|
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]
Christian Biblical Church of God
Post Office Box 1442
Hollister, California 95024-1442
(831)-637-1875
Fred R. Coulter
Minister
Printer Friendly - PDF
December 17, 2008
Dear Brethren,
The Roman year 2009 is about to begin in the midst
of great turmoil. Most of us have never witnessed
such a mountain of problems, troubles and crises
confronting the entire world--financial, political
and religious! It seems troubles are on every side--affecting nearly everyone in different ways.
Look around the world and you will find affliction,
calamity and sorrow sweeping from nation to nation
like an uncontrollable brush fire.
Wars,
revolts and riots
Terrorists attacks and bombings
Famine
and plagues
Pirates
and thieves stealing and looting
Extreme
weather--heat, drought, cold, rain and flooding
Murder,
shootings, killing, mass genocide and death
Accidents, sickness and disease
Sexual
depravity and perversion
Political corruption and incompetence
Financial upheaval and insecurity
The daily avalanche of such news is almost
overwhelming--too much to handle. Those who cannot
cope hide their eyes or turn off the TV and radio.
Some indulge in various diversions and pleasures
hoping that the miseries and calamities will somehow
go away--but they don't. It is reminiscent of the
song, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!"--or the
Psalm about flying away like a bird to avoid the
troubles and wickedness on every side. As David
wrote, "Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not
Yourself from my supplication. Attend to me, and
hear me; I am distraught in my trouble and moan
in my complaint, because of the voice of the
enemy; because of the oppression of the wicked--for
they cast mischief upon me, and in wrath they hate
me. My heart is pained within me; and the
terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fear and
trembling have come upon me, and horror has
overwhelmed me. And I said, `Oh, that I had wings
like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. Lo,
then I would wander far off; I would lodge in the
desert. Selah. I would hasten my escape from
the windy storm and tempest' " (Psa.
55:1-8).
Without a doubt, it would be nice to "get away from
it all"--to avoid the stress, tension and frustration
such difficulties cause. In reality, we can seldom
do so. However, we can face these times with
the strength and faith of God the Father and Jesus
Christ. Notice this vital counsel of God: "Do not
fret yourself because of evildoers, and do not be
envious against the workers of iniquity, for
they shall soon be cut down like the grass; and
wither as the green herb.
"Trust in the LORD, and do good; dwell in the
land, and cherish faithfulness. Delight yourself
in the LORD, and He shall give you the desires of
your heart. Commit your way unto the LORD; trust
also in Him, and He will bring it to pass. And
He shall bring forth your righteousness like the
light, and your judgment like the noonday.
"Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; do
not fret yourself because of him who prospers in his
way; because of him who carries out wicked schemes.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; do not fret
yourself, it leads only to evil, for evildoers
shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the LORD,
they shall inherit the earth. It is but a little
while, and the wicked shall be no more; yea, you
shall diligently consider his place, but he
shall not be there" (Psa. 37:1-10).
Jesus put it in another simple way: "These things I
have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have
peace. In the world you shall have tribulation. But
be courageous! I have overcome the world" (John
16:33).
We can fully trust in Jesus' words and promises
because God is watching over us: "Behold, the eye of
the LORD is upon those who fear Him, upon those who
hope in His loving kindness, to deliver their soul
from death and to keep them alive in famine. Our
soul waits for the LORD; He is our help and our
shield, for our heart shall rejoice in Him because
we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your
lovingkindness, O LORD, be upon us, according as we
hope in You" (Psa. 33:18-22).
Yes, in the midst of all these difficulties we can
have peace of mind. Through the power of the Holy
Spirit we can control our thoughts and emotions and
not allow the problems and troubles of this world to
dominate our minds. Remember, the end times are
going to be filled with perils and distress, as
clearly prophesied by God in the Bible. But we must
live through it, enduring to the end. And we
can only do so with full faith and confidence in
God! Understanding from God's Word why these
things are happening will give us peace of mind,
while realizing that God the Father and Jesus Christ
are in complete control. Just because
end-time events are unpleasant, disturbing and
distressing does not mean that we have to let them
control our thoughts and emotions.
Simply put: We need to realize that all the troubles
in the world are the result of Satan, sin and human
nature. Therefore, what we are witnessing are in
reality the active judgments of God against those
sins--so people may have an opportunity to repent.
But they must choose. If they choose to continue in
sin, then the judgments of God will become more and
more severe--and God is no respecter of persons or of
nations. But He always warns and allows time for
repentance. If and when people repent, He will honor
such repentance by lifting and easing His judgments.
Imagine you could fly over the USA (or the whole
world for that matter) and that you had the ability
of God to know everything that goes on in every
government, institution and religion--and in the
lives of every person--whether good or evil. What
No doubt you would see almost exactly what God saw
in Jerusalem and Judah as he talked to the prophet
Jeremiah. As we read this passage, we can liken the
city of Jerusalem to Washington, DC or London, and
Judah to the USA and the UK. "Run to and fro through
the streets of Jerusalem [Washington, DC], and see
now, and know, and seek in her open places, if you
can find a man, if there is one who does justice,
who seeks the truth; and I will pardon her [God
is ready to pardon upon repentance and righteous
conduct]. And though they say, `As the LORD
lives [in God we trust];' surely they swear falsely"
Jeremiah answers God, "O LORD, are not
Your eyes on the truth? You have stricken them, but
they have not grieved; You have destroyed them, but
they have refused to receive correction; they have
made their faces harder than rock; they have refused
to return. Therefore I said, `Surely these are poor; they are foolish; for they do not know
the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of
their God. I will go up for myself to the great men,
and will speak to them; for they have known the way
of the LORD and the judgment of their God.'
But these had altogether broken the yoke and had
torn off the bonds! Therefore a lion out of the
forest shall kill them, and a wolf of the
deserts shall rob them; a leopard shall watch over
their cities. Everyone who goes out from them shall
be torn in pieces because their sins are many and "(verses 4-6).
God answers Jeremiah, "How shall I pardon you [Jerusalem and Judah] for this? Your children
have forsaken Me, and have sworn by them that are
not gods. When I had fed them to the full, then they
committed adultery, and gathered themselves by
troops in a harlot's house They were like lusty, well-fed stallions in the morning; every one
neighing after his neighbor's wife. Shall I not
punish for these things?... And shall not My
soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" (verses
7-9)
God continues: "For the house of Israel and the
house of Judah have dealt very deceitfully against
Me.... They have lied against the LORD and said, `It is not He; neither shall evil
come on us; nor shall we see sword nor famine.' And the prophets [the ministers and teachers of
today] shall become as wind, for the word is not in them; thus it shall be done to them"
Though God pleaded with them to repent--the people,
their leaders, their prophets and priests--and warned
them to turn from their wicked ways, they refused:
"But this people has a revolting and a rebellious
heart; they have revolted and are departed from
Me. And they do not say in their heart, `Let us
now fear the LORD our God, Who gives both the former
and the latter rain in its season; He reserves to us
the appointed weeks of the harvest.'
"Your iniquities have turned away these things,
and your sins have withheld good things from you.
For among My people are found wicked ones; they
lie in wait, as one who sets snares; they set a
trap, they catch men. Like a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit; therefore they
have become great and grown rich. They have
become fat, they have become sleek. Yea, they
excel in evil deeds; they do not plead the
cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they
prosper; and they do not defend the right of the
needy. Shall I not punish for these things?...
Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as
this?
"An astounding and horrible thing has happened in
the land. The prophets prophesy falsely, and the
priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so, and what will you do at the
end of it?" (verses 23-31).
God's judgments are not coming because of the sins
of the few--but for the gross sins of the majority.
It is coming because of all the lying, cheating and
stealing; the scheming treachery and deceit; the
covetousness, gambling and financial fraud; the
adultery, fornication and homosexuality; the
corruption and rejection of God in individual lives,
the schools, the governments and courts. From the
common man and woman to the rich and famous--they are
all satiated in selfish narcissistic covetousness: "For
everyone from the least of them even to the greatest
of them is greedy for gain; and from the prophet
even unto the priest everyone deals falsely [Who
can tell the truth anymore?]. They have also healed
the hurt of the daughter of My people
slightly, saying, `Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had
committed abomination? No, they were not at all
ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore they shall
fall among those who fall. At the time that I
punish them, they shall be cast down..." (Jer.
6:13-15).
Again, God pleads with the people to repent, but
they would not listen. "Stand in the ways and
see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it, and you shall find rest for
your souls. But they said, `We will not walk in it.' Also I set watchmen over you, saying,
`Hearken to the sound of the ram's horn.' But they
said, `We will not hearken.' Therefore hear, you
nations, and know, O congregation, what will
happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I will
bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their
thoughts because they have not hearkened to My
words, nor to My law, but have rejected it"
Will the Bailouts Work? In the worldwide
financial crisis, governments and bankers are
plunging countries deeper into unimaginable debt by
borrowing or creating money out of thin air--via the
printing presses. They are throwing trillions in
"bailout" money--dollars, Euros, pounds, yen and
yuan--in a coordinated effort by the G-20 nations to
keep the financial markets liquid with cash. They
are hoping to re-stimulate borrowing and keep the
credit bubble alive--so far with very limited
success. They are hoping to avoid a worldwide
depression, which could last for years to come. But
the question remains: Will all of this debt
financing really work? Is it possible to borrow
ourselves out of debt? Whether these measures work
or not, how will the money ever be paid back, and by
whom? Or will the whole world go into bankruptcy--or
exhaust itself with deflation, or hyperinflation?
Remember, national currency is a symbol of national
power and sovereignty. When a nation goes bankrupt,
it can lose its sovereignty. Some few financial
advisors in America think that the dollar will
collapse in the next year or two. Then, the
"establishment elite"--the Federal Reserve and
International Bankers--will usher in a new currency.
The only question is this: Will it be the Amero,
including Canada and Mexico as a new regional union
of nations--MexAmeriCana. If so, some experts
speculate the redemption rate will be one new
Amero in exchange for fifty dollars. If so,
that means every one hundred dollars you have today
in cash, in banks, in retirement accounts will be
worth only two Ameros. Or, on the other hand, will
it be a new, single world currency, to be followed
by a world government? Only time will tell.
Trouble in Chicago and Washington: As
the inauguration of Barack Obama nears, we suddenly
find out that the Democratic president-elect's
closest advisors and political allies are embroiled
in what is perhaps the worst and most sweeping case
of political corruption in American history to beset
an incoming president. A personal friend of Obama,
Democrat governor of Illinois Blangojevich was
arrested by the FBI for corruption and trying to
sell Obama's vacant senatorial seat. Others are
apparently under investigation and may be indicted
as well--particularly for what is called "pay to
play." So much for the pretense of honesty,
transparency and openness--hypocrisy indeed! And
Obama hasn't even been sworn in.
Where is the "change we can believe in"? One thing
is for sure--change is coming! But it will not
be what most people had hoped for. During this
financial crisis, the US government--led by the
Reserve Bank under Bernanke, Secretary of Treasury
Paulson and President Bush--started a gigantic two
trillion dollar government intervention to take over
banks, financial institutions, insurance companies
and large corporations. The most massive in the
history of the USA. There appears to be no end in
sight. To make matters worse, Obama plans to
massively expand the intervention. Experts already
predict a federal deficit of over one trillion
dollars for 2009-2010. One way or another, it looks
like the USSA--the United States of Socialist
America--is coming whether we like it or not.
Potential Impending Constitutional Crisis: The USA is on the threshold its greatest
constitutional crisis since its founding! IS
BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA--also known as Barry Soetoro,
Barry Obama, Barack Dunham and Barry Dunham--A
NATURAL BORN CITIZEN AS THE CONSTITUTION REQUIRES?
If he was born in Hawaii as he claims, and not in
Kenya as his paternal grandmother has sworn, why has
Obama refused to provide a certified copy of his
Hawaiian birth certificate, signed and dated by the
attending doctor? Why have his Hawaiian records of a
live birth, which is not an actual birth
certificate, been sealed?
Nearly all news media sources have repeatedly
ridiculed and dismissed these vital questions.
However, this is not a matter of race,
discrimination or politics--it is a matter of
constitution law! If the Supreme Court issued a
judgment on the issue without a certified
copy of Obama's birth certificate clearly showing
that he is natural born citizen indeed, such a
judgment would be unconstitutional in and of
itself. The truth is that the matter can only be
settled by nothing less an actual certified birth
certificate! That is all he needs to produce; it is
that simple--end of problem. If he cannot prove that
he is a natural born citizen, then--if he is sworn in
and assumes the office of President of the United
States--we would have a completely unconstitutional,
illegal government. Any actions by such a government
would be null and void. For verification of these
facts see WeThePeopleFoundation.org and Philip J. Berg, Esq. at ObamaCrimes.com.
Why is this nation--and, in fact, so many other
nations of the world--besieged with so many
calamities? Most people do not have a clue. However,
the very few who read and study their Bibles know why these problems keep slamming the nations like
giant waves of the ocean--coming one after the other.
There is no question about it, we are living in
perilous times. But the end is not yet.
The world does not grasp this fundamental biblical
truth: No one, whether a person or a nation, can
continue to live in sin and expect to receive the
blessings of God. Yet, most people in the world, and
even some in the Church, do not comprehend this
basic truth of God. Satan the devil has deceived
them. As the god of this world, he has blinded their
minds (II Cor. 4:4). The apostle John further
verifies this. He writes, "We know that we are of
God, and that the whole world lies in the
power of the wicked one" (I John 5:21).
There is no question that a covering of deception
has been cast over the people of the world (Isa.
25:7), as masterminded by "the ancient serpent who
is called the Devil and Satan, who is deceiving the
whole world" (Rev. 12:9).
This deception is so pervasive that most professing
Christians of the world, while giving lip service to
God, actually embrace numerous pagan practices--and
some even unknowingly agree with atheists. They love
their Sunday-keeping and their occult holidays,
which is in reality a form of Satan worship. Yet,
they have been led to believe that they are doing
the will of God. However, their actions testify that
they are wicked: "The fool has said in his heart,
`There is no God.' They are corrupt, and have
worked out abominable wickedness; there is no one
who does good. God looked down from heaven upon
the children of men to see if there were any who
understand, who are seeking after God. Every one
has turned away; they have altogether become filthy;
no one is doing good, no, not even one. Have the
workers of iniquity no knowledge?... [They] have not
called upon God." (Psa. 53:1-4).
Isaiah prophesied perfectly of these times: "Behold,
the LORD'S hand is not shortened that it cannot
save, nor is His ear heavy that it cannot hear [God
has not gone away]. But your iniquities have come
between you and your God, and your sins have hid His
face from you, that He will not hear, for your
hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with
iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue
has muttered perverseness. None calls for justice,
nor does anyone plead for truth; they trust in
vanity and speak lies. They conceive mischief and
bring forth iniquity. They hatch adders' eggs and
weave the spider's web; he who eats their eggs dies,
and that which is crushed breaks out into a viper"
This is true to the old proverb, "Oh, the webs that
we have weaved, since we first decided to deceive."
Those who deceive always get caught in their own
traps. Isaiah continues: "Their webs shall not
become clothing, nor shall they cover themselves
with their works; their works are works of
iniquity, and the acts of violence are in
their hands. Their feet run to evil, and they
make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and
destruction are in their paths. They have
not known the way of peace, and there is no
justice in their ways. They have made crooked paths
for themselves; whoever goes therein them shall not
know peace.
"Therefore justice is far from us; nor does
righteousness overtake us. We wait for light, but
behold, darkness; for brightness, but we walk
in deep shadows. We grope along the wall like the
blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes. We
stumble at noonday as in the night; among those who
are strong, we are like dead men. We all roar like
bears, and mourn grievously like doves; we look
for justice, but there is none, we look for
salvation, yet it is far off from us. For our
transgressions are multiplied before You, and
our sins testify against us; for our transgressions
are with us; and as for our iniquities, we
know them; in rebellion and denial of the LORD, and
turning away from our God, talking perversity and
revolt, conceiving and speaking from the heart words
of falsehood.
"And justice is driven backward, and righteousness
stands afar off; for truth has fallen in the street,
and uprightness cannot enter. Yea, truth fails;
and he who departs from evil makes himself a
prey. And the LORD saw, and it was evil in His eyes
that there was no justice" (verses 6-15).
Because of the evil of human nature, and Satan the
Devil deceiving the world, all the futile efforts of
sinful men--their governments and religions, whether
individually or collectively--cannot solve the
problems facing mankind today. THE ONLY SOLUTION IS
THE RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST TO THIS EARTH AND THE
IMPOSITION OF THE GOVERNEMENT OF GOD. JESUS CHRIST
He shall rule from Jerusalem: "And it shall come to
pass, in the last days the mountain of the LORD'S
house shall be established in the top of the
mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and
all nations shall flow into it. And many people
shall go and say, `Come, and let us go up to the
mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of
Jacob. And He will teach us of His ways, and we will
walk in His paths.' For out of Zion shall go forth
the law, and the Word of the LORD from Jerusalem.
And He shall judge among the nations, and shall
rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords
into plowshares, and their spears into pruning
hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against
nation, neither shall they learn war any more" (Isa.
2:2-4).
All the saints will be resurrected at His return and
will rule over the world under Jesus Christ: "And I
saw thrones; and they that sat upon them, and
judgment was given to them; and I saw the
souls of those who had been beheaded for the
testimony of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and
those who did not worship the beast, or his image,
and did not receive the mark in their foreheads or
in their hands; and they lived and reigned with
Christ a thousand years…. Blessed and holy is the
one who has part in the first resurrection; over
these the second death has no power. But they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign
with Him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:4, 6). This is
our ultimate spiritual goal.
Brethren, in these critical times we need to truly
draw close to God the Father and Jesus Christ with
this precious goal in the forefront of our
minds. We need to continue to build and maintain our
spiritual relationship with them through constant
prayer and daily Bible study. There is no doubt we
can endure whatever the future may bring--as long as
we have the faith, hope and love of God, and are
developing godly character and true righteousness.
Thank you for your love and prayers and for reaching
out to other brethren--and for reaching out to new
people by giving them CDs and literature and
directing them to our Web sites. Thank you for your
continued support through your tithes and
offerings--even though these are difficult financial
times. God will surely bless you with sufficiency in
all things as He has promised. May God bless you
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
P.S.: We have just finished the Sabbath Coloring Book for children. You can
order copies by phone, e-mail or letter.
[ Back ] [ Home ] [ Up ]
|
