thing but pleasant enough that I sure ain’t gonna let it go again. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Wednesday

Dove - Dove II (1974)


Dove leaves the nest and soars miles above their debut. Leaving the simple folkrock feel of that lp, they’ve developed a rich textured sound layered with synths, mellotron, and even touches of progressive art rock. Starved proggies will swallow the opening cut whole with its ‘70s prog guitars and keyboards (I think I heard Camel in there for about three seconds). Norman’s ‘The Outlaw’ and Pat Terry’s ‘Seen It Now’ both get lush arrangements. ‘Bad News Blues’ growls out the world’s woes before ending on a more upbeat groove about the “good news”. New to the group is Bob Farrell on bass and Sonny Lallerstedt is enlisted for lead guitar - both played on the Millenium album which has a similar sound. A good deal of ballads here, but well worth it for the progressive stuff. Colorful deluxe gatefold cover. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Paul Quinlan - Run Like a Deer (1967)



After two excellent folk lps and an appearance on Praise The Lord In Many Voices Part II, Paul Quinlan surfaced with a band and took aim at the “beat” sound or in his words “folk-rock psalms” - and man my feet are a-movin’! ‘O Praise The Lord’ swings with incredible cheesy go-go organ, while the snappy ‘60s pop of ‘Glory To God’ and ‘God Arises’ progresses with a cool beat and a touch of Beatles twang. Side two is more folk-oriented, performed in a trio format with much gusto, especially those Spanish-flavored tunes. A few songs are re-interpreted from earlier lps. A superb lp (my fave from the boy) with a nice homemade feel, plus it’s one of the first American albums to step out into more rockin’ territory. Great! (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Aslan - Second Helpings (1977)


There’s something about these delicate British guy/gal folk groups - a certain magic in the air that fills their music with an undeniable charm. Carpenter’s Apprentice. Presence. Caedmon. Aslan belongs right beside all these greats. Second Helpings is even more endearing than the excellent Paws For Thought, with more original songwriting. My heart melts as they casually stroll through the happy/sad ‘The Ballad Of Thomas Cook’, cruise ‘Earthbound’ with jet sound effects, or waltz gracefully through the ‘Song Of The Seasons’. The backing instruments take a breather for the minor-key a cappella traditional ‘Three Kings’, as well as the spoken poem ‘Outside’. Conversely, the vocals are set aside for the tick-tocking instrumental ‘Interlude’. All the instruments from Paws return, plus samplings of piano, violin, harp, accordion and saxophone. The glockenspiel, autoharp and recorder in particular combined with the quaint harmonies give Aslan their refreshingly unique identity. Member Pam Burgess also recorded a couple solo tracks for the This Side Of The River compilation on the same label. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Aslan - Paws for Thought (1976)


Not to be confused with some American groups of the same name, this is a very obscure UK album of simple unpretentious progressive British folk. This particular Aslan hails from Leicestershire, England and consists of three girls and three guys. Their fragile vocals, acoustic guitars, autoharp, flute, recorder, glockenspiel and percussion all work together to create a sincere beauty and charm. The music sometimes reflects the style of old-time traditional English folk, even on their self-composed songs. They are also in some ways reminiscent of Parchment’s best moments, minus the electric components, resulting in a warm acoustic sound. Good renditions of titles by Graham Kendrick (‘Moving On’, ‘Sweet Fire’) and Parchment (‘Better Than Yesterday’). ‘Beauty’ is a poem of the beauty of God and His creation recited over acoustic guitar. Other covers include ‘University Song (Kick The Cat)’, ‘Love Song’ (the one popularized by Elton John), the traditional ‘The King’ (which has also been covered by Steeleye Span) and ‘I Am The Resurrection’. Also some excellent originals, including ‘Follow Me’, ‘Lady Jane Grey’ and the playful ‘Witch’s Hat’ (nice tandem harmonies). A very pricey item now on a highly collected label (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Koinonia - Latter Rain (1972)



Five-star guy/gal folkrock custom from seven-person California outfit. The music is primarily acoustic oriented, energized with bass and drums on the rhythm, often adorned with dreamy flute accompaniment. Latter Rain includes joyful upbeat expressions (the title track, ‘Possess The Land’) as well as gentle acoustic ballads (‘Compliments Of God’, the instrumental ‘Calling Of The Spirit’). Some of the songs such as ‘Salvation Has Come’, ‘Going Up To Glory’ and ‘Victory’ duplicate the style and charm of Rising Hope, one of my favorite Jesus folkrock groups. Lovely male and female vocals taking turns in the lead, plus some wonderful spirited flower-power harmonies. Female solo ballads like ‘Servant Be Faithful’ and ‘Come Partake’ bring to mind the beauty of Marj Snyder’s music. The group was based out of Trinity Chapel in Cypress, California. The back cover describes the members’ various backgrounds: “the dope world, the hippie movement, the goodie goodie, the intellectual – all being brought together by Christ Jesus and Koinonia”. Band name is Greek for “fellowship”. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Talleyrand - First Fruits (1975)


One of the more innovative acoustic duos to cross my path, especially given that it’s just one instrument and two voices. Jamming aggressively and plucking out unusual chords on acoustic guitar is Bill Romanowski, joined by the dynamic female vocals of Kris Gardner. The music is vibrant and unrefined, played and sung with passion, with creative harmonies and songwriting, as well as constantly shifting moods that range from bluesy to joyous to mysterious to downcast to optimistic. Often upbeat and spirited as on ‘Kingdom’, ‘Change’ and the vigorous ‘Legion (Lately Things Don’t Seem The Same)’. Also several excellent atmospheric selections, including ‘Thinking About You Lord’, ‘Softly Spoken’ and ‘Sliver Of Sunshine’. Bill exchanges his guitar for some fine piano work on ‘Dawn’. An excellent lp, quite different from anything else in the folk realm. What would you expect from a guy who went on to be an art prof at Calvin College? See also William David Romanowski for Bill’s later solo lp. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Alive! (1969)


Another excellent lp on the highly collectible Key label - this one a various artists studio compilation featuring five British artists. Best of the bunch is Whispers Of Truth, contributing four tracks and featuring a young Graham Kendrick. Kendrick would go on to release several excellent folk, poprock, and ultimately worship lps, but here he and his band were deep into the electric British Invasion rock sound. Hard to top the loud Yardbirds-ish energy of ‘Reality’ or psychy pop numbers like ‘Psychiatrist’ and ‘Sunday Afternoon With Emily’. All Things New delivers a couple of blues rockers plus a fun beat song ‘Jesus Is Coming Again’, complete with cheesy organ, baritone sax, fuzz guitar, flute, and trumpet, coming off as some kind of bizarre cheap Troggs/Madness clone. Acoustic folk is provided by the duo of Roger and Jan, and The Glorylanders contribute a pair of rousing, more traditional folk numbers (both groups have other full-length albums available). Rounded out by two impassioned poetry readings by Nigel Goodwin, including the original version of ‘First Time I Went To Church’ done in a strong Cockney accent while a church organ softly plays. You may be familiar with the version on Larry Norman’s Street Level. 45 glorious minutes of solidly British-sounding early Jesus music. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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A Man Dies (1964)


The first Christian rock album? Mmmmmmmmm could be! That 1964 date on this baby shaves a good two years off of shortly-to-follow entries from The Concords, The Crusaders and Joy Strings. A Man Dies was written by Ewan Hopper and Ernest Marvin for the teenagers of St. James’ Presbyterian Church at Lockleaze, Bristol. “It is an attempt to present the Bible story in the modern idiom – in the music and dancing which teenagers love so much and can do so well”. This is definitely an electric album and it’s got the early UK ‘60s written all over it. The main performers are identified as Valerie Mountain, Ricky Forde and a group called The Strangers. Swinging pop, jangly beat, slow blues rock, Hard Days Night-era Beatles, talk-singing over a beat – it’s all here spanning twenty-six tunes that feature titles like ‘How Long, Lordie?’, ‘Do Us A Favour’, ‘What’s The Use?’, ‘Look In The Paper’, ‘Ding Dong’, ‘Riding On A Donkey’, ‘Who Is My Neighbour?’, ‘Gentle Christ’, etc. Even a couple surfy twangin’ instrumentals in classic Ventures/Shadows tradition (‘Dominator’ and ‘Jack Knife’). No keyboards from what I can tell – just revved-up drums, bass and raw electric guitars. Cover says it was first performed in 1960. I’m surprised this isn’t more widely known, especially given that it’s on a major label. Seldom has early Jesus music sounded so alive and bursting with energy as it does on A Man Dies. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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The Last Call of Shiloh - The Last Call of Shiloh (1972)




Excruciatingly rare and highly desirable slab of west coast garagy rock rooted in the San Francisco sound. Taking their name from Genesis 49:10, this 4-guy, 2-gal outreach of the Idaho Jesus People Army had an edgy homemade sound that’s been likened to a more laid-back Jefferson Airplane, with spacey female vocals over an electric backdrop of psychy basement guitar. The unusual song composition didn’t hit me over the head at first, but multiple listenings revealed the layers of interesting guitar work going on in the background. ‘New Jerusalem’ has some nice slow dreamy charm at work while ‘Marriage Supper Of The Lamb’ and ‘Great Day Of The Lord’ both approach seven minutes in length, allowing the guitarist opportunity to try out some tremoloed Quicksilver flourishes. Closes with ‘Call To Brokeness’, a beautiful piece of ethereal femme folk psych. Black and white cover features a pencil drawing of the face of Christ overtop a photo montage of the multitudes. A couple members went on to form the band Living Sacrifice, re-interpreting a few of these songs over the course of their three albums. Be aware that some copies without sleeves were obtained from the band a few years ago – these are now being circulated with reproduced covers. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Living Sacrifice - Living Sacrifice (1977)


Picking up where The Last Call Of Shiloh left off, at least three of the members (John and Diane Murray, John Rosenberry) carried on the vision into the lesser known Living Sacrifice. Their self-titled debut is one of the scarcest Jesus rock customs around, reportedly only a 200 or so press. The recording quality is a notch above their earlier incarnation, yet still very much the underground homemade feel, balancing gentle acoustic ballads alongside some fine samplings of the west-coast guitar psych and folkrock style of bands like Wilson McKinley, Azitis, Harvest Flight and of course Last Call Of Shiloh. Male vocals and twin female harmonies take turns in the spotlight. John Murray’s fascination with apocalyptic themes is still very much alive on cuts like the lengthy acoustic ‘These Are The Times Before The End’, wherein various prophecies and their fulfillment are enumerated. ‘Lord I Don’t Wanna Die’ is the standout track here, beginning as a hippie rural folk ditty before cranking up the volume with a long heavy fuzz guitar solo.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)

Taken from a cassette

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The Last Adam - The Last Adam (1980)




Lots of variety on this excellent custom Florida obscurity. For starters hardrock buffs will definitely salivate over driving cuts like ‘Receive It’, ‘Trips’, and ‘Remember That Name’, all of which register high with loud guitar. ‘Dance Cloud’ is acoustic and carefree with progressive overtones. Some melodic middle-ground rock and a few acoustic ballads fill out the lp. The spacey synthesizer is a nice touch adding that progressive edge here and there. Flute, French horn, and flugelhorn solo passages fit right in. And a most expressive lady passionately belts out the lead vocals. Would have been a perfect candidate for the Tunesmith label - production is certainly up to par. Real striking cover of horse and rider with flaming sword emerging from the clouds. Back cover and label both say “The Salvation Army” - not sure if that’s the album title or label. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Omega Sonship - Earth Rider (1980)



I’ve noticed this male/female Ohio group’s custom obscurity getting some attention in collectors’ circles lately. Though mostly in the soft-to-middle-ground rural rock category (not unlike Maranatha artists Phoenix Sonshine or Parable in that respect), they can often be found stretching out into progressive territory with some well-crafted lengthy songs. Cuts like ‘We Should Live’ and ‘Bow Down’ sound like they contain multiple movements, clocking in at 6:44 and 7:20 respectively. Other selections include ‘Ain’t It Good’, ‘Perfection’, ‘Pretty Words’, ‘That’s The Way Things Happen’, ‘Earth Rider’ and ‘Jesus Is Waiting’. Decorated with some good synthesizer and organ touches. Their style wasn’t immediately accessible - the slow tempos in particular took a little while to grow on me - but after a few listens I began to see it’s a very nice original work. Followed by two less cutting-edge albums, The Sword And The Oil (1982) and Incisions (1986). (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Markus Egger - Lebenstanz (1979)

Markus Egger’s name can be found listed as a member of the German groups Semaja and Eden, both of which are Christian bands with superb albums worth tracking down. On this solo album he’s accompanied by the band Eden, so it should come as no surprise that Lebenstanz (German for “life’s dance”) has all the earmarks of an Eden album. That means a high-quality production featuring dynamic electric guitars, spacious commanding synthesizers and vibrant acoustic guitar, all within a ‘70s progressive art-rock context. Includes hard-edged moments as well as artful acoustic stretches and touches of jazz-rock. Further enhanced with organ, flutes, fuzz, violin and even some sitar. All lyrics in German (I did manage to hear a “hallelujah” in there). Bizarre cover art showing a longhaired shirtless guy pointing to the sky while standing between buildings that have signs like “casino”, “sex”, “devil”, “drugs”, etc.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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For Now 2 (1972?)


Hard rock alert! Another consistent rockin’ lp from Indelible Inc delivering a solid Rare Earth and Three Dog Night brand of heaviness. Although the lyrics to the songs of Robert Edwin, Joe Wise, Jack Miffleton, Sydney Carter, and Ray Repp remain intact, the melodies have been entirely re-written into the hard rock format with blaring leads and some funky keyboards. Repp’s songs in particular get a serious jolt - ‘Come Away’ sizzles with stinging fuzz guitar while ‘Here We Are’ rocks ferociously at high speed. The lack of credits on either album makes me wonder if the group might have been a one-off assembly of studio musicians. Don’t confuse these lps with the folk ones on the same label entitled Hymns For Now 1, 2, and 3. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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For Now 1 (1972?)


What if the songs of Christian folk pioneers like Ray Repp, Peter Scholtes and others had their melodies re-written, then arranged and recorded in the hard-rocking style of Rare Earth? That’s exactly what the band Indelible Inc. (identified only on the back cover notes) delivers on this intriguing Lutheran production. These guys deliver a solid commercial rocking mix of soulful male lead and backup vocals, backed by sturdy rhythm guitar, lead electric guitar, bangin’ piano, bass and drums. ‘Thank You’ is one the loudest tracks, raw guitars cranking it out in heavy ‘I Just Wanna Celebrate’ fashion. Ditto for ‘What Will I Do?’ which interjects some funky clavinet amidst the mean guitars. ‘They’ll Know We Are Christians By Our Love’, ‘Go For Me’ and ‘Clap Your Hands’ all follow suit, while ‘Sons Of God’ and ‘Song Maybe For Teenage Christians’ show the softer melodic side of the group. Also an cool interpretation of Sydney Carter’s ‘Lord Of The Dance’. Closes with a piano-backed recitation of the Nicene Creed. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Tuesday

The Group - No Time Like the Present (1969?)



This is more or less the same outfit that recorded With Skins And Steel and Some Young Carpenter under the name Jack Miffleton. The Group is listed as Neil Blunt, C P Mudd, Tim McAllister and Dennis Cooney (they wrote all the songs), although several others are involved including Skipp Sanders and Nancy Barnes on vocals and Miffleton on guitar. Same lively high-quality ‘60s jangly folk sound as With Skins And Steel, sometimes electric, often with a snappy beat accompanying, energized by crisp male/female harmonies. The title track, ‘Free Child’, ‘People Of Sion’, ‘I Am The Way, You Are The Wanderer’ and ‘Get Up Jerusalem’ all fall into this category. Balanced with a number of moody acoustic ballads such as ‘St. Francis Prayer’, ‘I Wonder Why’ and ‘Emmanuel’. Fourteen songs in all. Subtitled Songs Which Mirror Our Day. (Ken Scott - Archivist)



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Jack Miffleton - Some Young Carpenter (1970)


“Some young carpenter has risen, they say, there’s hope today.” On this album Miffleton and crew tossed in electric rhythm and lead guitar along with organ for a heavier irresistible ‘60s “beat-rock-folk-pop” sound that is downright swingin’! Some would even call it “psych”, especially with unusual breaks like ‘Revolutionary Peace’, an anti-war poem recited over guitar, machine gun fire and air raid sirens, dishing out phrases like “dialectical impossibilities, synthetical antitheses, democratic bigotry”. Definitely their most electric recording: ‘Bring On’, ‘I Trust In You’ and ‘Glory To God’ all groove along to a rocking beat, while ‘God Made The World’ and the title track take the brisk plugged-in jingle-jangle route. Softer moods are contained within ballads like ‘You Are My Son’, ‘Hey Joe’ and the somber ‘Flies The Dove’. Features thirteen of Miffleton’s songs. Front cover says “sung by The Group with Skipp Sanders”. By far my favorite from these talented folks. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Jack Miffleton - With Skins and Steel (1968?)


One of the most wholesome spirited folk outfits to reach these ears, one whose albums have the sixties written all over them. Although the artist name is listed as Jack Miffleton (composer of the songs), this is really a group effort. They do a splendid job putting their own unique stamp on the Catholic sound: up-tempo pure folk with a big beat; melancholy acoustic ballads rich in emotion; gently swaying numbers with hypnotic percussion. Participants include singers Skipp Sanders, Nancy Barnes and Dennis Cooney, Jack on guitar, plus others on bass, drums, banjo, percussion and additional guitar. The vocalists are all good, their harmonies filled with feeling and creatively expressed, while the instrumental backing remains simple yet solid and lively. Back cover describes the songs as “foot-tapping” (‘I’m Ready To Follow’), “quiet ebb and flow” (‘The Wind Blows’), “poignant” (‘Cry Alice’) and “rhythmic” (‘Alle Alle’). An irresistible rocking drumbeat is laid down on ‘I Am The Bread’. Opens with ‘Well, It’s A New Day’, one of Jack’s best known songs. Most of these folks (including Jack) also appear on The Group’s No Time Like The Present which has a more or less identical sound. (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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His - Because We Are His (1974)


The first thing that catches your eye about this 15-person youth outfit is their garb: striped pants for the guys, red blouses and blue miniskirts for the girls, plus colorful polka dot kerchiefs and sashes. Musically they’ve got a fun homegrown electric sunshine folk/pop thing going on that’s right in step with the whole Ralph Carmichael teen scene, but with an occasional surprising edge that transcends their outfits. Some familiar covers, including ‘He’s Everything To Me’, ‘The New 23rd’ and ‘This Little Light Of Mine’. ‘He’s There’ is a nice moody acoustic track featuring just a couple of the singers, while ‘Two Open Doors’ strums along to a catchy jangly ‘60s-ish pop melody. ‘Sweet Salvation’ is the album’s standout, a male solo track with cool basement electric guitar leads and a spirited garage folk-rock groove ala Holy Ghost Reception Committee #9. Closes with an energetic rock-n-roll hand-clapper called ‘God’s Family’. Only a handful of lesser piano or a cappella things. From a place called His Place in Goldendale, Washington. Released on a custom branch of the Light label.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Ken Labrie - Lost & Found (1975)

Ken LaBrie has one of those rich smooth voices, but at least he can alter it to suit the mood. Lost & Found has some very traditional material (such as ‘My Tribute’ and a hymns medley), but there are also a few notable light-rock singer/songwriter moods, like the organ-backed title track, the soft acoustic ballad ‘Jesus Died’ or the folky ‘I’ve Got Something’. ‘The Medicine Bottle God’ talks about our tendency to use God only when we need him, after which we put him back on the shelf. One cut in particular really stands out: ‘Listen’ has a harder rock edge that features heavy electric guitar and organ passages. Ken on lead and rhythm guitar, others on drums, harmonica, bass, piano, organ and additional lead guitar. A few catalog numbers down from the same-label Concrete Rubber Band lp.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Keith Loring - Show You A New Dance (1976)


Keith’s name can be found as a contributor on various UK albums by artists like Barry Crompton and Amaziah. He’s also the main man behind the mega-rare This Driftin’s Gotta Stop record. On his solo lp Show You A New Dance (one of the more obscure Dovetail releases), Keith presents ten of his own songs. Mostly a melodic soft-to-middle-ground rock format ala Bryn Haworth, with Keith providing acoustic guitar, second electric guitar, mandolin and vocals, assisted by several others including Mo Witham, Nick Ryan and Pete Banks. Some mellow jazz vibes courtesy of saxophone (‘Kindergarten Children’, ‘So Close’, ‘Imitation’) and flute (‘Precious Light’), plus wah-wah guitar that brings a mild disco suggestion. The opening ‘Laughin’ Smilin’ is a solid rocking track with electric guitar. Produced by John Pantry.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Sons Unto Glory - The Harvest Is Ripe (1976)

Six longhaired Aiken, South Carolina boys land a first-class winner on this custom Jesus rocker. Sort of progressive in a ‘70s FM rock sense, combining influences of Southern rock, country rock, hard rock and jazz rock. Lots of good electric guitar soloing opportunities coupled with a robust organ presence. The sound and production are decent as well, without being overly clean. Strong evangelistic thrust as titles like ‘Preach The Gospel’, ‘You Must Be Born Again’, ‘What The Lord Will Do For You’ and ‘Let Him Cleanse You’ indicate. Some pleasant acoustic ballads that remind me of groups like The Way. Closes with the lengthy ‘Resurrection Power’, a mostly instrumental melodic jazz-fusion piece with skillful trading of guitar and keyboard solos. Around 1000 made. (Ken Scott - The Archivist)

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Michael & Tamara - Heavenbound (1976)


Meet Michael Conlan and Tamara Tesman, two ex-dopeheads who met Jesus and each other on Hawaii, then went on to record this excellent acoustic lp. One of the best relaxed hippie Jesus folk albums you’ll ever hear. Tamara’s soft down-to-earth understated vocals are perfect for the style, and when the two sing together their harmonies are positively mesmerizing. Michael’s acoustic guitar jangles hypnotically in the background within a gentle rural context, with only Bob Haskell’s bass for company. Features eight of Michael’s songs, plus covers of ‘Morning Has Broken’ and ‘Why Me, Lord’. Also released on the Birthright label in a different cover. They had at least two subsequent albums where the acoustic edge was sacrificed for orchestrated easy listening.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)

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Craig Marlatt - Holes In Time (1979)


A giant leap forward here as Craig adopts a tighter rock sound that’s right in step with albums like Mike Johnson’s The Velvet Prince. Holes In Time continues to conceptually deal with the themes of sin and redemption, specifically within the prison life context. As with Johnson’s early solo works there’s a variety of stylistic moods presented here. The guitar work is solid on rockers like ‘I Know You’ and ‘Use Me Lord’. I especially dug the hard classic rock jamming ‘Just Like Them’ and the fast-paced harmonica-wailing jive-talkin’ ‘Unique Individual’. Several fine softer-edged tracks with a nice moody atmosphere. Great cover art: a montage of a gun-firing criminal, a prisoner, a priest and a cross in garish lavenders and pinks with the look of those old Spire paperbacks. More or less brilliant I’d say. Followed by a 1983 lp It’s Raining All Over The World.  (Ken Scott - Archivist)


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Sunday

The Gospel Message




In this article, I want to explain what it means to be "born again" - or to be "saved".

Repentance is the first step to this experience. But in order to repent (turn from sin) you must first know what sin is. There is a lot of false understanding of repentance among Christians today, because there is a lot of false understanding of sin.

The standards in Christianity have come down greatly in these past few decades. The "gospel" being preached today by most preachers is a highly diluted version of the truth. People are being told only to believe in Jesus. But believing in Jesus alone will not save anyone, if they do not repent.

Being born again is the foundation of the Christian life. If you live a good life, without laying this foundation, then your Christianity will be just like all the other religions in the world - that also teach people to live a good life. We must certainly live a good life. But that is the superstructure of Christianity - not its foundation. The foundation is being born again. We must all begin there.

Jesus used the expression "born again" in John 3:3, when speaking to Nicodemus who was a religious leader and a God-fearing man who lived uprightly. Yet Jesus told him, "Unless you are born again you cannot see the kingdom of God" (John 3:3). So we see that to enter God's kingdom you need to have a spiritual birth, even if you are a very good man! Jesus then told him that He (Jesus) would be lifted up on a cross to die and that those who believed in Him would receive eternal life (John 3:14,16).

Jesus went on to tell him that men loved darkness more than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). But those who are honest would come into the light and be saved (John 3:21). To be born again, you must come into the light. That means being honest with God and confessing your sins to Him. Obviously, you cannot remember all the sins that you have committed. But you must acknowledge that you are a sinner and tell God whatever sins you remember.

Sin is a very big thing and you can see only a very small part of it in your life, at first. That is something like your living in a large country of which you have seen only a very small part. But as you turn from the sins that you know, you will gradually see more and more of this "country of sin" in your own life. As you walk in the light, you will see more of your sin - and you can then cleanse yourself more and more from it. So you must walk in honesty before God all the time.


To use another illustration: You are living in a house that has many dirty rooms. You want the Lord Jesus to come and live in your house. But He cannot live in dirty rooms. So He helps you to clean up each room - one by one. Little by little, the whole house is cleaned up. That is how we grow in holiness in the Christian life.

The apostle Paul once said that everywhere he went, he preached the same message to everyone: Repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:20). These are the two requirements to lay a good foundation in your life and to be born again. God has joined repentance and faith together. But most Christian preachers have separated them. Repentance has been left out from most of today's gospel-preaching. Only faith is being preached by most preachers.

But if you have only faith, you cannot be born again. That is like saying that a woman cannot have a child, all by herself, no matter how hard she tries. A man also cannot have a child all by himself. A man and a woman have to come together for a child can be born. Even so, it is when repentance and faith come together that a spiritual child is born - that the new birth can take place in your spirit. This spiritual birth is just as real as physical birth - and it also takes place in a moment. It is not gradual.


There may be months of preparation for the new birth - just as there are months of preparation for physical birth. But the new birth itself (just like physical birth) takes place in a moment. Some Christians do not know the date of their new birth. I do not know the date of my own new birth. But that is just like not knowing the date of one's physical birth. That is not a serious matter - if one is alive!! In the same way, the important thing is to know for certain that you are alive in Christ today.

Are we being narrow-minded when we say that Jesus is the only way to God?
Let me answer that with an illustration: Someone who has never seen my father (or even a picture of my father), cannot know what my father looks like. In the same way, we who have never seen God cannot know anything about Him or the way to Him. Jesus Christ however, came from God. And so He alone can show us the way to God." He said "I am the way. No one can come to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).


When we think about Jesus' claim to be the ONLY WAY to God the Father, we have to say that either what He said was true or He was a liar and a deceiver. Who would dare to say that He was a liar and a deceiver? It is not enough to say that Jesus was just a good man or a prophet. No. He is God Himself - and not just a good man. He couldn't possibly be a good man if He were a liar or a deceiver! So we conclude that Jesus was indeed God in human form.


All truth is narrow-minded. In mathematics, 2 + 2 is always 4. We cannot be broadminded and accept 3 or 5 also as possible answers. We cannot even accept 3.9999. If we accept such variations of the truth, our mathematical calculations will go wrong. In the same way, we know that the earth revolves around the sun. If we decide to be "broadminded" and accept some theory that says that the sun also revolves around the earth, our astronomical calculations will go wrong. Likewise, in chemistry, H2O is water. We cannot be broadminded and say that H2O is also salt!! So we see that truth is absolute in every area and very narrow-minded. It is so, even in the matter of God. Broadmindedness can bring serious errors in mathematics, in astronomy and in chemistry - and also in knowing the truth about God.


The Bible teaches that all human beings are sinners - and Jesus died for sinners. So, if you come to Jesus as a "Christian" , He will not forgive your sins, because He did not die for Christians! He died for sinners. The only person who can be forgiven is the one who comes to Jesus and says "Lord, I am a sinner" . You cannot come to Jesus as a member of any religion and be forgiven, because He died for sinners. If you come to Him as a sinner, then your sins can be forgiven immediately.


It's easy for all of us to know that we are sinners - because God has given us all a conscience. Children have a very sensitive conscience, that makes them aware of wrong very quickly. But as they grow up, that conscience can become hard and insensitive. When a 3-year old child tells a lie, his face looks guilty because his conscience is guilty. But 15 years later, he can tell a lie with a straight face, because he killed his conscience by repeatedly ignoring its voice. The soles of a baby's foot are so soft that it can feel even the stroking of a feather. But the soles of the feet of adults are so hard that they don't feel even the poke of a pin until it is pressed in hard. This is what happens to their conscience too, as they grow up.


Conscience is a voice that God has placed within us, that tells us that we are moral beings. It gives us an elementary understanding of right and wrong. And so it is a wonderful gift of God. Jesus called it "the eye of the heart" (Lk.11:34). If we don't preserve this "eye" with care, we will become spiritually blind one day. Ignoring the pricks of conscience can be as dangerous as ignoring the particles of dust that enter your eye - one day you will become totally blind, spiritually.


When babies are born, none of them have any religion. They are all the same. Two years later, they are still the same - selfish and quarrelsome. But as time goes on, their parents indoctrinate them into different religions - and that is how they end up in different religions. In more than 90% of cases, a person's religion is what his parents chose for him.


But God doesn't look at us as people of different religions. He sees us all as sinners. Jesus came from heaven to earth to die for the sins of all humanity. He didn't come for those who consider themselves good enough to enter God's presence, but for those who acknowledge that they are sinners and unfit to enter God's presence. Your conscience tells you that you are a sinner. So why should it be difficult to come to Jesus and say, "Lord, I am a sinner, I have done many wrong things in my life"?


A question that some may ask is, "Can't a good God overlook our sins and forgive us, just like a father would forgive?" If a son broke (or lost) something valuable, and was sorry for it and apologised to his father, his father would forgive him. But these matters are not moral issues. If all our sins were just like these matters, then God would forgive us immediately. But sin is not like these matters. Sin is a crime.


If a man were a judge in a court and his own son was standing in front of him, accused of some crime, can he tell his son, "Son, I love you. I forgive you. I won't punish you"? Any earthly judge with the slightest sense of justice, would never do such a thing. That sense of justice that we all have is a small part of the perfect justice of Almighty God, in whose likeness we have been made. So when we have done something seriously wrong, God as a judge, has to say to us, "I love you very much but you have committed a crime - and so I have to punish you." In that court, however much the son may be sorry for his crime, his father still has to punish him, as a judge. Let us suppose that the boy had robbed a bank. The father fines him the full penalty of the law - say, one million rupees. Since the boy does not have the money to pay the fine, he has to go to jail! The father then steps down from the judge's chair, takes off his judge's robe and comes down. He takes out his personal check-book and writes a check for one million rupees (his entire life's savings) and gives it to his son to pay the fine. Can his son accuse him now of not loving him? No! At the same time, no-one can accuse him of not being a just judge either, because he gave his son the full punishment that the law demanded. That is exactly what God did for us too. As a Judge He declared that we must all die for our sins. Then He came down as a Man and took that punishment Himself.


The Bible teaches us that even though God is One, He exists in Three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. If God were just One Person, He could not possibly have vacated His throne in heaven and come down to earth as a man in the person of Jesus. Who would run the universe then? But because God exists as Three Persons, the Son could come to earth and die for our sins before the Father in heaven Who was the Judge. Some Christians baptize people in the name of "Jesus only" saying that there is only One Person in the Godhead - Jesus. This is a serious error. 1 John 2:22 says that anyone who denies the Father and the Son has the spirit of the antichrist. Because he then denies that God the Son came in human form as Jesus Christ, and denied his own human will and did the Father's will and then took the punishment for our sins, before God the Father (1 Jn.4:2,3).


Jesus was fully God and fully man when He came to earth. When He died on the cross, He took the punishment for the sins of all humanity. The punishment for our sin is to be separated from God for eternity. And when Jesus hung on the cross, He was separated from His Father in heaven. Such separation is the most terrible suffering that any human being can ever suffer.


Hell is the only God-forsaken place in the universe. God is not there. And so in hell, all the evil in the devil manifests itself fully. That evil is what makes things so miserable for all who go to hell. Jesus experienced that punishment when He hung on the cross. He hung on the cross for 6 hours. But in the last 3 hours He was forsaken by God. The sun became dark and the earth shook. His connection with His Father in heaven was cut off. The Father is the head of Christ (1 Cor.11:3) - and when Christ was forsaken, it was like having His head wrenched off. We cannot understand fully what an agony that was for Him.



If Jesus were merely a created being, He could not possibly have taken the punishment for the billions of human beings who have lived since Adam! For one man cannot be hanged in place of one billion murderers! But Jesus could take that punishment because He is the Infinite God.


Further, because He is infinite, He could also take an eternal punishment within three hours.


If Jesus Christ were not God, and God the Father had punished Him for our sin, that would have been a great injustice. God cannot punish one person for the crime of another, even if the person is willing to take the punishment. Your friend cannot take your punishment and be hanged in your place. That would be unjust. So if Jesus were merely a created being, and He was punished for our sins, that would have been the greatest injustice.


So it is clear that no created being could possibly have taken the punishment for our sins. God alone could take that punishment, because He is the Judge of the universe. He has the right to punish us - and He has the right to take our punishment Himself. And that is what He did, when He came to earth in the Person of Jesus Christ. The foundation of the Christian faith lies in two great truths: First, that Christ died for the sins of humanity. Secondly, that He rose from the dead after three days.


If Christ did not rise from the dead, there would have been no proof that He was God. His rising from the dead was proof that all that He had said was true. No religious leader has ever claimed that he would die for the sins of the world. And no religious leader has ever risen from the dead. These two facts alone make Jesus Christ unique.


All religions may teach us to do good to others and to live in peace. But the Christian faith has an unique foundation: Christ died for our sins and rose from the dead. If these two truths are removed from Christianity, then Christianity becomes just like any other religion. These two truths are what make Christianity unique.


We were all created by God to live for Him. But we have all lived for ourselves. So, when we come to God, we must come as repentant thieves who have stolen for many years, what belonged to God. We must come to Him with thankfulness for Christ dying for us, and believing that He rose from the dead and is alive today. We could not possibly pray to Jesus if He were not alive today - for you cannot pray to a dead person. But because Jesus rose from the dead, we can converse with Him.


After Christ rose from the dead, He ascended and returned to heaven. Then the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead came down to earth. The Holy Spirit is a real Person like Jesus Himself. He has come to earth to fill our lives with His presence. If we yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit, He can make us holy. When the Holy Spirit fills you, you will be enabled to live a life of victory over sin. No-one could live like that before the Holy Spirit came to indwell man - on the day of Pentecost. Before that, people could only improve their external lives. Their inner lives remained defeated by sin and unchanged. When the Holy Spirit fills you, God Himself lives inside you and He can enable you to live a godly life inwardly too.


The wonderful message of the gospel is that your heart can become totally clean when God forgives you and then Christ can live in you through His Spirit making your body the house of God.



I was speaking to a Christian once who was smoking cigarettes. I asked him if he would ever smoke a cigarette inside a church building? He said he would never do that because a church building was the house of God. I told him that it was his body that was the house of God and not some church-building. You would not commit adultery inside a church-building, would you? You would not watch internet pornography inside a church either. Your body is the house of God, when Christ lives within. So be careful what you do with the members of your body. Habits like smoking, drinking, taking harmful drugs and allowing impure thoughts to enter your mind will gradually destroy your body and your mind.


The Christian life is like a race. When we turn our back to sin and are born again, we come to the starting line of this race. Then begins a marathon race - until the end of our life. We run and run and run. And thus we get closer and closer to the finishing line each day. But we must never stop running.



Or to use another illustration: When we are born again, we lay the foundation for our house. After that we slowly build the superstructure - and this consists of many floors.


This is the best life you can ever live, because you gradually eliminate everything bad from your life and become more and more like God as each year goes by.


So what must you do to be born again?


First of all, acknowledge that you are a sinner. Don't compare yourself with others and find any comfort in imagining that you are better than them. Sin is like a deadly poison. Whether you drink one drop or a hundred drops of poison, you still die. So, if you want to make a good start in your Christian life, acknowledge that you are no better than the worst sinner in the world. Then decide to turn from all known sin in your life.


Then believe in Christ. That means to commit yourself to Christ - and not just to believe something about Him in your mind. You can believe in someone without committing yourself to him. A bride is asked at her wedding

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