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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com
The authors are represented by the literary agency of Wolgemuth & Associates, Inc.
Endorsements
For those who were eyewitnesses to the Jesus Movement, this book will be a welcome reminder of what made that time of our lives so special. For those who know nothing about it, this book will be an entertaining crash course on events that defined the Christian church in America for generations. For everyone, it will be a compelling testimony about the power of God to save.
Dr. Jack Graham, pastor, Prestonwood Baptist Church
The Jesus Revolution has tuned my heart to a higher level of praise for a loving God who has the proven power to break through to a lost, godless, self-destructing generation and redeem it, one person at a time. If He could rescue and reset Greg Laurieand He didthen there is no one and no generation beyond His reach. Reading this book will rekindle your prayer for revival.
Anne Graham Lotz, speaker; author, The Daniel Prayer ; www.annegrahamlotz.org
Back in the 60s, when I first came to Christ, you could sense a stirring out on the West Coast. God was on the move, and I was about to be swept up in the powerful flooding of the Holy Spirit that was spilling and splashing into the hearts of a million young people across America. I heard stories of how God was rescuing wayward wanderers through the Jesus Movement, sparking a revival that rocked our country and beyond. Its why Greg and Ellens new book, Jesus Revolution , is so important, so neededit documents the testimonies and events that made that period in time so unique. You, too, will be inspired and refreshed as you read the historic account of one of the most remarkable seasons of revival in the history of Christianity!
Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center
In the 1960s and 70s, God moved in a unique way, sweeping across America and transforming the lives of countless people. In their new book, Jesus Revolution , Pastor Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn take a closer look at this incredible time of evangelism and revival. This fast-paced, grace-filled, Bible-centered book will show you how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things.
Craig Groeschel, pastor, Life.Church; New York Times bestselling author
Revival is a mile-marker that is seen throughout the centuries, with the Jesus Movement being no exception. Greg Laurie and Ellen Vaughn have given us a riveting account of a time in our nations history where God uniquely captivated millions of hearts. This book will stir up a fresh gratitude for what God has done and a renewed hunger to see Him do even more in the years to come!
Levi Lusko, bestselling author, Swipe Right: The Life- and- Death Power of Sex and Romance
So few even realize today that many of the best things happening in our churches amount only to ripples from the 1970s revival wave called the Jesus Revolution. Greg Laurie was an eyewitness to what most have only heard about. His meaningful firsthand accounts flow through Ellen Vaughns gripping narrative, prompting every reader to cry out Do it again, Lord. Read and join those already praying to see God move afresh in such powerful ways.
Dr. James MacDonald, founder, Harvest Bible Chapel; author, Vertical Church
If there was ever a time that a book like this was needed, it is now. The story of the Jesus Revolution is a compelling witness of Gods power to redeem and restore human souls in the most surprising of ways, in the most chaotic of times. Brilliant work, Greg and Ellen!
Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor, First Baptist Church, Dallas, Texas; teacher, Pathway to Victory
Stories inspire people to believe God. This is why I am so excited about this powerful book about the Jesus Revolution, because I know it will create the spiritual appetite to experience the next great move of God in our generation. There is no greater need today than for the church to be revived spiritually and for the next great spiritual awakening to occur nationally. Now is the time for the next Jesus Revolution in America!
Dr. Ronnie Floyd, senior pastor, Cross Church; president, National Day of Prayer; past president, Southern Baptist Convention
Dedication
To Gregs grandchildren, Stella, Rylie, Lucy, Alexandra, and Christopher, and Ellens grandchildren, Brielle and Daniel: may they all experience their own, personal Jesus Revolution.
Epigraph
Break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the L ORD , until he comes and showers his righteousness on you.
Hosea 10:12
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
Endorsements
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue: Plunging In
1. What Was It and Why Does It Matter?
2. A Black-and-White Decade
3. The Wonderful World of Color
4. The Pastor Who Downscaled
5. The Be-In, the Summer of Love, and a Nudist Vegetarian Hippie
6. Miracle in the Middle East
7. 1968: And the Wind Began to Howl
8. When Nitro Met Glycerin
9. Meanwhile, in Malaysia
10. Magnificent Desolation
11. The Long and Winding Road
12. The Adult in the Room
13. Jesus Music
14. Life as Usual, inside the Revolution
16. Yes, That Jesus!
17. Love Story
18. Billy Grahams Good Vibrations
19. The Church of Stone
20. If You Can Explain It, Then God Didnt Do It
21. Hippie Preachers
22. Malaise and the Me Decade
23. Tea or Revolution?
24. Burning It Down
25. Muscle Memory
26. Desperate Enough?
27. Cultural Christianity Is Dead: Rest in Peace
28. Mere Revival
Epilogue: Plunging In, All Over Again
Acknowledgments
Notes
About the Author
Back Ads
Back Cover
PROLOGUE
Plunging In
Its 1970.
Google Earth doesnt yet exist, but imagine that it does. You are in outer space. The earth is a round blue marble. Then you zoom in, in real time, on the map of the United States, the West Coast, Southern California. You see the dark blue waters of the Pacific Ocean... and as you get closer, you see the long ribbon of the Pacific Coast Highway, the beach towns south of Los Angeles, the furrows of the waves. You see the slender strip of land called the Balboa Peninsula, and you draw close to Corona del Mar. There is the beach, dotted with fire pits. There is an outcropping of cliffs that form a natural amphitheater near the mouth of the harbor. The rocks look wrinkled at this height. The sun is setting.
As you get closer, you see that there is a huge crowd massing the area. At first the people look like ants. Theyre perched on the rocks, sitting on the sand, standing in the shallows of the rolling water. They have their arms around each other. They seem to be singing.