MEDITATIONS ON CHRISTIAN REVIVAL BOOK BY R.S. PEARSON
MEDITATIONS ON CHRISTIAN REVIVAL BOOK BY R.S. PEARSON
This book is the product of many years of reflection on the topic of what could cause a true Christian revival in so-called Post-Christian cultures. The author is not a part of the “dumbing down” of culture, but has been a rare book dealer among having other livelihoods.
He is the creator of one of the leading brainstorming software products, as well as the creator of artistic theory based on virtue which he started circulating in 1984. He is a Christian yet did not feel at home with much of the Christian popular media because it seemed the culture at large was becoming less and less Christian even in face of these ministries. He spent the last several years creating this work based on ideas of what intelligent Christian revival would look like.
He has written three books on religious excesses that mimic spirituality: one on hallucinations, another on religiosity over spirituality, and the third on grandiosity. In this work, he saw that the best defense in a post Christian culture was a good offense: the personal attitude of intelligent soul-winning, especially towards those who are not spiritually-grounded and whom we come across in our daily lives.
Pearson’s three books on psychological problems in spiritual practice have been called a “Lucuna in the Literature” by a psychologist, who was not able to give signed endorsements because of his position in an organization that did not allow members to make endorsements.
Short Overview of Some Important Themes
A Key to Understanding Revival
1) God always desires revival.
2) The problem of not having a revival can only be solved at a higher level than it was created at.
3) Revival does not happen because we do not have the wisdom to cause it (He who wins souls is wise).
4) Revival will happen when we can find new bottles to put the new wine in — you cannot expect the present leadership to cause revival, they can only encourage those who are in revival, and understand what the Lord needs to do in those who are in the population that are not actively involved in church service and attendance.
5) It is a ministry to go to church, and this is a predominant theme of the new revival. A revival should not focus on replacing existing pastors, but instead supporting them. The present leadership can only encourage a new revival, and they should for their churches to remain prosperous, or even active in the Western world due to low attendance in some areas and in particular in some churches.
Three Directions for Our Own Spiritual Blessing
1) Know God wants to bless us.
2) Repent, and ask for forgiveness, which involves being “in Jesus’ name.”
3) Accept as much of God’s love and power for one’s life as one can.
He Who Wins Souls is Wise
1) Believe in the righteousness of what we win souls to.
2) God is not to blame for man’s unrighteousness.
3) Christ said to not sleep, make this a vital concept not a meaningless or boring one.
4) Using Christianity to make our life better, not make our life more obsessive and useless.
5) The gifts of the Holy Spirit – God is a rewarder only of those that diligently seek Him
(Hebrews 11:6).
6) Bravery helps us do the least to build the best.
If we lose the hope that others can develop spiritual fervor, that is a sign that we ourselves have lost the fervor. This hope is the main key to winning souls.
Approaching Being in God’s Glory
1 When we see the glory, we praise God
2 The needed power of reconciliation
3 They know not what they do attitude
4 Unconditional love of others
5 Praying long for others
6 Pray for those who do not love us enough
7 Unselfish living
To find out more about the book and read about other books, go to the Telical Books website.