Charles G Finney

Didn’t See It Coming

Ken

Revivals — like earthquakes — are hard to predict. A butterfly flapping its wings causing a hurricane is more of a chaos theory perturbation ignored by most working meteorological forecast models because it makes accurate prediction unlikely. Modern Large Language Models of Artificial Intelligence, no doubt will begin to affect the discussion. But, calculating the occurrence of a revival — a moving of the Holy Spirit — was precisely what Charles G. Finney, a controversial 19th century, American evangelist and theologian attempted to do in his seminal work, Revival Lectures. “Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till He come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12 KJV). 

Finney’s contention was a revival could be expected, when it was needed most. 

“So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him” (Isaiah 59:19).

Finney preached in Lecture 2, which was later transcribed into Revival Lectures: 

“At such a time a Revival of Religion is indispensable to avert the judgments of God from the church. This would be strange preaching, if revivals are only miracles, and if the church has no more agency in producing them, than it has in making a thunder storm. To say to the church, that unless there is a revival you may expect judgments, would then be as ridiculous as to say, If you do not have a thunder storm, you may expect judgments. The fact is, that Christians are more to blame for not being revived, than sinners are for not being converted. And if they are not awakened, they may know assuredly that God will visit them with his judgments. How often God visited the Jewish church with judgments, because they would not repent and be revived at the call of his prophets! How often have we seen churches, and even whole denominations, cursed with a curse, because they would not wake up and seek the Lord, and pray, ‘Wilt thou not revive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee?’ [Psalm 85:6].” 

The Church does not have the luxury of debating Finney’s underlying theology as heterodox, when the enemy is already at the gate. One question only to the Spirit of Christ: “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6).

Promises of God

Ken

“For all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2Corinthians 1:20 KJV). Fine words, but what meaneth this? The Son of God, Jesus Christ (1:19) is the Him (1:20). What promises? The First Advent of Messiah (Isaiah 7:14) and His Second Advent (9:6). Yea, but there is more. “According as His divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2Peter 1:3-4). “All things that pertain unto life and godliness” (1:3) means anything and everything concerning our existence is included in God’s promises. C.H. Spurgeon compared God’s promises to checks drawn on the Bank of Heaven. “God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent: hath He said, and shall He not do it? or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?” (Numbers 23:19). Charles G. Finney maintained the promises of God are God’s means to entirely sanctify us, that is, to make us more like Christ. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it” (1Thessalonians 5:23-24). Amen.

Reprobation: Who Talks Like That Anymore?

Ken

”God is love’ is as deep as the discussion can go for many of the Professed Church. Was it always this way? Listen to Charles G. Finney, a well known American evangelist (1851) address the concept of reprobation, God rejecting some, but not all of humanity:

“Do you ask how I know that the reason why God does not make you willing is, that he sees that it would be unwise in him to do so? I answer, that it is an irresistible inference, from these two facts, that he is infinitely benevolent, and that he does not actually make you willing. I do not believe that God would neglect anything that he saw to be wise and benevolent, in the great matter of man’s salvation. Who can believe that he could give his only-begotten and well-beloved Son to die for sinners, and then neglect any wise and benevolent means for their salvation? No, sinner, if you are a reprobate, it is because God foresaw that you would do just as you are doing; that you would be so wicked as to defeat all the efforts that he could wisely, make for your salvation. What a variety of means he has used with you. At one time he has thrown you into the furnace of affliction; and when this has not softened you, he has turned round and loaded you with favours. He has sent you his word, he has striven by his Spirit, he has allured you by the cross; he has tried to melt you by the groanings of Calvary; and tried to drive you back from the way to death, by rolling in your ears the thunders of damnation. At one time clouds and darkness have been round about you; the heavens have thundered over your head; divine vengeance has hung out, all around your horizon, the portentous clouds of coming wrath. At another time mercy has smiled upon you from above like the noon-day sun, breaking through an ocean of storms. He urges every motive; he lays heaven, earth and hell, under perpetual contributions for considerations to move your stony heart. But you deafen your ears, and close your eyes, and harden your heart, and say, ‘Cause the holy one of Israel to cease from before us [Isaiah 30:11].’ And what is the inference from all this? How must all this end? ‘Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the Lord has rejected them [Jeremiah 6:30].'”

LORD, it is a fearful thing to fall into Your hands, if we should depart this earth with an impenitent heart. But, with penitent hearts, we pray You will continue the good work You began in us to the end. We ask that our entreaties for those around us would be full of the understanding that time is short, and You are calling for immediate surrender. Cause Your Spirit to awaken those around us. May You receive the harvest for which You are worthy! In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen and amen.

Explanation: Name of Jesus

Ken

The name of Jesus is powerful because Jesus saves us from the sin separating us from God, whose holiness frees us from the sin separating us from Jesus. “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12 KJV). The adversary hates the name of Jesus both because he loses followers, and he can no longer be saved from his own sins. Jesus, meaning ‘Jehovah is salvation,’ seeks to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). OT Israel had a limited view of salvation for the gentile world, just as the NT church has a limited view of salvation as only delivering us from the penalty of sin, but not from the necessity of having to sin. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thessalonians 5:23). The “name of Jesus”: (1) is essential to “receive the gift of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 2:38), (2) was used for a lame man to “rise up and walk” (3:6), (3) was proclaimed, taught, spoken, and “preached boldly” by early disciples (4:10, 18; 5:40; 8:12; 9:27), and (4) was used to command a demon out of a fortune teller, “in the name of” (16:18). Why such critical importance for the “name of Jesus”?  Because Jesus is the tip of the spear, the point of the arrow, the edge of the knife that defeats our true “adversary the devil” (1Peter 5:8), who tempts us to sin. But, of more importance, Jesus has promised to save us from ourselves. “He will turn again, He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities; and Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea” (Micah 7:19). Either sin separates us from God or God separates us from sin. LORD, You are the God of Salvation, who is able to save “to the uttermost” them that come to You through the name of Jesus (Hebrews 7:25). We do not want to waste our time with gods many and lords many, but only You. “That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:10-11). In Jesus name, we pray. Amen and amen. 

Opinion: Another Lone Gunman

Ken

“For loners, they sure are a big group,” observed Wall Street Journal columnist, Peggy Noonan (July 14, 2024). Thomas Matthew Crooks (20-years-old) joined the fraternity of loners to attempt an assassination of a US President, then he was killed by the US Secret Service after wounding former President Donald Trump (R) at a campaign appearance in Butler, Pennsylvania on July 13th. Sadly, one other was killed, and two others were injured by the gunman. Freedom to choose does not guarantee the right choice. Why did he act? It is not certain. Not requiring a conspiracy or even a clear political statement to explain the assassination attempt; it is only clear, God cannot always wisely prevent sin.

Why did Crooks act? “Having no hope, and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12 KJV). A generation set adrift without hope will lash out against any authority, which to them represents God in their lives. “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7). Only the “power of God” (1:16) could change that negative outcome.

Unless the Church embraces doctrine: (1) requiring “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (Hebrews 12:14), (2) understanding you cannot be holy and sinful at the same time, since “no man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24) and “Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter?” (James 3:11), and (3) promising the Holy Spirit’s assistance “which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13), then we will be powerless to prevent more lawlessness. No more assuring anyone of Heaven, while pulling a trigger to assassinate a President.

LORD, the world is turned upside down, when the Church does not have the understanding or influence to keep us from consuming ourselves, our families, our churches, the nation, or the world. Let understanding start with us and spread to the world. In Jesus’ name, amen.