Sermons and Biblical Studies

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," January 2004 Moses writes in Deuteronomy 18:15-18: The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, … Continue reading “Elijah and John the Baptist”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "Ready Answer," January 2004 Either out of a genuine concern for justice or out of a sardonic resistance to the Jews' petty politics, Pontius Pilate wanted to free Christ. Lacking in the end the requisite moral strength, he remanded Christ over to the garrison for crucifixion, but not until he … Continue reading “Are the Jews Cursed for Deicide?”

by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021) Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," January 2004 “Anti-Semitism is inadmissible. Spiritually we are all Semites.” —Achille Ratti Achille Ratti was elected Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church in 1922; history knows him as Pius XI. He occupied the papacy during a decade of missed opportunities, during those momentous years of “the gathering storm,” … Continue reading “The Blood Libel and the Holocaust: The Cost of Wrong Doctrine”

by David F. Maas Forerunner, January 2004 To the members of God's church in Philippi, the apostle Paul writes, “For our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). While some may spiritualize this fact away, Paul's words come across as literal and real to those who understand that God has called us out of this world … Continue reading “How to Conduct Ourselves as Ambassadors for Christ”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," January 2004 European Disunity The development of a united Europe has seen a number of setbacks recently. In December 2003, the nations of the European Union (EU) failed to reach an agreement on the proposed EU constitution. (Incidentally, French national television accused the United States of orchestrating the impasse … Continue reading “WorldWatch January 2004”

by John W. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Personal," December 2003 We saw in the previous article how our standing before God is established. God has given us incredible gifts in this regard because no single person in all the history of mankind apart from Jesus Christ has ever earned himself into right standing and thus access to … Continue reading “The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Nine): Conclusion (Part Two)”

by Staff Forerunner, "Ready Answer," December 2003 “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit.” — Proverbs 18:21 A few weeks ago, I received an email from a longtime friend that started me thinking. The subject of the email asked, “If you could go … Continue reading “The Tongue: Our Tool of Power”

by Ted E. Bowling Forerunner, "Ready Answer," December 2003 “Also do not take to heart everything that people say, lest you hear your servant cursing you.” — Ecclesiastes 7:21 As children on the playground at school, we would hear the old saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” … Continue reading “Sticks and Stones”

by David C. Grabbe Forerunner, "WorldWatch," December 2003 U.S. Pregnancy, Birth, and Abortion Rates » The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says pregnancy, birth, and abortion rates dropped from 1990 to 1999. Pregnancies fell 7%, to 6.28 million in 1999. The birthrate declined 9%, to 64.4 per 1000 women ages 15 to 44. Also, … Continue reading “WorldWatch December 2003”

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh Forerunner, "Prophecy Watch," January 1, 2004 As the first century began to wind down, some in the church were beginning to wonder why Jesus Christ had not yet returned to set up His Kingdom. Members in Thessalonica were concerned that the day of Christ's second coming had already come and gone … Continue reading “Where Is the Promise of His Coming?”