Blog - Page 310 of 318 - John H Armstrong

Christ Alone Our Identity?

By John Armstrong|2005-08-29T09:13:35-05:00August 29th, 2005|Categories: Renewal|

The Protestant Reformers sought the renewal of the Christian church, in the sixteenth century, by means of both doctrine and practice. They stressed a number of important doctrinal truths, with the goal of reforming the church’s pastoral and liturgical practice. The two doctrinal truths that are most often cited, when people talk about the Reformer’s efforts, are sola Scriptura, called the formal principle of the Reformation, and sola fide, called the material principle. I believe, however, there is a very real sense in which the most important sola for them was solus Christus.

The Reformers understood that the Old Testament prepared the way for Christ. The New Testament, understood in this way, explained the Christ who was concealed in the Old. The New Testament put forward his life, death, burial and resurrection as the basis for faith and life in the Spirit. At the center of the whole of divine revelation the Reformers saw Jesus Christ as God’s perfect and final Word. Their emphasis was intended to bring glory to Christ alone in the saving of God’s people.

Now you […]

The Need for Revival is Universal

By John Armstrong|2005-08-25T11:36:16-05:00August 25th, 2005|Categories: Renewal|

I have been given a gift and with that gift a marvelous opportunity to use it. As a teacher of the Word, and a servant of ministers and missionaries, I get to travel very widely and encourage many faithful servants of God. This week I have had the opportunity to be among a lovely group of missionary couples (sixty couples in all) who serve mostly small churches in very out-of-the way towns and villages in Canada and the northeastern US. The event, in Schroon Lake, New York, is the annual regional mission conference for Village Missions, a group based in Dallas, Oregon.

I have preached to these folks from 2 Corinthians 1-5 on how Christ’s strength is prefected in their human weakness. I have sought to be transparent and honest, stressing "integrity" and "godly sincerety" from 2 Corinthians 1:12 (TNIV), the theme verse for this week. They have responded wonderfully. I have sensed God’s presence with us, especially in the evening worship times. In the end I am the one who receives the greatest blessing form being with people like these faithful […]

Brother Roger Laid to Rest

By John Armstrong|2005-08-24T14:57:50-05:00August 24th, 2005|Categories: The Church|

Brother Roger (see August 22) was laid to rest today in France. The service was led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, who served the communion to all who gathered. As Brother Roger would have wanted it there was no distinction made between Catholic and Protestant in the distribution of the elements.

Kasper noted that two things marked Brother Roger’s long life and ministry. First, he worked humbly and tirelessly for real ecumenism. He did not seek to change "official" dogmas but chose to demonstrate the common bonds that unite all who love Christ. Second, Kasper noted that "every form of injustice or neglect made him very sad." I pray that both will motivate me more and more as I seek to be an agent for reformation.

Brother Roger was the son of a Swiss Calvinist minister. He began the community he is now famous for, near Cluny, France, in 1940. He obviously did not see irresolvable conflict between his Reformed heritage and his ecumenical vision. I have come to agree with him over the course of the past ten years. I […]

Why Pat Robertson Harms the Cause of Christ

By John Armstrong|2005-08-24T14:08:15-05:00August 24th, 2005|Categories: Current Affairs|

I once thought Pat Robertson was a fairly bright man with an oddly conservative position on many issues. I now think he is completely misguided in the extreme, if not completely foolish.

You can overlook a certain number of silly comments over time but after awhile you have to say Pat Robertson is positively harmful to both the Christian church and the Republican Party. I care very deeply about the first, and very little about the second. His comment on Monday that the US should assassinate ("take out") President Chavez of Venezuela is not only irresponsible, it is positively dangerous for the cause of Christ in Venezuela. It also adds fuel to the fires of misunderstanding and opposition to evangelicals in general. Frankly, people like Robertson require me to regularly tell people that I am not associated with him or his tragic version of conservative Christianity.

Sadly, Robertson went crazy again this week. Hopefully he will soon be so marginalized by serious Christians that this new comment will make him less and less important to the mission of the church. […]

The Death of a Great Monk

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:45-05:00August 22nd, 2005|Categories: The Church|

Brother Roger Schutz, a Protestant monk and the founder of ecumenical Taizé Christian community in Burgundy, France, was stabbed to death during a service there late last week.

"Given all the current controversies surrounding so many religious leaders, Brother Roger was the last for whom any would have predicted a violent death," London Times religion correspondent Ruth Glendill wrote in a personal column.

The Protestant leader was a symbol to the entire world of Christian reconciliation. The unique Taizé community includes monks from Lutheran, Anglican, free church evangelical, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions. In an earlier piece I wrote about the death of John Paul II I noted that it was Brother Roger who publicly received Communion from Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) at the funeral. This was an astounding and powerful symbol that violates Catholic law in my understanding. But it also demonstrates the kind of respect the entire Christian world had for this unusual man.

Thousands of evangelicals have visited this community in the village of Taizé for years now. One reporter has noted that […]

My Love for Baseball and Anita

By John Armstrong|2005-08-19T16:20:51-05:00August 19th, 2005|Categories: Baseball|

I took a trip today. It is the kind of trip that my wife teases me about mercilessly. It was "a trip down memory lane." I attended the Hall of Fame Luncheon for the Atlanta Braves at the 755 Club at Turner Field in Atlanta. The luncheon allowed me to relive history as we celebrated the 1995 World Championship Braves team. The Braves also inducted professional scout Paul Snyder and Boston Beaneater Herman Long into their Hall of Fame. The occasion was further used to pay tribute to some of Snyder’s former prospects: members of the 1995 World Series championship squad. The whole event was loads of fun.

During the ceremony, attending members of the 1995 team held a question and answer session. The most interesting speaker of all was David Justice, who was, and still is, one outspoken guy. DJ talked about facing your fears, about real determination to succeed, and of the serious dedication needed for a team to win. He saw all three of these as the keys to winning. He also talked about how much fun these guys […]

Why I Thank God for Rick Warren

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:56-05:00August 18th, 2005|Categories: American Evangelicalism|

The more I see and listen to pastor and author Rick Warren the more I like him. He strikes me as totally unimpressed with himself and completely committed to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.

Don’t get me wrong. I am inclined to think that Warren’s "purpose driven" concept is a good one but the content he pours into it is not purposeful enough. To put it another way his definition of purpose is just too small. This is where a more theologically developed view of divine purpose would help him if he studied, and used, the great Protestant catechisms. (The next issue of our Reformation & Revival Journal has a marvelous serious article on this very point written by theologian Jonathan Wilson; cf. Volume 14, Number 2, Reformation & Revival Journal.)

But Rick Warren is a man of integrity, a man who speaks with simple clarity and a very big heart. He comes across, at least on television, as caring and very soft spoken. In contrast to some of our more harsh spokespersons in our evangelical movements he […]

Life Really Is a Lot Like Baseball

By John Armstrong|2005-08-17T22:30:37-05:00August 17th, 2005|Categories: Baseball|

Life is a lot like baseball. Former slugger Frank Howard put my point well: "The trouble with baseball is that by the time you learn how to play it, you can’t play it anymore." So very true.

Yeas of dedicated hard work, constant repetitions, and honing little things into real skills for the long haul all go into learning this game. It all looks quite easy on television but believe me it is never easy. I stepped into a batting cage a few weeks ago at the Louisville Slugger Museum in Louisville, Kentucky. I was never a great hitter I assure you. But I had not seen a ball thrown toward me, with a thirty-four ounce bat in hand, for more than twenty years. And the machine threw it at only forty-five miles an hour, half the speed of a major league fastball. I flinched, ducked and moved back on the first pitches I saw. After dinging a few harmlessly I finally found a groove and hit a few hard. Hooray for me. Then in my sense of pleasure I realized, "This […]

Biblical Counseling Pros and Cons

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:24:56-05:00August 16th, 2005|Categories: Counseling|

A few weeks ago (June 20, 2005) I wrote an article on Biblical Counseling that created considerable response, both pro and con. (See Weekly Messenger archives at www.reformationrevival.com.) I am always grateful for genuinely kind letters in response to my Weekly Messenger articles. Often the reality is that my readers have considerably different approaches, all of which would be worthy material for a respectful dialogue and serious public discourse. I can not respond to all of these replies as I would like. I do try. Sometimes this blog spot will allow this to happen.

One very good letter I did receive stated that the writer shared mutual concerns about biblical counseling. Since I was not sure what these concerns were it was very hard to respond to them point by point. I have found that most in the movement that bears the name, "biblical counseling," rarely cite their own concerns about their variously defined movement. An objective history that sees the good things this movement has done for the church (since about 1970), as well […]

Inclusiveness and Diversity

By John Armstrong|2005-08-13T09:40:58-05:00August 13th, 2005|Categories: Sexuality|

The old Protestant denominations in America are at a crossroads. There can be no "peace" within their bounds until they decide to fully and openly embrace the Christian faith without dissimulation.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) faced a major crossroads this past week. This came after three years of deliberation. The vote was right but the leaders flinched big time! Time will tell if the results are catastrophic but the prognosis is not good unless the Lord intervenes in ways that we cannot see on the near horizon.

Yesterday, the national assembly of the ELCA rejected a proposal to allow non-celibate gays and lesbians, in committed relationships, to be ordained as ministers. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the vote was only 51% to 49% against the measure. Another measure to "bless" same-sex marriages was also narrowly defeated.

The reports coming from Orlando in today’s news suggest that both sides saw the vote as inconclusive. Small wonder since the assembly also overwhelming approved a resolution on unity in hopes of preventing further defections. […]