Blog - Page 210 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Obama and the BCS

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:16-05:00November 22nd, 2008|Categories: College Football|

For those of you who are not fans of college football, and you do have my sincere sympathy, you may not have taken notice that our president-elect has a strong opinion regarding the question of how to determine the number one college football team in America. Obama, speaking on CBS' "60 Minutes," recently said, "If you've got a bunch of teams who play throughout the season, and many of them have one loss or two losses, there's no clear, decisive winner. We should be creating a playoff system."

As one who thinks the playoff system is not needed I find it interesting that one of the first places Barack Obama decided to use his "bully pulpit" was related to the question of determining the number one college football team in America. The Bowl Championship Series (BCS), which is the current system that uses rankings and computers to determine who plays who in the bowls and who plays for number one at the end of the season, […]

Conduct and Prayer

By John Armstrong|2008-11-21T05:00:00-06:00November 21st, 2008|Categories: Spirituality|

The relationship between right conduct and prayer is extremely important. I find a lot of people treat prayer as a kind of talisman that helps them when they need it. Their conduct is virtually irrelevant to their prayer(s). The famous English archbishop of Canterbury, William Temple (1881-1944), wrote: "Right relation between conduct and prayer is not that prayer is supremely important and conduct tests it."

Every moment of our life is a moment of crisis, at least in one simple but profound sense. Every decision that we make has an impact upon every other decision and every other action we will take. We must choose constantly between life and death, at least spiritually. We must choose between our purely temporal interests or the eternal order of things in our life. The enemy wants to put God-eclipsing objects between us and the Father. He wants us to understand reality in purely temporal and momentary terms. Live for now! Deal with later only when it comes. Christian conduct and prayer removes the barriers and lives for both now and the […]

Handling Power Is Always Difficult

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:16-05:00November 20th, 2008|Categories: Politics|

I believe it is harder to handle power than it is to pursue it. Politically the Republicans had it in 1994, really had it in 2000, and now have totally lost it. They demonstrated why people who seek it and finally gain it tend to find ways to throw it all away in scandal, greed and personal ambition.

Now the Democrats have it again for the first time since the election of Bill Clinton in 1992. The last time they held it they threw it away on all kinds of issues that turned the people against them quickly. The greatest challenge many feel Barack Obama now faces is how to navigate this use of power. How hard will they pursue their "agenda?" Some leaders say, "We got it, We have to use it." Others say we need to take care of the major issues and only then pursue the lesser ones. President-elect Obama indicated over the weekend that national security and the economy are the two priorities. I hope he means it and I think he does.

[…]

How Good is Alabama?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:16-05:00November 19th, 2008|Categories: College Football|

My college team, Alabama, continues to “roll” along. No one would have guessed that they would be 11-0 at this point in the season. (Looking back one can see that the schedule they played was not nearly as tough as the pre-season projections thought! Most of their opponents have losing records.) But 11-0 still results in an undefeated number one ranked team. If Texas Tech beats Oklahoma at Norman this Saturday expect Texas Tech to jump up to number one next week. It will not matter, so far as Alabama is concerned, since they can still claim the title by winning all their remaining three games.

First, Alabama must play the biggest rivalry game in all of football: The Iron Bowl. This game, against rival Auburn, is always significant for the two schools but few have been more significant to the Crimson Tide than this year's November 29 meeting at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa. Not only does Alabama (11-0, 7-0 SEC) […]

At What Time in History Do We Now Live?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:16-05:00November 18th, 2008|Categories: Renewal|

Francis Schaeffer referred to our times, some thirty years ago. and asked, "How Then Shall We Live?" I head Schaeffer speak at Wheaton near the end of his life and there was an urgency in his manner and message that was quite striking. I think he saw something that disturbed him very deeply. He looked to the future with genuine concern. While I do not entirely agree with Schaeffer's specific analysis about every point he made at the time I do believe that what he saw is increasingly self-evident to discerning Christians. Our culture, as we have known it in my lifetime of almost sixty years, is rapidly changing. The result is a new era that has been called post-Christian, or more to the point, post-Christendom.

I would like to propose a simple observation here.The church has passed through four major eras of development in terms of the socio-political (cultural) environment in which we have lived and witnessed to the faith that is […]

The Horrors of Nanking

By John Armstrong|2008-11-17T05:00:00-06:00November 17th, 2008|Categories: Film|

Nanking is an amazing documentary film that presents the true story of how a few brave souls saved the lives of thousands of people in China in 1937. It is a horrific tale of war, brutality and carnage. It will break your heart but it will show you how real Christians respond to crisis when the chips are down.

In November of 1937 Japan decided to bomb and decimate the Chinese city of Nanking. The attack was called “the rape of Nanking” for very good reason. After the bombing raids the Japanese army invaded and slaughtered over 200,000 people in a matter of a few days. Soldiers ruthlessly raped girls and women, tortured men and boys and killed almost everyone they desired to kill at will. The generals allowed it, in fact seem to have sanctioned it under some kind of cultural mandate rooted in the nature of Japan’s history and religion. Some 25 people were later tried as war criminals and less than half were convicted. […]

Does Obama's Election Really Impact the Race Question?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:16-05:00November 16th, 2008|Categories: Race and Racism|

Many white Americans cannot understand how the election of Barack Obama provides a new context for life in American for millions of people, especially African-Americans. James Thindwa, a 53 year-old executive director of Chicago's office of Jobs with Justice, understands otherwise. Said the African-American man after the election, "People on the receiving end of racism start believing in the story of their inferiority." Thindwa notes that for years he has felt that whites look at him as undeserving of his job or that they have lower expectations of him. It is hard for someone like me to relate to this feeling because I am white and grew up with great privilege and opportunity and without racial stereotypes.

After the election Thindwa said his views have begun to change. "Now white folks are more credible. They say, 'We are not racist,' but the vote for Obama established that their claim that they have made progress is more than rhetorical."

How […]

"The Greatest Economic Challenge of Our Lifetime"

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:16-05:00November 15th, 2008|Categories: Missional Church|

President-elect Barack Obama has called this time in our history: "The greatest economic challenge in our lifetime." I think he is profoundly right. We may not have a crash like 1929 or a "Great Depression" but there is now little doubt that this time may become like none we have known since that time. I could be wrong but it appears that we are in for a rough ride in 2009 and beyond.

Obama faces war, recession, and an ambitious list of campaign promises like tax cuts and expanded health care. He also faces a serious energy crisis. In the debates he spoke about tackling many problems all at once. It appears that he will be forced to do exactly this come January. Right now he is putting together his team. We should pray for this process since it is one of the most important that he will undertake. I cannot imagine how anyone can manage this task. It strikes me as so […]

Ethics After Darwin

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:17-05:00November 14th, 2008|Categories: Science|

Last evening I attended a stimulating lecture, and even more stimulating discussion afterward, on the subject of Christian ethics after Darwin. The lecture was presented by Dr. Stephen J. Pope, author of The Evolution of Altruism and the Ordering of Love (1994) and Human Evolution and Christian Ethics (2007). Dr. Pope teaches theology at Boston College, a Jesuit school, and was the chair of the department of theology. He did his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago under James Gustafson, one of the most important ethicists in the second half of the twentieth century. I was invited to attend this lecture, sponsored by the Albertus Magnus Society at Dominican University in River Forest, Illinois, by my good friend, Dr. Keith Berndtson. Keith is my personal physician and serves as an ACT 3 adviser. This subject is of particular interest to Keith and me and I wanted to share this time with my friend.

First, the controversial stuff. Dr. Pope accepts macro evolution without serious question. He believes […]

Judgment and Hope

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:21:17-05:00November 12th, 2008|Categories: Renewal|

Most of us hear the word judgment and think only of dire and problematic circumstances and a gloomy end. While it is true the Bible portrays a coming day of final judgment, when all will give an account of every thing done in the body, the biblical emphasis more nuanced and developed than this aspect alone. A careful study of the Scripture reveals that judgment comes now to bring about repentance and hope.

The major premise seems to be clear: One year passes to the next and one century into another. Great leaders and nations come and go. Only a few things stand the test of time. God's truth alone remains and will never pass away. When God speaks his word is sealed in heaven and remains alive.

The minor premise follows from the first: There are clear patterns in the Holy Scripture which reveal how God speaks and works in this age of grace. Sometimes he gives messages of warning. Sometimes he sends messages of hope. With his powerful and anointed Word come […]