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Every day we are dealing with temptations in multiple forms that draw us away from faithfulness to the Way of Jesus. In this compelling work, John Mark gives a vision of the beauty of Jesus in a culture of lies.” —Jon Tyson, pastor of Church of the City New York and author of The Intentional Father You should read this book if you’re looking for a sense of confidence in searching for discernment against lies (he titled the book well, I promise). This book is also helpful for a deeper understanding of living the good life with Jesus, deepening in intimacy with Him, and learning how to better serve your church/community (the last chapter really hits on this).
It was helpful to remember that I am not his target audience; I believe the Bible to be literally true, yes even Genesis and Hell, though wildly unpopular in today’s culture. I have chosen to believe that the best way to honor God is to believe Him literally. Yet, I am one fundamentalist who does not want to be angry. My heart too is broken by the effects of sin on our society. I really appreciated his review of the effects of the sex revolution and his strong case against abortion. I also agree with his assessment of street preaching. Most people who become followers of Christ are influenced by someone they love and trust, not a random person yelling about hell through a megaphone. So all that to say, JMC appears to me to love people well. I really admire that and want to grow in that area.
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At least that’s the way it’s supposed to be. Sadly, too many American churches live down to their calling in favor of a lightly “Christianized culture” that is “a mix of Jesus and pagan or secular ideas.” This is especially true when Christians seek power over others, whether culturally or politically. We are not supposed to “lord it over” people, however. Instead, as Jesus said, “the one who rules [should be] like the one who serves” (Luke 22:26). People need to know that our actions are not neutral. Whenever we do, say, or even think something, it is easier to do, say, or think that same thing again. Eventually, we become people shaped by every decision we have made. LiveNoLies is brilliant, deep, scriptural, and will equip you to face the enemy and fight.”—Jennie Allen, New York Times bestselling author of Get Out of Your Head While Comer is referring to is the sexual liberation revolution of the 1960’s, his point spans beyond this example. I’ve always found it helpful to ask the question, “Does it work?” Our beliefs should not only make sense on paper; they must be tested in real life. The solutions to all this that Comer puts forward are obvious: confessing the truth of scripture and being led by the Spirit. Basically this amounts to practising the spiritual disciplines. He admits that what he is writing about is not that new, but it is a vital message then needs reinforcing again and again.
in the past, it was the responsibility of all people to restrain the desires of their flesh. today, it’s the right of all people to follow the desires of their authentic selves” The West has become a post-Christian culture. Society still retains the scaffolding of Christian morality. But it’s attempting to move beyond Christianity and reject commitments and restraints. The West is like a rebellious teenager who fights his parents’ authority while still living at home and eating their food. This book makes me love Jesus more. I want to read it again and again. At least yearly, if not twice a year.Contrary to popular artistic imaginings, the devil is not in hell; he’s here, on earth. If Jesus’s anthem is ‘On earth as it is in heaven,’ the devil’s is ‘On earth as it is in hell.’”
The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World Secular society is getting so many things wrong. Take divorce as an example. Some people think that divorce represents liberation from the patriarchy – but the author believes that men benefit from divorce much more than women. Divorce also has a devastating impact on children; it affects their ability to form healthy, intimate relationships as adults. Comer's writing style is both a strength and a weakness. Live No Lies can feel very tangential at times - and his arguments can be a little hard to follow. Most of these tangents and asides are fascinating, but I think he sometimes struggles to connect them to the point he's trying to make. In the eighteenth century, a series of suicides across Europe was blamed on a book – The Sorrows of Young Werther. This tragic novel by the German writer Johann Wolfgang von Goethe ends with the protagonist’s suicide, and it seems that some impressionable readers were inspired to copy his example. We are at war,” writes John Mark Comer in Live No Lies. The war is neither military nor cultural, however; it is spiritual. As Paul writes in Ephesians 6:12, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”Of course, it’s not always easy to distinguish lies from the truth, and it can be even harder to let go of these illusions. But, for a follower of Jesus, it’s absolutely essential to identify and reject lies. It’s the only way to live a good Christian life and be happy.
It will come as no surprise to most of my goodreads companions to see I have rated yet another JMC book 5 stars. But! I will tell you I wholeheartedly am giving each star to this book. Here’s why: People shouldn’t do whatever they want, and not all desires are equal. Christians should distinguish between primal desires, like lust, and superior desires, like the desire to love and follow God. Confession is another useful spiritual practice that can lead to freedom. In the Bible, Christians are advised to confess their sins to each other. The community aspect of confession is often overlooked. True confession is not just saying “sorry” to God in your mind. It should be more like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, where people confess their sins openly and publicly. Through these moments of vulnerability, people can discover intimacy and freedom. The process of becoming a good Christian is a kind of practice or exercise. Through adopting positive habits, a Christian can build the strength of their spirit – essentially their willpower muscle. The stronger a person’s willpower, the easier it is to overcome their primitive desires.Practicing the Way is a fresh invitation to apprenticeship and a guide for a more embodied faith. Through rhythms like Sabbath, Prayer, Solitude, and other everyday practices from the life of Jesus, we can begin to reshape our unformed selves and experience the fullness of a life with God. The future is ancient. The real issue is when dangerous ideas become so mainstream that they’re normalized. In the US, abortion has gained widespread social acceptance. But it’s inexplicable to the author that what he sees as infanticide is viewed as “reproductive justice.” This and changing attitudes to sexual behavior are just two examples of the gap between secular culture and traditional Christian values. John Mark Comer shows us how this is nothing new: The first followers of Jesus developed a Rule of Life, or habits and practices based on the life of Jesus himself. As they learned to live like their teacher, they became people who made space for God to do his most transformative work in their lives. We are at war. Not with a foreign government or domestic terrorists or a creepy new artificial intelligence hell-bent on taking over the world. No, it's a war we feel deep inside our own chests: we are at war with lies.
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