Camp Meeting Devotions - Day Nineteen

 Matthew 16:24 (NASB)

²⁴  Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me.

Yesterday we were introduced to a character named Charles Finney. He doubted the power of the praying people of Adams, NY. God must have heard their prayers, because Finney increasingly felt conviction about needing to be converted. He often strolled into the woods to be alone to work through all sorts of emotions. He eventually surrendered and was saved near a log in those woods. 

The story is told of a profound encounter he had with God back in his office that night. He reported feeling like liquid love fell over him and consumed him. Finney began testifying and witnessing to people the next day. Soon crowds gathered to hear him. Everywhere he went crowds gathered and the masses fell under conviction and were saved. 

He went from one town to another and experienced the same results wherever he went. He also devoted himself to much prayer when he was not preaching. Sometimes the people fell under such conviction they fell from their seats to the floor in tears. At times, he could not lead the congregants to salvation all at once because of the loud weeping. He spent hours going from one person to the next during extended altar calls. 

On October 5, 1824 Finney paused his revival ministry to marry his love Lydia. He left her the next day to go back to her hometown to fetch her belongings and bring them to their new home. Finney had no idea what was about to unfold. All along the way when people learned that he was in town or coming through town they begged him to preach. In each place, God poured out His Spirit and God saved many people in the meetings. One day he sent his horse and sleigh with a Christian brother to go get his wife SIX MONTHS LATER! Imagine that from his and her perspective. Revival is costly. 

There were no churches in some of the little towns. . In such places Finney preached in schoolhouses. Everywhere he went the revival spread. Whole towns of people were nearly all converted in one place after another. He reported that some of the meetings lasted all night long as sinners were convicted and were led to Christ one by one after the preaching. 

I wonder how many of us are so devoted to Jesus that we would give up our honeymoon and even seeing our new spouse for six months due to laboring for the Master from dawn to setting sun. I am betting some would not. Jesus laid it out straight in the passage today. If we really want to go after Him, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. None of those things is easy. 

We often live just the opposite of denying ourselves. We indulge ourselves with pleasures, delicacies, sleep, entertainment, and hedonistic desires. There is little denying ourselves. Fasting is one simple way of denying ourselves. Late night and early morning prayers is another way of denying ourselves sleep. 

Taking up our cross means be willing to suffer. To even die spiritually and live the crucified life. [Gal 2:20] This is a whole other level of discipleship. It is the high cost of commitment to Christ. Jesus bids us to lay our lives down to Him as acts of worship and be available to Him. [Rom 12:1]

We are also called to follow Him. To follow Him anywhere, at any time, to do anything. Not for a season, but for our entire lives. To follow Him daily. [Luke 9:23]. It does not matter whether the course is easy or difficult. It does not matter whether we are comfortable or uneasy in the assignment. Wherever He leads we are follow in pursuit. 

Finney understood these things. He left his law practice to argue the case for people getting saved. He even put his new bride on the back burner in order to fulfill the ministry opportunities God set before him. He knew about denying himself. He knew about the crucified life and about following his Master from town to town to labor without regard to personal rest. How many times has it been written and said that revival is costly. Is it a cost we are willing to pray?

• Make a list of all the ways you indulge yourself instead of deny yourself.
• Ask God what He wants you to deny yourself in preparing for revival. 
• Pray through the implications of living the crucified life. 
• Answer where it is you sense Jesus is calling you to follow Him during these days.