“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Matthew 4:19
Hello Friends:
Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
I’m again piggybacking off the Jesus Movement theme. Even though I gave my heart to Jesus about five years after the height of the movement, I grew up during that time and I call myself a “hippie wannabe” with my long hair, beard, and my definite search for meaning in life. My last website post and video were about the “The Jesus Revolution”, based on a 1971 Time article, and the “Jesus Revolution” movie currently showing in theaters across America.
For this post I explored a little bit more about Keith Green, a prolific Christian music artist, who gave his heart to Jesus in 1972, one year after the Time magazine “Jesus Revolution” article was written. Keith also grew up in the hippie scene in the Los Angeles area where Pastor Chuck Smith had such an impact on the hippie culture. The interesting thing is that I didn’t hear or read of any connection between Green, Pastor Smith, and the Jesus movement.
Keith Green was less than three months older than me, so I can identify with him in the era we both grew up in. But I can in no way identify with him in the area of talent. He was a child musical prodigy and at the age of eleven Keith was the youngest person ever to sign a major recording contract. Decca Records’ goal was to make Keith a teen idol. My wife and I watched him perform on “I’ve Got a Secret” in 1965. I did a video with 11-year-old Keith Green on the piano and singing—transposed into twenty-four-year-old Keith Green again on the piano and singing.
The problem with the 11-year-old Keith Green’s recording career was that the Osmond Brothers, and particularly Donny Osmond, stole the limelight. Keith’s rock-‘n’-roll career waned, and I could only find proof of two recorded singles.
Soon afterward as a teen, Keith drifted and he struck out on his own to find out what life had for him. He experimented with drugs and spirituality. In his search for God, he was struck by one fact. All the other religions said that Jesus was a prophet. They said that Jesus was one of many ways to experience God. It struck Keith, however, that Jesus said about Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me.” Keith was swayed by the fact that Jesus claimed to be the “only” way to reach God.
So in 1972, with this logical deduction, Keith made a calculated decision to follow Jesus, since he claimed to be the only way to find God. The problem was the fact that Keith wasn’t yet born again. That came sometime later when attending a small Bible study. It was told that when Keith finally gave his heart totally to Jesus in 1972, his fervor which was so evident in his music, turned to a fervor for Jesus, and telling others about the love of Jesus.
Friends said Keith wasn’t a perfect man. Sometimes he could be overbearing if people didn’t see things the way he saw them. But there was one thing. He was on a path in the next ten years that left a legacy that will never be forgotten. Following is Keith Green’s amazing 10-year legacy:
Until I see you next time, keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus,
Arlen
Hello Friends:
Welcome to the Soulwinnersr.us website. Remember again what Jesus said in Matthew 4:19, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
I’m again piggybacking off the Jesus Movement theme. Even though I gave my heart to Jesus about five years after the height of the movement, I grew up during that time and I call myself a “hippie wannabe” with my long hair, beard, and my definite search for meaning in life. My last website post and video were about the “The Jesus Revolution”, based on a 1971 Time article, and the “Jesus Revolution” movie currently showing in theaters across America.
For this post I explored a little bit more about Keith Green, a prolific Christian music artist, who gave his heart to Jesus in 1972, one year after the Time magazine “Jesus Revolution” article was written. Keith also grew up in the hippie scene in the Los Angeles area where Pastor Chuck Smith had such an impact on the hippie culture. The interesting thing is that I didn’t hear or read of any connection between Green, Pastor Smith, and the Jesus movement.
Keith Green was less than three months older than me, so I can identify with him in the era we both grew up in. But I can in no way identify with him in the area of talent. He was a child musical prodigy and at the age of eleven Keith was the youngest person ever to sign a major recording contract. Decca Records’ goal was to make Keith a teen idol. My wife and I watched him perform on “I’ve Got a Secret” in 1965. I did a video with 11-year-old Keith Green on the piano and singing—transposed into twenty-four-year-old Keith Green again on the piano and singing.
The problem with the 11-year-old Keith Green’s recording career was that the Osmond Brothers, and particularly Donny Osmond, stole the limelight. Keith’s rock-‘n’-roll career waned, and I could only find proof of two recorded singles.
Soon afterward as a teen, Keith drifted and he struck out on his own to find out what life had for him. He experimented with drugs and spirituality. In his search for God, he was struck by one fact. All the other religions said that Jesus was a prophet. They said that Jesus was one of many ways to experience God. It struck Keith, however, that Jesus said about Himself, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father (God) except through me.” Keith was swayed by the fact that Jesus claimed to be the “only” way to reach God.
Friends said Keith wasn’t a perfect man. Sometimes he could be overbearing if people didn’t see things the way he saw them. But there was one thing. He was on a path in the next ten years that left a legacy that will never be forgotten. Following is Keith Green’s amazing 10-year legacy:
- 1972: Keith Green gave his life to Jesus.
- 1973: Married Melody Green.
- 1975: Keith and Melody started taking people in need into their small house, dubbed “The Greenhouse”, because it was a place of “growth” for people in their faith in Jesus.
- Their home in Los Angeles became too small, so they purchased a home next door, and rented five more to eventually help up to 75 people at one time.
- 1977: Keith and Melody started the non-profit Last Days Ministries.
- 1977: Released his first album with Sparrow Records entitled, “For Him Who Has Ears to Hear”.
- 1978: Released second album “No Compromise”.
- 1978: Greens started publishing “The Last Days Newsletters” from their garage.
- 1979: Negotiated release from Sparrow Records to produce albums to give away at no charge. Also, to go on free-to-the-public concert tours. Keith felt that the Gospel shouldn’t be sold. He only accepted love offerings for albums and concerts.
- 1979: Outgrowing their space in LA, they packed up and moved to Texas, and started their ministry there on 180 acres of land that included an airstrip. The ministry grew exponentially in the next three years, including nationwide distribution of the “Last Days Newsletters” to students.
- 1980: Released third album “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt”. Bob Dylan, a good friend of Keith, played harmonica on one of the songs.
- 1981: Released the “Keith Green Collection”.
- 1982: Released “Songs for the Shepherd”.
- 1982: Tragic plane crash, killing Keith, two Green children, a family with six children, and the pilot.
- 1984: “The Prodigal Son” was an album released by Melody in 1983 after Keith’s death.
Until I see you next time, keep sharing the wonderful love of Jesus,
Arlen
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