Before you view this video which i HIGHLY recommend, much Abba used Keith Green to impact my life and set me on my spiritual journey of picking up my cross, denying self and following Yeshua Jesus. The intense emotions welling up inside while watching this movie brought me back to those incredible memories of a commitment and fire for God that the Holy Spirit stirred in me through Keith's music and DEEP love and passion for Christ. In fact two years before Keith Green passed away (that was such devastating news when he and two of his children were taken by plane crash), My ex husband and i were seeking direction on what God wanted us to do.
At that time we both had a love and call to work with youth coming from broken homes and i also had a desire for deeper discipleship and missions. i was on the mailing list to receive the Last Days Newsletter and read in one of the magazines (at the time we were praying and seeking Gods direction on what He wanted us to do) of an add for those called to be a part of Last Days ministries in Texas. Now take into consideration that this was a ministry that housed only singles. They rarely took on a married couple. i didn't let that stop me, so i inquired and got back an extensive and exhaustive 10 page application. i filled it out and sent it in. About a month later i received a reply saying they accepted us into the ministry. i was so blown away by it. i thought, THIS IS IT! This has to be the Lords will!
We also had some others things we were pursuing were we sent a job application to a troubled teens group home in North Carolina. It was so long ago and i don't remember the details, but we were accepted to be teaching parents in that group home in NC. This was such a difficult situation for me especially. i really wanted to go to last days ministries and my ex wanted so much to work with troubled teens. i knew i needed to submit to my husband. I did have a heart and desire to help teens coming from broken and abused homes, but i had an even DEEPER desire for the kind of discipleship and ministry that went on at last days ministries and for the missions opportunity as well to bring the many lost souls to Christ.
What made this decision more difficult to walk away from was the fact that we were accepted as a couple when their facility was only set up for singles in ministry. That was a real miracle and sign for me that this was God's perfect will for our lives. Not only that, but Keith had a profound impact on my own desire to play, sing and worship Abba in song that wasn't like that of mainstream Christian music.
i felt the same way as Keith when it came to preaching and singing about our Lord. It should be done freely and not for profit. Keith showed this by example as he personally struggled with selling his albums and charging for his concerts. His conviction was so strong that with his third album he didn't charge for it (So You Wanna Go Back to Eqypt) He even got out of his contract with Sparrow records and started his own label to make his music and concerts available for free and by love offering.
In fact to this day with the music the Holy Spirit has graciously given me through times of great suffering, they will never be sold for any amount of money.
What i also found rather amazing and strikingly similar in this movie i watched this evening is the way Keith recorded his music that was outside the bounds of traditional recording. It was Keith's ability and passion to sing and play his piano together as though he were singing and playing before a live audience and not separately when he recorded all his songs. Keith's singing and piano were inseparable as though they were one.
That is the way i have always recorded every Spiritsong. My vocals and guitar are done together and never apart. They compliment one another. Yes, for me it does make it difficult and mostly impossible to sync any other instruments when i record my singing and guitar together, but that is the only organic way Abba has wanted His songs to be done. Doing it separately is like being a fish out of water. The thought of recording them separately for me is also like walking outside on a hot road or jagged rocks without shoes on. i never knew that about Keith until watching this movie.
i should have known. : )
Forgive my rambling on, but i feel my spiritual life has come full circle and to watch this movie about Keith Greens life has made the way for those precious and dear saints like Tozer, Ravenhill, Spurgeon, Finney (and even Keith with his articles) along with others that were a big part of my life as a young follower of Christ.
i have been through so many spiritual changes. A lot of what i have gone through could have really derailed my life spiritually, but the strong foundation i received from Keith's music, calling and the ministry of their Last Days Newsletter was the solid Rock of Yeshua Jesus upon the uncompromising Word that kept my spiritual walk from being totally ship wrecked.
THANK YOU ABBA for how you have used your son Keith in my life! When i see you in heaven my dear brother Keith, i want to personally thank and hug you for being obedient to Abba in letting Him use you to impact my life (and the lives of SO MANY) that have been instrumental in where i am today in my daily walk with Christ.
Thank you, Netty for sending me the link to this video~