Blog - Page 280 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Relationships

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:48-05:00January 14th, 2007|Categories: Personal|

I often tell people that the kingdom of God is finally all about relationships. The primary relationship is with the king, the Lord Jesus Christ. Then as you love him you learn to respect and love those who also love him.

I realized that again today as I ministered at Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Newport Beach, California. I met the pastor of Redeemer, Dr. Jim Belcher, via my friend David Bahnsen. I first met David Bahnsen about two-plus years ago because of my dear friend Andrew Sandlin. I met Andrew when he reached out to me and asked me to have lunch with him in Chicago about six years ago.

I have now met several new friends through Redeemer Presbyterian Church and this has led, just to use one example, to my serving on the board of IRD, the Institute for Religion and Democracy. (I am quite sure that more people I have met at Redeemer, even today, will also have a vital role in my life in the months and years ahead, d.v.)

What astounds me, as I […]

"I Was in Prison"

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:49-05:00January 11th, 2007|Categories: Biblical Theology|

In the great discourse regarding the separation of the sheep and the goats found in Matthew 25:31-46 Jesus refers to the kinds of actions, done in obediential faith that works through love, that demonstrates those who truly love him and those who do not. I have heard a dozen different ways of explaining, or explaining away, these verses over the course of my lifetime. Many consign them to Israel and how we treat the Jews. Others say they must be narrowly limited to the actions of the apostles themselves. Others say this is about doing these deeds for those who are being persecuted for being followers of Jesus. And still others say that only if we know the person we are helping to be a "brother or sister" does this text truly apply. There is some element of truth in each of these ideas, as there often is in such exegetical debates.

But I wonder, as I often wonder about such things: "What do we miss by this kind of narrowing of interpretation? And, further, what do we gain by opening the […]

Mark's Kingdom Theology

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:49-05:00January 10th, 2007|Categories: Biblical Theology|

Yesterday I noted that the kingdom of God is "the big idea" of the Bible, especially in the Gospels. I referred to Matthew’s Gospel in that January 9 blog. Today I want to refer to Mark. The center of the Gospel of Mark is clearly the cross. In the early chapters we see the disciples trying to grasp who Jesus is and then how they would confess him as Messiah. Then comes the turning point: "He [Jesus] then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again" (Mark 8:31).

Up until this point Mark’s crisp, pointed narrative reveals Jesus as a popular teacher and miracle worker. But he had come to be a Messiah who would die. On three different occasions he warned them of his impending death but it seems none of them grasped this point in their excitement. (In fact, almost a third of Mark’s action oriented gospel is […]

The Kingdom of God

By John Armstrong|2007-01-09T07:52:18-06:00January 9th, 2007|Categories: Biblical Theology|

We sometime miss "the big idea" when we read a piece of literature. This is no less true of our reading of the Bible. It seems to me that the big idea of the Bible, especially of the New Testament, is the kingdom of God. God’s rule and reign is supreme. All things are created by him and thus all is for him. He is Lord.

In the New Testament this theme is clearly related to Christ the Messiah, who is Lord over all. Epiphany, which I commented upon Sunday January 7, is about the manifestation of this one who is Lord, especially to the Gentiles. When the New Testament opens, with Matthew’s Gospel, it reveals a kingdom that is coming through the one whose genealogy is royal. It then shows that this very Jewish King is for the Gentiles as well. Eleven times in Matthew we read, "Now this took place that what was written in the prophets might be fulfilled." All four gospels proclaim the kingdom of God but some fifty times Matthew refers to "the kingdom of heaven." This […]

Is a "Surge" the Answer in Iraq?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:49-05:00January 8th, 2007|Categories: Politics|

The various news sources now inform us that President Bush is about to unveil a new plan for Iraq. It calls for an increase in troop levels in hopes of securing the country and allowing a withdrawal that would leave behind a stable country politically. Though I have sought to defend the overall goals of this war, with some serious reservations, I do not think such a "surge" will solve the problem. I do not believe that I base my view on prejudice or fear. I consider my own views to be something of a mixture of "realist" and "neo-conservative" ideas about America’s international political goals. (For example, I do think a democracy, of some sort, would have been preferrable in Iraq for the overall stability of the Middle East, though I have my doubts about it happening now.)

So why do I oppose this forthcoming "surge" proposal? For the same reason that conservative columnist George Will does. He writes: "Baghdad is what Wayne White—for 26 years with the State Department’s Bureau of Intelligence and Research, now with the Middle East Institute—calls ‘a […]

Epiphany

By John Armstrong|2007-01-07T12:04:52-06:00January 7th, 2007|Categories: Church Tradition|

Today is the celebration of Epiphany in many churches. Epiphany is the feast of the "manifestation" of Jesus (epiphaneia) has had various connections in church history with events associated with the divinity of the infant Jesus. It now generally refers to the manifestation of his divinity to the magi in Matthew 2:1-12, which was the text of today’s liturgy and the basis for the sermon in my own local church. This celebration goes back at least to Clement of Alexandria in the third century. All discussions about the proper dating of the feast aside it is a beautiful reminder, at least for me, of why and how liturgical worship helps the church focus upon the great events of Christ’s life and ministry.

The sermon that I heard, by my friend Tom Lyberg, focused on the "good news" that Jesus brought into the world. Tom showed us how we can hear modern news as "bad" much of the time or we can listen for the "good news" as well. There is a lot of good news in today’s world that 24-7 news pays […]

The Gravy Train Rolls On

By John Armstrong|2007-01-06T19:44:28-06:00January 6th, 2007|Categories: Politics|

It is a term that has recently come into the political vocabulary more frequently: "earmarks." Earmarks are provisions in congressional bills that add funding not requested in the original bill. Often these earmarks have little or nothing to do with the bill being passed by Congress. In the past ten years Congress has increased the number of earmarks by fourfold. In 2006 there were 13,012 earmarks passed! Both Democrats and Republicans play this game. The total cost to America is $67.1 billion, more than triple the amount of earmarks ten years ago. And all of this was accomplished under the leadership of people who were supposed to be fiscally conservative. One wonders what such words mean any longer in the political culture of our time.

Today President Bush called upon Congress to stop all these earmarks. I doubt anyone will make a real effort to comply until the public says, "Enough." (And I doubt the president will veto a bill because it has too many earmarks attached to it. We shall see.) I further doubt the public will say "enough" until there […]

Behind Every Man

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:49-05:00January 5th, 2007|Categories: Personal|

The saying is tried, and at times trite, but still true: "Behind every great man is a great woman." It borders on political incorrectness these days since women are perfectly capable of being great without men. The reverse is true as well. But this old truism still has an element of truth about it that every man who succeeds must come to understand.

I pondered this old truism while reading the various news reports this morning about Alabama’s new football coach Nick Saban. While the New York critics, especially at ESPN, continue to take their shots at Saban for leaving Miami prematurely, or for not being straightforward about his motives in mid-December, the real story lies in the relationship of Nick and Terry Saban and their love for one another and for the college game and the opportunity to teach and shape student athletes.

Alabama Athletics Director Mal Moore says of Nick Saban’s wife Terry, "She loves college football and longed to be back in it. So does Coach Saban. But Terry Saban was the one that made me feel […]

What Kind of Stem Cells?

By John Armstrong|2007-01-04T11:43:09-06:00January 4th, 2007|Categories: Bio-Medical Ethics|

The stem cell debate is going to be even bigger in the 110th Congress. Democrats have promised to overturn the president’s opposition to harvesting embryonic stem cells if possible. This whole issue amazes me, at least on one level. As an issue it is, in microcosm, a picture of our culture and its putting incredible hope in all medical and research processes that can be found to cure any and all problems. Promises are made that have little or no basis in facts and few have the ability to discern the differences.

First, we need to know what stem cells are in order to understand the issue. Stem cells are simply human cells that have no specialized function or structure and thus are believed to have incredible potential to develop into other kinds of cells in the human body. The ability of such cells to adapt and/or develop offers great promise medically. Medical researchers are trying to use stem cells to repair specific tissues and/or to grow human organs. Some positive benefits have already been reaped from using human stem cells. There […]

We Have a Coach

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:23:49-05:00January 3rd, 2007|Categories: Personal|

My best friends know that I am a diehard Alabama Crimson Tide fan. They know to never call me on a fall Saturday afternoon or evenings when Alabama is playing. I have Bama symbols all around me where I work and write every day. I check the online news faithfully. I even play the fight song several times a day. Thus, for the past six plus weeks I have watched the news from Tuscaloosa about the search for a new coach with great interest. Today the answer came. Nick Saban, one of the best college coaches around, left his better paying professional job in Miami and took the Alabama job. I am a happy camper this evening.

I went to the University of Alabama from 1967-69. I was there when the color barrier was broken. I even met Bear Bryant while I was a student. I grew up admiring Coach Bryant, as his guys called him, from the moment my dad took me to my first Alabama game in 1958, the Bear’s first year as Bama’s storied coach. (The Bear and my dad […]