Blog - Page 93 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Determine How You Will Lead in 2012

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 12th, 2012|Categories: ACT 3, Leadership|

ACT 3 exists to “equip leaders for unity in Christ’s mission.” To be a leader, a real servant-leader, you have to think about what you intend to do and then have a clear purpose to do it. You also have to take some risks. Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

My friend Bob Shank, a trainer of business leaders, says, “Most security addicts think that it’s crazy to try something new. Einstein would say that it’s crazy not to try something new, [especially] if the results you are realizing from what you’re already doing aren’t enough to be satisfying and fulfilling!” Amen!

The prophet Isaiah said: “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and […]

Will the Election Fundamentally Change Our Government?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 11th, 2012|Categories: America and Americanism, Politics|

Thomas B. Edsall, professor of journalism at Columbia University and the author of the forthcoming book The Age of Austerity: How Scarcity Will Remake American Politics, wrote a Sunday opinion piece in the New York Times (01/08/12) that should give us considerable pause if we really think that the electorate, at least those of us who are ordinary citizens who might be called the grass roots, will be able to fundamentally change the way our government works.

In his next to last paragraph Edsall concluded:

There are idealists who believe that two recent developments raise the potential for reform. On the conservative side, the Tea Party movement is adamantly opposed to machinations inside the Beltway. On the liberal side, the Occupy Wall Street movement has similarly challenged the power of the ‘1 percent,’ a constituency heavily represented by the special-interest community, many of whom are themselves members of the 1 percent. In Washington, the consensus is that despite these movements, little will change (emphasis mine).

What […]

The Three-Ring Circus Some Call the Evangelical Church

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 10th, 2012|Categories: American Evangelicalism, Sexuality, The Church|

I thought I had seen it all, at least in terms of the veritable three-ring circus that we might best call the "edgy" evangelical mega-church. Then I realized that their are frontiers yet to be explored by very sincere pastors who have turned public gatherings into whatever they decide to make up as they seek to attract more people to church, their ideas and their new books. And some people actually wonder why young evangelical adults, who deeply love Jesus Christ, are now leaving evangelical churches in increasing numbers to go to more ancient churches.

Ed and Lisa Young, founders of Texas-based Fellowship Church, will spend 24 hours in bed on the church roof next week and stream themselves live on the Internet to encourage married couples to see firsthand the power of a healthy sex life as prescribed in their new book, Sexperiment.

Two days after their book, Sexperiment: 7 Days to Lasting […]

Speaking of God

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 9th, 2012|Categories: God's Character, Love, Spirituality, The Trinity|

We have always had a difficult time when we speak of the living God. Most people, including the most ardent believers, treat this as a non-problem. This reveals a profound lack of understanding biblically and historically. The ancient Jews did not even speak the "revealed" name of God. So how do we, living in the time of Christ who is still with us by the Spirit he poured out on us all, properly speak of God?

I suggest that we should speak of God relationally. By this I mean that we should speak of God as the Source and energy/dynamic of relationality. In reading Genesis again during the first week of 2012 I was struck by this in the entire book. The Creator is a relational being who made us in his image. We were brought into being, that is into a relationship with God and creation, when the Source of all Being "breathed the breath of life into us" (Genesis 2:7). Trace this point throughout the entire Old Testament and you will see that it remains […]

Theology as Disciplined Reflection

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 6th, 2012|Categories: Uncategorized|

Theology is not doctrine. Doctrine is what the church teaches. The New Testament actually refers to doctrine as apostolic teaching, thus they are synonymous in the biblical text. But doctrine inevitably develops through theology and theological reflection. Orthodox theologians thus believe that all theology is inevitable, even necessary, so long as it is properly done as deep and disciplined "human" reflection on divine revelation. This means, of course, that we have never completed the work of true theology.

Conservatives can easily fall into the mistake of believing that theology is about finding a "tradition" and "confessional formula" and defending it as if this is the best (even last) good word on biblical teaching. Liberals can call in the opposite direction, believing tradition and history has little bearing on the present except as a marker to how wrong the church got it before now. Both make the mistake of an overweening pride in their own insights and conclusions.

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What Kind of President Is an "Idea Guy?"

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 5th, 2012|Categories: Politics|

In an editorial in the December 28 edition of USA Today two writers asked if America was ready for an "idea guy" as president? The person who they had in mind was Newt Gingrich. But the question goes much further if their thought is expanded. Newt Gingrich self-describes his candidacy as that of an Idea Guy who knows what America needs. You have to admit, love him or despise him, he is a bright guy. (He routinely reminds us that he is!) He was a history professor and has a good grasp of a lot of facts and ideas about America, past and future. Personally I would love to see him debate the president. Gingrich jokingly says he would debate President Obama and even allow him to bring his teleprompter along. But the real question here is not, "Who is the smartest guy in the room?" I know a lot of smart people who can get very little done. I know […]

Getting Some Help in Ministering to Children

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 3rd, 2012|Categories: Evangelism|

Training children's and youth ministry team members (volunteers) is vitally important but good resources are all too rare. Those that are offered often lack a solid theological perspective and/or field-tested experience. Most of us face the problem of shrinking budgets. So how can we better prepare for reaching kids in 2012?

Crossroads Kids Club, the mission directed by my son Matt, is pleased to offer you an opportunity to access high-quality, live training for your leaders at a very low cost. It is cleverly called “Spring Training.” It is a series of three unique and affordably-priced workshops led by high-caliber leaders in children’s and youth ministry. Each session takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on a Saturday during the spring of 2012.

Information is available at Spring Training Workshops. Even if you do not live in the Chicago area there are resources Crossroads offers that you might find extremely helpful. […]

Breaking the Conventional Lies That Surround Us: The Prisons in Our Minds

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00January 2nd, 2012|Categories: Psychology|

A Guest Post by Menno Fieguth

Menno Fieguth is a long-time friend and supporter of ACT 3 in Canada. He is also a gifted writer who still stays pretty busy long after formal retirement. When I saw this article that he wrote many years ago (Nelson Mandela was still Prime Minister of South Africa as you will see in the article itself) I asked him if I could re-publish it.

During my years in the Psychiatric Research Department we had numerous animals which were used for a variety of experiments. This included, rats, squirrels, and cats, among others. There were three cats however which somehow ended up being a part of an experiment not intended for them.

The dairy barns at the Saskatchewan Hospital housed not only the official residents, the cows, but a variety of cats which were always well fed. When the barns were to be shut down, there was the […]

Religion and Life

By John Armstrong|2012-01-01T04:00:00-06:00January 1st, 2012|Categories: Discipleship|

Reading the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John reveals many striking things about our Lord that we routinely miss by having become familiar, all too familiar, with the stories and text. One thing I've noticed at the end of the old year, and at the beginning of this New Year today, is this: Jesus is insistent on the connection that exists between religion and everyday life. He will not allow you/me to compartmentalize my worship and private devotion from life. If I love God, as I wrote about yesterday, then I must love my neighbor.

I thought about this again as I read Luke 10:25-37 recently. This "expert in the Law" was quite sure of himself and his religion. He came to Jesus to ask about "eternal life." Don't miss this because of some theological presupposition you hold about what he "should have said" here. The man even provided the correct answer when Jesus pressed him about the heart of the Law. When Jesus asked which of the three men in the story/parable (priest, Levite and […]

The Greatest Commandment

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:16:52-05:00December 31st, 2011|Categories: Love|

The Greatest Commandment

³⁴ Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. ³⁵ One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: ³⁶ “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

For the religious leaders of Jesus' time religion was a very complicated business, much as it became over time in the Christian church. It was full of rules and regulations, often so many no one could even keep up with the list. It had become so complex that a great many people could not hope to fulfill the demands of the Law or experience peace in practicing their faith. It is not surprising then to find a devout man asking Jesus about […]