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Desire Earnestly to Prophesy
'Ready Answer' by Bill CherryPaul's admonition to the Corinthians to desire to prophesy has confused some due to a fundamental misunderstanding of what prophesying really is.
The Two Witnesses (Part One)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod wants us to recognize prophecies as they occur or shortly afterward. To cling to an interpretation before the events happen leads to missing vital details.
The Two Witnesses (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's truth may bring about sadness, astonishment, anger, and bitterness to the one delivering the message. James and John were types of the Two Witnesses.
The Two Witnesses (Part Three)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe first major concern of the Two Witnesses will be directed to the church rather than to the world at large, expunging worldliness out of the church.
'You Are My Witnesses...'
Article by Martin G. CollinsWhat is a witness? Here is how the term is used in both Old and New Testaments, including the everyday witness of a Christian and the end-time Two Witnesses.
Revelation 10 and the Church's History
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughRevelation 10 contains the seven thunders and the little book. It serves as an inset, not following a linear time sequence of the book of Revelation.
Elijah and John the Baptist
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughJesus declares that none was greater than His cousin, John, known as 'the Baptist.' Jesus clearly says that John fulfilled the prophesied role of Elijah to come.
Prophets and Prophecy (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughA prophet is one who speaks for God, expressing His will in words and sometimes signs. Standing outside the system, he proclaims God's purpose, including repentance.
'I Will Pour Out My Spirit!'
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsThe outpouring of God's Holy Spirit in AD 31 represented a pivotal event in church history, marking the initial fulfillment of Joel's prophecy.
Shrugging Off Scoffers (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsPeter warns of scoffers in the church, apostate tares, devoid of God's spirit, ridiculing the doctrine that Christ would return or doctrines of judgment.
Looking Forward
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughRichard Ritenbaugh, citing Mark Twain's aphorism, "The art of prophecy is difficult, especially with respect to the future," points out that there are too many variables for any human to predict accurately. We can be thankful that God's prognostications and prophecies are totally trustworthy, many of which have already come to pass. God is a forecaster extraordinaire. Prophecy is the ability to forecast an event in advance. Many predictions are quite probable with regard to general predictions, but the more qualifiers and variables we add, the less probability the prophecy will work out. Some futurists, like H. G. Wells, have been successful in their prognostications, although many turned out to be duds. We should gaze forward, anticipating what God will reveal to us, becoming "nostalgic about the future," and not wistfully looking back, lingering or dallying, as did Lot and his family. By looking back, Lot's wife was boldly repudiating the will of God. Once we have made the commitment to follow God, to recount the cost would be suicidal. God has to come first before anyone else from the time of commitment and beyond. Looking back leads to "plowing a crooked furrow." Paul assured us that pressing forward to knowing Christ makes every other goal rubbish. In putting all into the goal of following and knowing Christ, we are not alone; we have a big cloud of witnesses who have provided us an example to follow something we cannot immediately see, except through the lens of faith.
Spiritual Gifts: Unity, Edification, and Order
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughPaul desires to convey to the Corinthians three primary principles to help them use and manage the gifts God had graciously and abundantly bestowed on them.
Life Is Service (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughA culture of slavery pervaded life in the early Christian church, forcing Paul to pen instructions accommodating this practice in the context of love.