God's Warning

John Reid, reflecting on Christ's admonition to watch, suggests that to watch world events, but to ignore our spiritual progress and overcoming, is a foolish and futile exercise. We need to watch how we conduct ourselves. The oil that the wise and foolish . . .

God often works through disasters, natural and manmade, letting His people know His displeasure with their sins. John Ritenbaugh argues that the terrorist attacks of September 11 are a divine warning, especially to His church, to return speedily to a right. . .

In this special address following September 11, 2001, John Ritenbaugh warns that America, like ancient Israel described in Amos 4-5, has drifted so far from God's way that they do not have a clue as to what to repent of. Tuesday morning, the leadership of . . .

The devastation has shocked the world. ...

Love motivates the two intrinsic parts of God's holy character—goodness and severity, as He seeks to rescue humanity from the consequences of sin.

The book of Amos is an astounding prophecy, closely paralleling the conditions in the Western world today. Amos reveals how unrighteousness undermines society.

God coordinates events to place one of His servants in a position of high visibility and sometimes great power at the center of world events to sound a warning.

The modern church stands in danger of allowing salvation to slip away. Hebrews gives warnings to help us turn our lives around so we do not fall short.

Holiness moves beyond godliness, demanding that we apply energy to living as God lives, seeking a relationship with God and conforming to His expectations.

John Ritenbaugh emphasizes that prayer is perhaps the most important thing we do in terms of maintaining our salvation. The purpose of prayer is not to overcome God's reluctance, but rather to yield and conform us to His will. The oft quoted slogan 'Prayer. . .

The Feast of Trumpets sounds a dire warning of war on the one hand and triumph for God and His saints on the other. Our goal is to be prepared for Christ's return.

Prophecy has many purposes, but it is never intended to open the future to mere idle curiosity. Its much higher purpose is to furnish guidance to the heirs of salvation. John Ritenbaugh explains how the tumultuous sixth-century BC prepares us for the time . . .

An entire year has flashed by since four airplane crashes changed the way Americans behold the world. ...

The Feast of Trumpets is a memorial of blowing of trumpets, symbolizing the Day of the Lord, the real war to end all wars, when Christ will subdue the earth.

Earthquakes are prohesied events of the last days. Richard Ritenbaugh shows that the Bible considers them to be divine warnings and signs.

The twelve books of the Minor Prophets are often overlooked, squeezed between the "important" books of the Major Prophets—Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel—and the "vital" four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Richard Ritenbaugh summarizes. . .

During Amos' day, people were busy making money, being entertained, and practicing their religion. But God was also busy—sending famines, droughts, and epidemics.

Lees are "dregs," particles that settle during fermentation. Wine on its lees becomes more flavorful, but if left too long, it is ruined. This can apply to us!

John Ritenbaugh discusses the limited window of opportunity recipients of a dire prophecy have to take action. The one who hears the warnings does not have an abundance of time to repent and return to God. A lion's threat is not idle. If no action is taken. . .

Martin Collins, reflecting on the devastating locust plagues described in Joel, marvels that the prophet, instead of promising a silver lining on a very black cloud, affirmed that things were going to get intensely worse before they got better. Nevertheles. . .

Hananiah made a significant mistake: prophesying good when God had called for destruction. While God's will is for good, the timing makes all the difference.

Hardly anything is more dramatic than the blast of a trumpet. Alarm or warning is a primary function, and its other uses likewise culminate in the Feast of Trumpets.

Every Christian longs for the return of Jesus Christ, and we search for fulfillments of the signs signaling that wonderful prophetic event. The seemingly rapid increase in natural disasters and heavenly spectacles can excite us to a fever pitch. Richard Ri. . .

The Seventh Trumpet is a call to assemble, a call to battle, and announces the arrival of a new ruler, Jesus Christ, separating the wheat from the tares.

John Ritenbaugh notes that labor-saving technology seems to have had the effect of separating us from each other and making us indifferent to things that should be important to us, such as family intimacy and preparing for God's Kingdom. Trumpets, a pivota. . .

God's people do a disservice to the cause of truth when they allow the media-hype to trigger a false hope about Jesus Christ's return being imminent.

Richard Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the recent solar eclipse, reminds us that in the peoples of past cultures believed that solar and lunar eclipses were omens of impending tragedy, leading to rituals to combat their influence. Although the Bible uses the im. . .

A prophet is one who carries a message from another. A true prophet's message will derive from existing Scripture, even if he is breaking new, unexplored ground.

Martin Collins, reflecting on the recent Fukushima nuclear disaster, suggests that there will be far -reaching consequences to the environment, as well as the immediate site. Water must be flushed on the hot reactor continually, creating a supply of radioa. . .

People cannot live without hope. To cope with trials, we should metaphorically fast-forward the tape to what comes later.

In this sermon, John Ritenbaugh points out that the symbolism of the numerous (112) biblical references for trumpets suggests (1) an announcement of a specific event and (2) an alarm of what is to follow. In most cases the devastating horrendous events the. . .

Joe Baity, reminding us that after we have left the Feast, all the events will be happy memories, cautions us against the onslaught of the normalcy bias, a wired-in response to adapt and accept worsening conditions in the world as normal. The world's churc. . .

John Ritenbaugh, focusing upon Paul's admonition about the night being far spent, warns us to make careful and judicious use of our time in anticipating the return of Jesus Christ. The death and destruction forecast by Christ would come from the hands of m. . .

God 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.

If we would keep God's Feasts properly, we would be in sync with God's noble purpose for us, defending us from falling into apostasy and idolatry.

In this Feast of Trumpets message, John Reid, reflecting on the occasions we hear a trumpet sounded, such as a horse race, a cavalry charge, taps, or reveille, affirms that for God's called out ones the trumpet blast, heralding Christ's return will be the . . .

John Ritenbaugh, in his keynote "Handwriting on the Wall" message, based on Daniel 5:1-5, issues a stark warning of dire events to befall the Israelitish nations, predicting a truly menacing time when the leftist, 'progressive' powers that curren. . .

As much as the flood was a natural occurrence, it was also a supernatural occurrence, in which a loving God brought a hopelessly wicked world to an end.

The letters in Revelation 2 and 3 are for the end times, shortly before Christ's return. Each emphasizes repentance, overcoming, and judgment according to works.

Richard Ritenbaugh, cuing in on Matthew 23 and 24, suggests that Matthew is in the habit of presenting Jesus' teachings on a given topic all in one place in the Bible, presenting the teachings from a decidedly Jewish point of view, demonstrating the abilit. . .

My last essay addressed the fact that change is always present in every person's life. ...

As a nation, we have rejected wisdom in favor of foolishness, bringing about major calamities: famines, pestilence, earthquakes, cosmic disturbances.

Kim Myers, reflecting on the account in Jeremiah 1, sees a parallel warning to modern day Judah and America, as well as the greater Church of God, in the wake of the deterioration of the Worldwide Church of God and the subsequent watering down of God's law. . .

John Ritenbaugh reiterates that the real issue in the calendar controversy is not mathematical or astronomical computations, but faith in God's sovereignty, His providence, His right to assign responsibility, and His capability of maintaining an oversight . . .

Richard Ritenbaugh, addressing our current scattered state as a form of exile, asserts that exile has been a form of punishment God has used from the very beginning, with our original parents through the patriarchs, through the ancient kingdoms of Israel a. . .

John Ritenbaugh begins by explaining that Amos means "burden bearer," characterizing the message he delivered. Like a hawk circling around in tightening circles, Amos gives a series of dire warnings beginning with Israel's arch-enemies but conclu. . .