I received this book hoping it would present a good case.  What I found in Dr. Richard Lee’s The Coming Revolution was a somewhat unbalanced portrayal of the US, with a substantial lack of respect for the study of history.

I understand that the author is trying to present his case that there is a fire (the country being taken control by socialists, etc.) and we need to put it out (“I tend to believe that God may have allowed these tough times to come about so that the men and women of this nation will wake up and reclaim their patrimony.”), and offer encouragement, but he’s obviously “preaching to [his] choir,” to a conservative, Tea-Party base. This book is more of a rally.

But the cost is too pricey. Dr. Lee’s assessment of US history and its role in the world is purely glowing (e.g. “…but where would the world be if it weren’t for the resolute faith and indomitable spirit of America’s pioneers?). Where is the honest look at things like slavery? What about all the wars that the US prompted, and the conflicts they decided to jump into without questioning if anyone wanted them to? What about our role in perpetuating poverty around the globe? And so forth. But instead, Dr. Lee, in my opinion, is forcing his concept of Christianity into the history.

I prefer material to present both sides and not so extremely biased, even if I agree with a large majority of the text.  If you are not a Tea-Party backer, if you’re not an evangelical, conservative Republican, who happens to think along the lines of Dr. Lee, then I believe you’d find it difficult to get past the introduction and first chapter.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of theirBookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

In a world full of injustice, poverty, oppression, and malaise, it is easy to become hardened, cynical, and disengaged. The believer in Christ, however, is called to something greater – to reflect Jesus to all men, especially those who are in distress.

This is the theme of Max Lucado’s newest book, Outlive Your Life: You Were Made to Make a Difference.

Outlive Your Life uses the events of Acts 1-12 as a paradigm for discussing what God expects from believers today. Each chapter begins with a Scripture and ends with a Scripture and a suggested prayer. Chapters feature matters like the ordinary nature of God’s servants, the need to get out of our shells, to put the greater (spiritual) good ahead of lesser (physical) ones, to work with fellow Christians, to be hospitable, to assist others in need, to stand up in the face of persecution, to do good, to be a source of strength for the dispossessed, to remain humble before God, to remove prejudices in life, to resist arrogance, to pray continually, and, based on Matthew 25, remember that when you help people in distress you help Jesus. The book ends with a discussion and action guide designed to promote further discussion and action.

Lucado is a very vivid author. He seamlessly takes you from the first century to the twenty-first century with his illustrations and examples (although I wished that he would keep the first century as the first century and the twenty-first as the twenty-first and not blend the images as he does occasionally!). He writes in a familiar and understandable way.

On the whole, the book is theologically sound and has a message that must be proclaimed.

It is a necessary call in the midst of a time and place more devoted to materialism and consumerism than authentic New Testament Christianity and its emphasis on clearing prejudice, assisting the downtrodden and dispossessed, and reliance on God and not self. May many come to a better understanding of these truths!