Thoughts for Life: #14 The Power of God Came Upon the People

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: The power of God that came upon people under Finney's ministry was not something due to his presence, but to the presence of the Spirit.

People gripped by God during a service often continued under the awesome hand of the spirit after they returned home. Until they completed their repentance, restitution, and confession they found it practically impossible to go about their normal duties. (Google image, Finney).

A well-known businessman in Auburn strongly opposed his wife's Christian experience and did not let her attend the meetings for some days.

One night before the service she prayed at length, and when her husband arrived he announced that he would take her to the meeting. He intended to find things to ridicule and oppose.

Finney knew nothing of this, but early in the service God gave him a text, "Let us alone" from Mark 1:24, and anointed him with special power as he preached. Suddenly the businessman screamed and fell from his seat.

Finney stopped preaching and went to him. The man had recovered some strength, had his head in his wife's lap, crying like a child and confessing his sins. People began to weep across the church. Finney dismissed the service.

The man had to be helped to his home. Immediately he sent for his former sinful companions and confessed his sins to them and warned them to "flee the wrath to come" (Matt. 3:7).

For several days he remained so overcome by the power of God that he could not walk around, but kept sending for people, making confessions and asking forgiveness, and exhorting people to be saved. He became, in time, a useful elder in the Presbyterian church.

On the other hand, at times God used the physical presence of Finney to bring people to Christ. The power of Christ was so on him and such a holy influence for God seemed to emanate from him that people were led quickly to Christ.

It seemed as though Finney's arrival was so accompanied by the presence of the Lord that unsaved people were gripped by the Spirit of God. Until the very end of his life not only did revivals break out almost anywhere he began to labor, but often salvation came to the homes of the people where Finney visited.

Finney was persuaded to preach in Rome, New York, one Sunday. The next day many convicted people gathered in a home, so deeply moved that after a few remarks by Finney he suggested they dismiss the service.

He prayed "in a low unimpassioned voice". People began to sob and sigh. Finney tried to restrain the emotion by asking each to go home in silence without speaking a word to anyone. But they went weeping and sighing down the street.

Early the next morning, calls came from all over town for him to visit various homes to pray for the deeply convicted. He and the pastor would enter a home and neighbors would rush in. All morning was spent moving from home to home.

In the afternoon, people literally ran from every direction to a large room for a service. Many were converted and the meeting lasted till night. So mightily did God work that for twenty days a prayer meeting was held each morning, a meeting for inquirers each afternoon, and a preaching service each evening.

Three men ridiculed the work, and spent a day drinking till one of them fell dead. The other two were speechless. Nearly all of the lawyers, merchants, physicians, and other leading people were converted; in fact, it seemed that almost the entire adult population of Rome came to Christ.

In twenty days at least 500 were converted. A pastor said, "So far as my congregation is concerned the millennium is come already."

~~~~~

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana. Creative reading style by Jean.

Ablaze for God
#14 The Power of God Came Upon the People
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel(pp. 63 - 65) ZondervanPublishingHouse

Our prayer-

Praying hands

Father, O that Your power would fall in our churches today like in the days Finney was alive and serving You!
We ask that our pastors have such an anointing on their ministry, and that we would witness such times of refreshing.
This depends on our faithfully supporting them with prayer; impress us stronger with this burden.
We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

"We fight with weapons that are different from those
the world uses. Our weapons have power from God
that can destroy the enemy's strong places. We destroy
people's arguments and every proud thing that raises
itself against the knowledge of God. We capture every
thought and make it give up and obey Christ
(2 Corinthians 10:4-5, ICB).

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you
have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them
to your holy dwelling.” Exodus 15:13

“There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out
fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The
one who fears is not made perfect in love”
(1 John 4:8 NIV).

Today's quote-

~ Maureen Longnecker- "One of the ways God shows His love is in the personally tailored lessons He teaches us. I can see how God was weaving His threads into the tapestry of my life even before I began a personal relationship with Him. He was looking out for me, designing events to build my character, and equipping me with traits that I would need later. He knew what I would face in life, and He knew I needed to understand that He's trustworthy. He orchestrated countless details and circumstances, steadily increasing my trust in Him." (Author of The Other Side of the Tapestry)

Today's question-

Do you know God looks at you and sees your value; your potential?

If you are a believer, having trusted Jesus as your Savior, you have a special relationship with the Father through Christ's blood shed for you, and are chosen to reflect Jesus in all you say, do and think. There are individual plans in the books in heaven, filled with what the Father plans for us to accomplish, and to be blessed with.
Because of this, we need to receive the Holy Spirit's attempts to correct us, and to help us clean up the junk in our hearts so we can achieve our potential. He is our Helper and Comforter, and His love for us is pure and unconditional, and He tries daily to prepare us for each part of the Father's plan to succeed.

Upcoming posts-

What Was Done

12/2- Saturday's post by Lisa Buffaloe

#15 How the Power was Manifested

5th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#16 Widespread Effect of Finney's Ministry

7th- Thursday's post by Wesley L. Duewel

The Path Home

9th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes