"There is no failure for the good and the wise; 

what though thy seed should fall by the wayside and the birds snatch it -- yet the birds will be fed; 

or they may bear it far across the tide, to give rich harvest after thou art dead."

 

Gillian is a seven-year-old girl who cannot sit in school. 

She continually gets up, gets distracted, flies with thoughts, and doesn't follow lessons. 

Her teachers worry about her, punish her, scold her, reward the few times that she is attentive, but nothing. Gillian does not know how to sit and cannot be attentive.

When she comes home, her mother punishes her too. 

So not only does she Gillian have bad grades and punishment at school, but she also suffers from them at home.

One day, Gillian's mother is called to school. The lady, sad as someone waiting for bad news, takes her hand and goes to the interview room. The teachers speak of illness, of an obvious disorder. Maybe it's hyperactivity or maybe she needs a medication.

During the interview an old teacher arrives who knows the little girl. He asks all the adults, mother and colleagues, to follow him into an adjoining room from where she can still be seen. As he leaves, he tells Gillian that they will be back soon and turns on an old radio with music.

As the girl is alone in the room, she immediately gets up and begins to move up and down chasing the music in the air with her feet and her heart. 

The teacher smiles as the colleagues and the mother look at him between confusion and compassion, as is often done with the old. 

So he says:

"See? Gillian is not sick, Gillian is a dancer!"

He recommends that her mother take her to a dance class and that her colleagues make her dance from time to time. She attends her first lesson and when she gets home she tells her mother:

"Everyone is like me, no one can sit there!"

In 1981, after a career as a dancer, opening her own dance academy and receiving international recognition for her art, Gillian Lynne became the choreographer of the musical "Cats."

Hopefully all “different” children find adults capable of welcoming them for who they are and not for what they lack.

Long live the differences, the little black sheep and the misunderstood. They are the ones who create beauty in this world.

 This is Eustace from Mountain Men giving some no nonsense advice. 

What do I do for a living?

I live for a living. 

When I moved out in the forest 35 years ago, people said “You can’t escape reality.” I went TO reality. You’re living in a virtual reality. 

You don’t even know where your stuff comes from, don’t even know where your poop goes.I live in nature where everything is connected, circular. The seasons are circular. The planet is circular…Do people live in circles today? No. They live in boxes.

They wake up every morning in a box of their bedrooms because a box next to them started making beeping noises to tell them it was time to get up. They eat their breakfast out of a box and then they throw that box away into another box.

Then they leave the box where they live and get into another box with wheels and drive to work, which is just another big box broken into little cubicle boxes where a bunch of people spend their days sitting and staring at the computer boxes in front of them.

When the day is over, everyone gets into the box with wheels again and goes home to the house boxes and spends the evening staring at the television boxes for entertainment.

They get their music from a box, they get their food from a box, they keep their clothing in a box, they live their lives in a box.”-Eustace Conway from Mountain Men.

 

When I saw this photo my first thought was, is this a new style? 

I'm not sure, but rather, I think it's the first efforts to braid her hair by herself. LOL 

Then I couldn't help but try and find a Christian application. 

I suppose there are many, but what first came to mind is trying to walk the Christian walk without the "Help Meet", The Holy Spirit, who empowers us, directs us and corrects us. This gal's hair needed the Holy Spirit! LOL But like this girl, how many of us wander in lines like her part; go sideways, and end in knots! 

We "put to death the deeds of the flesh by the Spirit," He is our power, not our resolutions, promises, determination or our fortitude.

 'Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord Almighty—you will succeed because of my Spirit, ...' Zech. 4:6

 Jesus said, “…but I know you, 

that you do not have the love of God in yourselves.” Jn. 5:42

I read John 5 this morning and this statement stood out among all the rest. What a woeful day to have the Lord say these words. It is so easy to get distracted from the heart of Christ and His kingdom's law, the royal law of caring for others and loving them as we love ourselves. 

Anyone can learn the Bible, quote scriptures, to teach and judge the knowledge of others, to walk by the "letter of the law".

 But to have the love of God in us and hunger to see others walk in freedom, to have their shackles removed, the tyranny of their circumstances relieved and walk with God, cleansed in the blood and working for the betterment of all mankind, whoever and wherever they are; that is to have the love of God in ourselves. That is to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. 

 

 I watched the movie "Jesus Revolution" last night. I loved it!             I couldn't find one frame in the movie I didn't like. It was real, honest, and I think an accurate account of what took place over a two year period when Lonnie Frisbee and Chuck Smith met, and The Holy Spirit moved in the tiny church "Calvary Chapel." 

Jesus movement beginnings

The origin of the “Jesus People Movement is traced by most to a handful of young people who had left the hippie culture, had recently become Christians, and in 1967 had started “The Living Room,” a Christian street mission (coffeehouse) for the hippies in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. As communal homes were part of the hippie culture, a Christian communal home (rescue mission/halfway house) was also established to undergird the ministry of The Living Room. This home, House of Acts, was located just to the north of San Francisco in Novato, California, and it gave the opportunity for the care and discipleship of recently converted hippies.

 

Jesus Freaks, as the hippie converts to Christ were mockingly called, proudly embraced and owned that name, carrying it as a badge of honor to identify with the one who was also mocked and ridiculed by the world.

Through The Living Room and similar Christian coffeehouses, many hundreds of hippies began giving up drugs, sex, Eastern religions, and the occult, and instead turned to Jesus, the Bible, and sharing Jesus with everyone they met.

 Ted and Liz Wise were early adopters of the hippy revival in San Francisco in the late sixties. Ted was an arty beatnik, grafting on yachts and tripping out on drug highs. Meanwhile, Liz was a regular at the conservative First Baptist Church of Mill Valley (alongside her dope lifestyle). Reading the New Testament Ted says, “Jesus knocked me off my metaphysical ass!” Then, following a bad trip on LSD in early 1965, he responded publicly to a gospel invitation at Liz’s church.

Ted and Liz were soon spreading the word to their contemporaries yet, despite their best efforts to evangelize hippies through their more traditional church, they eventually pioneered an independent Christian commune, The Living Room, in Haight-Ashbury in spring 1967. Located in a 20 foot by 40 foot storefront, they offered food, rest and gospel chat. By the following year they were seeing 20 or more people making commitments to Jesus each week.

Meanwhile, Hare Krishna devotee Dave Hoyt had a revelation of Jesus’ uniqueness. Mentored by theological student Kent Philpott, together they teamed up in evangelism and saw hundreds come to faith. 

Lonnie Frisbee

One notable hippie convert, who was part of the team that started "The Living Room," and who also lived and worked out of "The House of Acts," was 19-year-old Lonnie Frisbee. Frisbee became very influential in evangelistic work along the west coast, and wherever there was a flare-up of activity he appeared to have been the spark behind it all.

►Frisbee was invited to be part of the Calvary Chapel church in Costa Mesa, California. At the time Calvary Chapel only had 80 people in attendance (on a good day). After Frisbee’s arrival, attendance soared to 2,000 in 6-months, and it became one of the largest churches in the world. This also led to the multiplication of over 1,500 Calvary Chapel churches throughout the world.

►Frisbee was also involved with the multiplication of communal homes as Calvary Chapel multiplied its ministry to hippies through that type of setting. The first home they started was the House of Miracles.

►On Sunday night, May 11, 1980 (Mother’s Day), Frisbee was on hand to create a spark which gave the Vineyard Christian Fellowship its big push forward. The number of churches in that fellowship now numbers over 2,400 worldwide.

►Frisbee was also used to be a spark for revival in South Africa and Europe, as well as in the lives of many men and women whom he had spent time with.

Communal Homes / Halfway Houses

Associated with Calvary Chapel was a group that moved to an Oregon Christian commune and started a network of communal homes, which was called Shiloh Youth Revival Centers.    

That Oregon commune ultimately started 178 communal homes throughout 30 states and 100,000 people have eventually been part of that ministry. At the same time other ministries had also started Christian coffeehouses in large cities and small towns across the United States and Canada. Following the same pattern as Shiloh Youth Revival Centers, hundreds of Christian communal homes were also established. Between 1967 and 1972, there were 800 communal homes established in the USA.

Street Preacher

His Place: Coffeehouse operated by Arthur Blessitt on Sunset Strip     

  Arthur Blessitt, having grown up as a Christian, made his mark beginning in 1967 through his bold street-witnessing to Hell’s Angels groups and along the streets lined with strip clubs. Blessitt opened “His Place”, a combination coffeehouse and counseling center which on some nights had 500 young people come through for free food and to listen to music and testimonies. In two years, 10,000 decisions for Christ (average of over 12 per night) had been recorded. 

Hippies Rejected by the Churches

Many churches were appalled when newly converted hippies began attending their churches. They could not endure the bare feet, beards, long hair, beads, etc. The street preacher Arthur Blessitt, though highly successful with evangelism, agonized over the churches that would refuse to welcome and disciple the hippies he had recently led to the Lord.

Further down the coast in Costa Mesa, Chuck Smith’s Calvary Chapel exploded with growth. Five hundred new converts were baptized each month at Pirate’s Cove on the Pacific coast, as the church embraced a wave of hairy, hippy youth turning to Jesus.

Billy Graham

The controversial and powerful pastor Billy Graham quickly embraced the movement, writing a best-selling book on the subject and using it as a vehicle for recruitment.

Secular Magazines 

Secular and media exposure in 1971 and 1972 ( (Time, Life and Rolling Stone magazines) caused the Jesus Movement to explode across the United States, attracting evangelical youth eager to identify with the movement.

Coffeehouses

Coffeehouses began springing up in every city and small town throughout the United States. These were gathering places for young people so they could have “church services” that were aligned with their own culture. These coffeehouses and worship services were accompanied by bands playing “Jesus Music.”

Jesus Music

Contemporary Christian music is said to have had its beginnings with the Jesus Movement. A few of the well-known recording artists at that time were: Matthew Ward, Chuck Girard, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Larry Norman, Children of the Day, Nancy Honeytree, Phil Keaggy, Scott Wesley Brown, Kelly Willard, Andraé Crouch, John Michael and Terry Talbot, The Way, Agape, All Saved Freak Band, Petra, Resurrection Band, and Servant. 

Results of the Revival

• By 1977, an estimated 2 million new born-again believers came into the Christian faith. That does not include those who came to Christ as the revival spread to Canada, South America, and Europe.

• The 1970 Asbury Revival took place at this time period, as did the 1971 Saskatoon Revival.

• Many thousands of young men and women across the United States received their calling into the ministry (pastor, evangelist, missionary).

• The generation that rejected the “establishment” continued to do so during and after the movement had begun to wane. Most of them did not join traditional denominational churches, but instead established new fellowships of churches (loosely associated denomination).

Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel

Two notable ones were Calvary Chapel and Vineyard Fellowship. House churches were also part of this new transition away from the mainline denominational churches.

At the height of the revival, through the ministries of Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa, California, alone:

• 200 were won to Christ each week.

• There were 500 baptized every month for a period of two years.

• At the baptism services, crowds of 3,000 would gather and the occasion was used to preach the Gospel, with many more coming to Christ.

• Chuck Smith, pastor of Calvary Chapel, stated in his book The Reproducers, that during just two years there were more than 20,000 who accepted Christ and there were over 8,000 baptized at Pirate’s Cove, which is part of the Corona del Mar State Beach.

• Calvary Chapel trained hundreds who were sent out to start churches, first in California, and then up and down the Pacific Coast. Then churches began to be planted throughout the United States and the world—reaching well over 1,700 churches.

• Calvary Chapel was highly instrumental in giving contemporary Christian music its start, with many groups being formed through the church and many songs written.

In December 1971 Calvary Chapel started Maranatha Music/Publishing to promote and sell Christian music. 

Catholic and Mainline Denomination Renewal

Throughout the nation Catholics were experiencing a renewing of their faith in Christ with Pentecostal-type services being held on various nights of the week. Other mainline denominations (Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopal, etc.) were experiencing similar movements that contained a strong charismatic flavor.

Hunger for God

There was a hunger for God among people of all ages. If Christians were willing to pay the price and engage in evangelism, it was normal for an evangelistic team to lead dozens to Christ on a daily basis—this was reported as having happened on Haight Street in San Francisco. It was also reported that on a “bad” night, only ten people would come to Christ.

 

“I have bumps…I can lift a car”

That’s what the little boy holding his mama’s hand said to me as we were standing in line to eat dinner at the UGM Crisis Shelter for Women and Children.

He flexed his nonexistent muscles with a proud look on his face. Then his even littler brother who was holding his big brother’s hand said: “I can lift all the people”

It was a funny moment of connection, but the reality of what was happening didn’t escape me as I looked at this young mother surrounded by her three boys. 

I have no idea where “Dad” was, but these two little musclemen telling me they were strong while clinging to their mommy’s hands let me know what was probably deep in the heart of this family’s story. 

Little boys having to be strong is a tragic reality that plagues our broken and shattered home fronts.

But it’s not just boys, last night one young girl casually told one of my leaders that they were there because daddy hits mommy. It was said in a manner that was way too normal but for too many children…it is their normal.

To be a big man in a crisis shelter is an unnerving thing. I am acutely aware that for many in the room I am a reminder of hell and horror.

To sit at a table next to a woman who doesn’t know me or is possibly there to get away from some man is a profoundly challenging reality to try to navigate. I am aware and do my very best to be present in a way that’s gentle, humble and loving but cautious. It’s common to be ignored.

But I persist.

I do so because of many reasons but one of the biggest is I see the look in children’s faces when I come into the room, it’s the look of longing. Even after all the chaos, drama and trauma these little ones have experienced, they still reach out for something within them that they need: love from a father.

“Sit by me” is a request that captures the great need of a generation’s soul in this moment.

To have a young man wave at me as he leads his little brothers up to a shelter room is an act of gratitude that reflects a heart that’s starving for kindness.

To almost stumble over a small little girl with big eyes and a dollie in her hand that’s following me around is a sign of the deep need for attention.

To have an little spitfire African American girl come up to me and place both her hands on my beard and rub my face is a gift born out of small sense of safety.

When a young girl looks at LeeElla and I there together and declares: “You are her husband!” reflects a recognition of a reality that’s painfully absent from her own life.

As I watched LeeElla try to wipe off the Ravioli sauce from her shirt as she began to lead worship in the chapel service, I realized something. That sauce slopped upon her face and clothes by a rambunctious lap nestling squiggler was actually the anointing oil of the Holy Ghost. A symbol of the signs and wonders being displayed where love is seeking to serve the orphan and widows among us.

Watching a little pistol of a girl walking up the stairs holding LeeElla’s hands to show her the room where she stays is the kind of gentle miracle that sustain my battle-weary heart. 

These are the victories of love and these fleeting moments remind me love is stronger than death.

I just wish I was strong enough to “lift all the people” out of their desperate situations but at least last night a few kids met a man and a woman that loved them."

Pastor Eric. 

 This is my son Pastor Eric and his wife; they have faithfully been serving the least, last and lost in Spokane for thirty three years now. 

While some are wondering if revival will come again, sitting back and judging what God was doing at Asbury and with the new movie Jesus revolution, Christ is reviving souls with power and anointing as we speak. 

If you are a young Christian, seek where God is at work and join in, the Spirit is blowing like a mighty wind as we speak!

 

 

“Christian love can do something which nothing else in the world can do; 

it can repeat the incarnation of the Master. 

Paul says that Christ took “the likeness of sinful flesh” – put Himself in the circumstances of those who have gone astray. 

Every Christian is, in this respect, made to follow Christ.

 

He has to cast himself down into his brother’s environment; 

to feel his weakness, 

to experience his helplessness, 

to measure the strength of his temptations. 

He has to cast himself down into the stream of his brother’s heredity, 

To learn the power of long seated corruption,

To estimate the force of an impure fountain. 

That is why Christian love is not easily provoked. 

Before it sees the fault, it feels the frailty. 

Before it marks the waste, it measures the wave;

Before it apportions the blame, it allows for the influence of ancestral blood.

 

Oh God, give me a sense that the flesh is weak and the burden strong,

That the will is wayward and the temptation keen,

That the ship is small and the sea tempestuous!

 

Let me live in the heart of the humble;

Let me dwell in the soul of the sightless; 

Let me walk in the lair of the leper;

Let me tread in the den of the demoniac;

Let me consider the friendlessness of the fallen before they fell! 

Then shall I bear on my breast the world’s sin; then shall my spirit be provoked no more.” 

George Matheson.