Sermons and Biblical Studies

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, June 2004 “Indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.” —Hebrews 4:2 Exodus 19:3-6 records a promise God made to the children of Israel encamped about … Continue reading “Searching for Israel (Part Three): The Old Covenant”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," June 2004 “When He opened the second seal I heard the second living creature saying, 'Come and see.' And another horse, fiery red, went out. And it was granted to the one who sat on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one … Continue reading “The Four Horsemen (Part Three): The Red Horse”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "WorldWatch," June 2004 The dictionary defines nepotism as “favoritism shown to a relative (as by giving an appointive job) on the basis of relationship.” One of the much-touted reforms of America's Progressive Era during the early twentieth century was the overthrow of nepotism. Progressives replaced the “spoils system” with a … Continue reading “All In the Family”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," May 2004 As the last article began to show, Europe is not showing signs of the kind of unity and strength one would expect the Beast to have. An interesting news article by Ambrose Evans-Pritchard strongly accentuates how divided—and therefore weak—Europe is. His article, “1,000 changes sought in EU … Continue reading “The Beast and Babylon (Part Two)”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, May 2004 The day of Pentecost is typically associated with stupendous signs and miracles. Acts 2:1-11 records that when the Holy Spirit was given, the display of ability and power astounded everyone present. There was a sound like a mighty rushing wind (verse 2). It appeared that fire rested on … Continue reading “The Pentecost Witness”

by David F. Maas Forerunner, "Ready Answer," May 2004 “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself; the simple pass on and are punished.” —Proverbs 27:12 Do you like to see the ending of the movie or read the ending of a book to get a sneak preview of the conclusion? Have you ever asked … Continue reading “Fast-Forwarding the Tape”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, May 2004 Last month, we identified the promises God made to the patriarchs as search criteria that point to modern-day Israel. This month, our quest for search criteria takes us from promise to blessing. These blessings also serve as the search criteria we seek. The patriarchs granted these blessings in … Continue reading “Searching for Israel (Part Two): Blessings in Faith”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "WorldWatch," May 2004 Is America destined to lead a globe-encircling empire for years to come? Not if the analysis of Niall Ferguson and Laurence Kotlikoff in their article, “Going Critical” (The National Interest, Fall 2003),is correct. Their reasoning: no money, no empire. “Chronically unbalanced domestic finance, primarily the result of … Continue reading “No Money, No Empire”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," May 2004 “Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, 'Come and see.' And I looked, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow; … Continue reading “The Four Horsemen (Part Two): The White Horse”

by Pat Higgins Forerunner, "Ready Answer," March-April 2004 “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” —Revelation 3:20 Most of us have concluded that we are now in the midst of the … Continue reading “Are We Opening the Door?”