THURSDAY
Today and tomorrow we will look at a couple of stories from more recent church history.
It’s important to remember that this is not Scripture. This is a self-reported story from Finney that we cannot hold with the same authority as the Word of God. That being the case, Finney had some suspect theology and practice. However, it can be helpful for us to read about these encounters with God from individuals through whom God worked mightily. This helps us to know that God still moves today. It can strengthen our faith and increase our longing for God.
Charles Finney was an influential revivalist in the first half of the 19th century America. He was influential in the Second Great Awakening and has become known as the Father of American Revivalism. He was a well educated lawyer prior to God calling him to preach the gospel. In fact, after being called to preach, he told his client that he cannot argue his case because God has called him to argue His.
For our purposes today, lets read of Finney’s autobiographical account of his encounter with the Spirit of God.
“I received a mighty baptism of the Holy Spirit. Without any expectation of it, without ever having the thought in my mind that there was any such thing for me, without any memory of ever hearing the thing mentioned by any person in the world, the Holy Spirit descended upon me in a manner that seemed to go through me, body and soul. I could feel the impression, like a wave of electricity, going through and through me. Indeed it seemed to come in waves of liquid love, for I could not express it in any other way. It seemed like the very breath of God. I can remember distinctly that it seemed to fan me, like immense wings. No other words can express the wonderful love that was spread abroad in my heart. I wept aloud with joy and love. I literally bellowed out the unspeakable overflow of my heart. These waves came over me, and over me, and over me, one after another, until I remember crying out, ‘I shall die if these waves continue to pass over me.’ I said, ‘Lord, I cannot bear any more,’ yet I had no fear of death.”