The Coming Revolution: Signs from America’s Past that Signal Our Nation’s Future
By Dr. Richard G. Lee
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Category: Non-fiction, Political, Christian
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pub Date: January 12, 2012
Kindle Format: 3115 lines
Hardcover Format: 256 pages
Kindle edition: (Not yet available).
Hardcover: $24.99
Product Description from the Publisher: We are living in a time of monumental change.
Countless numbers of ordinary people, men and women from all walks of life, are joining forces to challenge the direction our national leaders are now taking us. Washington’s idea of change has failed, and most Americans are now frustrated, disappointed, and angry. The result is a long list of offenses, both perceived and real, that can easily set off a chain reaction that quickly becomes irreversible. And in the right environment, the situation can be explosive.
It is easy to see that many of the identical social and religious provocations that spurred the colonists toward the First American Revolution are present today, inspiring a new generation to seek what the Founders called “a new birth of freedom.” Signs are pointing to the fact that we are now standing on the threshold of a new American revolution, not with muskets and cannon balls this time but a revolution conscience, morality, and honor, dedicated to responsible social, moral, and political reforms, demanding change from the socialistic direction our political, judicial, and intellectual leaders have been taking us.
The Coming Revolution draws from the wellspring of America’s powerful past to reveal a nation of people who, under the hand of Divine Providence, will once again fight and win the coming battle for personal and national freedom.
Review: Well-researched and well written, The Coming Revolution is an ideal read for an American audience frustrated with revisionist history and the trend toward socialistic government. I received an advance copy for review from the publisher. The book is scheduled for release on January 12, 2012.
Lee, founder of The First Redeemer Church in Atlanta, Georgia, and “There’s Hope America” ministry, presents readers with a concise and understandable guide to America’s pre-revolutionary history, including the lost colony of Roanoke, the nearly-failed Jamestown experiment and the quest for religious freedom that drove Puritan settlers toward Plymouth. Through it all, Lee explains the essential role that the Christian faith of those early settlers played in forming the nation.
Most significant is Lee’s description of the “Great Awakening” of the 1730s and 1740s and its impact on the American Revolution. As Lee describes, the preaching of the Great Awakening emphasized the need for personal repentance and accountability before God as well as the importance of a personal moral code among those living in community. Lee asserts that the seeds planted in the Great Awakening gave colonists the courage to form a new nation based on “the consent of the governed” and guaranteeing political and religious liberty.
But “The Coming Revolution” is more than a history book. It might also be titled, “A Defense of the Tea Party.” In describing America’s past, Lee looks toward the future and is troubled by the trends he sees -- destruction of the nuclear family, decline in American educational standards and the rise of the welfare state. He lays the blame squarely at the feet of “progressives” currently represented by the Obama administration and challenges Americans to correct its course through a “revolution of ideas, an expression of faith and a renewed commitment to a higher cause.”
Lee should be careful, though. By promoting a third political party, he threatens to fracture conservatives rather than unite them, a move that could lead to a continuation of the socialistic policies that concern him. Conservatives need look no further than the candidacy of Ross Perot in 1992 to understand this concern. The introduction of a second conservative choice split the Republican Party and resulted in the election of Bill Clinton, gaining progressives a foothold and initiating America’s most recent slide toward socialism. For example, Clinton’s liberal belief that every American has the right to home ownership regardless of ability to pay resulted in Federal lending policies that drove America to the brink of financial collapse just a few years ago. By urging conservatives to form a third party in the 2012 election, history may repeat itself.
Instead, Lee’s agenda might be better served by encouraging a personal call to repentance along with intelligent and rational discourse among those from any political party concerned about our nation’s future. Americans desperately need to set aside political bickering and unify under a renewed vision that reclaims our heritage, promotes personal responsibility and strengthens families and communities. Of course, Christians understand that such a vision is impossible apart from a movement of the Holy Spirit. Thus, personal repentance and faith in Christ are the first steps to securing America’s future.
If readers take nothing else away from Lee’s book, they should ponder this: Lasting positive change – whether spiritual, social or political – only comes about as God’s Spirit works in the hearts of individuals. Before Americans can change the direction of their nation, they must first ask God to change their hearts.Labels: Book reviews
