At oen time, the church would have prohibited these charismatic programs and many, indeed, were controversial when they first appeared and still are today. Nonetheless, their impression and effects have been enduring and in a time when traditional programs were falling flat with the church losing members per day, innovative programs were the only ones that succeeded. What I have learned

Sometimes, dramatic changes -- a shift in perspective and a change of habits -- are necessary for end-goals and objective to be reached.

The Pre-Reformation Revival, 1300-1500

Summary

Corruption of the church lowered it in the eyes of the people. Historical records of the time indicate that several movements in the medieval church arose as counter reaction in order to pursue holiness. Most of these movements constituted monks, nuns, and friars who sought to separate themselves from the materialistic corruption of the church. Evangelical sects, too, tried to separate themselves and return to an apostolic Christianity. Movements included Monasticism, the Franciscans, and the Waldensians. Religious personalities of the period who attempted to return the church to a holier period included John Wycliffe, John Hus, and Girolmo Savonarolo

Analysis

Analysis of this period of church history indicates forces of good fighting and mediating with forces of evil. The church of that era, characterized by corruption and greed, was stymied in its path by reactionary drives that attempted to revert to original good.

Personal lesson

Never can anything be seen as unmitigated evil. There is always some amount of good interwoven in it or coming out of it. Sometimes too evil needs to occur in order to instigate reaction of good,

The Protestant Reformation, 1517

Summary

The Renaissance led to individualism. Church excess at that time and corruption of the catholic Church also led to Martin Luther who proclaimed Catholicism to be the Devil and called for return to genuine Christianity. Other revolutionary religious movements were Zwingliism, Calvinism, and the English Church introduced by Henry VIII. Of all of them, Protestantism - the results of Luther's protest - had the greatest...

There was a spiritual renewal against greed and a determination for a spiritual reawakening.
Lesson

Despite their greatness, none of these people can be lauded as saints. Luther raged against those who were against him, and Calvin and the others were likewise. Mortals are eventually fallible. The greatest of leaders have human faults.

Pentecost: The Beginning of Revival, A.D. 30

Summary

John the Baptist called for the people to repent of sin and "prepare the way of the Lord" (Matt. 3:3). Later on Pentecost, a new kind of revival occurred among 120 followers of Christ who united in prayer with Peter and the others, in a spirit of prophecy, preaching the scriptures. 3,000 individuals repented and the church at Jerusalem was established and continued to grow. The Pentecost outpouring spread throughout Israel having ramifications including the conversion of Paul. A consequent revival, instituted by Paul, was the Revival in Ephesus that at its peak caused fear and rioting amongst the idol worshippers of the city. The early church revivals themselves faded into complacency, with the church becoming corrupt and in turn producing new revivals

Analysis

The Revival at Pentecost was different than any of the others in that it started off with an 'alive' Church and blossomed into further regeneration as opposed to the other revival mentioned heretofore that stared off with dissatisfaction and revolted. The Church -- in the shape of 120 people -- prayed and "moved form faith to faith" and this was, on the one hand, the reverse of all subsequent revivals, on the other the shape of all revival to come.

Lesson

History is a never-ending linear or dialectical progression of the church as institution. During its deepest, darkest moments, a reaction occurs where the church is stimulated to review itself and move on. Often, these stimulations simulate the epoch and time.