History 101: The 70's

The 1970's were all about: smiley faces, tv sitcoms, disco, and cheesy movies. Everything from Happy Days to Archie Bunker to John Travolta's dance moves underneath the disco ball, and silk shirts for guys who thought they looked cool in.

I think the church message of the 70's was brought about by two men: Billy Graham and his simple message of hope,"Come as you are". And Keith Green who so bluntly stated,
"It's time to quit playing church and start being the church".

These two icons brought people to their knees to humble themselves before Christ, teaching that God only looks at the heart and it didn't matter where you came from.

Teen Challenge, a Christian based rehab center which is now in over 150 countries, was started by David Wilkerson back in 1958. But it wasn't until the 1970's when it began to flourish, taking on the message led by Keith Green on "being the church".

Keith Green and his wife started an outreach program Last Days Ministries in the suburbs of LA, reaching former drug addicts, the homeless, and prostitutes. Today their ministry, run by Keith's wife after his passing, is based in Texas and still going strong.

Without any of these outreach programs and these 1970's spiritual men of God seeing their visions come to pass, where would we be today?

I think Billy Graham preached it right," Come as you are". And Keith Green taught us to do it right when he sang:

Oh Lord, You're beautiful,
Your face is all I see,
for when Your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.