Blog - Page 128 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Christians in Dangerous Places: The Call to Die for Christ

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:58-05:00January 18th, 2011|Categories: Discipleship|

We in the West do everything within our power to keep ourselves out of harm’s way. We are routinely told the state is always seeking to protect us. In fact, we are ostensibly engaged in two wars to this end. Our leaders know that we are in some danger all the time and they remind us routinely that they are doing everything that they can to protect us. This is one of their roles according to Romans 13.

But I admit I am puzzled by how reactive we are about self-protection. In a class I taught last week we discussed Dietrich Bonhoeffer because I assigned the reading of Life Together, one of his best works. We asked, “What would be our reaction if our local church knew there was a distinct chance that a service might be disrupted by a terror attack or armed opponents?” We agreed that we would probably tell everyone to stay home that week. We would never want the whole church in harm’s way, […]

Religion & Liberty: The Work of Acton Institute

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:58-05:00January 17th, 2011|Categories: Economy/Economics, Ideology, Poverty|

About seven years ago I got to know the work of the Acton Institute by attending a conference aptly called: “Toward a Free and Virtue Society.” There were about 30 young adults at this event at a location in the Northeast and hosted by Acton. It was taught by Catholic and Protestant scholars on the subject of religion, economics and culture. I was allowed to sit outside the circle and listen to the teaching and interaction and then share fellowship with the scholars and students over meals and breaks. It was a wonderful firsthand encounter with a religious think tank that I have come to regard with high regard.

I encourage you to check out the Acton University event as well. This year it takes place June 14-17 in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. I will be teaching a seminar on “Protestant Social Ethics.” The speakers, fellowship, resources and event are all superb. I have attended twice before as a participant. I heartily encourage every […]

A Conference on Faith & Sexuality

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 16th, 2011|Categories: Culture, Current Affairs, Homosexuality|

Yesterday I attended a local conference on faith & sexuality hosted by Dr. Tracy S. Malone, senior pastor of Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton. Dr. Malone, and her congregation, invited four panelists to share in a civil, respectful and grace-filled conversation. Though the purpose of the event was to discuss sexuality more broadly the primary thrust, as you might guess, turned out to be a discussion on homosexuality. I am profoundly interested in the topic and believe all church leaders should be. I just told a doctoral class I taught last week in Ft. Lauderdale (Knox Theological Seminary) that this is the “greatest struggle” in the church in America in the first half of the twenty-first century. For most mainline churches this struggle is being resolved by embracing marriage between homosexuals, both in the church and the clergy. For most conservative churches the struggle is being resolved by embracing the language and responses of another era identified more directly with the power and language of American Christendom. The divide is growing and this debate has become a war in many cases. Friendships are being destroyed […]

Egypt's Muslims Stand By Coptic Christians at a Mass

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 15th, 2011|Categories: Islam, Love|

I wrote a post on January 7 about Muhammad and Muslims. I think it is important for us to realize that what we are fed by the media, especially the more conservative TV media and the numerous talkers on radio, is often imbalanced. It is definitely not gospel. We ought to see it for what it really is, opinion and often opinion of a militant sort.

Here is a wonderful story that could help us build bridges of peace. Not all Muslims are committed to violence and not all Muslims read the Koran in the way the radicals read it. To suggest otherwise is slanderous and dangerous. My central point is this: If Jesus calls us to be peacemakers should we not actually be known as real peacemakers in how we respond to the modern world? Check out this story you are very likely to have missed.

Egypt's Muslims attend Coptic Christmas mass, serving as "human shields" – Ahram Online.

An American Spiritual Awakening?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 14th, 2011|Categories: Christ/Christology, Renewal|

Since I was twenty years old I have made a study of true revivals. I wrote a book some years ago with the title: True Revival. My life was profoundly altered by the campus revival at Wheaton College in 1970. I have never been the same since those remarkable days of blessing.

My very good friend David Bryant recently sent me some encouraging news about an awakening that is going on right now within the United States. You will not likely read about this great movement of God anywhere else. Why? This awakening is happening in a prison.

Here is David’s description sent to me a few days ago:

As you've heard from me previously, there is a "Christ Awakening" in progress in the East Jersey State Prison, a high security penitentiary. At this point upwards of 200 inmates (out of 2000) are turning out regularly for seasons of strong worship, Bible teaching and discipleship. This movement is shepherded by the full time chaplain, formerly a top exec with GM […]

The Death of My Friend Ken Curtis, Christian Filmmaker

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 13th, 2011|Categories: Film, History, Personal|

Ken Curtis, one of America’s most talented Christian movie makers, passed away on Monday, January 3, 2011, in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Just two weeks before his death I had lunch with Ken’s son, Bill, on a visit to Pennsylvania. Of Ken’s passing Bill said just a few days ago: “The doctors gave Dad eight months when he was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2002, but the Lord gave Dad eight years and Dad sure made the most of those eight years.”

Ken’s struggle with cancer led to some remarkable developments, including a series of videos he made to help people who were coping with this disease. In his own case he baffled the physicians. They never pronounced him cured but they could never figure out why he was still alive. Ken, as well as his family and friends, knew that God’s timing was, and is, always right. He believed each day was a gift from God and was thankful for it until the end.

His son added, […]

There is a Time to Keep Silent

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 12th, 2011|Categories: Missional Church, The Church|

Mission is proclaiming God’s kingship over all of human history, indeed over the entire cosmos (Col. 1:15-20). And the concern of mission is universal (Rev. 5:9-10). Christ’s mission aims at nothing less than completing what God began to do in creation and now extends to all peoples through the incarnation, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Thus mission is the presence of God in the kingship of Jesus, who is Lord over all creation and culture.

Without a third affirmation these first two are potentially misleading. Mission is not the property of the church. It has too easily been domesticated within the church but we must remember that mission is never the church putting forth its own power and authority.

Lesslie Newbigin is right when he says, “To accept [such a] picture would be to sanction an appalling distortion of mission. On the contrary, the active agent of mission is a power that rules, guides and goes before the church; the free, sovereign, living power of the […]

Are Our Pastors Leaders or Managers?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 11th, 2011|Categories: Pastoral Renewal, The Christian Minister/Ministry|

I begin by stating what I hope is obvious to my regular readers. I was trained to be a pastor, planted a church I served for four years and pastored another for sixteen. I owe everything I now do in mission to my pastoral experience and training. On most days I loved being a pastor and I often miss it. I have had numerous opportunities to return to the pastoral ministry and served for eight months as an interim pastor in 2004. Many of my best friends are pastors.

Now, I have formed many impressions about churches and pastors from my wide range of experience over forty years of service to the church. I have witnessed major changes. I believe we are in a time in which major changes are taking place and very few pastors understand this or have the important skills to navigate this change well. This is not an indictment, it is an observation. I am committed to doing something about this which is why our mission statement is: “Equipping leaders for unity in Christ’s mission.”

Working with Tom Burns for the last four months […]

The Longevity Revolution: The Boomer Shift is Coming

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 10th, 2011|Categories: Culture, Current Affairs, The Future|

The first members of the baby boom generation hit 65 this year. In fact, the estimate is that each day 10,000 more Americans will turn 65 for the next 19 years!

The long expected flush of new retirees looms very large in the future of our society. Will Social Security last? (Yes, I believe that it will for the boomers but the next generation will likely see necessary cuts and the age you can draw benefits will continue to rise or the system will fail.) What will happen when so many millions of Americans reach 80 and beyond, living far beyond what was expected in previous times? In a little more than a century Americans have gone from a life expectancy of 47 to 78. By 2025 there will be 66 million Americans over 65. For many of us retirement is turning out to be what has been called “un-tirement.” Boomers are likely to alter the landscape in more ways than one, just as they have from the […]

Why the Incarnation Was Necessary

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:17:59-05:00January 9th, 2011|Categories: Christ/Christology|

One of the truly great classic works of the patristic era is: The Incarnation of the Word of God, by St. Athanasius. I have a 1946 edition that includes a wonderful introduction written by C. S. Lewis. I have been reading this classic again in the New Year. You can find a number of editions of the book as used copies and you can even read the entire book online for free.

Lewis begins by suggesting the idea that ancient books are only for professionals is a huge mistake. He adds, “This mistaken preference for the modern books and this shyness of the old ones is nowhere more rampant than in theology. Wherever you find a little study circle of Christian laity you can be almost certain that they are not studying St. Luke or St. Paul or St. Augustine or Thomas Aquinas or Hooker or Butler, but M. Berdyaev or M. Maritain or M. Niebuhr or Miss Sayers or even myself. Now this seems to be topsy-turvy.”

Lewis is not arguing that readers only read old books but that they read both old and new. He […]