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Strong and Courageous: Following Jesus Amid the Rise of America's New Religion
The authors explore the tension between obeying God rather than men while being subject to the governing authorities. They induce thinking about how the Christian should honor the governing officials that God has given us while we take seriously the task of pressing and educating them to see that they are finally responsible to God and his law. This book might not warm the heart, but it will press the mind to engage in some real heart work, attaining a life characterized by truth-informed courage.
209 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 11, 2022
I really appreciate that Tom Ascol and Jared Longshore have taken the time to write such an important and timely book. "Strong and Courageous" is a handbook for the church to fight the spiritual battles before us. They rightly see the radical secularism in the West as a religious movement that is unleashing tyranny through anarchy.
Progressive Government officials have worked hard to enforce their own first commandment, wherein all other religions are not free to assemble, worship, and speak--all the while, the secularists are able to freely assemble, protest, riot, speak, and denounce others.
These "hardened secularists" as Ascol and Longshore call them, use Critical Race Theory as a means of unleashing anarchy. They can only offer anarchy, because apart from the objective standard of God's Word, revealed in Scripture, there can be no order, no rule of law. It is anarchy because secularism is fueled by rebellion to God the lawgiver, the sovereign, the LORD.
So we cannot be surprised that when secularism becomes ascendant, as it has, that lawlessness and havoc follow in its wake. The media turned into propaganda, education turned indoctrination, COVD restrictions, BLM protests, racial strife and so on are the natural consequences of the rampant godlessness at the heart of the new religious revolution underway.
The book is three parts: "In the Defense", "On the Offense", and "Following Jesus in All Spheres." There are two particularly helpful aspects to the book. The first, is that they helpfully bring the Word of God to bear upon what is happening in the world. The second is that they remind us that the solutions are nothing more than standard faithfulness that we've largely abandoned. We must return to a proper understanding of law and gospel. We must prioritize worship. We must content ourselves as "slaves of Christ" and forsake all other slave masters. We must be strong and courageous.
This is an outstanding book, and one that I hope Christians all over the nation read and study together to begin the work of taking "every thought captive, to obey Christ" while bringing the Word of God to bear upon the apostasy all around us, that we would advance the truth of Jesus throughout the whole world--beginning in our homes, churches, communities, counties, states, and nation.
Progressive Government officials have worked hard to enforce their own first commandment, wherein all other religions are not free to assemble, worship, and speak--all the while, the secularists are able to freely assemble, protest, riot, speak, and denounce others.
These "hardened secularists" as Ascol and Longshore call them, use Critical Race Theory as a means of unleashing anarchy. They can only offer anarchy, because apart from the objective standard of God's Word, revealed in Scripture, there can be no order, no rule of law. It is anarchy because secularism is fueled by rebellion to God the lawgiver, the sovereign, the LORD.
So we cannot be surprised that when secularism becomes ascendant, as it has, that lawlessness and havoc follow in its wake. The media turned into propaganda, education turned indoctrination, COVD restrictions, BLM protests, racial strife and so on are the natural consequences of the rampant godlessness at the heart of the new religious revolution underway.
The book is three parts: "In the Defense", "On the Offense", and "Following Jesus in All Spheres." There are two particularly helpful aspects to the book. The first, is that they helpfully bring the Word of God to bear upon what is happening in the world. The second is that they remind us that the solutions are nothing more than standard faithfulness that we've largely abandoned. We must return to a proper understanding of law and gospel. We must prioritize worship. We must content ourselves as "slaves of Christ" and forsake all other slave masters. We must be strong and courageous.
This is an outstanding book, and one that I hope Christians all over the nation read and study together to begin the work of taking "every thought captive, to obey Christ" while bringing the Word of God to bear upon the apostasy all around us, that we would advance the truth of Jesus throughout the whole world--beginning in our homes, churches, communities, counties, states, and nation.
June 8, 2023
Short Summary: Gives a strong contrast to a secular "faith" and a Christian viewpoint, showing how the secular faith needs to be confronted in specific areas such as abortion, government overreach, and indoctrination of children.
Key Takeaways:
God repeatedly prompted my mind to dwell on things just a little before I would read the very same things I had been dwelling on in the text. For instance, one was where I was thinking of the quote that Aslan in the book/movie The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe that states that he is not safe, but good and then he mentions this in page 88 (chapter 7).
Perhaps the lack of resistance to the Western Christian church has warped our faith muscles so greatly that we are unable to stand properly when the momentum is gone. Perhaps then we need to be leaning into the persecution to strengthen us.
We try to package Jesus in such a way that he is appealing to others, but our first calling is to be faithful in sharing the good news, not trying to make Jesus palatable. We end up trusting our own ability to repackage Jesus than in God's power to save.
Self-autonomy provides a false hope and dishonors the only God who is self-existent and self-sufficient.
We need a fresh understanding of the cost of love (John 15:13). Defying tyrants is a form of love to tyrant and fellow citizens.
"Faith in the God who laughs at rebellion fuels courage to resist anarchy."
Ethnic Gnosticism - Only those being oppressed based on their ethnicity are able to know that they are being oppressed.
"Cultural Marxism extends conflict beyond economics to include any social relationship that can be defined in terms of those who are oppressed and their oppressors; between those with privilege and those without it."
Has a great section on Racism (chapter 4) and discipling Children (chapter 8).
Deals with the Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia (2020) that ruled that employers are forbidden from firing because of sexual identity or orientation. Great rebuttal against this.
When you sacrifice human freedom for the sake of human safety, you almost always diminish the human being.
Many Christians in America have found a way to hope in heaven that leaves them not facing up to the danger on earth . In other words , they claim they are seeking a better and heavenly country , but that eye toward the heavenly country leaves them not trusting and obeying God down here .
Assembling together as the church is crucial to our witness and calling.
Application Points:
• Do not run from persecution.
• Believe self-autonomy is offensive to God and a form of false hope.
• Unite yourself with the church in living out the mission.
• Take courage in the God who laughs at rebellion and promises a future far better than what we have, but do not fail to be obedient in there here and now.
-Personal Aha!: Seeking independence from all others is our attempt to mimick God's self-sufficiency.
Key Takeaways:
God repeatedly prompted my mind to dwell on things just a little before I would read the very same things I had been dwelling on in the text. For instance, one was where I was thinking of the quote that Aslan in the book/movie The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe that states that he is not safe, but good and then he mentions this in page 88 (chapter 7).
Perhaps the lack of resistance to the Western Christian church has warped our faith muscles so greatly that we are unable to stand properly when the momentum is gone. Perhaps then we need to be leaning into the persecution to strengthen us.
We try to package Jesus in such a way that he is appealing to others, but our first calling is to be faithful in sharing the good news, not trying to make Jesus palatable. We end up trusting our own ability to repackage Jesus than in God's power to save.
Self-autonomy provides a false hope and dishonors the only God who is self-existent and self-sufficient.
We need a fresh understanding of the cost of love (John 15:13). Defying tyrants is a form of love to tyrant and fellow citizens.
"Faith in the God who laughs at rebellion fuels courage to resist anarchy."
Ethnic Gnosticism - Only those being oppressed based on their ethnicity are able to know that they are being oppressed.
"Cultural Marxism extends conflict beyond economics to include any social relationship that can be defined in terms of those who are oppressed and their oppressors; between those with privilege and those without it."
Has a great section on Racism (chapter 4) and discipling Children (chapter 8).
Deals with the Bostock v. Clayton County, Georgia (2020) that ruled that employers are forbidden from firing because of sexual identity or orientation. Great rebuttal against this.
When you sacrifice human freedom for the sake of human safety, you almost always diminish the human being.
Many Christians in America have found a way to hope in heaven that leaves them not facing up to the danger on earth . In other words , they claim they are seeking a better and heavenly country , but that eye toward the heavenly country leaves them not trusting and obeying God down here .
Assembling together as the church is crucial to our witness and calling.
Application Points:
• Do not run from persecution.
• Believe self-autonomy is offensive to God and a form of false hope.
• Unite yourself with the church in living out the mission.
• Take courage in the God who laughs at rebellion and promises a future far better than what we have, but do not fail to be obedient in there here and now.
-Personal Aha!: Seeking independence from all others is our attempt to mimick God's self-sufficiency.
February 12, 2021
So much to think upon! Excellent battle cry book for Christians and churches to remain unwaveringly firm in the Gospel and the standard of God’s law, untouched by the way the world tries to seep its own religion into how we view the world. One slight criticism is that they could have also mentioned how some conservative evangelicals look heavily to faith in political figures for “salvation”, just as some look to overthrowing of power structures as redemption. But they do touch on the false religion overall for all who don’t base their faith on truth. (And they have mentioned such things on their podcast The Sword and the Trowel). After all, they make clear that the role of church is not to save America, but to proclaim the truth and live out His lordship on earth as it is in heaven. Loved their exhortation to view the priority of the collective worship of God as the gathered church, and not just a means of edification for believers...something this world will never understand. Also the reminder that the Christian life is not safe, and that there is glorious freedom in being a slave of Christ because He is the great liberator. What a reminder to live in a wartime mentality where how I live out my duties as a child of God has weighty consequences. I can see believers looking back to all the challenges in this book to face the difficult pressures to come. Will read this again and again.
February 24, 2021
I read this book shortly after reading by what standard. I really recommend that you do that as well! However this book was superb! I loved the chapter about defying tyrants, and it’s explanation of the long misunderstanding of Romans 13. The chapter, and the entire book, really expanded my knowledge on what is considered tyrannical and what a Christian’s response ought to be. This book was also very helpful in explaining the supremacy of Christ all spheres of life.
June 1, 2021
4.5 stars. Solid book. There were portions that were amazing! I loved the interactions with some of the events of 2020. There was a lot of truth telling in this book. However, there were some sections that could have been a bit shorter. I think they were necessary but the length could have been shorter. Don’t let that critique stop you from reading this nook though. It is dynamite!
April 30, 2022
With all of the godless chaos we have seen in America over the last couple of years (not new, of course, just heightened), this book is a good reminder that Christ is still on His throne, that ALL men are subject to Him and His authority, and that as Christians we have a role in calling people to repentance and reminding them that God is in control.
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March 1, 2021Really helpful book. It is a lot to chew on. I wanted more "here are some steps to take" at the end.
March 6, 2021
I would have rated it higher, but it was less didactic than I was hoping for and more an appeal to be strong and courageous. Biblical and timely, and I am persuaded to be more courageous.
March 11, 2021
Ascol and Longshore offer a very clear and helpful response to what we see in today's world. I pray that pastors around the country pick this up and read it.
March 21, 2021
And excellent introduction to the modern rise of new religions across the American landscape, and how we can be on the offensive. Thankful for this book.
May 14, 2021
Timely and challenging. Great presentation of problems facing America and what to do about them.
December 5, 2021
I have got to get better at reading these books over a short time period. I spread this one out over much too much time. I still know I am glad I read it.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews