Introduction to this Ministry
Please observe that every underlined word below is a link to a further related writing that will fully illustrate the use.
ITS NATURE & GOAL:
Welcome to Alethea In Heart
Ministies. We are at your service in Christ to help you in any way we can. If you are wondering what Alethea means, it is the Greek word for
Truth.
The intention was more than just to get people to think about truth by the use of a Greek word, but to make them reflect
upon the need for Truth in the heart
and not just in the
head. Our web site deals mostly with propositional information, and everyone dealing with such is
always in great
danger of failing
to receive the truth learned into the heart where it also belongs. Thus, our purpose for this ministry is as the apostle Paul's was: "the goal of our instruction is
love from a
pure heart and a
good conscience and a
sincere faith." But while we loath the imbalance of merely holding the accurate truth in unrighteousness (
Romans 1:18), we equally flee from mystical tendencies that discourage
sound, systematic, and profound investigation. We again agree with the beloved apostle when he categorized all believers as receiving "the love of the truth so as to be saved." Our purpose and method,
which is open to all for correction and advancement, is thus to promote as best as possible "salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth."
LESS EXCLUSIVE IN GOALS:
Some web sites have focused almost exclusively on Finney in presenting his most useful writings. We would like to extend their same goals through the writings of his friends and contemporary sympathizers as well. We would see all of these men united in essential gospel agreement, and who would promote the same theological and practical means to promote Revival. We hope to propagate those truths of reality and revelation that have always brought revival of God's presence among hungry believing people. We believe these truths of the gospel of Jesus Christ were well presented by the Rev. Charles G. Finney, the 19th Century American Revivalist President. His message is true to
Reason,
Revelation and
Experience. Wherever these truths are known and
believed, there has been a visitation of God. No visitation from God has occurred without them. Nothing can change reality, we can only discover it. Mr. Finney makes discovery of the reality of God's
character,
Law and
Gospel within reach to modern readers. We make these available, in their entirety, with the confidence that we modern people can also be visited with waves of Revival of
God's presence in
conviction of sin , and
conversion to righteousness, when we know and
believe the Truth.
MINISTRY HISTORY:
Our ministry grew out of making our own studied resources available to those who would be best benefited by them. We could only afford to make basic photocopies for unprofessional purposes and so furnish people with good spiritual material. But when the general need to get these books out became more apparent, better copies of originals were made and the work of typing them electronically began. Eventually a catalogue was requested on the Internet and the books that were being typed for other CD's were posted on this site. As requests continued and people benefited from the ordering of books it was seen to be useful to add certain other things such as links and testimonies. But as will be noticed by the compilation, it is not nearly finished, as to its desired end in view. Further, it was not always intended that the things listed were all seen to have been of fundamental importance. But articles were posted on this site as they were presently being
studied by the owner (thus the explanation for the number of uncompleted works). And as one studies more than just fundamental subjects, so the same were displayed.
ITS CONTENT:
An even further object was the desire to post rare Christian classics that no one else was working on and that generally seemed to be among the best that could be found on the particular subjects. Lastly, and somewhat implied, the authors mostly listed were sound, intelligent men of
deep religious commitment and experience, and who were either Revivalists, Christian educators, or ministers who were deeply involved in promoting reform in their days. The general time period of our authors are from 1700 to 1950. We presently desire to expand in any way that would best suit the greatest good in this sinful world. We have an estimated volume of at least 300 works of most excellent quality, which no one else is doing anything about, and which we hope to make available on CD, and the Internet for free. The further progress of this ministry will largely depend on the interest of the viewers, the help of friends, and the time available by all.
ITS THEOLOGICAL POSITIONS:
As it can be seen from reviewing the site, we have nothing to hide or apologize for theologically. We realize from experience though, how difficult it can be to state anything these days without being very misunderstood by the choice of words given in any statement of faith that can be given. We also do not wish to so precisely stereotype our positions as to either grieve our
great Teacher in stripping ourselves of further development, or to fall into a nice convenient system and deceive our own selves. But we can safely say that we could call ourselves
orthodox in the evangelical sense of the word and thus we are not restorationists or inventors of new doctrines that the church of Christ has never known till now. We believe the bible is the
final authority for deciding doctrine and is
without err in its original form. We would believe that there are fundamental doctrines contained therein which pertain to salvation and which
no one can afford to be wrong in. But we also see that there are many aspects related to each of them in which good and righteous men have differed, and which are of a secondary nature to the salvation of any soul. Nevertheless we hold that no person can be forgiven of sins and prepared for heaven unless he experiences the only
method by which God has
graciously given man to
become such. That method He has given us is declared most unequivocally in His Word, and is complete unselfish trust in His absolute
goodness,
righteousness, and ability to save all those who fully believe in the work of His Son in accomplishing an
atonement
for sins and thus a complete deliverance from the penalty of the law and
the power of sin. We thus reject anything that adds or subtracts from what is implied in God's method (and trust that our brief words will not be pressed too hard, as we have not the opportunity to enlarge here). We reject any
additional works in the process other than "
the faith that works by love"--such as
baptism,
speaking in tongues, or any other opinion or
traditions of men. But on the other side, we equally reject the modern shallow "
faith" that is void of that most comprehensive word "
love," that Paul gives a definition of in 1 Corinthians 13. Again, we would hold that the
faith that saves is composed of a
full repentance of all
selfishness and
lawlessness, or of laying down oneself and turning, by
God's grace, to behold and follow the leading of God
through Jesus Christ in the
power of His Holy Spirit.
ITS MODERN CONCERN:
We have concerns about many things in our day but try and confine our energies in the
most needful areas so as to accomplish the greatest possible good. Again, it is not our desire to contend for the sake of personal habit or desire, but we see it as vital to the interests of God's kingdom to
contend for the faith. Our hearts rejoice with the goodness of God in the salvation of many in all ages. But we have come to see that one of the chief ways to advance the kingdom of heaven is to purify the professed church of Christ so it will be properly effective in reaching the world and
accomplishing God's will fully. We thus
lament over the
cheep gospel that is widely preached in at least America in general, in which the chief aims are numbers and
pleasure. We hope to expose this modern form of
lawlessness, that denies that "
the wages of sin is death", or that
man can be saved while sinning; and hope to articulate as best as possible "
the free gift of eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord," with the implied
full deliverance from
every power of
temptation and bondage of
sin. Further, we have even more concern for the mere belief in this, which amounts to only theory and
denies this in
practical everyday life; and hope to so
scrutinize the
nature of moral action so as to expose every subtle
false motive, while continually holding up the
only suitable one. Once again, we will only be satisfied with
Alethea In Heart.
Jan. 16, 2001
Please observe that every underlined word above is a link to a further related writing that will fully illustrate the use.