Keith Green and the New Year

Category: , By Robb
I have been listening to Keith Green this morning. My wife and I cleaned out a bunch of old files and junk and what not yesterday. These two sentences seem unconnected, but they are not.

I only know keith Green from his music and stories of people just a tad older than me who were alive when he was alive. I came to his music later in life. There are few artist in recent history with the passion and intensity in their ministry than Keith Green. He was singleminded in his work for Christ (please note above that I only know him after his death, yet I am not attempting gloss over any shortcomings others may be aware of that I don't know of).

My wife has listened to him a long time, and still does. She puts his music on in the house often. I don't listen to quite as often, mainly cause I am a happy man, pretty carefree. Keith Green's music has the 2 fold effect of causing me to see with greater clarity the love of God for me and putting me under serious conviction. I begin to see where my shortcomings are in my life, especially my spiritual life- which prompts a thought about intergration: do we have a "spiritual life" vs. "life", but that is for another discussion I guess.

I want to live with a new intensity, passion this year. I want to not just clean out this place I live in as we did yesterday, but I want to put my house in order. I want this year to be more conscious of God in all that I do. My eyes have been dry for a while.

Make my life a prayer to you
I wanna do what you want me to
No empty words and no white lies
No token prayers no compromise

I wanna shine the light you gave
Thru your son you sent to save us
From ourselves and our despair
It comforts me to know you’re really there

Chorus
Well I want thank you now
For being patient with me
Oh its so hard to see
When my eyes are on me
I guess Ill have to trust
And just believe what you say
Oh you’re coming again
Coming to take me away

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free

I wanna tell the world out there
You’re not some fable or fairy tale
That Ive made up inside my head
You’re God the son and you’ve risen from the dead

Chorus

I wanna die and let you give
Your life to me so I might live
And share the hope you gave me
The love that set me free




 

4 comments so far.

  1. K E Alexander 4:18 PM
    Funny, I've been going to bed at night with Keith Green music playing (to drown out the noise of the traffic). Come to think of it, maybe that's why I'm having trouble sleeping! He's too convicting! I think of KG and of the 2nd Chapter of Acts as my "first love" music. Their music, and the love for the Lord that is so evident therein draws me to more devotion. Keith once wrote a tract called "Devotion or Devotions" which has greatly impacted the way I live. Whatever we do should bring glory to the Lord. The one I've been most affected (spelling there is on purpose) by this week is "O Lord You're Beautiful".
  2. K E Alexander 4:20 PM
    By the way, in chapel at St. John's in Nottingham, they used to sing "There is a Redeemer". It was like a gift of God to me at that point in my life. I was so far away from home and all that was familiar but that song connected me to that body in England and carried me back home.
  3. Hope Butcher 12:36 AM
    I love him. For a while he was the only worship music I could approve of. Still kind of is. I have a tendency to want things extra-heavy in life (except for my weight!). I have a tendency to call everything else shallow. But I can't help but make him the standard and feel that no one else measures up these days. It's people like him, with their uncompromising high-set bar that help us start the New Year strong!
  4. Corky Alexander 6:26 PM
    It is very rewarding to hear that your generation will know about this young prophet. I remember Kim and I worked training counselors for his Raleigh, NC crusade about 81'. Regrettably, she and I were unable to attend the crusade, but heard first hand accounts from our bible study members who hung out with he and Melody. All reports reveal that he, like others was easier to love as a legend than as a real person.

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