Thoughts for Life: #16 Widespread Effect of Finney's Ministry

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: About 1830, according to the estimate of Dr. Henry Ward Beecher, at least 100,000 were converted and joined the churches in one year through the Finney-related revivals and their spreading influence.

Probably this was the greatest harvest since Pentecost. (Google image, The secret of Finney's success, by Gordon C. Olson)

In 1849 God began to use Finney in revival in London. At times 1,500 to 2,000 would respond to an invitation to receive Christ. Ten years later he was told that nearly all of the converts of those years were still standing true.

The great revival that swept America in 1858-59 was sometimes called the revival of the united prayer meetings. Dr. Lyman Beecher called it "the greatest revival the world has ever seen" with at least 600,000 conversions. It was considered a direct result of Finney's ministry over the previous years, although he was not usually present.

Bishop W. A. Candler asserted that at least one million were converted in this revival. Dr. J. Edwin Orr, historian of Christian revivals, agrees with the bishop. (Orr, Evangelical Awakening, 35).

The permanence of the results of Finney's ministry was outstanding. After the revival in Gouverneur, New York, it is said that no dance or theatrical play could be held for six years.

Careful research showed that eighty-five percent of those converted in Finney's meetings remained true to the Lord. Even the ministry of evangelists like Moody showed a permanence of only thirty percent. There is no substitute for the Power of the Lord as was so manifested in Finney's life and ministry.

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

Ablaze for God
#15 How the Power of God was Manifested
by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel(pp. 67) ZondervanPublishingHouse

The secret of Finney's success, by Gordon C. Olson
(Read excellent information shared there).

These are some of the quotes given:

~ Arthur Wallis:“It would be impossible to estimate the influence exerted on revival movements all over the world during the past hundred years by Charles Finney’s lectures on prayer in his Revivals of Religion.”

~ Leonard Ravenhill: “Finney never made an altar call within the first twenty eight nights of preaching. Most of our evangelists don’t have twenty eight sermons. Twenty eight nights in a row and he never made an altar call. He didn’t preach the love of God. He… didn’t say “you’re a sinner, God loves you.” He said “God is angry with the wicked every day” (Ps 7:11) which the Word of God says. He didn’t preach grace, he preached Law. He didn’t preach love, he preached judgment. He didn’t preach heaven, he preached hell. He didn’t say “you’re a wonderful person” he said “you’re a rebel”. But he got results. 64% of D. L. Moody's converts backslid, 72% of the converts Finney got stood because he knew how to attack the human will, not just the emotions.”

Our prayer today:

How to pray a powerful prayer
Billy Graham Association

Father, as we've learned of the ministry of Charles G. Finney, we acknowledge that Your Holy Spirit worked in and through him.
It is our desire to have You help our church leaders spend time in prayer, so as to receive this Holy Ghost-power too.
As they need to be anointed with this power that Finney experienced, draw them aside for extended prayer. May we acknowledge our own lifestyles are less than what Your plan is for us as Christians, and to carve out the time we need to be drawn closer to You, and to receive this power available to us also.
Help us commit to the support of our church leaders in prayer, and to help them any way that we can. They're humans like we are, so we're familiar with what they deal with to some degree day after day.
Make it clear to us what it is You ask of us, as we spend time in prayer for them, and ourselves as well.
In the name of Jesus, our Savior, Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever
is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is
lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent
or praiseworthy--think about such things" Phil. 4:8 (NIV).

“All that the Father gives me will come to me, and

the one who comes to me I will certainly not
cast out” (John 6:37).

“For God did not send his Son into the world to
condemn the world, but to save the world through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned . . . ”
(John 3:17).

Today's question-

Do you listen to messages of the Truth, as revealed in the Bible?

As we are impacted by what we hear, it is extremely important to guard our ears from Satan's plan to get us off tract from what God's Word teaches us. The evil one draws us away from believing and obeying God's Word by distorting it, leaving parts out, misquoting and making what it may say as a "manner of opinion", "But speak and believe things which become sound doctrine." (See Titus 1:2 KJV).
We are to hold fast to faithful words taught us, and to be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and to help others who contradict it. (See Titus 2). This leads to a healthy church body, one which serves by example, submitting to authority, so their leaders will be able to give a good account of them before God the Father someday.

"What Linus and I Missed in the Manger" by Ronald P. Hutchcraft Interesting and informative reading! I hope you'll check it out!

Upcoming posts:

The Path Home

9th- Saturday's post by Lee Forbes

#17 God's Power in the Ministry of Duncan Campbell

12th- Tuesday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

#18 At Times God's Convicting Power Fell

14th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

Our Challenge: A Sanctified life

16th- Saturday's post by Jean Oathout