Forerunner: Preparing Christians for the Kingdom of God



Make Every Day Count (November-December 2012)

November-December 2012
Volume 21, Number 6


The Bible depicts Christians as pilgrims on a trek through the wilderness of this life. Our destination is the Kingdom of God, and the path we must tread is often difficult and discouraging. Each of us, however, has only a limited amount of time to overcome those obstacles—to ford the rivers and cross the mountains—before winter sets in. In other words, we have to make every day count to reach the Promised Land that awaits us. (iStockphoto)

'Personal' from John W. Ritenbaugh
Fully Accepting God's Sovereignty, Part Three:
The Fruits

As Christians, we have a desire to please God, and we want Him to protect and deliver us when the times ahead get tough. John Ritenbaugh illustrates four qualities of character that our full acceptance of God's sovereignty will build and that will prepare us for whatever work God may choose for us in these last days.

Ready Answer
Make Every Day Count

by Mike Ford

Time is perhaps our most precious commodity, and once it passes, it is lost forever. Even so, we tend to waste it at a profligate rate. With the tragic story of the Donner Party's journey to California as a background, Mike Ford encourages us make wise use of the time we have left because it is inexorably running out.

Prophecy Watch
The Whole Earth

by David C. Grabbe

As students of the Bible, we often come across certain words or phrases that appear to be absolutes. For instance, in several places, Scripture prophesies that the Beast's empire will subjugate "the whole earth." While this sounds as if the Beast will rule over the entire globe, David Grabbe reveals from Scripture that this phrase and others like it can describe a more limited area.

WorldWatch
Mass Shootings in Today's America

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh

The echoes of gunfire had barely faded over Newtown, Connecticut, when American political forces began wrangling over gun-control legislation and the Second Amendment. Richard Ritenbaugh argues that this knee-jerk reaction misses other, more likely causes of mass murders—especially the spiritual dimension.

Bible Study
The Miracles of Jesus Christ:
The Coin in the Fish's Mouth

by Martin G. Collins

Jesus' miracle involving Peter finding a coin in a fish's mouth, enough to pay the Temple tax for both men, is often overlooked. Martin Collins explains the biblical background of the Temple tax, as well as Christ's awesome display of prescience, power, and control in performing this miracle.