JESUS PEOPLE. IS IT HAPPENING AGAIN?

How many of you remember the Jesus People movement which took place in the 70's and 80's. Here is what the web has to say about it, "The Jesus movement was a movement in Christianity beginning on the West Coast of the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s and spreading primarily throughout North America, Europe, and Central America, before subsiding by the late 1980s. Members of the movement were called Jesus people, or Jesus freaks." I was one of those Jesus freaks. I was born again in 1971. Many of today's older Christians came to know Christ during that time of revival over many continents. It was a worldwide phenomenon. A number of hippies traveled to India and Afghanistan and found Christ at the end of their trek to find themselves. I was hitch hiking through Europe when Christ found me in Holland. That Jesus movement took place 40 years ago.
What were some of the events taking place at that time? First there was a sexual revolution taking place which was the precedent of much of what is now taking place today. Then there was a movement of young people revolting against the status quo of the material pursuits of their parents. There was a revolt against government authority and all that represented authority; Black Panthers, draft dodgers, burning of university facilities, sit-ins and protests and demonstrations. Music expressed the desire for love and freedom and hope for a new kind of future. Our heroes were Che Guevara and Frodo. Youth pursued an unprecedented search for truth, and justice, and the meaning of life. Out of that confusion and chaos Jesus introduced himself to millions.

1971 passport photo, 5 months before becoming a Jesus Freak

Today I see the same confusion and chaos happening all over again with our youth and in our culture. There is a sexual revolution taking place that has never been seen before in history. Not just a growth in immoral sin but a total abandonment of gender and identity. Our youth is begining to rebel against materialism and government authority and big government that has lost touch with the people; the occupy movement, the growing gap between the rich and the middle class, the call for justice for blacks. The rise of Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders shows that a ferment is beginning to take place. The big question is, "Will this lead to a new spiritual seeking after Jesus as it did in the last generation?" Will God once again bring the message of His Son into the chaos and the confusion that sin of every kind is producing. Will youth be honest enough with themselves to acknowledge God, their sin, and Jesus the Savior? Is this the beginning of another generational visitation of God upon the modern world?

It is evident to those who can see that we are bankrupt and no answers are forthcoming from government and education and reform programs. Man is more than ever corrupt in his heart. Is there enough Jesus seed left in our culture to bring in another harvest like God did 40 years ago? I am reminded of the verse from the old King James, "So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." (Isaiah 59.19). Let's pray for a new Jesus People movement.

Jordan update: Just over a week before departure. Passport is in, praise God. Funds are beginning to come in. Ride to the airport is confirmed. Thank you for praying and giving. See last blog for donation information. ron