Sermons and Biblical Studies

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "Ready Answer," May 15, 2014 “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more . . .” —I Corinthians 9:19 In John 10:35, Jesus Christ makes a parenthetical statement that is easy to overlook, and yet it … Continue reading “Can We Win People For Christ?”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "WorldWatch," May 15, 2014 Over the past decade, Ukraine has found itself in the middle of a serious game of tug-of-war between the European Union (EU) and its former master, Russia. Kiev’s recent Euromaidan protests (Euro is short for “Europe” and maidan refers to Maidan Nezalezhnosti, “Independence Square,” the capital’s … Continue reading “Ukrainian Instability, Russian Initiative”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," March 11, 2014 Ecclesiastes 3 makes clear that God is sovereign over time as well as over the flow of events He is overseeing in the outworking of His plan and purpose. God leaves no doubt that He is intimately involved in the lives of His children to ensure … Continue reading “Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Four): Other Gifts”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, March 11, 2014 Human beings are a superstitious lot, and those who claim Christianity as their religion are no exception. Things that go bump in the night scare Christians and pagans equally. Some branches of Christianity seem to have a morbid fascination with the otherworldly, and this reality probably springs … Continue reading “What Happened at En Dor?”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," March 11, 2014 Last month, we looked at Karl Jasper’s concept of an Axial Period in history, spanning roughly 800-200 BC. He viewed it as an unstable age characterized by a sea change in ideas as people abandoned old, long-standing ideas in philosophy and religion, replacing them with … Continue reading “The Symmetry of History (Part Two)”

by Mike Ford (1955-2021) Forerunner, "Ready Answer," March 11, 2014 “All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.” —I Corinthians 6:12 I am a fan of Western novels and movies, and one of the … Continue reading “Do We See the Line?”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," March 11, 2014 When God instructed His covenant people, He specified the tremendous blessings that He would give for obedience, as well as the curses that He would bring to pass for disobedience. Because of the agrarian nature of Israelite society, many of the blessings and cursings relate to … Continue reading “Coming: Dry Times in the U.S. and Israel”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," January 28, 2014 For those with sincere desire to please God by living by faith, Ecclesiastes 3 is one of the truly great, encouraging, and inspiring chapters in the entire Bible. But for us to understand the depth of its teaching more clearly, chapter 3 needs the concept found … Continue reading “Ecclesiastes and Christian Living (Part Three): Time”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," January 28, 2014 To believe the old adage, “History repeats itself,” is to confess finding in history a certain symmetry, much like the iconic rooster on a kitchen tablecloth. As one surveys broad swaths of history, does he find patterns—recurring structures—appearing, like those colorful roosters—surely all siblings—on his … Continue reading “The Symmetry of History (Part One)”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "Ready Answer," January 28, 2014 What is crooked cannot be made straight, And what is lacking cannot be numbered. —Ecclesiastes 1:15 Perhaps it is the same for all nations and cultures, but the modern-day descendants of Israel seem to exhibit an especially high degree of idealism and perfectionism. These are … Continue reading “Crookedness”