So I've been reading an interesting book this week,
It's called "No Compromise" the story of Keith Green.
Keith was many different things but was mainly known
as a Christian music artists,and sadly he died in a plane crash
in 82 but his music is still well known and loved.
I pretty much grew up listening to Keith Green,
as if I had a choice, as it was heavily played in
my parents car. I never really respected the music
until I of course truly found Christ for myself.
Keith was talented for sure and you can see
just how blessed he was with the holy spirit
through his music.
Keith took what he was singing very seriously,
and it was more then music to him...
it was one of the ways to get his foot in the door
to preach and tell people about Christ...
Keith wasn't making music for the money,
and you may be thinking
"Yeah...right"
But the fact is the man gave his music
away for free and didn't believe in charging
for concerts, because his mission
was to spread the gospel...he lived by
the verse Matthew 10:8 where Jesus himself
said:
"Freely you have received, freely give."
Outside of his music Keith and his wife Melody
took in total strangers to live with them,
they took people off the streets who were struggling
and told them about Christ. Crazy right?
most of this I already knew about Keith, but
what I found out about him from reading this book
was something that shocked me. Keith was only
a Christian for 7 years....To listen to his music,
to read about how much he did for people, I guess I figured
he must have just grown up a Christian, but thats not the case.
He gave his life to Christ when he was 20/21 and died at the age of 28
to me for a man who seemed to be so filled with the love of Christ
and actually went out of his way to disciple to many many people
I find it so amazing and at the same time tragic that God would
take him at such an early age.
What it comes down to is very simple...life is short..
wether you die at 28 or 88 we only have so long on this earth,
and we are called to disciple to others in this life we live.
Was Keith perfect? of course not he was human..
through-out the book you see how much Keith
struggled in his Faith just like we all have
our struggles.
I'm sure Keith rubbed a lot of people the wrong way
the man was on fire for God, but things he said
sometimes he went a little overboard and it seems
he was constantly struggling with "grace".
However I can understand where he was coming from
when he would go on a rant about people with their
"Jesus Bumper stickers" and "Jesus shirts" claiming
their christians because they have a fish on their car.
Keith even called out sinners at a concert he had for
a major Christian College, he told it like it is...and
he was sick of seeing the "Fake Christians"
again at times he went overboard specially when
he said every christian music artists should
do free concerts, but the man was still learning about grace
and sadly he didn't live much longer when he put
all the pieces of the puzzle together. Yes of course
we are saved by Grace and not works but the fact is
that doesn't mean we keep the love of Christ to ourselves
it also doesn't mean we throw it in peoples faces either
but you have to find middle ground...
and you don't do works to earn a spot in heaven,
you do what God tells you to do because you love him
and want to please him, because the love that he's given you inside
urges you to share it with others.
He came off strong but I truly believe he was a gift from God,
he was a much needed voice to that generation, and a much
needed voice in this generation.
This would be something where he came across strong at the end,
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