Sermons and Biblical Studies

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," July 10, 2007 If repetition is the best form of emphasis, God goes overboard in the chapter-long, prophetic book of Obadiah. Between Obadiah 11 and 14, a total of four verses, the phrase “in the day” or “on the day” occurs ten times. It acts as a kind … Continue reading “All About Edom (Part Five): Obadiah and God’s Judgment”

by Mike Ford (1955-2021) Forerunner, "Ready Answer," July 10, 2007 “The righteous man walks in his integrity; His children are blessed after him.” —Proverbs 20:7 As a young boy, my first love was baseball. I played the game every chance I got. I followed the sport via newspaper and radio. My brother and I devoured … Continue reading “Building With Integrity”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," July 10, 2007 Poet and philosopher George Santayana is famous for his observation, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” His timeless words go essentially unheeded, though, for the history of any given people is usually one of repeating cycles. Modern nations—despite considering themselves “progressive” … Continue reading “A Perfect Storm of National Cycles”

by Clyde Finklea Forerunner, May 2007 Growing up in a religion that is different—some might say downright unorthodox—can be very difficult for young people because they do not want to be recognized as being different from others. Teenagers hate seeming odd, to say the least. One of the doctrines and practices that sets us apart … Continue reading “My Parents Won’t Let Me!”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," June 5, 2007 Matthew 6:33 provides one of the clearest of all of Jesus' commands about what our overall goals in life must be: “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.” In the conclusion of the previous article regarding our greatest problem in seeking God, we saw … Continue reading “Seeking God (Part Two): A Foundation”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," June 5, 2007 One might imagine that, because of all the trouble Israel and Judah have suffered at the hands of the Edomites down through history, Obadiah would have written his prophecy against Edom with great antagonism: “These are our enemies, and they deserve this!” This, however, does … Continue reading “All About Edom (Part Four): Obadiah and Edom’s Sin”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "Ready Answer," June 5, 2007 “But he, wanting to justify himself, said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?'” —Luke 10:29 The Soviet Union of the 1980s provides a textbook illustration of economic collapse engineered by collectivism. Communism presents itself as high-minded in its redistribution of wealth, leveling the playing … Continue reading “Jumping Into the Shallow Pond (Part Two)”

by Staff Forerunner, June 5, 2007 Fresh starts in life are often an exhilerating experience. Matthew relates the story of a leper coming to Christ and being cleansed of his leprosy, thus giving him a chance to change his life for the better. This story is an example of the love and mercy of the … Continue reading “The Gift of a Leper”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," June 5, 2007 Since World War II, the United States has rocketed to previously unimagined heights of geopolitical power. Paradoxically, though, this—sometimes lone—superpower has simultaneously suffered a number of strategic stalemates and even defeats, apparently succumbing to lesser foes that a global superpower theoretically should not have any trouble … Continue reading “The Paradox of U.S. Power and Defeat”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," April 25, 2007 This article connects loosely to last month's article, which showed that drawing upon God's power is an option available to all of His children. In fact, we will not grow and overcome as He desires without drawing on that power. The natural man can make great … Continue reading “Seeking God (Part One): Our Biggest Problem”