WE NEED Another JESUS MOVEMENT -by J. Lee Grady.

WE NEED Another JESUS MOVEMENT
-by J. Lee Grady.

Share In today’s hip, sophisticated churches, we often forget to preach about Jesus. Let’s get back to basics.

I became a serious Christian at the tail end of the Jesus movement.

I was too young to remember the hippie beads, tie-dyed shirts and “Jesus Is Groovy” slogans, but the songs were still popular when I was in college (from musicians such as Andrae Crouch, Love Song and Barry McGuire), as were the movies (especially The Cross and the Switchblade.)

The Jesus movement was like a spiritual tsunami that washed over hundreds of thousands of young people in the late 1960s and early ‘70s and brought them into a personal relationship with Christ.

Some of these kids had been drug addicts and social misfits; most were just average Joes and Janes who discovered that Jesus is a lot more exciting than traditional churches had led them to believe...

Lately I find myself waxing nostalgic for those days—not because I want to return to the awkward fashions and hairstyles of 1972, but because I miss the spiritual simplicity of that era. The Jesus movement was primarily focused on—surprise!—Jesus. Theology was not complicated, pastors weren’t trying to be hip or sophisticated or tech-savvy; and we hadn’t yet created a Christian subculture with its own celebrities and political power bases.

Today, we just don’t preach enough about Jesus. This is certainly true in many charismatic churches, where we’ve become experts on everything but basic Christian theology 101. In my travels this past year I’ve been horrified to learn that many Spirit-filled believers have given up the discipline of reading their Bibles even semi- regularly. They prefer a steady diet of culturally relevant, fast-paced, techno-theology that is a poor substitute for discipleship.

Many charismatics have developed the attitude that a simple focus on Christ isn’t enough. We’d rather go to a “prophetic encounter” to hear what Obama’s chances are in 2012, or experience some exotic spiritual manifestation (gold dust, gems falling out of the ceiling), or ask Rev. Flash-in-the-Pan to pray for us for the sixteenth time so we can receive yet another “special anointing” that we will probably never use.

In the midst of all this charismatic gobbledygook, where is Jesus?

Am I the only one out there who is weary of this distraction?

Call me old-fashioned, but I’ve decided to get back to the basics of the faith. That’s why I am reading What Jesus Is All About?, a classic book written more than 50 years ago by Henrietta Mears, a Bible teacher who helped mentor both Billy Graham and Bill Bright in the 1940s.

Mears explains in her book how each of the four gospels—Matthew, Mark, Luke and John—give us a unique, four-dimensional portrait of the Savior. According to Mears:

Matthew was written to Jews to tell of a Promised Savior who is also a King—and it uses the word “kingdom” 55 times.
Mark was written to Gentiles to tell of a Powerful Savior—and it reports more miracles than any other gospel.
Luke was written by a Gentile to tell of a Perfect Savior—and it has the most references to Jesus’ humanity.
John was written by “the disciple whom Jesus loved” to tell of a Personal Savior—and it has the most references to Jesus’ divine nature.

The Holy Spirit who inspired the Bible knew we needed more than a one-, two- or three-dimensional look at Jesus. The Spirit gave us a four-dimensional view so that we could gaze at Him from all sides and become captivated by His magnificence—His supreme kingship, His compassionate mercy, His supernatural power, His perfect justice, His amazing humility and His love for sinners like you and me.

There’s so much more to Jesus than we realize. And there is so much more to say about Him than we are telling our generation.

That’s why I’m spending most of my study time in the four gospels for the next few months. I want a fresh revelation of Jesus!

Perhaps another Jesus movement will be unleashed in our country when we discard our distractions and focus on Him again.

SOURCE - http://www.charismamag.com/index.php/fire-in-my-bones

hi, i was a part of the Jesus movement in the 60s and thank God that i found a curch loaded with christian leaders who demonstrated the love of Jesus that changed many lives in that day...there were many secret marriages because many were living in sin during this time... they loved us so much that they allowed the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin and change us. they preached Christ to us...they included us even to the weirdest and we all changed. the major problem is not unrighteousness but the lack of humility. many big ministries were started or grown in this time and some of these ministers listened to satan telling them it was something in them that was doing all that was going on ...God withdrew because He would not share his glory with man. i know this from personal experience for God used me greatly until i got puffed up.jimp

Not another JESUS movement---but
a fresh and new revelation of Christ
as KING, LORD, MESSIAH, REDEEMER,
SAVIOR!!

I understand both points completely. I gave my heart to the Lord in the living room of a Christian commune 1970, a young girl. I had been asking God which was the correct religion. I wanted Truth. It was a pastor of 17 with a huge afro. It was the first time I had ever heard a Bible study and I was so offended at what he was saying. How could he know me so well when we had never met. Well, it was the Holy Spirit convicting me of sin.

Then afterward a 16 year old boy came to me and asked me if I heard of being born again. I replied that I didn't believe in reincarnation. Then he just told me of how much the Lord Jesus loved me. I prayed the sinners prayer and I wept for hours. I was baptized in the river. The men were totally separate from the women. Glory to God. We were strictly Scripture. I asked God for the correct religion and He took me straight to Jesus. Simply Jesus.

Everything changed. I had so much peace and joy. I knew if I died I was going to Heaven. My music desires completely changed. No longer obsessed with rock and roll. I had such a hunger for God's Word. And I shared with such passion that I found Jesus Christ my Savior. I thought everyone knew but me. I was concerned that people go to Heaven and not hell. I didn't care what people thought I told everyone.

We would gather in the eve. for a Bible study & praise. Just a guitar and simple songs, and then we prayed and went out on the campus and simply shared Jesus with anyone who would listen. We would bring them back to the house. Feed some if needed, shared Jesus, sometimes baptize them in the tub and then in the next room pray until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. We didn't have it all correct - but we were in love with our Savior and couldn't contain it.

But I have longed over the years for the same as well. It was totally all about Jesus and nothing else. It was about loving others above yourself. If someone passing though, we gave them food, shared Jesus and if they didn't receive Him and ran off with your brand new pair of boots we praised God anyway. We walked around sharing Scripture that just came alive to each other. There was no unseemly talk. There was joy, repentance, baptisms, preaching, unconditional love.

One local Church Pastor received us. He just asked that we please wear shoes. The congregation for the most part didn't like us. One lady asked what we did for food and we said, the Lord provides. We just trust Him. Her little reply was, "I couldn't live like that". She just never experienced it that's all.

Pride eventually did get in the way and people moved on. Some backslid, some got lukewarm but many, many went on to be used mightily of the Lord and many today are coming back with repentance and fire.

What the Lord will do next is going to be so fantastic it most likely will outdo what some got to experience at that time. No one can take away those awesome days and I believe the Lord will use what He did in those "Jesus Movement Days". It was like no other. And those who experienced it can not help but miss it and long for it again. But I believe we all know in our hearts that the Lord has something even grander coming our way. He knows how to glorify Himself and He will. He is the love of our life totally and completely and we appreciate all He has done and all He will do. It's all about Jesus.

Speaking of "big" moves, God is a God of small things.

Amen Pilgrim.

The other day someone had mentioned 2 books to me called "The day of small beginnings" one by Zac Poonen, and another by someone else. At the time I thought it was odd that both books had been mentioned.

However now makes sense. :)

It's only in the faithfulness of the "small" things, that the big can even exist.

"Be sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You'll never know until you stand before the Lord how much you missed whenever you did NOT obey that voice." - Zac Poonen

Amen! Yes, the Lord is in small things always and I see Him move everyday, in my life - in others.

The "Big" I was talking about was maybe not massive but "awesome" "grand". He will pour out His Spirit in the last days and it will be huge.

I join in the GFA prayer meetings and the Lord is moving in mighty ways in India. Such a huge blessing. Always more to come and the need is great. Glory to God. I love whatever He does be it big or small. He's God and He's awesome whatever He does and however He does it.

The point was, it was an awesome time in the Lord in the 70's. Not perfect but I am deeply thankful I was able to experience Him and the brethren in that way. Relationship with Him has grown but to be around people who are of like minded in the same has not been found. And a hunger for that kind of kindredship is still there. I believe as the days grow darker that kind of fellowship will return. I believe it is taking place around the world today. Just not where I am. But I enjoy Him daily, hourly, every min. of every day as it is hard to take our eyes off Him, He's always refreshing our hearts, mind & spirit. And I enjoy the fellowship here on SI as well. All glory to God. Come Lord Jesus, Come.

What happened was birth pains...many discerning saints wandered, including me (he was always with me I could always hear his voice)!
This generation was deeply prophesied of (Mt 24 and Mt 25. all over the prophets, Paul letters including "whom the ends of the world are come upon, 1Cor 10;11