Daily Devotional, Year 2 – APRIL 14 (Shouting Good Words! Part 2: Emotionalism)
By admin On February 8th, 2015.
.
Daily Devotional, Year 2 – APRIL 14
.
.
.
.
Shouting Good Words!
.
Part 2:
“Emotionalism”
To read Part 1, click here… “March 20th (Shouting Good Words!)”
.
.
.
.
.
VARIOUS GOSPELS
.
YouTube is a great place to hear any type of gospel imaginable!
.
And there are various gospels to hear.
.
One false gospel preaches prosperity. (1st Timothy 6:5)
.
Another preaches anti-capitalist humanitarianism. (2nd Timothy 3:5)
.
Yet still another preaches strict rules which deny the flesh. (Colossians 2:23)
.
Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
.
HIGH EMOTIONS
.
But today, there was a very emotional gospel, in which this particular evangelist was almost on the verge of tears during his entire presentation.
.
Well, that’s not exactly true! Actually his presentation was a sort of emotional roller-coaster ride, with moments of near tears, soon followed by bringing the crowd into laughter.
.
And then he would return again to the tearful emotionalism.
.
Finally, at the last, some very soft praise music played as this energetic evangelist prayed a very emotional and sorrowful prayer with pleas for spiritual blessings.
.
Audience hands – Wikimedia – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
CHARLES FINNEY
.
Now such preaching is nothing new.
.
No, as a matter of fact, that infamous evangelist, Charles Finney, was a master at 
emotional preaching, all the way back in the early 1800’s.
.
Yes, Charles Finney could stir up his audience to the point that the altar-calls would bring large numbers of confessing sinners falling to their knees in tearful contrition and remorseful repentance!
.
His calculated emotionalism was carefully designed to bring the crowds to their knees each night that he was in any certain town.
.
Charles G. Finney – Wikipedia – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
FATHER OF THE EMOTIONAL GOSPEL
.
And to a great degree, Charles Finney was the father of the modern-day emotional gospel.
.
And Finney is said to have had a greater influence on American Christianity, more than perhaps any other modern-day preacher.
.
Unfortunately, much of his legacy is not such a good legacy! And to Finney’s credit, at the end of his life, he repented of his former ministry!
.
Nevertheless, his life-long bad example has been embraced by this present-day evangelical community, bringing it into apostasy!
.
Charles G. Finney – Wikipedia – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
BLACKENED EARTH TERRITORIES
.
And what about Finney’s converts?
.
Well, by observers who followed in Finney’s wake from town to town, it was discovered that his so-called converts fell away soon after he left each town! That’s right, his high-energy, emotional 
preaching could whip up the multitudes into a frenzied repentance.
.
But it wasn’t a true repentance! Just a moment of high emotions, followed by a return to sin and selfishness in the weeks and months following!
.
And the places which Finney most heavily evangelized, were nicknamed, “blackened earth territories”, because his false converts eventually became so hardened against the Gospel, that they were beyond being reached for Christ, ever again!
.
And a large portion of that community likewise became hardened against the Gospel!
.
Charles G. Finney – Wikipedia – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
WHAT WAS MISSING?
.
Now, back to this YouTube evangelist, heard this morning.
.
It was observed that there was one missing
ingredient in this emotion-filled revival service: a call to forsake the selfish pleasures and proud pursuits of this world!
.
Oh yes, there was a call to forsake adultery, and drugs, and other gross sins. And yes, all the “big sins” were mentioned. But the really cardinal sin of today’s Church was totally overlooked! And that is another reason why there could be no true conversions in this energy-charged convocation!
.
And so, just what is that one great sin?
.
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
.
.
.
.
.
THE RICH YOUNG RULER
.
The answer to this question might be revealed in the story of the Rich Young Ruler, found in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18.
.
Remember that story?
.
This young man came running up to Jesus, greatly desiring to know what good thing he might do, that would bring him Salvation.
.
And Jesus saw right through his legalistic “commandment-keeping” facade, and plainly told the young man… “If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come and follow Me.” Matthew 19:21
.
Well, when he heard that requirement, the young man went away sad, because, “he had great possessions”. Matthew 19:22
.
Rich-Young-Ruler-Hoffman – Wikimedia-Commons – US-public-domain
.
.
.
.
.
SUPERFICIAL RELIGION DESIRED
.
And so, it’s probably a somewhat similar situation today, with so many young people in the audiences of today’s highly emotional evangelists on TV, radio, and YouTube. That’s right! Most of us would like to have, well, a partial relationship with Jesus!
.
Yes, we’d love to have a “mountain-top experience” of “emotional highs” with Jesus.
.
But to totally renounce this selfish world, and let Jesus remove all my self-seeking ways? Naw! That would be going much too far!
.
Super Bowl XLIII Thunderbirds Flyover Feb 1 2009 – Wikipedia – public domain
.
.
.
.
.
DEATH-TO-SELF?
.
Well, this above testimony is probably somewhat similar to what that Rich Young Ruler was saying within himself, when Jesus counseled him to, “Go, sell all you have and come follow Me!”
.
All the young man merely wanted, was some good works he could do! But to give up the entire world, and follow the lowly and self-sacrificing Jesus? To suffer tribulation, as God purified his heart into the image of Jesus?
.
No, that was totally unacceptable to that rich young ruler! He merely wanted a superficial religion which tickled his itching ears.
.
And so he went away, very sorrowful!
.
.
.
.
.
.
FORSAKE ALL & FOLLOW ME
.
Now in contrast to this, when Jesus called His disciples, Peter, Andrew and John, He 
plainly told them… “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.” Luke 14:33.
.
Here above, is one of those “hard sayings” from the Bible that usually gets rough treatment from just about everyone in church these days!
.
Yes, this above saying from Luke 14:33 always gets neutralized by just about every Bible teacher, until it has little punch left in it!
.
Nevertheless, Jesus requires “all” from His disciples. He accepts no divided heart.
.
Christ calling His Disciples by Edward Armitage – 1869 – courtesy Wikigallery.com – Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
SHUNNED SUPERFICIAL EXCITEMENT
.
Jesus knew how fickle those artificial emotions can be, and wanted nothing to do with any 
superficial responses to the Gospel!
.
Jesus remembered the words of the wise-man… “The words of wise men are heard in quiet, more than the cry (shout) of him that ruleth among fools.” Ecclesiastes 9:17
.
As this above verse warns, all the shouts that the apostate church-world can cry, cannot compare to the quiet wisdom which Jesus walked in, and taught with, during His short earthly ministry.
.
Sunday preaching – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
OUR DIVINE ROLE-MODEL
.
And so, the call still goes out to all those who wish to imitate Jesus, to put away all un-
Christlike behavior, and simply imitate our divine Role-Model, Jesus, in all we think, do, and say!
.
And let’s discard all the artificial methods of evangelism, and merely proclaim the Word of Christ faithfully and unpretentiously!
.
And by so-doing, just maybe God will begin to truly bless our efforts to reach hearts for Christ!
.
Mall witnessing, Panama City, Panama
.
.
.
.
.
.
TO READ PART 3, CLICK HERE…
March 25 (Shouting Good Words! Part 3: “Forceful Bible Teachers!”)
Sunday preaching – Wikipedia – US Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S PRAYER…
“Dear Lord, lead me to find the true life which Jesus offers! Let me not be led away into a superficial gospel. But let me allow Thee to mold me and re-make into Thy likeness…
Marine Praying – Wikimedia – USMC Public Domain
.
.
.
.
.
READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… ““Vanity Fair” & The False Prophet”, or you can also read… “February 3rd (Fashionable Religion)”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
.
.
.
.
THE END
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN
.
.
.
THE FIVE FOOLISH VIRGINS STARS
.
.
A new constellation has been revealed, as of about May 29th, 2014. This constellation appears as a serpent (snake). Its body is comprised of stars from the Bootes Constellation, and its jaws are made of the four stars which Babylonians saw as the head of Draco, the Dragon. It also has a small single star for an eye.
.
Now in this constellation is a group of five stars, which will be called “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars”. These are located on the opposite side of the Glorious Crown of 12 Stars (AKA Corona Borealis), from the Five Wise Virgins Stars. But one big difference between the two is, that The Five Wise are curved around the Glorious Crown, while the Five Foolish are curved away from it!
.
.
.
.
.
.
READ MORE…
To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Five Foolish Virgins Stars”
Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license
.
.
.
.
.
.
TOMORROW…
“April 15 (The Pre-Trib Rapture, Part 2: John 6)”
Second Coming – Return – Resurrection Morning – Jan Luyken – Bible – Wikipedia – US Public Domain (2)
.
.
.
.
.
20+ MINUTE AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 
.
ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.
.
THIS STUDY #470 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…
.
above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain
Leave a Reply