C.G.G. Weekly Newsletter

12-Aug-11

Which Flock?

by Pat Higgins
A recent Forerunner article pointed out that division has been the rule in true-church history almost from the beginning. The unity experienced during Herbert Armstrong's leadership ...

05-Aug-11

Be Content in All Things (Part Two)

by Geoff Preston
Discontentment began with Satan the Devil and that he broadcasts his continual unhappiness to humanity. We have to control our minds and not allow his attitude to affect us. ...

29-Jul-11

Be Content in All Things (Part One)

by Geoff Preston
Ours is a discontented world, and current events indicate that more unsettled times are just ahead, creating more anxiety and dissatisfaction. God's Word tells us, however, ...

22-Jul-11

Greece, America—Whatever

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
When we think of Greece—and frankly, most of us do not think of the small Mediterranean nation very often—we are more likely to think about My Big, Fat Greek Wedding; Troy; or 300 before we consider the ins and outs of international finance. ...

15-Jul-11

How Can We Measure Our Faith?

by Pat Higgins
II Corinthians 13:5 instructs us, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves." How do we obey this call to test ourselves, to know whether we are in the faith? ...

08-Jul-11

Paul's 'Politically Incorrect' Advice to Titus (Part Two)

by Mike Ford
Last time, we saw that the apostle Paul spoke plainly in his letter to Titus, the pastor of the churches on the island of Crete. ...

01-Jul-11

Paul's 'Politically Incorrect' Advice to Titus (Part One)

by Mike Ford
We all know that words can wound, but lately, we seem to have become too sensitive in this politically correct world of ours. For instance, a while back, The Global Language Monitor ran the following items: ...

24-Jun-11

Should We 'Sweat the Small Stuff'? (Part Two)

by Bill Onisick
Song of Songs 2:15 contains an intriguing metaphor: “Catch us the foxes, the little foxes, that spoil the vines, for our vines have tender grapes." What are the “little foxes” in our lives?...

17-Jun-11

Should We 'Sweat the Small Stuff'? (Part One)

by Bill Onisick
“Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff—and it’s all small stuff." Certainly, there is wisdom in this simple statement, which is also the title of a popular book by Richard Carlson, Ph.D. ...

10-Jun-11

Which Sabbath Begins the Count?

by Pat Higgins
For many years, the counting of Pentecost has been source of controversy ...

03-Jun-11

Cain's Assumption (Part Two)

by David C. Grabbe
Abel brought an offering that was acceptable to God, while Cain—who must have been given the same instructions—did not. One possible explanation for Cain's inappropriate offering can be inferred from Genesis 3:13-15 ...

27-May-11

Cain's Assumption (Part One)

by David C. Grabbe
The late newscaster and radio legend, Paul Harvey, was famous for his radio program entitled, “The Rest of the Story” in which he investigated the forgotten or little-known facts behind stories of famous people and events, so that he might give his listeners a more complete perspective and understanding. ...

20-May-11

Criticism: The Foolish Habit

by Clyde Finklea
Jesus teaches in the Sermon on the Mount: “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, ...

13-May-11

Responsibility Equals Accountability

by Martin G. Collins
Open a newspaper or magazine, listen to the lyrics of modern music, or watch a television talk show, and we are very likely to see or hear an accusation against parents of irresponsibility, absenteeism, or physical and psychological abuse made by their grown children. ...

06-May-11

Bin Laden's Death and Our Reaction

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
This week has seen the announcement of the death of terrorist mastermind and al-Qaida head Osama bin Laden at the hand of American commandos at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. ...

29-Apr-11

Raising Our Conception of the Resurrection

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The day after the Sabbath during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus 23:10-11) is the day of the Wavesheaf offering, which typifies the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. ...

22-Apr-11

An Acceptable Gift

by David C. Grabbe
Through His sinless life and vicarious death, Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled all of the instructions in the Old Covenant regarding sacrifices and offerings. ...

15-Apr-11

Why Passover and Not Easter?

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
While most professing Christians consider the Passover to be a Jewish festival, it should also be a sacred observance for all Christians. The apostle Paul writes to the predominantly Gentile church in Corinth ...

08-Apr-11

Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Six)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
John the Baptist is the first of God’s messengers to address repentance in the New Testament. In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven ...

01-Apr-11

Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Five)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
We can learn a great deal from the sore trial of Job, particularly what God did to bring him to the point of repentance. Notice Job 40:1-4, where we begin to see a marked change in the man: Moreover the LORD answered ...

25-Mar-11

Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Four)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
We would be well-advised to consider the New Testament Greek word for "repentance," metanoia. It conveys the imagery of a person having an afterthought, which can help us understand why the writers of the New Testament ...

18-Mar-11

Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Three)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Last time, while discussing the Hebrew word naham, frequently translated as “repentance” in the Old Testament, we saw that sorrow for sin may be nothing more than self-pity. A person may be sorry ...

11-Mar-11

Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part Two)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
While people can make positive changes in their lives, true repentance—the kind that counts toward salvation—only occurs after God has invited a person into a relationship with Him. Human beings are full of sin ...

04-Mar-11

Repentance: The Genuine Article (Part One)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
In the American presidential campaign of 2008, eventual winner Barack Obama ran on a platitudinous platform of hope and change. His supposedly soaring rhetoric captured the support of more than half of the voters ...

25-Feb-11

Middle East Democracy?

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
Many voices across the political and media spectrums have hailed the recent protests and changes in governments across the Middle East as welcome democratic advances into a largely totalitarian region of the world. ...

18-Feb-11

A Just Weight Is His Delight

by David C. Grabbe
In earlier times, food and other goods were measured out by weight using a balance. A standard weight (typically made of stone) was placed on one side, and the material being measured was put on the other. When the balance was level, both buyer and seller knew that the amount had been measured correctly. ...

11-Feb-11

The Unique Greatness of Our God (Part Six)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Bible takes a rather dim view of man, from Jesus calling us evil (Matthew 7:11) to God counting all of the nations as “the small dust on the scales” (Isaiah 40:15). ...

04-Feb-11

The Unique Greatness of Our God (Part Five)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
In these essays, we have tried to grasp a measure of how wonderful God is, and while some of the things we have seen are awe-inspiring to consider, we realize that they are inadequate attempts to describe an infinite God. ...

28-Jan-11

The Unique Greatness of Our God (Part Four)

by Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Bible tells us that, far from being the unconcerned and inattentive Creator that the Deists envisioned, God is a micro-manager of His universe. Jesus, who knows the Father best, says of Him: "Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father's will" (Matthew 10:29). ...

21-Jan-11

Church of the Great God