Services for Stephen James Armstrong, 22, of Grand Saline, are scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at Bartley Funeral Home with Bro. What kind of arrangement is appropriate, where should you send it, and when should you send an alternative? This reality compels us to stand with others who are stirred by the conviction that the mercy of God in Jesus Christ is our only hope of eternal salvation. Expand the Memories and Condolences form. Pastor Stephen Armstrong discusses all that the Bible can tell us on the coming world leader called the Antichrist. As we confess in CS(1), [God] providentially brings about his eternal good purposes to redeem a people for himself and restore his fallen creation, to the praise of his glorious grace. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work regenerates spiritually dead sinners, awakening them to repentance and faith, and in him they are baptized into union with the Lord Jesus, such that they are justified before God by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone. Contact Us. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both Jew and Gentile to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. 4. 70th week of Daniel Bible prophecy study series, Revelation Timeline Decoded Bible prophecy study series, The Olivet Discourse Deception Bible prophecy study series, The Falling Away Of 2 Thessalonians 2 Bible prophecy study series, The False Doctrine of the Flat Earth book by David Nikao, Protestant Reformer Martin Luthers Perspective On The Jews, Tony Ognibenes Testimony Against Paul Sides And Ed Moore, A List Of People Who Oppose The False Teachings Of Paul Sides, Unbiblical Secret Rapture And 7 Year Tribulation By Doug Batchelor, Rome and Jerusalem at War The destruction of the Jewish Temple. Pastor Anderson condemns Easter and Christmas, but doesnt seem to understand that those concepts were part of the falling away from Scriptural truth, which happened in the 4th century, before the Popes took power. The tribulation period that He spoke about occurred from 66-70 A.D., when 1.1 million Jews died in and around Jerusalem, from famine, pestilence, infighting, suicide, crucifixion and the Roman sword. Stephen passed away August 22, 2014 in Grand Saline. This universal church is manifest in local churches of which Christ is the only Head; thus each local church is, in fact, the church, the household of God, the assembly of the living God, and the pillar and foundation of the truth. Pastor Stephen Armstrong preaches from Galatians on the dangers of the Messianic Movement at the 2018 VBVMI Bible Conference. The gospel changes our relationship with God from one of hostility or slavish compliance to one of intimacy and joy. The concept of a futuristic 70th week of Daniel is a deception from the Jesuits of Rome, who created it to deflect blame away from the Popes, as the Protestant Reformers had rightly identified them as the Son of Perdition . The Redemption of Christ We believe that, moved by love and in obedience to his Father, the eternal Son became human: the Word became flesh, fully God and fully human being, one Person in two natures. Read the 70th week of Daniel Bible prophecy study series. Online condolences and donations may be made at www.imfunerals.com 1015 W Wolfe St. Thus the gospel creates a human community radically different from any society around it. God put humanity in the garden to cultivate the material world for his own glory and for the flourishing of nature and the human community. Access hundreds of hours of verse-by-verse Bible teaching through entire books of the Bible for free. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Memorial Tribute Website Proudly Provided by: Map | Visit our, To plant trees in memory, please visit the. According to the Endtime Ministries website, she was home as of Monday, but still feeling fatigued. But we have a vision for a church that equips its people to think out the implications of the gospel on how we do carpentry, plumbing, dataentry, nursing, art, business, government, journalism, entertainment, and scholarship. That same year he also founded Verse By Verse Ministry of San Antonio (later to be renamed Verse By Verse Ministry International) out of a desire to offer his unique style of in-depth Bible teaching for free to a worldwide audience via the internet. That means 15 million people that are living together are unmarried. God will be all in all and his people will be enthralled by the immediacy of his ineffable holiness, and everything will be to the praise of his glorious grace. The purpose of the Bible is to produce wisdom in usa life wholly submitted to Gods reality. assigning it to the end times 7-year tribulation period. If we undercontextualize, it suggests that we want the trappings of our own subculture too much. What replaces the gospel will never promote a mission-hearted faith anchored in enduring truth working itself out in unashamed discipleship eager to stand the tests of kingdom-calling and sacrifice. Worldwide, more than 48 million have been infected with COVID-19, including more than 1.2 million who have died. In Gods wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. But we believe there are also penultimate steps to take. And while, in Gods grace, there is an encouraging number of bright spots in the church, we see no broad movement yet of this gospelcentered ministry. Presented at the 2014 VBVMI Conference, held on October 9-10. In corporate worship Gods people receive a special lifetransforming sight of the worth and beauty of God, and then give back to God suitable expressions of his worth. 1. Listen to recorded teaching, read the accompanying full-length notes, print lessons for use in small groups or for teaching . Text Details, Saturday Immortal and eternal, he perfectly and exhaustively knows the end from the beginning, sustains and sovereignly rules over all things, and providentially brings about his eternal good purposes to redeem a people for himself and restore his fallen creation, to the praise of his glorious grace. At the same time, we are more flawed and sinful than we ever dared believe, yet we are more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope. We adopt a chastened correspondencetheory of truth that is less triumphalistic than that of some in the older evangelicalism. As he devoted himself to study, Stephen developed a love for an in-depth, verse-by-verse style of teaching God's Word, believing it to be the best means to persuade the unbeliever of the truth of the Gospel and equip the saints for the work of ministry (Rom 10:17; Eph 4:14-15). The supreme need of all human beings is to be reconciled to the God under whose just and holy wrath we stand; the only hope of all human beings is the undeserved love of this same God, who alone can rescue us and restore us to himself. United States. In this imbalance there is little or no emphasis on the importance of the work of justice and mercy for the poor and the oppressed, and on cultural production that glorifies God in the arts, business, etc. Mono, Ontario 210.319.5055 Stephen Armstrong was the founder and principal teacher of Verse By Verse Ministry International. It brings out the means of salvation, namely the substitutionary work of Christ and our responsibility to embrace it by faith. I believe that he is controlled opposition, just like Westboro Baptist, who are being used to protests against gays. We are called to love the world, love the sinner. Too many Christians have learned to seal off their faithbeliefs from the way they work in their vocation. Seating is limited to 550 guests. He worked as a . The church serves as a sign of Gods future new world when its members live for the service of one another and their neighbors, rather than for self-focus. Legacy invites you to offer condolences and share memories of Stephen in the Guest Book below. The Keller Center for Cultural Apologetics helps Christians show unbelievers the truth, goodness, and beauty of the gospel as the only hope that fulfills our deepest longings. After Messiah caused the temple, city and Jewish leadership to be desolated, He setup His Fathers kingdom, which has grown over the last 1,900 years into a great mountain of people. The introductory Main Session teaching presented at the 2017 VBVMI Bible Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, on October 13-14, 2017. I. The Verse By Verse Ministry (VBVM) International study app, featuring the Bible teaching of Pastor Stephen Armstrong. More recently, postmodernism has critiqued this set of assumptions, contending that we are not in fact objective in our pursuit of knowledge, but rather interpret information through our personal experiences, selfinterests, emotions, cultural prejudices, language limitations, and relational communities. Pastor Stephen Armstrong discusses all that the Bible can tell us on the coming world leader called the Antichrist. The kingdom of God, already present but not fully realized, is the exercise of Gods sovereignty in the world toward the eventual redemption of all creation. If we do this we will be salt and light in the world (sustaining and improving living conditions, showing the world the glory of God by our patterns of living; Matt 5:1316). The gospel opens our eyes to the fact that all our wealth (even wealth for which we worked hard) is ultimately an unmerited gift from God. What could lead to a growing movement of gospelcentered churches? Stephen Armstrong was the founder and principal teacher of Verse By Verse Ministry International. If we overcontextualize, it suggests that we want too much the approval of the receiving culture. The Justification of Sinners We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. This betrays a lack of confidence in the gospel. Services for Stephen James Armstrong, 22, of Grand Saline, are scheduled for 10 a.m., Wednesday, August 27, 2014 at Bartley Funeral Home with Bro. We confess that both our finitude and our sinfulness preclude the possibility of knowing Gods truth exhaustively, but we affirm that, enlightened by the Spirit of God, we can know Gods revealed truth truly. Based on the supposed future 7-year tribulation period, Pastor Steven Anderson teaches a futuristic fulfillment of Revelation. Christ Jesus is our peace: he has not only brought about peace with God, but also peace between alienated peoples. David Christine officiating. Is he doing that on purpose? At the same time, and in the same congregations, there will be engagement with the social structures of ordinary people, and cultural engagement with art, business, scholarship, and government. To offer your sympathy during this difficult time, you can now have memorial trees planted in a National Forest in memory of your loved one. VISION 6:00 PM to TBD CLICK HERE TO GET A COPY. This betrays a lack of gospel humility and a lack of love for our neighbor. As pastors, we intend to do this in our churches through the ordinary means of his grace: prayer, the ministry of the Word, baptism and the Lords Supper and the fellowship of the saints. This coronavirus may be a privilege, because Ill tell you right now, theres a much bigger judgment coming. Christian growth occurs only when the whole life is shaped by Christian practices in communityincluding prayer, baptism, the Lords Supper, fellowship, and the public ministry of the Word. SAN ANTONIO - A church is mourning its pastor after COVID-19 claimed his life early Friday morning. Evangelistic effectiveness. We believe that God justifies and sanctifies those who by grace have faith in Jesus, and that he will one day glorify themall to the praise of his glorious grace. He came to know the Lord in his early 30s, while serving as an Air Force officer. If youre in charge of handling the affairs for a recently deceased loved one, this guide offers a helpful checklist. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one-flesh union that establishes the only normative pattern of sexual relations for men and women, such that marriage ultimately serves as a type of the union between Christ and his church. As we confess in CS(7), Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. Unless you are experienced as an estate executor, you probably should hire an attorney. The distinctive leadership role within the church given to qualified men is grounded in creation, fall, and redemption and must not be sidelined by appeals to cultural developments. The session is moderated by Jerry Dyke of VBVMI. The pastor continued on to say that COVID-19 was likely a plague from God intended to punish those who are intimate outside of the marital bed. Information and advice to help you cope with the death of someone important to you. As Christ followers, we are commanded by scripture to be lifelong students of Gods Word and walk in community with each other. This is not an outline of our doctrinal beliefs (see the Confessional Statement), but a statement of how we intend to discharge Christian ministry and interact with our culture in biblical and theological faithfulness. The Memorial Candle Program has been designed to help offset the costs associated with the hosting this Tribute Website in perpetuity. Stephen passed away in January 2021 leaving behind a library of insightful Bible teaching and a ministry team committed to advancing the Gospel worldwide. A non-profit, non-denominational resource of free in-depth Bible teachings. Learn how to make your personal testimony an effective tool for evangelism. Box 702107 As you can see, all of Pastor Steven Andersons prophecy fulfillment explanations are futuristic, which deflects blame away from the Pope and Jesuit General of Rome. The integration of faith and work. A teaching presented in a Breakout Sessionat the 2017 VBVMI Bible Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, on October 13-14, 2017, Pastor Stephen Armstrong explains some helpful resources every apologist needs to reach the lost. Grand Saline, Texas Pastor Armstrong teaches on the coming apostasy of the church described in the New Testament letters and in the book of Revelation. I learned Play Therapy from him and now I am practicing it continuously. How then do we keep our balance? We want to encourage a passion for sound doctrine, but we know that Christian growth is not simply cognitive information transfer. I pray that you grant the visitors of this website eye salve, to see the truth, that they would repent and be your witnesses! Use the form above to find your loved one. We're sorry but there are no candles available for lighting. Click on any of the links to the right to access features or information within this memorial website. It is not enough that the church should counter the values of the dominant culture. Gods New People We believe that Gods new covenant people have already come to the heavenly Jerusalem; they are already seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Please click the register tab and sign up for a new account. It exists in the genres of narrative, metaphor, and poetry which are not exhaustively distillable into doctrinal propositions, yet they convey Gods will and mind to us so as to change us into his likeness. Teaching from the 2016 VBVMI Bible Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, on October 14-15, 2016. Read this Bible Prophecy Made Easy study, that gives a summary of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy, so that you can discern the deception. Secularism and religion conform people to behavioral norms through fear (of consequences) and pride (a desire for selfaggrandizement). Unaided human reason, it was thought, is able to know truth objectively. . He was a wonderful professor and I have known him at TAMUC as one of his students. Moreover, this God is a speaking God who by his Spirit has graciously disclosed himself in human words: we believe that God has inspired the words preserved in the Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, which are both record and means of his saving work in the world. Steve will be remembered by many nieces, nephews, relatives and long time friends and co-workers. The obituary was featured in Legacy on October 11, 2000. Affiliate disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, we may earn commissions from qualifying purchases on Amazon.com. Heartfelt Sympathies Store. Irreligion and secularism tend to inflate selfencouraging, uncritical, selfesteem; religion and moralism crush people under guilt from ethical standards that are impossible to maintain. He blames the Jews for everything, just like Texe Marrs. Our desire is to serve the church we love by inviting all our brothers and sisters to join us in an effort to renew the contemporary church in the ancient gospel of Christ so that we truly speak and live for him in a way that clearly communicates to our age. As Gods people hear, believe, and do the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel. We must work for the eternal and common good and show our neighbors we love them sacrificially whether they believe as we do or not. They will emphasize repentance, personal renewal, and holiness of life. The ultimate answer is that God must, for his own glory, send revival in response to the fervent, extraordinary, prevailing prayer of his people. These writings alone constitute the verbally inspired Word of God, which is utterly authoritative and without error in the original writings, complete in its revelation of his will for salvation, sufficient for all that God requires us to believe and do, and final in its authority over every domain of knowledge to which it speaks. While TGC does its best to validate each entry, TGC cannot guarantee the actual health of these churches as they are self-regulated. It therefore inevitably establishes a new community of human life together under God. We are a fellowship of evangelical churches in the Reformed tradition deeply committed to renewing our faith in the gospel of Christ and to reforming our ministry practices to conform fully to the Scriptures. When the global health pandemic initially emerged in the United States earlier this year, Baxter made an appearance on the Jim Bakker Show, where he discussed the alleged ties between the sin of fornication and coronavirus. Jesus did not treat us that way. Inasmuch as Christ was given by the Father for us, and his obedience and punishment were accepted in place of our own, freely and not for anything in us, this justification is solely of free grace, in order that both the exact justice and the rich grace of God might be glorified in the justification of sinners. If you are a representative of this church, you can claim this listing in order to update and maintain your church's profile. In the ministry of the church, both men and women are encouraged to serve Christ and to be developed to their full potential in the manifold ministries of the people of God. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Headwaters Health Care Centre - Oncology Department in memory of Steve. They are creating the association that all Christians are like that, that they hate gay people, and want them dead. The end result is that they are misleading the end-times saints, so they are not prepared for what lies ahead. (The epistemological issue). We believe that on the contrary the two, at their best, are integral for grasping the meaning of the biblical gospel. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death and defeated Satan who once had power over it, and brought everlasting life to all his people; by his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. 2. Truth is not only a theoretical correspondence but also a covenantal relationship. Therefore Christians glorify God not only through the ministry of the Word, but also through their vocations of agriculture, art, business, government, scholarshipall for Gods glory and the furtherance of the public good. And more importantly, it causes Christians to not understand that they are following the teachings of Rome, as outlined in the Council of Nicea; instead of Scripture. Beloved son of Norman (2007) and Anne Armstrong; cherished father of Brandon and Riley Armstrong; loved brother of Jill Armstrong (Glenn 2017) and Lisa Patton (Vern); loving partner of Paula Berthelot .He will also be sadly . You will find attached both our Confessional Statement and our Theological Vision for Ministrya vision rooted in the Scriptures and centered on the gospel. David Christine officiating. There are many congregations with strong concern for doctrinal rigor and purity and who work very hard to keep themselves separate from the world. Legacy.com reports daily on death announcements in local communities nationwide. Verse By Verse Fellowship, a Northeast Side church, announced Pastor Steve Armstrong died after his battle with the coronavirus, which has claimed more than 1,800 others in San Antonio. 633421 Hwy 10 home by clicking here. We are ashamed of our sins and failures, grateful beyond measure for forgiveness, and eager to see afresh the glory of God and embody conformity to his Son. We affirm that truth is conveyed by Scripture. Regarding power, it is visibly committed to powersharing and relationshipbuilding among races, classes, and generations that are alienated outside of the Body of Christ. Text Details. Pastor StephenArmstrong conducts a breakout session at the 2015 VBVMI Conference. Since then the Popes have pretended to be a part of the true church (they have sat in the temple) and they have proclaimed to be God, to be Jesus Christ in the flesh, to forgive sins, and to provide salvation; all of which is blasphemy. Many today (but not all) who major in the first of these two ways of reading the Biblethat is, reading along the whole Bibledwell on the more corporate aspects of sin and salvation. The gospel is seen as a means of finding individual peace and not as the foundation of a worldviewa comprehensive interpretation of reality affecting all that we do. Such a biblically grounded and united mission is the only endur- ing future for the church. After one hell of a battle, Steve passed away with his army by his side at Headwaters Health Care Centre on Saturday June 17, 2017 at the age of 55. We affirm that truth is correspondence to reality. How should we read the Bible? Pastor Armstrong brings the bible to life in a way that can only come from a gift to teach, given by God Himself. The 2014 VBVMI Bible Conference Main Session for Pastor Stephen Armstrong, who explains the Biblical imperative to study the end times. Creation of Humanity We believe that God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. Also, its preaching, though expository, was sometimes moralistic and did not emphasize how all biblical themes climax in Christ and his work. Therefore God is concerned not only for the salvation of souls but also for the relief of poverty, hunger, and injustice. Come share in that mission at Verse By Verse Fellowship. Its in the Bible.. Pastor Stephen Armstrong teaches on the necessity to live our life with evangelistic intent. Despite having no professional religious training, in 2003 Stephen was called by God to lead a church planting effort in the city as pastor of Living Word Fellowship. To eliminate the propositional nature of biblical truth seriously weakens our ability to hold, defend, and explain the gospel. In addition to all this, gospelcentered churches will have a bias toward church planting as one of the most effective means of evangelism there is. For several hundred years, since the dawning of the Enlightenment, it was widely agreed that truthexpressed in words that substantially correspond to realitydoes indeed exist and can be known. We believe that Scripture is pervasively propositional and that all statements of Scripture are completely true and authoritative. We believe that every expression of Christianity is necessarily and rightly contextualized, to some degree, to particular human culture; there is no such thing as a universal ahistorical expression of Christianity. (See below, point 5c.). We'll help you find the right words to comfort your family member or loved one during this difficult time. We believe the Holy Spirit who inspired the words of the apostles and prophets also indwells us so that we who have been made in the image of God can receive and understand the words of Scripture revealed by God, and grasp that Scriptures truths correspond to reality. He did this so that in him we might become the righteousness of God: on the cross he canceled sin, propitiated God, and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciled to God all those who believe. . 1. How should we respond to the cultural crisis of truth? The Fall We believe that Adam, made in the image of God, distorted that image and forfeited his original blessednessfor himself and all his progenyby falling into sin through Satans temptation. Food has always been a go-to for people in mourning. We want to be radically distinct from the culture around us and yet, out of that distinct identity, we should sacrificially serve neighbors and even enemies, working for the flourishing of people, both here and now, and in eternity. We affirm that truth is correspondence of life to God. Because the gospel (unlike religious moralism) produces people who do not disdain those who disagree with them, a truly gospelcentered church should be filled with members who winsomely address peoples hopes and aspirations with Christ and his saving work. Watch Dr. Thomas Ice, Pastor Jim Bryant, and Stephen Armstrong answer questions from participants of the 2014 VBVMI Conference on "Living in the Last Days". A teaching from 2 Corinthians 5 presented at the 2016 VBVMI Bible Conference held in San Antonio, Texas, on October 14-15, 2016. in the information presented, See CS(2). A Texas pastor who hailed coronavirus as a privilege and a wake-up call" for sinners, particularly those who engage in sex outside of marriage, has died from the fast-spreading disease. Please use the comment box on the bottom of the page, to let us know what topics you would like us to cover. Adam and Eve belonged to the created order that God himself declared to be very good, serving as Gods agents to care for, manage, and govern creation, living in holy and devoted fellowship with their Maker. Directions | The kingdom of God is an invasive power that plunders Satans dark kingdom and regenerates and renovates through repentance and faith the lives of individuals rescued from that kingdom. Pastor Steven Anderson teaches a futuristic 70th week of Daniel, assigning it to the end times 7-year tribulation period. A Celebration of Life in honour of Steve will be held on Saturday June 24th, 2017 at the Horizons Event Centre, 633421 Highway 10, Mono, Ontario (Behind the Mono Plaza) from 6pm -12am , with Words of Remembrance to take place at 7pm. Regarding sex, the church should avoid both the secular societys idolization of sex and traditional societys fear of it. Stephen passed away in January 2021 leaving behind a library of insightful Bible teaching and a ministry team committed to advancing the Gospel worldwide. Presented at the 2014 VBVMI Conference, held on October 9-10. UNITED STATES How this vision of truth shapes us. This gospel fills Christians with humility and hope, meekness and boldness, in a unique way. Do you see what he is doing? We have a vision for a church that sees conversions of rich and poor, highly educated and less educated, men and women, old and young, married and single, and all races.