A Polluted National Landscape
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughWhile the politicians may be constantly in the public eye, and their indiscretions thus become front page news, they are not altogether unlike their constituents.
A Sign of Moral Decline
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Boy Scouts of America decided to admit openly homosexual boys into the association, which currently counts about 2.6 million boys as members.
A Badly Divided Nation
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that our country is divided politically and culturally more than at any other time since the Civil War, points out that even though the abortion issue is one of the most divisive issues, the population as a whole has become more callused. The scattering of our previous fellowship was allowed by God …
Birthrates in Decline
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughStatistics show that the birth rate for the Western nations has dropped below the replacement rate of 2.1 children per woman, sometimes significantly so.
Is the Tide Turning?
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeThere are indicators that momentum is gaining against abortion. Recently, even the Washington Post admitted as much in its coverage of the annual March for Life.
Tyranny by the Few
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeThe media bears responsibility for our downward spiral through marginalizing the conservative majority. It presents a warped reality, and gradually makes it stick.
Back to the Future
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughA crisis reveals the grim truth about liberals in high office: They do not understand basic capitalism, and they lack the stomach for international hardball.
A Lesson From History
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, citing Abraham Lincoln's intention, as well as the Preamble of the Constitution stating that the people should govern the United States, suggests that the original intent has been turned on its head, and unscrupulous elite has taken up the reigns of rulership. Every democracy that has ever existed, according to …
Another Supreme Court Nomination
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughThe upcoming Supreme Court appointment could possibly tilt the court in favor of conservatives for the first time in decades.
Nonsense and Senselessness
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughIn the blessings and curses chapter, God promises to send a kind of foolish madness upon Israel when the people fail to obey Him.
The Beat Goes On
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughSecular progressive propagandists began spreading the rumor that young women were dying in make-shift abortion clinics in an effort to force legislation.
Sign of the Times
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughInjustice in all its forms is a sign of the time. God will not let too much time slip by before He begins to require true justice—and it will come at His hand.
Divided We Fall
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughThe social indicators are not improving as a whole, and as each year goes by, behaviors that were once thought beyond the pale are accepted into the mainstream.
In Defense of Marriage
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughIf the definition of marriage is opened up to combinations of people other than one man and one woman, we can mark it as the death-knell of the nation.
The Changing Face of Mainstream Christianity
'WorldWatch' by Joseph B. BaitySome basic tenets of mainstream Christian churches in the United States are markedly different from what they were just a few decades ago in critical areas.
In the Wake of an Unnatural Disaster (Part Seven)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughOf the things God says He hates, including pride and hands that shed innocent blood, nothing seems to be more disgusting than the American abortion industry.
Do Americans Really Care? (Part Three)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, acknowledging that America is a politically and culturally divided nation, expresses concern that those who really care about what is happening to this country are too few to make any difference, and the gullible youth from college down to Kindergarten have been schooled for decades on the poisonous …
What's in the Bucket? (Part One)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughThe last three American generations have had their minds poisoned, such that they unquestioningly embrace socialism and deviant lifestyles as the norm.
Sodom, Here We Come
CGG Weekly by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)What an individual does affects the lives of others as well. Regardless of who commits it, there is no such thing as a victimless crime or a private sin.
Do Americans Really Care? (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughThe vast majority of the citizenry has been dumbed-down by a half-century of leftist, progressive education, eradicating God from the minds of most people.
Do Americans Really Care? (Part One)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, comparing two social movements for which we did not volunteer, namely (1) our calling into the Kingdom of God and (2) our birth into our socio-cultural milieu, asks us if we really want to continue with the one we were born into. Former President Jimmy Carter and Former Undersecretary of the Treasury under the …
A Government To Fear (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughThe 'religious' communities of America are so biblically ignorant that they have learned to tolerate immorality, accepting lying in governmental leaders.
Liberal Lunacy (Part One)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, using a term called "liberal lunacy," describes an infection which permeates the entirety of the liberal Democrats and is well on its way of mortally infecting the Republicans. Liberal progressive humanists are neither satisfied with God's standards or common-sense Constitutional standards, but are …
The Coming Anglo-American Crisis
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeThe nation cannot continue as it is. The questions that remain are: How long do we have? How bad is it going to get? What will our nation look like afterward?
Leaving Religion Behind
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughMore Millennials identify themselves as non-religious and show no indication of embracing religion in the foreseeable future.
America's Imminent Perfect Storm
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughIs there a leader in the wings who will have the fortitude to face the coming crisis? Perhaps there is, though it appears that he has not shown his face in public.
Sodom and Egypt
Sermonette by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, referring to Revelation 11:8, focuses upon the meaning of "Sodom and Egypt," a term that identifies Jerusalem, but metonymically stands for all the inhabitants of modern Israel, including the United States, Canada, and England. This term carries both the connotation of vileness and slavery. The …
The 'Gaying' of America
'Prophecy Watch' by Richard T. RitenbaughNot only is homosexuality out of the closet in America, it is entirely out in the open and militantly demanding its recognition and acceptance.
Persecution From the Nones?
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh reflects on the Handwriting on the Wall message he delivered last year in which he reported increased persecution of Christians in most non-Israelite countries. From 1950 to the present, the secular progressives called the Nones have risen from 3% to 20% of the population. This group, largely consisting of baby …
Liberals and the Election
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, suggesting that, in the coming election we are seeing history being made, the economy has degenerated so badly that, regardless of which candidate wins, the nation will have to be placed on a war -footing. Neither candidate has told the truth about how bad the economy is. The next four years will require …
The Sacredness of Marriage
Article by James BeaubelleScripture holds the divinely ordained institution of marriage in high regard. Here is why God considers marriage to be so important to us, society, and His purpose.
Two Different Perspectives
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughWhile more people consider themselves spiritual, fewer are religious. They are less sure about what they really believe and more tolerant of other beliefs.
Freedom Isn't Free
Commentary by Ryan McClureAbraham Lincoln, in his 1838 Lyceum Address, warned that America's destruction could occur only from moral rot within, as exampled by the Roman Empire.
The Handwriting is on the Wall (2017): The Fourth Turning
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, in his keynote address of the 2017 Feast of Tabernacles, explains why President Trump dismissed on of his closest adviser, Stephen Bannon. Bannon embraced a "theo-political" vision of Christian fundamentalism, influenced by The Fourth Turning, a book which explains why many Americans no longer …
Another Step Further
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reflecting upon C. S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters, in which the seasoned demon Screwtape instructs the novice demon Wormwood on the best practices to corrupt mankind, advocating a gradual piecemeal corruption (like a frog boiling to death as the water incrementally rises from simmering to boiling), suggests …
Everything Is Upside Down
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, commenting upon the phenomenon of dystopian novels (the antithesis of Utopian novels), suggests that we have crossed the border into the dystopian society, a society in which the Creator is disrespected, booed out of the convention of a major political party, a society in which Satan's standards (abortion, …
Liberalism and Education (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughLiberalism is much easier to push than conservatism because the latter requires discipline, while the former caters to self-interest and emotion.
Liberalism and Education (Part One)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughWhile liberalism claims to champion civil liberties and individual liberties, liberal governments rob us of liberty and saddle us with useless regulations.
What Does It Say?
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughWhat does it say about a nation that lacks both the heart and the leadership to stop itself from committing suicide? God says we are headed for a fall.
A Quick Survey of American Christianity
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, focusing on an article in Christianity Today, suggests that a nation's religion generally determine the moral standards of a nation. In the United States, 70% -80% consider themselves as Christians, but only 19% are active church goers, 20% of professing Christians are much less involved, while 30% described …
How Far Have We Fallen? (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh focuses again on Isaiah 5:20-21, comparing our culture to ancient Israel's, when God's perfect ways were replaced by humanistic-secularist influences. The secular progessivists were placed in positions of power by Satan the devil. Human nature is lazy when it comes to moral standards; human nature wants to …
Urgency to Get Closer to God
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Kim MyersKim Myers, observing the worsening moral, economic, political, and cultural climate in America, speculates that the time when the offspring of Jacob are going to pay the piper is rapidly closing in. With a national debt of 23 trillion dollars, far larger than the combined GDP of a dozen developed nations, America is on the cusp …
Everywhere But Up
Commentary by Joseph B. BaityWestern society is looking to technology, medicine and government for solutions to its seemingly unsolvable problems, looking everywhere but up.
A Search for a Singular Truth (Part One)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughA political party has the trappings of a religion, trying to get adherents to their beliefs and ideas. America is being torn apart by two false religions.
Do Americans Value Liberty?
CGG Weekly by Richard T. RitenbaughYounger Americans have been spoiled by the sacrifices of preceding generations, and many do not realize the responsibilities freedom imposes. Freedom is not free.
If You Can Keep It
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityAmericans, having by and large lost both their morality and their sense of vigilance, now stand on the verge of losing the republic.
Hebrews 2: God Is Present
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's people must immerse themselves daily in the Scriptures. While sinning Israelites consider God to be absent, He is nevertheless present with His saints.
Is Education the Answer? (Part 4)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh affirms that our society seems to be controlled by people who worship science and secularism, completely disregarding God, having proven themselves hopeless fools, totally oblivious to the cause-effect relationship between sin and curses, the consequences of sin. Because the secular progressives control the …
Our Moral Bearings Lost
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh reflects that this week's headlines indicate that America's leaders have lost their moral compass. God has replaced wise adults with foolish children mocking and scoffing at wisdom and moral standards (Isaiah 3). The Islam murderer was shielded by the national liberal media (including the New York Times and NPR) …
Hebrews as a Sermon (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughEven as Hebrews prepared the first century church for persecution, so it is also relevant to today's church as it faces an increasing assault on God's law.
Demography Is Destiny
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh reiterates that demography is destiny. Population trends become reliable trends of future national consequences. Population declines in Russia have lead President Vladimir Putin to propose stipends to couples for having children. Japan's population has declined so drastically that 50% of the productive force will …
Reality Narcolepsy
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeIt is an exercise in futility to play king-of-the-hill in a world so universally sinful.
The Not-A-Problem Folk
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)Charles Whitaker, citing British philosopher Arnold Toynbee's warning that when a civilization responds to a challenge successfully, it survives, and when it does not, it commits suicide, proclaims that because America, over the last several decades, has not responded to the challenge, the die is cast for its destruction. …
America the Great
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeWith our wealth, our power, our resources, and our technology, we have become a great nation. But it is all for naught unless we also become a good nation.
What Makes Generation "Me" Tick?
Commentary by David F. MaasOver the past six decades (from the Boomer Generation to the Millennial generation), individuals have grown more narcissistic, entitled and miserable.
The Wilderness Trek and Judgment Begins
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's people must learn to trust Him for their survival, remembering that the eating of Unleavened Bread is a reminder that only God has the power to rescue.
Has America Gone Crazy? (Part One)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughAmerica today resembles pre-revolution France. Like other mass movements, America's civil war drums are beaten by leaders in government, religion, and education.
No Time to Think!
Commentary by Martin G. CollinsMartin Collins alludes to research which suggests that, thanks to the media and to our digital lifestyle, human attention span has attenuated to a mere two seconds—much shorter than the attention span of a goldfish. Media, a major contributor to this deficit, shamelessly ruins the attention span further by running …
Identity as Sovereign
CGG Weekly by David C. GrabbeWith mankind as the pinnacle and the undisputed authority, and one's Identity unassailable, we are left with a whole planet of little sovereigns.
The Handwriting Is on the Wall (1995)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughBecause restraints that once held human nature in check have been removed, the US has grown increasingly more corrupt, approaching conditions before the Flood.
Rudderless Leadership in U.S. Foreign Affairs
'WorldWatch' by Richard T. RitenbaughWith one look at American activity on the world scene, an observer is struck by the lack of coherence of this administration's foreign policy. Richard Ritenbaugh offers three examples of major foreign policy blunders over the past five years, asserting that they point to the diminished quality of leadership in high …
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Thirteen): Hebrews 2 and the Next Five Years
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughWe must keep God's Word fresh in our minds through diligent study and practice of His way of life to keep from drifting spiritually during perilous times.
Unprepared
Sermonette by Joseph B. BaityJoe 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 churches, though traumatized and frustrated by the abortion and same-sex …
The Fruit of Existentialism
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, citing Ezekiel 34:1-3, Jeremiah 18:13, and Isaiah 1:1-3, focusing on God's charge that we destroy ourselves from within, declares that our leaders have used existentialism as a major tool to accomplish this destruction. The political and educational leaders are far more culpable in this charge than are the …
A Body in Motion
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reflecting on Sir Isaac Newton's famous theorem, the "First Law of Motion: When viewed in an inertial reference frame, an object either remains at rest or continues to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force" (more popularly, "a body in motion tends to stay in motion …
The Importance of God's Word
Commentary by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)II Thessalonians 2:6-7 speaks of a force capable of restraining the emergence of the man of lawlessness. God's word and revelation is what restrains iniquity.
South Africa's Land Confiscation
Commentary by Richard T. RitenbaughRichard Ritenbaugh, reporting on a motion passed by the South African Parliament calling for the expropriation-without-compensation of white-owned land, points out that this dramatic move was instigated by the far-left Marxist rabble-rouser Julius Malema, who at one point has threatened, 'We are not calling for the slaughter of …
Hope to the End (Part Two)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reiterating that there is a malaise of hopelessness, anxiety, and dread permeating this nation like never before, systematically explains: (1) how we arrived at this crisis, (2) why God has ordained that we live in these conditions, (3) how bad choices by the trillions eroded the moral foundation of our culture, …
Psalms: Book Three (Part Three)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPsalm 75 reveals that God both promotes and removes individuals from positions of power and He has the final say as to how power will be administrated.
A Government to Fear (Part Six)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughThe US government has changed for the worse in the past 50 years, incrementally following collective dictatorships like Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia.
The Handwriting on the Wall (2012)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, in this annual "Handwriting on the Wall" message, reflecting on the upcoming election, focuses upon the critical condition of a badly mishandled economy, having produced a future looking far worse than the immediate past. The current administration has been lying to this country for the past four years …
A Time For Thanksgiving
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughOur annual Thanksgiving, as developed from the early settlers who called themselves Pilgrims (temporary dwellers on a journey), was derived from the harvest festivals, patterned after the annual Holy Days such as Pentecost and Tabernacles. Unfortunately, the modern descendants of Jacob have all but forgotten their relationship …
The Entertainment Craze
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reflecting on the recent death of Elizabeth Taylor, opined that, although she may have been considered a star, her life was severely lacking in many ways. With her hopelessly warped personality, she seemed driven by hedonistic sexual conquests. Although married eight times, she was unable to make a marriage …
A House Built on Sand
CGG WeeklyHarvard postgraduates, Yale Law School professors, and countless others support policies that to the average citizen seem an affront to common sense.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 7)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughWe must remain vigilant in the midst of heresy, false prophets, earthquakes, and signs in the heavens. Jesus tells His followers not to sleep, reminding them that disastrous events occurring in the world are going to intensify and wear out the saints. The Purpose Driven Church will be a major player trying to take us in the …
Does Doctrine Really Matter? (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh cautions that most religious-professing people (including many members of the greater church of God) have not used the Word of God as their standard of morality and conduct, but instead are allowing society and culture to shape their attitudes, tolerating the disgusting incremental escalating perversion of moral …
Liberty and Justice for All
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsGod has freed us from the bondage of sin, the breaking of His law. Liberty comes only from obeying God and accepting the positive yoke of Jesus Christ.
A Cure for News Depression
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughThe overwhelmingly depressing news must be counterbalanced by edifying news, namely God's Word. The Scripture, with its life-giving words, provides hope.
Homosexual Marriage?
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughHomosexuality is not a lifestyle, but a sin directly against God, flouting God's creation of male and female, and perverting the natural use of the human body.
The Beginning of History
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)Charles Whitaker asserts that, if there is a defining element of the American or Western zeitgeist, it is the belief that history is progress: Mankind, along with his nature and governments, is on an inevitable course of advancement. This evolutionary mindset (called Endism) posits that human nature is evolving into a better …
Intensity is Increasing: Are You Listening?
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIt is far more important for God's called-out ones to be ready than to know the time of Christ's return, an event to which even He is not privy.
Self-Government
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, in a basic Bible Study on self-government, focusing on Romans 13:1-7, maintains that submitting to a human government is a "work" which requires self-control, self-discipline, and self-government. The apostle Paul thoroughly disciplined his body as he followed the example of our Elder Brother Jesus …
The Wearing Out of the Saints
Sermon by John O. Reid (1930-2016)Daniel foretells of a leader who will 'wear out the saints of the Most High.' Though we may feel worn out now, we will prevail in the end if we stay the course.
If You Do Not Obey My Voice
Commentary by Martin G. CollinsMartin Collins, reflecting on the troubling March 14, 2011 Time magazine article, "Are America's Best Days Behind Us?" suggests that, according to some standards, America's infra-structure, educational standards, manufacturing base, and economy, etc. are beginning to flag, largely from disobedience to God's laws and …
Simple Gifts: American Reflection
Commentary by Mark SchindlerLiberty cannot exist without morality, or morality without faith. Today, humanists are destroying God's 'simple gifts' that made America exceptional.
Why Hebrews Was Written (Part Six)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughAmerican culture is in obvious decline, and it is undoubtedly linked to the fact that mainstream Christianity is bereft of moral leadership.
Learning the Right Things (Part Two)
Commentary by John W. RitenbaughJohn Ritenbaugh, reiterating the highly important principle that the lessons a child learns early will impact them years later (Proverbs 22:6), states that this principle has society-wide meaning as well. If parents have not assumed their rightful roles as the gatekeepers of their children's culture, other philosophies will …
The Handwriting is on the Wall (2008)
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughIn this keynote address of the 2008 Feast of Tabernacles, John Ritenbaugh, describing the scene in the parking lot following a university football game, in which garbage, litter, and abandoned automobiles covered the grounds, suggested that this scene provided a snapshot of the moral state of America, displaying the despicable …