Forerunner

Year


An Open Door
An Open Door (January-April 2018)
In Revelation 3:8, Jesus Christ promises the church in Philadelphia “an open door, and no one can shut it.” Most people do not realize that He is referring to a prophecy found in Isaiah 22 that relies heavily on understanding the office of a steward, treasurer, or prefect of a royal house. In this way, Philadelphia’s open door may signify something far different than the church’s ability to preach the gospel.

Hollywood's Spirit of Fear
Hollywood's Spirit of Fear (May-August 2018)
Hollywood almost never comes up with anything new; it just keeps on remaking popular stories from yesteryear. Even so, a recent development in Tinseltown is the mainstreaming of horror movies—to the point that a few of them are being considered for Academy Awards. If nothing else, the rise of the horror genre suggests that a spirit of fear is dominating our entertainment, a spirit that finds its source in “the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2).

God-Ordained Division
God-Ordained Division (September-December 2018)
Christians tend to consider unity as “good” and division as “evil.” God, however, gives us many examples in Scripture of Him judging His people and dividing them into two, often equal, parts. For example, in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, five are wise and five are foolish. In causing these divisions, He signals a reconfiguration of His people, showing who is approved and who is not.