Blog - Page 46 of 318 - John H Armstrong

He Who Finds a Wife Obtains Favor From the Lord

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 26th, 2013|Categories: Love, Marriage & Family, Personal|

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord” (Proverbs 18:22). Forty-three years ago, on this day, I “found” a wife. My bride, Anita Ruth Siml, became Mrs. John Armstrong, my beloved companion and best friend. She always told me that the name Mrs. Armstrong sounded like my mom so I never actually called her that, in public or in private. Yet that is what the minister said to us once he pronounced us husband and wife: “I present to you Mr. and Mrs. John Armstrong!” Never have I heard words that thrilled me more.

It did not take long for Anita and me to realize that we were truly in love but just as truly that we were so opposite of each other in a number of ways. As we discovered just how different we really were we began to realize, slowly at first, just how much we had to change in order to grow in true love. Change we did, by God’s grace and Anita’s patience with me. I learned […]

The Light That Shines Upon Us

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 24th, 2013|Categories: Christ/Christology, Gospel/Good News, Jesus|

The Gospel of Luke reveals to us an angelic prophecy regarding the birth of John the Baptist that was given to Zechariah. I never read this text (Luke 1:5-25) without imagining what it would have been like to go about one’s priestly service in the days of Herod only to have “an angel (later said to be Gabriel in verse 19) of the Lord, standing at the right side of the altar of incense” (1:11). When Zechariah saw this angelic person he was “terrified, fear overwhelmed him” (1:12). I’ll bet he was terrified.

Let that scene sink into your mind for a moment. This man was “overwhelmed” in sheer terror at what he saw. But what he heard was even more difficult to handle. His prayers were to be answered in the pregnancy of his wife Elizabeth, a woman who was “getting on in years” (1:18). Because Zechariah did not believe what the angel told him he would “become mute, unable to speak, until the day these things occur” (1:20).

Luke then gives an account of another visit from […]

Chronic Fatigue and God’s Mercy

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 23rd, 2013|Categories: ACT 3, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Love, Personal|

Since 1998 I have struggled with a chronic illness that carries various labels and a wide variety of explanations. The American name is Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome (CFIDS).

Here is a medically acceptable description of this illness:

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), also known as chronic fatigue and immune dysfunction syndrome (CFIDS), myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) and by other names, is a complex and debilitating chronic illness that affects the brain and multiple body systems.

CFS is characterized by incapacitating fatigue (experienced as profound exhaustion and extremely poor stamina) and problems with concentration and short-term memory. It is also accompanied by flu-like symptoms such as pain in the joints and muscles, un-refreshing sleep, tender lymph nodes, sore throat and headache. A distinctive characteristic of the illness is post-exertional malaise, a worsening of symptoms following physical or mental exertion occurring within 12-48 hours of the exertion and requiring an extended recovery period.

When I first received a proper diagnosis of this illness I was devastated. It sounded final and left me with little or […]

Rethinking a Christian Response to Suicide

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 19th, 2013|Categories: Baseball, Bio-Medical Ethics, Church Tradition, Current Affairs, Death, Ethics, Science|

I am continually amazed at the lack of sensitivity and pastoral grace that many Christians have regarding their response to a death by suicide. There was a time when Christians–Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant–generally considered suicide an “unpardonable sin.” For this reason when a person took their own life the family was left with the profound sense that their loved one was eternally condemned through this final act of (self) murder. Both officially, and unofficially, this view has been largely altered over the last fifty-plus years. (I still recall how I felt when I first came across this “historic” view through reading Pilgrim’s Progress, the popular classic written by the English minister John Bunyan.)

The advances we’ve made in understanding mental illness, and especially the issue of suicide, have been nothing short of a major paradigm shift in understanding both human behavior and moral accountability. While it is true that the “moral” issue remains the same in suicide (a person takes a life, which is morally wrong) it seems to me that the way Christians understand this moral issue has changed rather dramatically. This change, I submit, is […]

The Brave New World and the Building of Democracies

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 18th, 2013|Categories: Culture, Current Affairs, Free Speech, Freedom, Ideology, Politics, Religion|

Political scientist Francis Fukuyama declared in his 1992 book, The End of History and the Last Man, that “mankind’s ideological evolution” was complete in Western liberal democracy, a form of democracy which is now “the final form of human government.” So much for a theory that lasted for less than a half of one generation.

Joshua Kurlantzick, in his book Democracy in Retreat: The Revolt of the Middle Class and the Worldwide Decline of Representative Government (Yale, 2013), says the last decade is best characterized by a broad swath of nations embroiled in internal strife and the decline of democracy.

Kurlantzick describes protests in Thailand that led to the fall of its elected government in 2006 followed by an almost continuous violence between the middle classes and the poor ever since. He tells of social and electoral chaos in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malawi, Kenya, Venezuela, and in various countries in Eastern Europe and, of course, in the Middle East. The aborted “Arab Spring” has done little to fundamentally change the region. As economic problems arise globally far more people […]

A Baptist Minister Drawing Lessons from Pope Francis

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 17th, 2013|Categories: American Evangelicalism, Current Affairs, Homiletics/Preaching, Leadership, Personal, Roman Catholicism, Spirituality, The Christian Minister/Ministry, The Church|

In late October I visited with Michael and Nancy Ristau, two dear friends who live in Lexington, Kentucky. I met Michael while speaking on a mens’ retreat for several churches in California years ago. Michael and Nancy are like other people I’ve met in my travels here and there, persons who feel drawn to form a deep and growing friendship with me. Michael and Nancy, along with their lovable German shepherd Quincy who tolerates me, have grown in Christ’s love for me and vice versa. I have twice visited the Ristau’s lovely home and stayed for several days as their honored guest. Their hospitality is real and they are so easy to spend time with because their home is a comfortable context. They place no demands on me or my daily life.

This recent trip included a visit to Asbury Seminary, where I shared the work of the Acton Institute with faculty. I also saw Alabama play Kentucky on a lovely Saturday evening at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington.

On a previous visit to Lexington I attended Calvary […]

Philomena – A Film That Reveals Gospel Grace and Forgiveness

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 16th, 2013|Categories: Current Affairs, Feminism & Women, Film, Forgiveness, Gospel/Good News, Personal, Roman Catholicism, Sexuality, The Church|

I saw the new movie Philomena last week. I was unprepared for how much this film would move me to the depths of my spirit. It is my “sleeper” film for 2013! I noted this weekend, with great joy, that it was nominated for the Golden Globe as “Best Picture.” (There are only five nominees. The Academy now has ten nominees and if Philomena is not nominated someone should investigate the process!)

Philomena is a 2013 British film based upon the book The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, written by Martin Sixsmith. (Martin Sixsmith was the reporter who helped Philomena search for her lost son.) The film tells the true story of Philomena Lee’s 50-year-long search. The book focuses more, as the title suggests, on the life of Michael/Anthony (Philomena’s son) after his adoption in Ireland. The film focuses more on Philomena herself yet it gives us a clear picture of what transpired in Michael/Anthony’s life over the years since he was taken from the convent in Ireland.

As the film begins Martin Sixsmith has just lost his job […]

Sandy Hook School One Year Later

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 14th, 2013|Categories: Current Affairs, Death, History, Love, Prayer, Spirituality, The Future|

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was one year ago today. The horror was unimaginable. The pain altered our nation, at least on one level. We must not forget this day. We must pray for those who will live with this grief for the remainder of their days. We must pray for our nation, gripped by violence and fear as never before.

Sandy Hook was the second deadliest mass shooting in our nation’s history! The legacy of this event holds many meanings for so many people. Does it move your heart and soul?

Today the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. John of the Cross, a mystic and doctor of the church (1542-1591). St. John became a Carmelite at the age of twenty-one. John’s life was altered when he met Teresa of Avila, leader of the Carmelite reform movement and one of the greatest figures of this age. (This was an age in which division, and low spiritual practice by the baptized, was […]

TIME’s Man of the Year and “Selfies”

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 12th, 2013|Categories: Culture, Current Affairs, Roman Catholicism, Social Networking|

The famous Oxford University Press Dictionary of the English Language continues to add new words to each edition. One of the lovely things about the English language is that it grows through global usage. A new word that many Millennials know, but few in my generation have heard, is “selfie.” Selfie made the cut in the newest edition of the Oxford dictionary, or at least in the online edition. In case you wondered the plural of selfie is “selfies.” What, you ask, is a “selfie”? Well, the dictionary says it is, “a photograph that one has taken of oneself, typically one taken with a smart-phone or webcam and uploaded to a social media website.”

You might wonder what all this has to do with faith and practice? Let me explain. Selfies are the rage and everyone, it seems, is posing for them. Young people visiting the Vatican a few months ago asked Pope Francis to pose with them for their selfie. The Catholic News Service printed a photo of the pope with these five young adults (August 28) […]

Has the Truth Seized Your Heart?

By John Armstrong|2021-07-02T06:14:59-05:00December 11th, 2013|Categories: Discipleship, Faith, Personal, Philosophy|

Edward Adrian Wilson (“Uncle Bill”) (1872–1912) was an English physician, polar explorer, natural historian, painter and ornithologist. Until very recently I knew very little about Edward A. Wilson other than his name and his association with naturalism and polar exploration. I came across a book with the title The Faith of Edward Wilson, by George Seaver. The title intrigued me thus I did some digging into the story of this remarkable man who died at the young age of 39.

First, there is plenty on the Internet to introduce you to Wilson’s life and prodigious work if you care to explore further. Just use your search engine. There is even a website devoted entirely to Wilson at www.edwardawilson.com. It makes for very interesting reading if you have the time and interest. On this well-done Wilson site I encountered this biographical material about his college years at Cambridge. This genuinely drew my interest.

Despite his popularity, in many ways Wilson cut an isolated figure. Underneath the jovial veneer, he was still a sensitive and highly strung young […]