Monthly Letter, August/September 2010
Restoring
Original Christianity—for Today!
Christian Biblical Church of God
Post Office Box 1442
Hollister, California 95024-1442
(831)-637-1875
Fred R. Coulter,
Minister
August 20, 2010
Dear Brethren,
The
fall festival season begins on September 9 with the Feast of Trumpets, just
three weeks away. Because of the way the holy days fall this year, this is a combined August/September letter. In
this mailing we have included the messages for Trumpets, Atonement, the entire
Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day—on one CD. These are all new messages for the year 2010. None of
them are from previous years. However, if you desire to listen to past fall
festival sermons, you may go to our Web site, cbcg.org, where we have audio and video sermons going back more
than 10 years. Although the messages are always “in season” for the holy days
and feasts, the sermons differ from year to year. Each year for the Feast of
Tabernacles we have a theme. This year the theme is: As spirit beings ruling
under Jesus Christ, “What will we be
doing as kings and priests?” When viewed collectively, it is amazing how
much information there is in the Bible on this subject.
In
addition, we are including another special DVD with nine more Church at Home videos. We plan on
sending out a new DVD with nine Church at
Home 30-minute videos each month. As you saw in the June letter, we have
been having wonderful responses from this new Web site. Not only are these for your benefit, but you can also use them
to introduce new people to the truth (the videos are especially geared toward
new people). In fact, one member is doing exactly that—he ordered 200
copies of the first Church at Home DVD to send to his friends and customers. Currently, we have more than 60 videos
online; an additional 20 have been recorded, but are yet to be edited.
The Sabbath and Holy Days of God: In the Scriptures, God declares that He has
established His weekly Sabbath and all the holy days and feasts for His
people—holy convocations which we are commanded to keep in their seasons.
In fact, He made provision for them at creation by creating time itself. Thus, the seventh-day
Sabbath is actually part of God’s creation. By putting His very presence into the Sabbath
day—since He is holy—He
made the seventh day holy time from the beginning. “And by the beginning of the seventh day God finished His work which He had
made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day and
sanctified it [made it holy] because
on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made” (Gen.
2:2-3).
Think about it: The weekly Sabbath is part of God’s creation;
in order for men to change the
Sabbath from the seventh day of the week to the first day, they would need to
possess the power and authority to change the very creation of God—something only God can do! NO MAN OR GROUP OF
MEN HAVE THAT POWER! They are the created,
not the creators!
In the book of Isaiah, God demonstrates how puny and weak men are compared to Him: “[What man] has measured the waters
in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span? And [what
man] has comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the
mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? [What man] has directed the
Spirit of the Lord, and [what man]
was His counselor that he might instruct Him? [With what man] did He take
counsel, and [what man] instructed Him and taught Him in the path of judgment,
and taught Him knowledge, and [what man] made known the way of understanding to
Him? Behold, the nations are like a
drop in a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the scales; behold, He
takes up the isles as a very little thing. And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts of it sufficient for a burnt offering. All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted by Him as less than nothing,
and vanity” (Isa. 40:12-17). How can “less than nothing and vanity” change
the very creation of God—the holy Sabbath of God? It is impossible! Remember
that the next time you hear anyone say, “The church changed the Sabbath from
the seventh day of the week to the first day of the week!”—utter
foolishness, indeed!
When
God gave the Sabbath commandment to the twelve tribes of Israel at Mount Sinai,
He connected the Sabbath to creation—when
He originally sanctified it. He commanded the children of Israel to “remember
the Sabbath day,” showing the connection between God, the Sabbath and His
people: “Remember the Sabbath day to
keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work. But the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord
your God. In it you shall not do any work, you, nor your son, nor your
daughter; your manservant, nor your maidservant, nor your livestock, nor the
stranger within your gates; for in six days the Lord made the heaven
and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore
the Lord blessed the Sabbath day
and sanctified it” (Ex. 20:8-11).
Not
only did God sanctify the Sabbath, He also declared that unless we keep His
Sabbaths—plural, including the
annual high days, which are also Sabbaths—we will not realize that it is
God Who sanctifies us! Notice: “And
the Lord spoke to Moses saying, ‘Speak also to the children of Israel, saying, “Truly you shall keep My Sabbaths, for it [the keeping of the Sabbaths] is A SIGN between Me and you throughout
your generations to know that I am the Lord Who sanctifies you.
“ ‘ “You shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy to you. Everyone that defiles it
shall surely be put to death, for whoever does any work on it, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.
Six days may work be done, but on the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death. Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the
Sabbath throughout their generations as A PERPETUAL COVENANT. It is A SIGN
between Me and the children of Israel forever…” ’ ” (Ex. 31:12-17).
Sabbath-keeping
is a perpetual covenant between God
and His people. Regardless of the theological arguments of men or the
proclamations of emperors, popes, ministers or evangelists, God has never
changed the Sabbath day—nor has He granted any man the power or authority
to change the Sabbath day.
The truth is that God made the Sabbath to be a blessing for mankind—not a curse
as alleged by the worldly “Christianity” of today. In fact, Jesus—Who was
the Lord God of the Old Testament before He became the Christ of the New Testament—unequivocally
declared that He is LORD OF THE SABBATH: “The
Sabbath was made for man, and not man
for the Sabbath; therefore, the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath”
(Mark 2:27-28). The Greek word for “man” is anthropos,
meaning “man” in general, or “mankind.” God made the Sabbath for all mankind so they could be in contact and fellowship with Him—through His Holy
Spirit—to learn of His ways, His plan and purpose for all human beings.
Paul
and the Sabbath Commandment: In the book of Hebrews, the apostle Paul
made it unequivocally clear that the people of God—those under the New
Covenant, Jews and Gentiles—were to keep God’s Sabbaths. “There remains, therefore, Sabbath-keeping
for the people of God. For the one who has entered into His rest [the seventh-day
Sabbath], he also has ceased from his works [on that day], just as God did from His own works [when He created it]. We
should be diligent therefore to enter into that rest [the weekly seventh
day Sabbath], lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience [of
Sabbath-breaking as did the children of Israel]” (Heb. 4:9-11).
The
Greek word translated “Sabbath-keeping” is sabbatismos,
which only means “Sabbath-keeping.” Moreover, this word includes all the holy
days and feasts of God, which are annual Sabbaths. Therefore, the term
“Sabbath-keeping” applies to all the Sabbaths of God. It does not mean, as
Protestants claim, that Jesus kept the Sabbath for us, in our stead, thereby relieving us of any obligation to
keep the weekly or annual Sabbaths. Such twisted interpretations are based on
an incorrect translation of Hebrews 4:9 in the KJV, which reads: “There
remaineth therefore a rest to the
people of God.” The incorrect translation of sabbatismos as “a rest” gives no indication of actual Sabbath-keeping.
As a result, it is misinterpreted to mean a “spiritual rest from sin,” because
of having one’s sins forgiven. Thus, Protestants conclude that they have a
spiritual “rest” from living in sin. However, the Greek word sabbatismos has no such meaning. This
verse is a literal command, not to be
“symbolically interpreted” in order to blindly justify Sunday-keeping. Because
of this twisted reasoning, worldly “Christian” theologians, churches and
religious organizations reject the
seventh-day Sabbath, claiming that Jesus kept the Sabbath for them, in their stead, and that “Christians” are no longer
obligated to keep the Sabbath. Such an erroneous interpretation could not be
further from the true meaning of Hebrews 4:9-11! In the New Testament, God still commands true Christians to keep the Sabbath—weekly and
annual—just as Jesus, the apostles and the early New Testament Church
did!
God
also Created the Annual “Appointed Times”: When God set the sun and
moon in their final positions, He did so for the specific purpose of
establishing His “appointed seasons,” or “appointed times,” which are the
annual holy day Sabbaths and feasts of God. “And God said, ‘Let there be lights
in the firmament of the heavens to divide between the day and the night, and
let them be for signs, and for appointed
seasons, and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the
firmament of the heavens to give light upon the earth.’ And it was so. And God had made two great lights, the greater
light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night; and God had made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the
heavens to give light upon the earth, and
to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide between the light and
the darkness. And God saw that it was good’ ” (Gen. 1:14-18).
Furthermore,
the sun, moon, earth and stars are all used in the Calculated Hebrew Calendar to mathematically determine the correct
time to observe the holy days and feasts of God. Their positions and cycles
were established by God at creation and remain an integral part of the creation
itself.
Notice
Leviticus 23, where all of God’s holy days and feasts are
listed—beginning with the weekly Sabbath. Speaking through Moses, God
said: “Concerning the appointed feasts [plural] of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be HOLY
CONVOCATIONS, even these are MY APPOINTED FEASTS [plural]. Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy
convocation. You shall not do any work. It is a Sabbath to the Lord in all your
dwellings” (verses 1-3).
It
is important to understand that the Sabbath and appointed feasts belong to God—He created them and
He owns them! They are regulated by
His creation—by the sun, moon, earth and stars. Furthermore, God’s holy
days were not given to the Jews only, as is mistakenly claimed. Beginning with
God’s dealing with Abraham, we find prototypes of the feasts and holy days well before they became part of the codified law
given to Israel at Mount Sinai. In fact, God commended Abraham, saying that he
“obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws”
(Gen. 26:5). No doubt this included the holy days in their early form.
In
Leviticus 23, beginning in verse four, God enumerates the appointed times for
His festivals—which were given as special blessings for His people. “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord,
holy convocations which you shall proclaim in their appointed seasons.”
God also gave to the priests and Levites the knowledge of the
Calculated Hebrew Calendar—God’s Sacred Calendar—so they could
determine when to proclaim and keep
His annual appointed feasts. Today, we likewise observe God’s annual feasts and
holy days according to the Calculated Hebrew Calendar. Technically, it was the Levites (because of their connection to
the priesthood) who were charged with the responsibility of preserving the
knowledge of the calendar. The tribe of Judah was never entrusted with this
vital responsibility; rather, it was the
Levites among the Jews who have, to
this day, preserved the correct means of calculating these holy appointed
seasons of God. Because they embrace Judaism for their religion, they are
called Jews—yet they are actually Levites.
The annual feasts and holy days commanded in Leviticus 23 are
listed below:
1) The Passoveron the 14th day of the first month—a feast, but not a
holy day, verse 5.
2) The
Feast of Unleavened Bread runs
from the 15th through the 21st day
of the first month, verses 6-8. The first and last days are holy
days—annual Sabbaths.
3) Pentecost, or the Feast of Firstfruits. This holy day is determined by counting 50 days
from the Wave Sheaf Offering Day, which occurs the day after the weekly Sabbath
during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (verses 9-11). Seven weeks are counted,
each ending with a weekly Sabbath, for a total of 49 days. The day after the
seventh Sabbath (the 50th day) is the Feast of Pentecost, an annual Sabbath.
This holy day falls in the third month of the year according to the Calculated
Hebrew Calendar, verses 15-21.
4) The
Feast of Trumpets. This is the first day of the seventh month—early
fall. It is a Sabbath, verses 23-25.
5) The
Day of Atonement falls on the 10th day of the seventh month. It is a day of
fasting and absolutely no work is to be done. This day is a Sabbath, verses
26-32.
6) The
Feast of Tabernacles is a festival of seven days, with the first day being
an annual Sabbath, verses 33-36.
7) The
Last Great Day in Leviticus 23 is only called the “eighth day” (verses 36,
39), but in John 7:37 it is called the last
day, the “great day” of the Feast.
Toward the end of Leviticus 23, we find a summary of these
annual feasts and holy days of God. Notice that all the holy convocations are called Sabbaths: “These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy
convocations to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice, and
drink offerings, everything on its day; besides the Sabbaths of the Lord,
and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your
freewill offerings which you give to the Lord” (verses 37-38).
You can learn more about these tremendous annual feasts and
holy days of God and their biblical and prophetic meanings in two vital books: Occult Holidays or God’s Holy
Days—Which? and God’s Plan for
Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days (both are available by
request at no cost). Through these books you will learn the true meaning of
God’s high days as revealed in the Scriptures—knowledge that has been hidden from the world, because the world refuses to believe and obey God the Father and
Jesus Christ. As such, the world is spiritually blinded and cannot understand
the Bible!
Jesus’
Disciples Would Know the Mysteries of the Kingdom: Jesus spoke to the
multitudes in parables because of their
spiritual blindness and disobedience to God. On the other hand, He reassured
His disciples that the mysteries of the kingdom would be revealed to them. “And
His disciples came to Him and asked, ‘Why do You speak to them in parables?’
And He answered and said to them,
‘Because it has been given to you to
know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but TO THEM IT HAS NOT BEEN
GIVEN. For whoever has understanding,
to him more shall be given, and he shall have an abundance; but whoever does
not have understanding, even what he
has shall be taken away from him.
“ ‘For this reason I
speak to them in parables, because seeing, they see not; and hearing, they hear
not; neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of
Isaiah, which says, “In hearing you shall hear, and in no way understand; and in seeing you shall see, and in no way
perceive; for the heart of this people has grown fat, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest they should see with their
eyes, and should hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts,
and should be converted, and I should heal them.” But blessed are your eyes,
because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you,
many prophets and righteous men have
desired to see what you see, and have not seen; and to hear what you hear, and
have not heard’ ” (Matt. 13:10-17).
The true knowledge of God and His plan are directly connected
to loving God the Father and Jesus Christ, keeping the Sabbath, and keeping the
annual holy days and feasts of God. When we properly study the Bible and
rightly divide the Word of Truth concerning the meaning of the Sabbath and holy
days, God reveals their profound meaning to us. On the other hand, those who do
not keep the Sabbath and holy days will never fully understand God’s plan,
because genuine understanding only comes with faithful, loving obedience.
In the book of Psalms, we find that David deeply loved God and
His holy Word. He wrote a most loving, magnificent Psalm about God’s Word,
laws, commandments, testimonies, statutes, judgments, ordinances and precepts.
It is Psalm 119. Below are a few key verses from this important Psalm. Notice
the tremendous attitude of faith, love and obedience—coupled with praise
and awe of God. We should all deeply study this Psalm, so that we may have a
truly converted understanding of God’s holy Word. Since David was a “man after
God’s heart,” he was a type of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we can conclude that
the entire Psalm is an inspired prophecy depicting Jesus’ attitude toward all of God’s Word.
“With all my heart I have sought You; O let me not wander from
Your commandments. Your word I have hidden in my heart, so that I might not sin
against You. Blessed are You, O Lord;
teach me Your statutes” (verses 10-12).
“And I will delight myself in Your commandments, which I have loved. And
I will lift up my hands unto Your commandments, which I have loved, and I will
meditate on Your statutes” (verses 47-48).
“O how love I Your law!
It is my meditation all the day. Your commandments make me wiser than my
enemies, for they are ever with me. I have more understanding than all my
teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the
ancients because I keep Your precepts. I have held back my feet from every evil
way, so that I might keep Your word. I have not departed from Your ordinances,
for You have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste! Yea, sweeter than
honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate
every false way” (verses 97-104).
“It
is time for the Lord to work, for they have made void
Your law. Therefore I love Your commandments above gold—yea, above
fine gold. Therefore I esteem all Your precepts concerning all things to be right,
and I hate every false way” (verses 126-128).
“Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep
Your word. Open my eyes, so that I may
behold wondrous things out of Your law” (verses 17-18).
This
is the love of God and His Word that we all need to have in order to grow in
understanding of the Scriptures. With David’s attitude, we can likewise ask God
to open our eyes to behold wondrous
things out of His Word.
When
we combine these verses from Psalm 119 with some of the writings of the apostle
Paul, we can see that it is God the Father, through the power of His Holy
Spirit, Who reveals His plan and purpose to us. It is not because we are great
or important—it is because God alone grants spiritual knowledge to those
who love Him and His Word. “[God] having
made known to us the mystery of His own will, according to His good pleasure,
which He purposed in Himself; that in the divine plan for the fulfilling of the times, He might bring all things together in Christ, both
the things in the heavens and the things upon the earth;
“Yes, in Him, in
Whom we also have obtained an inheritance, having
been predestinated according to His purpose, Who is working out all things
according to the counsel of His own will; that we might be to the praise of His glory, who first
trusted in the Christ; in Whom you also trusted after hearing the Word of the
truth, the gospel of your salvation; in Whom also, after believing, you were
sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory” (Eph. 1:9-14).
Through
Jesus, God the Father gave the apostles the knowledge of His purpose—that
we are to become the spiritual children of God. “Behold! What glorious love
the Father has given to us, that we should be called the children of God! For this very reason, the world does not know us because it did not know Him.
Beloved, now we are the children of God,
and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be; but we know that when He is
manifested, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him exactly as He is” (I
John 3:1-2).
Likewise,
the apostle Peter fully understood God’s plan. “[We are] the elect … chosen according to the predetermined knowledge of God the Father, by sanctification through the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you.
Blessed be the God and Father of our
Lord Jesus Christ, Who, according to His abundant mercy, has begotten us again
unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead; unto an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and unfading, reserved in
heaven for us, who are being
safeguarded by the power of God
through faith, for salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last
time” (I Pet. 1:2-5).
In
his second epistle, Peter wrote that we are to completely shed our human nature
and be transformed to receive the divine nature of God at the resurrection:
“Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those who have
obtained the same precious faith as
ours by the righteousness of our God
and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our
Lord, according as His divine power has
given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him Who called us by His own glory and virtue; through which He has given to us the greatest and most precious promises, that through
these you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world
through lust” (II Pet. 1:1-4).
Paul writes
that at the resurrection our bodies will be completely transformed from flesh
to spirit. Our inheritance will be to receive the divine nature as Peter
describes, with bodies made like Christ’s glorious body: “But for us, the
commonwealth of God exists in the heavens, from where also we are
waiting for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; Who will
transform our vile bodies, that they may be conformed to His glorious body,
according to the inner working of His own power, whereby He is able to
subdue all things to Himself” (Phil. 3:20-21).
Again, Paul shows that we will be changed from flesh to spirit
at the resurrection. “So also is the
resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in
incorruption. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in
weakness; it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body; it is raised a
spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a
spiritual body; accordingly, it is written, ‘The first man, Adam,
became a living soul;’ the last Adam became an ever-living Spirit. However, the
spiritual was not first, but the
natural—then the spiritual. The first man is of the earth—made of dust. The second man is the Lord from heaven. As is the one made of dust, so also are all those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly one, so also are all those who are heavenly. And as
we have borne the image of the one made of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly one.
“Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does
corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery: we shall not all
fall asleep, but we shall all be
changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
“For this corruptible must put on incorruptibility, and this
mortal must put on immortality. Now when this corruptible shall have put on incorruptibility,
and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the
saying that is written: ‘Death is
swallowed up in victory.’ O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is
your victory?” (I Cor. 15:42-55).
Because
of these great and precious promises of receiving eternal life and the divine
nature with glory, we are not to compromise with the world and accept their
false beliefs. We are to come out of the world and its ways and develop the
mind and character of God the Father and Jesus Christ. Paul admonished the
Corinthians, “Do not be unequally
yoked with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and lawlessness have in common? And what fellowship does light have with darkness? And what union does Christ have with
Belial? Or what part does a believer have with an unbeliever? And what
agreement is there between a temple
of God and idols? For you are a temple of the living God, exactly as God said: ‘I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. Therefore, come out from the midst of them and be
separate,’ says the Lord, ‘and touch
not the unclean, and I will receive
you; and I shall be a Father to you, and
you shall be My sons and daughters,’ says the Lord Almighty. Now then, beloved, since we have these promises,
we should purge ourselves from every defilement of the flesh and the spirit,
perfecting holiness in the fear of
God” (II Cor. 6:14-18; 7:1).
Brethren,
as we head into the fall festival season, let us keep these glorious promises
in mind. Let us resolve to yield
ourselves to God the Father and Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy
Spirit, so that we may continue to grow in grace and knowledge in order to
change, overcome and develop the mind and character of God.
The
New Judaism Book: By now everyone should have received the new book by
Philip Neal, Judaism—Revelation of
Moses or Religion of Men?, which lays bare the truth of Judaism right from
the writings of the rabbis themselves. This book contains information and knowledge
that every Christian (or professing Christian) needs to know. The CD study
series Scripturalism vs. Judaism is
included with the book, which will help you to understand in greater detail
that genuine, scriptural Christianity has absolutely nothing to do with
Judaism. If you need additional copies of this book (along with the CD) to
share with others, please feel free to request them.
The
Third Edition of The Christian Passover: We have received the request
coupons for those desiring a copy of the new, third edition of The Christian Passover. We are mailing
them out this week.
The
Paperback Version of the Bible: Last year, when we had the second
edition of The Holy Bible In Its Original
Order printed, we did not have any paperback versions printed. At that time
we had enough of the first edition copies to last us until now. Lithopak, our
printer in China, is preparing to print 6,000 paperback copies. They will
arrive sometime in October.
When
we count all the New Testaments and complete Bibles we have distributed and
sold, it comes to over 25,000 copies. We trust God to fulfill His promises
concerning His Word. He has sent forth His Word, and our part is to preach and
distribute it: “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from the heavens, and
does not return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud,
and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall My Word be, which
goes out of My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish
what I please, and it shall certainly do what I sent it to do…. Cast your bread
upon the waters; for you shall find it after many days” (Isa. 55:10-11; Ecc.
11:1). God does His part and we do our part, led by the Holy Spirit, according
to His will.
The Holy Bible In Its Original Order—Now
Translated into Ethiopian: After five
years of diligent work, Kasshan has now completed and had published in Ethiopia The Holy Bible In Its Original Order. After it was first published, he had some resistance from the government and
the Ethiopian Bible Society. However, after the organization reviewed the
Bible, they gave Kasshan permission to have it published and distributed. The
brethren there who have received a copy are absolutely amazed because the
regular Ethiopian Bible is not really a Bible at all. It is filled with many
extra writings which take away from the truth of God’s Word. Kasshan reports
that the entire project is now self-supporting. He asks for a donation of about
$10 USD for each Bible, and has been pleasantly surprised that so many are
willing to make the donation. (Producing this Bible in Ethiopia costs about $8
a copy.) Here is his latest communication:
Dear Fred and Jim,
I am confident that you are well both physically and
spiritually. We are always praying for you and for the CBCG members all around
the world. I have collected the DVDs containing the sermons from Church at Home and the accompanying CDs
with encouraging letters. We are thankful for them. We need to study God’s Word
as never before if we are to escape the coming great deception.
The work
here is progressing greatly. The new Bible, which has been printed in Amharic,
has become a great instrument to reach the churches and different peoples. The
feedback we are getting from those who get our Bibles is so encouraging that we
have been inspired to make it available to every true and sincere believer in
the Word of God. We have 2000 birr (around $160) from those who have requested
their own copy of the Bible (they send 50 birr for each copy). It is amazing to
me to see this kind of response from different people, because there is [an
assumption] here in our country that spiritual materials should be given [out]
freely. But when it comes to this Bible, they are [readily] sending in the 50 birr donation to get their own copy.
This is indeed a great change in the mindset of our society.
I am
progressing in the translation of the book, God’s
Plan for Mankind Revealed. In doing so, I have come to absolutely realize
that this book is a great tool for lifting the darkness of deception from
Christianity. God’s Holy Days are full of wonderful meaning, to help us to walk
in the true ways of God. I have already shared the truth contained in the book
with our brothers and sisters. Now I am working hard to get this book into
their own language so they can read, study and be established in the truth of
God. They are awaiting the completion of this translation with great
expectation. With God’s grace, I will do my best. I have sold myself to the
truth of God and to serving our brothers and sisters with the pure Word of God.
Continue to pray for me. God bless you.
Yours in
God’s Love, Kasshan
Letters From the Brethren and Church at Home
Dear Fred,
I
received The Holy Bible In Its Original
Order early in July. I just wanted to thank you for this Bible! What an
awesome work has been done in putting it together. It has given me
understanding in how the Bible was changed from its original order. I find that
the more modern English used in the Bible makes it easier to read. The
commentary and the appendices are very rich in information. This will most
definitely be a very useful tool in my study. Again, thank you so much for this
Bible. May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified forever and
ever. Amen.
In
His service, J. P., TX
Dear Mr. Coulter,
We
want to thank you again for all the sermons, books and literature you have sent
us the past few months. After being in the WCG for about twenty years, then the
LCG for about twelve or thirteen years, we feel like we are finally getting out
of Kindergarten. Learning about the New World Order was a complete surprise to
us. In all these years, we had never heard of it. We didn’t know we were so far
behind in our knowledge of the Scriptures, and we thank our Father for putting
us in contact with you. Our love and best wishes.
C & G W., TX
To the Church,
Thank
you so very much for adding my name to your mailing list. Please accept this
small offering; I will send in offerings at least once a month. All of the
books and sermons are just wonderful and they are all just what I need.
M. H., CO
Dear Mr. Coulter,
I
have listen to the Bible studies you did in Oklahoma three times now, and
enjoyed the question-and-answer sessions very much. It took me back to several
years ago and made me remember when I was being called. It was also encouraging
to see that God is still calling new brethren into the family.
I
sincerely hope that at every opportunity you have to record your Bible studies
with new brethren, that you will send those out as well. They are very good
reviews and quite uplifting. Thank you again and may God bless your efforts to
teach the brethren God’s truth.
W. M.
Dear Mr. Coulter,
I
received the very wonderful Bible you sent me to read and study while I am in
Kosovo. I cannot thank you enough for your generosity. Please accept my deep
gratitude for all you are doing in speaking the TRUTH—and teaching anyone
who will listen just what God’s Plan is and what the Bible REALLY says, as
opposed to what some “minister” claims it says! God Bless you and the Work!
M. B., NY
Greetings Fred,
Just
a quick note to let you know that my dentist has found Church at Home and he is bugging me constantly with questions! I
referred him to the CBCG Web site. He promised my next root canal is on him! I
am very excited about the Sabbath series!... Church at Home just keeps getting BETTER! Many people in my area
are expressing concern and dismay over the Obamaites handling of the economy
and future prospects for any meaningful recovery. The tiresome rhetoric coming
from Washington is truly disheartening! The paradox of people professing their
love for God, yet really hating Him, is astounding! Everything Jesus said is
evident now. Society is spiraling into a cesspool of evil I never thought
possible—yet there is a long way to go when you understand end time
events and what must first happen for things to get REAL PAINFUL! Purging
spiritual sin is not easy, but necessary! Anyway, God has gotten my attention
and I know the good that I need to do. He wants to know, will I do it? Keep up your relentless Good Work.
W. F.
Dear Mr. Coulter,
Thank
you for this most generous gift. I am shedding tears of thanksgiving as I write
this. Please believe that this gift is not in vain and I will use it EVERY DAY.
I almost lost my life yesterday. I was threatened with a gun [and told] to
leave my best friend’s house of 25 years—by her boyfriend. It was the
scariest moment of my life. I was afraid for her safety and unknowingly risked
my own. All I could do was pray. I prayed for God to come down and protect us.
Her boyfriend said he was going to get “his protection” and I fled the house
and got help. I am thankful that I have the ultimate protection—and it
comes from above. To find this Bible in my mailbox today tells me I am blessed
more than I knew. Thank you once again, and God bless you!!
Sincerely, A. N.
Dear Fred,
I
would like to … say thank you to Mr.
Coulter for these magnificent sermons that I am listening to. It is never too
late to learn. All that I am listening to and reading is great—it’s like
eating great food and I am getting the energy which I need. Even the monthly
letters are like a good sermon. I thank God for everything. After many years in
the Church and after so many problems—and fighting between men because of
power—I have found a peace that I haven’t enjoyed in a long time.
Thanks again, M. F.,
Columbia
Dear Fred,
I
want to thank you very much for [your] explanation about the Holy Spirit. I
appreciate all of your research and hard work in putting this all together.
Today, I also received your box with The
Holy Bible In Its Original Order. I can’t wait to start reading it. I will
share this with my study group. God bless you.
C. H.
Greetings Fred,
We have great news—we
took your great advice and are out of debt (except for normal household
expenses). What a great relief! Also, we have a change of Feast plans; we are
going to Shipshwana, not to Bozeman—and after the Feast we will spend
time with our daughter in Pennsylvania. Thanks for all you do.
G & S, CO
Dear Mr. Coulter,
Thanks
for sending the Hebrews study guide, etc. I am trying to overcome [former]
church ways and learn to get into deeper study. It’s very much a “try to be
Mary” in a very “Martha world.” It’s taken a lot to realize that as a woman I can understand the Bible. I can sit at
God’s feet and be taught and I don’t need some authority to keep me from doing
so. Being alone as I get older, I can better give my life to Christ; I am more
free to live, serve and walk in His footsteps.
God can use a woman; He can
speak to or through a woman. He loves us and understands us, and we have as
much a part in His Kingdom as any man. It helps to have study material and
God’s help to deeply understand and apply His Word. Thanks!
Blessings, J. F.
Hi Fred,
I’ve
recently written to you about my walk with the Lord. Although my steps with the
Lord are short and slow, [they are in] His will. Over the past 6 months or so I
have been doing home studies with my boyfriend and I see that God’s way is our
belief. I feel as though I am taking all this in like a sponge, yet I know I
still need milk…. I find myself wanting more and I finally feel content with
where my heart is. Although I am not baptized yet, I am praying every day and
constantly asking for understanding, [and for God to] bring me to repentance
and baptism.
I
often listen to your sermons and have kept the Holy Days from the start of this
year; I have also come to realize that they bring us more understanding of
God’s purpose and plan. I find it works the same with each Sabbath, which I
have been keeping for close to a year now. I have heard through my boyfriend’s
grandmother that you may be coming to Brisbane fairly soon, and I would like to
ask if you might baptize me? Or, is there any person [in my area] that you
might allow … to baptize me? I have been listening to your series on baptism
over the last couple of months, and I understand that the Lord has a set way
for this to be done. And I want this to be done properly. I feel that if I am going
to do this, and give the rest of my life to the Lord, I want it done according
to His will and by His set instructions concerning the ceremony. Please be in
contact with me, as this is a massive step that will shape the rest of my life.
I hope to hear from you very soon. Please take care.
Kind Regards, P. R.,
Australia
To Whom It May Concern,
I want to truly thank you
for the many books and The Holy Bible In
Its Original Order that you have sent to me in the past. They have truly
been a blessing to me in my studies of God’s holy Word. In this letter you will
find a small token of my appreciation. I could never repay you for how you have
been a blessing to me in sharing God’s holy Word. May God bless you in all that
you do for His perfect will. I am asking God to bless me financially, so that I
may be able to send you more because I know it costs money to send these
wonderful books pertaining Gods Word out to His people. Keep doing God’s will.
May God richly bless you all! Thank everyone there for me.
Sincerely yours, M. D., VA
Dear Mr. Coulter,
I
read your article, “Is the Ministry God’s Government?” I wanted to write you
that while reading this article I was reminded of something that the Lord
taught me after I was saved. One night I was reading the Bible and I came upon
the passage, “So Jesus said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good
but One, that is, God’ ” (Luke 18:19).
When
I read this I learned something life altering: If there was one man on earth
who could claim He was good, that would be Jesus; but even He did not accept
this term for Himself. Instead, He passed it on to God the Father. As I read my
Bible, the more I came to realize that in every instance Jesus always passed
the glory on to God. He kept none of it for Himself. In this He taught me to do
the same. While reading your article, I saw the same teaching
throughout—give the glory to God, or else. When men [exercise authority
as you described] in that article, they become [as] Pharisees—men who
only care about themselves. Thanks, praises and glory all must go to God, for
it is God who rules over us—not as a dictator or [through]
self-indulgence or even ego, but with love. God’s love cannot be fully
comprehended by man. I know, for I have tried many times to comprehend it, and
I cannot. All I can do is accept God’s love, as mysterious as it is, because I
know that God is the only One who truly cares about me. God bless you, sir, for
sharing your insights, and thank you for taking the time to read my message.
D. C.
Dear Sir,
I
agree with the man who wrote to you some years ago about “feeling like I am
coming home.” I reside in Maine (but grew up in Pennsylvania). After receiving
the book Occult Holidays or God’s Holy
Days—Which?, I was able to understand, with the Holy Spirit’s power,
things that I have questioned for years. Then I was sent God’s Plan for Mankind Revealed by His Sabbath and Holy Days, which
I have started to study (I am now in chapter 11). It has opened my eyes to sins
in my life that God is cleaning away—Praise the Lord.
Your
books have greatly helped, as I have been seeking God since mid-2006 to deeply
renovate my life. By the way, is it possible to receive a copy of The Christian Passover?
Since
starting to read and study through these books, my wife and I have had some
discussions about [keeping] the Lord’s Sabbath in our home. Two weeks ago, a
friend told me how a local pastor asked him why I did not come to [his
Sunday-keeping] church? He responded that it was because I believed in obeying
the 4th commandment—observing the biblical Sabbath, and worshiping and
fellowshipping with the Lord on Saturday, the 7th day of the week. The pastor
responded, “Well, the Lord Jesus has His Sabbath, but we have ours; it was
changed you know.” This was from an ordained Protestant pastor. I have
continued praying for this man and his family—and crying over him in the
love of my Lord. I am not important, but I can pray and I do God’s will.
W. D.
Bible Answers…
Thank
you! It’s about time I have finally found someone that speaks nothing but the
truth about the Bible and the world around us. I live in a retirement home and
I am very limited as to what I can do or places to go. Thank God for another
resident who had received one of your letters which included a CD and DVD in it.
I found these both very enlightening and exactly what I had been looking
for—for a long time. The idea of Church
at Home is an excellent idea, especially for shut-ins like myself. This is
something I would be very interested in. Please send me information on how to
receive it. I would also like the book Occult
Holidays or God’s Holy Days—Which? This will be a great addition to
the Christian section of my small library. Thank you again for being there when
I needed more guidance.
L. S., FL
Dear Pastor Coulter,
With
my earphones here at work, I am listening to the latest CD to arrive in my mail
pertaining to the book Aftershock,
and an earlier sermon on economic collapse. I am enjoying this material
immensely, as I’ve been enjoying everything that you and Church at Home have been sending out. Last week, I drove four hours
to southern Colorado, then four hours back a few days later; I was feeling
blessed over each passing mile, having discovered that the car stereo actually
plays MP3s! I was able to listen to some recent Bible studies that you held in
Oklahoma. Words cannot express how thankful I am for this continuing ministry,
which challenges me in myriad ways, and gives me a powerful reason to read
much, much more deeply into the Word of God.
My
father lives in southern New Mexico—a Presbyterian minister and a good
man, though he experienced a serious moral “fall” in the early 80s just when I
most needed a father’s guidance. He is a scholar in his own right, and has
gradually bequeathed to me items from his theological library. But he knows I
have my own searching to do—my own discovery of the Word. And I want you
to know that you have been an important influence along my path of spiritual
discovery, Pastor Coulter.
I
just wanted to reach out with something more substantial than e-mail to express
gratitude for your ministry. It has, in the best possible way, convicted me of
sin and led me back into a life of prayer, through which God has received my
expressions of repentance and has responded in an ever-increasing bounty of
love. Deep faith emanates clearly through your sermons and talks, and your
generous spirit is obvious for anyone to see. Both of these qualities go far in
helping folks like me who have not been able to find a local church “home” due
to “something missing”—because the religious landscape has almost nothing
to do with original Christianity. Please keep up the good and honest work, and
keep me in your prayers as I seek to follow God’s will for my life.
Blessings on you and yours,
CO
Dear Mr. Coulter,
I
am a current member of the CGI; I was baptized on Passover 2006. A member of my
church introduced me to your ministry and I feel like I have gained more
knowledge in the past few weeks than in the past 4-5 years—and I have a
renewed zeal to grow in God’s holy Word. The work God is doing through you has
been the blessing I have needed. You see, I lost my 22-year-old son in August
2007; as a result, I have lost interest in studying God’s Word and most
everything else I used to enjoy. I thank God for your ministry, and thank you
for allowing God to use you in such a glorious way. It was truly God’s
wonderful grace that He brought your ministry to me.
I
am writing to ask if you would please send me one of your Bibles and any
tapes/CDs, booklets, or some of your care packages. I love the way you teach
the truth—so in depth. I am not working right now or I would send you an
offering; but when I am back at my job I will gladly help further your
ministry. Thank you and God bless you.
Love in Christ, C. E.
Dear Fred,
This
is just a note to let you know how much my wife and I truly thank God for you
and the way He is inspiring you through His Holy Spirit to teach and preach and
explain God’s Word with such clarity. God is truly using you to take His
Scriptures and make them so clear and understandable; it is a pleasure to know
that God is still on His throne and is still feeding His sheep through men like
you. I do want to thank you for those two Bibles you sent to me and my wife. We
are still learning how to use them. May our Father and Jesus Christ continue to
bless you and use you in getting His Word out—for those of us who are
hungry and thirsty for God’s truth.
As
I listen to your sermons and Bible studies, I am reminded of Isaiah 58:1.
Please keep on crying aloud and spare not; keep on lifting up your voice like a trumpet; teach us what God says. Thank
you again. While we can’t understand the trials and tests that come your way,
we remember always what God said to Abraham—“Is anything too hard for the
Lord?”
May
God continue to bless you and your helpers, for you truly are a blessing to
those of us who are having “Church at Home.”
Yours truly, JA & MA
P. S.: Here is our 1st tithe
Brethren, thank you for your love and prayers for us, as well as for
all the brethren of God the Father and Jesus Christ scattered around the world.
We hope and pray that you will truly have an inspiring fall festival season.
Considering today’s economic situation, we thank you for your continued
faithful support through your tithes and offerings. As you can see from the
letters, we are reaching many people and brethren. God is using all of us
together to serve the brethren and preach the Gospel to the world. We continue
to pray for you daily—for your healing, that you be strengthened in
faith, and that God will comfort you in any difficult circumstances you may be
facing. May God’s love, grace and blessings be with you in every way.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
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