Fred R. Coulter—August 4, 2012
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I would like to read you a little Jewish story:
A Jewish businessman in Chicago decided to send his son to Israel to absorb some of the culture of the homeland and when the son returned the father asked him to tell him about his trip. The son said, 'Pop, I had a great time. By the way I converted to Christianity.' 'Wow, vey, said the Father, What have I done?' So, he decided to go to his friend Jacob and ask what to do.
Jacob said, 'Funny you should ask. I too sent my son to Israel and he came back a Christian. Perhaps we should go see the rabbi and ask him what we should do.'
So. they went to see the rabbi and the rabbi said, 'Funny you should ask. I too sent my son to Israel. He also came back a Christian. What is happening to our young people? Perhaps we should go talk to God and ask Him what to do.' So, the three of them of them prayed and explained what had happened to their sons and asked God what to do.
Suddenly a loud voice came from heaven and said, 'Funny thing you should ask. I, too, sent My Son to Israel. Have a good day.'
There have been a lot, a lot of things taking place in the news. This week I got a stack of things you wouldn't believe. I'm going to cover some of these things, just kind of like headlines. These will be things you don't see on the news. For example: the news will never tell you of the 21 taxes hidden within the Obama Tax/Sick-Care bill. It's not a healthcare bill. Here's another one they won't tell you:
Toledo, under economic distress is now allowing Chinese to come and invest and buy real estate and build buildings.
Will Toledo become the first major American city to be owned by China? Then what? Here's a real sleeper that most people don't know anything about. If you've heard any of this on the news raise your hand. Then I'll ask you what news channel or radio you've heard it from.
Idaho to be the First Chinese State?, by Bill Turner, Boise Conservative Examiner
(theperpetualview.wordpress.com, July 20, 2011)
Very few people know about one of the bills that they passed through Congress. Which is, there are 272 locations in the United States of America that have been set aside for economic zones for foreigners to invest in. These zones will become tariff-free zones. What does that mean? Does that mean that if they come to these zones, will they get things from their home country without having to pass through U.S. customs? If that is the case, what could they bring?
Otter and Company have named this Project 60. Sounds innocent enough, until you realize that Otter and his minions are afraid to call it what it is, globalization of America and surrender of sovereignty. If it were called that someone may want to charge Otter with sedition. Under B. Hussein Obama it has become increasingly difficult to do business in America, unless you are from a foreign nation. Idaho, under the stewardship of Governor Butch Otter, has opened the door for a Chinese invasion wherein the sovereignty of Idaho and America will be sodomized by all parties involved.
Project 60 takes advantage of a federal program that grants permanent residency to foreign nationals, in this case, Chinese. This program comes with special tax exemptions to the foreign firms moving here. American companies do not get the tax exemptions; so much for the Constitution and equal protection. Idaho is struggling financially and it is widely known that America is broke, so why tax breaks for the Chinese? China wants to limit its exposure to America's debt. China needs to maintain its trade deficits, so it does not collapse like a house of cards. In order to accomplish this, China must unload currency and excess dollars. Buying Idaho is a good way to accomplish this.
There is a track of land 22,000 acres south of Idaho where they can come and build a city. Remember there are 272 of these locations.
We're going to read some things in prophecy that covers this. We've read them in the past before, but they haven't made the sense that it will really make once you understand this. Here's another one:
The Endless Drought of 2012 will bake America well into August
Right now as I'm speaking, the temperature is 111 degrees in Oklahoma; fires are raging. Look at the fires we had in Texas. Look at the fires we've had in Colorado. Look at the fires we have had in New Mexico. Look at the fires we had several years ago in California. Then look at the drought.
You're going to see gas to way up where it's mandated to put in ethanol because they can't change the law that so many tons of corn must be devoted to ethanol production. That cuts down on the food. We're going to see food costs go higher and higher. So, we have the drought. How many have been watching that on the news? Severe drought. How many have seen what an ear of corn looks like through the drought? People have said, 'We must change the law and allocate it for food.' But the problem is, once it goes through a drought they say there is a toxin that the corn has which makes it unfit for human consumption. What you're going to see in all of these things is:
- God is in charge!
- God will not be mocked by anyone!
Whether it is an individual or whether it is a community or whether it is a state or whether it is a country. We also have to understand something very important to realize, which is this. There is a Satan the devil who is 'the god of this world' and the whole world is under his power because people have relinquished it to them by sinning and transgressing in great and humongous ways that are almost unstoppable except that God intervenes with a disaster.
Someone mentioned to me concerning the drought and the fires, does that have anything to do with legalizing homosexual marriages? endorsing them by the administration? putting it into the plank of the Democratic party? Yet, how many people like lemmings will go vote for Democrats just because they're a democrat? Just because the government is going to promise handouts? When the government goes broke, no handouts, folks! We're getting close to that time. Look at the cities that are going bankrupt, just right down the road here, Stockton; the state of California, San Diego. How many other cities are going to go bankrupt? Oh, but those wonderful people who are the servants to the people will not relinquish their union or take less in pay, or take less in pensions. God's going to take it all away.
The World Edges Closer to Deflationary Slump as Money Contracts in China
Did you see it the other day? This woman who is running for senator in Massachusetts says, 'Look at China. They're investing 9.6% in building homes and everything like this.' When you pay 35-cents an hour, you can have a lot of workers, but when you pay $50-$60 an hour because of health benefits and retirement in America, you can't build very much—right?
Italy is going to go under. Spain is going to go under. All of that is just economics. I don't know how many heard of this: There was the Saudi Arabian intelligence chief who was assassinated by the Iranians. Anybody hear that in the news? They are scared to death. Look at all the ships that we have in the Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile the same time, Russia and China have their fleets right near Syria; Syria is destroying itself.
I'm reading a book called Why We Want to Kill You. I forget the first name of the man, but he's supposedly converted from radical Islam to becoming a Christian. He says that they are trained—not only that, you read the heritage in the Bible and God prophesied that they would be every man against his neighbor and killing their own. Look at what's happening. Look at all of the Arab countries. That's sooner or later going to set it up for the king of the south. But look at it. They are given to killing, hatred, viciousness, cruelty; that's what they are trained in.
Khamenei, the imam of Iran says: War in Weeks
Who knows what it will be. Who knows what surprise is going to be pulled out of the campaign hat.
At the same time—remember what happened when the Episcopal Church ordained a homosexual as a bishop? It split the church, precisely what Rome wanted. Now then, they are trying to approve 'gay' blessings—I'll say homosexual, they are anything but gay. They are trying to approve homosexual marriages. The best way to approach that is this. 'All right, you want equal status, you produce offspring through your relationship and then come and see us.' That choice is the choice of death. So, the churches are all being assaulted.
Europe has to Avert a Global Calamity before the year is out
Don't know if that will take place or not.
Red Alert: Global Systemic Crisis
That is economically, September-October.
Fed looking at a Third Round of Easing
Most people don't know it, but the Federal Reserve has, since 2011 has purchased 41% of all U.S. Treasury certificates. If you want to know the biggest fraud in the world, that's the central banks of the world. That's the biggest fraud here in the United States as well. How would you like it for a tenth of a cent you could print the certificates to get hundreds of billions of dollars? A tenth of a cent per certificate! Then you can collect from the government.
Christianity is on Decline in Australia
—as well as the rest of the world. Then the final one here for America:
America has most Biblically-hostile U.S. President
It has 6 pages of how the administration is against Christianity.
I don't know if you saw it in the news with this Chick-fil-A flap that has gone on: The hatred by the atheists, because someone dares bring up the Bible. Did you see the one man on Fox News? He was just in a rage! 'You bring in the Bible.' I thought, oooh, what's going to happen when their numbers increase? Because 20% of the youth coming out of high school and college are now atheists! They don't believe in God.
It's like the atheist said, 'Why does God allow this, and why does God allow that?' You want to know? Read the Bible, God will tell you! He'll tell you why! Most people don't want to do that. We need to look at things and what's going to happen, how it's going to come down, the reason why and why we need to stay close to God.
Before we start, I want you to put in your notes Psa. 91. I want you to read that Psalm every single day and claim those promises. Then I want you to look at your own life and see what you need to repent of and change before God. As I wrote in my last letter, there are two things that God looks at:
- the nations and people of the world
- the state of His Church
Let's go back and review just a couple of things. What happened when Adam and Eve sinned? What was their punishment?
- Their punishment was that human beings received 'the law of sin and death' within them as part of their inheritance to pass on to their children
- The environment was changed so that now there would be thorns and thistles
What happened when the whole world was absolutely corrupt and how did God look at the world and every human being? I want you to go back and I want you to think about the sermons that we have done on Grace Upon Grace and what it means to be under law. We see it in operation right here in Gen. 6 and yet there are such dim-witted theologians that they say, 'There was no law between Moses and Adam.' Let's see how God does this.
Genesis 6:5: "And the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth... [What is wickedness? Is that not transgressing the Law?] ...and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Why?
Even though we have 'the law of sin and death' within us, if an individual or society will follow the commandments of God. I want to show you how God operates so that when we get to some of these Scriptures you will understand why God is doing it. Especially when you understand and realize that when God gives the information, He holds you responsible whether you act upon that information or not, that's your choice.
Likewise, here Cain and Abel brought offerings to God. Abel brought the offering that God commanded. Cain brought any old thing he wanted out of the ground which then was not the firstfruits, because if it would have been the firstfruits God would have accepted it because God commands the firstfruits. Cain was all mad, just like the atheists today. 'God, why do you do this?'
Genesis 4:6: "And the LORD said to Cain, 'Why are you so angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well... [this is in a carnal state, unconverted state] ...shall you not be accepted?'…. [What is doing well? Doing the will of God!] …But if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.… [Sin is what? Transgression of the Law!] ...Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it!'" (vs 6-7). God gave us the ability to rule over it by choice, but they rejected God.
Look at the state, Genesis 6:5: "...and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." But let's add some other Scriptures: 'Every way of a man seems right in his own eyes!'
Look at all the people that are out there sinning, causing problems and difficulties. Don't they think they're right? I thought it was a very pitiful display where at this one Chick-fil-A restaurant, here stood two lesbians with a little girl right beside them. Here was this one lesbian, you could tell she was the masculine entity of the thing, and the other was the female entity of that supposed relationship.
You can read in Rom. 1 that when they leave God, abandon God, become God-haters, then even the natural use of sex that women should have with men and men with women is abandoned. Look what happens. Look at their attitude. Look what happens when you give yourself over to evil and you won't listen. That's what we have in the world today, because Jesus said, 'As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of man.'
Verse 6: "And the LORD repented that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. And the LORD said, 'I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the crawling thing, and the fowl of the air; for I repent that I have made them.' But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD" (vs 6-8). He had to live in those times. One man and his family.
Remember Lot: he was grieved at their behavior. But remember when the angels came to take him out, what happened? The homosexuals of Sodom wanted to attack and rape these angels, but the angels blinded them. Just the same behavior we see coming out of the homosexual community today. Exactly the same! Virulent hatred! God is going to judge this nation and is, in fact, judging this nation because of it.
I think it would be interesting, someone brought this up after Schwarzenegger approved homosexual marriages. Right after that we had all these fires in Northern California. Remember that?
What do we have after President Obama said, 'My thinking has evolved, but I speeded it up because I want to win the election.' What has happened? Might go back and check the dates. Those kinds of actions affect the environment. It's not the cars. It's not the oil. It's the morality of the people! So then, you know what happened.
Verse 11: "Now the earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." How many murders have they had in Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Oakland, Houston, Dallas—pick any city.
Verse 12: "And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt—for all flesh... [every human being except Noah] ...had corrupted its way upon the earth." The Flood happened. You think people will take that as a warning? 'Oh, no, we came from slime. There was no Flood!'
Let's see what God has set before all people. That's why there are so many Bibles in the world. Every Bible that goes out and everyone that receives it has a message from God. If they don't read it, that's not God's fault.
It's what we have before everyone. Remember this, and I want to bring this out as we go along, God watches over and will protect us in difficult times. We have to live through those difficult times. We also need to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. We also need to prepare. So, you have to bring in all the Biblical principles together to understand what's happening in the world today.
It's very hard for people in the world to understand that because they view God as an escape hatch to prevent things from occurring. That's not how God works. God is not an escape hatch for anyone. If you yield to God and love God and keep His commandments, God will be with you. God's angels can protect you, but you must be on God's side. God isn't going to come to wicked, evil man's side and save him from something that he has caused and has refused to repent. Won't happen.
God has done this; every human being, whether they have the law or not. You can read that in Rom. 2 because all the laws of God function all the time and all the laws of God are judging everyone all the time. Doesn't matter who you are or where you are, what you are; God is no respecter of persons. Just like the law of gravity holds everyone on the earth, the laws of God affect everyone whether they keep them or whether they transgress them—period!
Deuteronomy 30:15: "Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil, in that I command you this day to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments to that you may live and multiply. And the LORD your God shall bless you in the land where you go to possess it. But if your heart turn away so that you will not hear, but shall be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them" (vs 15-17). A god is anything that you serve beside the true God. It may be a statue, it may be an idol, a crucifix, a Buddha, a cause, an idea, some kind of technology, it may be in financing, body building, sports; anything you put before the true God is your god.
He says if you do that, v 18: "I denounce to you this day that you shall surely perish; you shall not prolong your days on the land where you pass over Jordan to go to possess it." Look at any nation of the world today. Let's look at the most virulent of them—the radical Islamists. How long do they live? What do they believe? They are liars, cheats, murderers, obsessed with death, their hand is against is everyone. Amazing.
God says, v 19: "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you... [Everyone on the earth. Look up and see the heavens, standing on the earth. They didn't go away. God didn't go away; they are here.] ...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore, choose life, so that both you and your seed may live, that you may love the LORD your God, and may obey His voice, and may cleave to Him; for He is your life and the length of your days..." (vs 19-20).
We need to always remember that. Our lives and the life of every human being on earth is absolutely, totally dependent upon God, whether they love God or hate God or whatever their ideology or religion may be. They have to rely on what God has created.
- Do they breath? Yes!
- Do they eat? Yes!
- Do they drink water? Yes!
- Where does that come from?
It's like someone asked a little girl, 'Where does milk come from?' It comes from a carton. That's how ignorant most people are of God.
Let's look at what happened because they didn't do that. We'll come back and look at some other things here. How many here have a life that has spanned a couple generations? Those who haven't, if there's enough time, you will. What will you see? The younger generation always comes up more corrupt! It happens because of several things:
- They're not taught God's way
- They reject God's way
- Especially in our society today, we are raising the greatest number of totally ignoramuses that know nothing, care about nothing except their entitlement from the government and they don't realize that they are already slaves
What happened? We're doing an overview here. There's a lot of ground we're going to cover because I want you to get a good overview. This means that you have to fill in the details with other Scriptures and things.
Judges 2:10: "And also all that generation... [that came out of the wilderness] ...were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD, nor even the works which He had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD and served Baalim" (vs 10-11). That's the good old friend, the sun-god. The truth of the fact is, Israel's sin has always been Sunday-worship. That's the day of Baal, but they do it to the Lord. Isn't that nice! Sound a little bit like the same thing that Cain did? Yes, indeed!
Verse 12: "And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, Who brought them out of the land of Egypt. And they followed other gods, even the gods of the people who were around them, and bowed themselves to them, and provoked the LORD to anger. And they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of spoilers..." (vs 12-14).
We've got a lot of spoilers hanging around ready to execute their judgment. Correct? Yes, indeed! Let's look at Solomon. Now. you talk about starting out with great advantage of everything. Blessing of God, given the responsibility for building the temple. There was peace in the land. He built the temple, God put His presence in it. He gave a long, magnificent prayer. You read the prayer of Solomon. Might be good if you read the prayer of Solomon on your knees and use that as your prayer and pray that for this nation.
He did everything that God said, 'Don't do,' after God appeared to him twice, blessed him with everything, made him the smartest man in the world, the richest man in the world. What did he do? The same thing the children of Israel did.
1-Kings 11:1: "And King Solomon loved many foreign women, even the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, Hittites; Of the nations which the LORD had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not go in to them, and they shall not go in to you; surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.' But Solomon clung to these in love" (vs 1-2).
- Do we have sex problems today?
- Isn't sex the biggest problem in the world today?
- What comes after sex? Money!
- What comes after money? Drugs!
Notice what happened, v 3: "And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines. And his wives turned away his heart." He got so involved in pleasing his wives and sexual activities that he had no time for God. Then what happened? He forgot God! What did he do? He was run by his wives who controlled him!
'Oh now, Solomon, here we have such a nice god over here. You wouldn't want to be discriminating against Ashtaroth, she's such a wonderful goddess. If you love me, will you build a temple over here for my goddess?' Another wife said, 'Will you build an incense altar for my god?' So, he filled on the other side of the temple mount with all the pagan gods.
Here's what happened, v 5: "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom, the abominations of the Ammonites; and Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not go fully after the LORD like his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill which is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise he did for all his foreign wives, and burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. And the LORD was angry..." (vs 5-9).
What did God do? There comes a point—and we're reaching that point very quickly here in America; Britain's about five years ahead of us. God raises up enemies! Lo and behold, they're already here—aren't they? Think about it. Yes, indeed!
He said, 'I'm going to tear away the ten tribes of Israel from you. I'm going to leave you one tribe because of your father David.' Let's see what happened here. I want you to see the parallel. These things build up over a period of time before the finality of it.
Verse 14: "And it came to pass the LORD stirred up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. He was of the king's seed in Edom." A little terrorist activity? That was just a start. You know what happened: The kingdom split. God gave ten tribes to Jeroboam the son of Nebat and Jeroboam made two calves of gold. Not one king in 232 years over of the ten tribes of Israel was righteous. Not one! Over Judah there were several.
Let's see what happened; let's come to 2-Kings 17.
(go to the next track)
Before we get going, I want you take something out of your pocket or purse. I want you to hold it over the table and let go. What caused that? Gravity! Do it again. What does that prove? That proves the laws of God work all the time!
- Can you see the law? No!
- Can you hear the law? No!
- Can you speak to the law? No!
But it works every time. Likewise, all of God's laws work all the time! God never changes. He is Creator, Life-giver. He has made the earth. He has a great plan. If you want to be part of His plan, then you repent and get on God's side. God's not going to come to you. The Bible says you seek God. That's where it's at.
We're going to read the things here in 2-Kings 17, but remember we just came from Jud. 2. What I want you to do, whether you believe that the leading nations of the world today are the descendants of the twelve tribes of Israel or not, since there is a God and we live in this land, it is a land that God has given to us or brought us here to be here—one of the two. We still live in the land—don't we? Yes! Also God is no respecter of persons. It's like the law of gravity.
- You love God, you'll receive blessings
- You obey God, He will bless you
If you sin and disobey God and you don't repent and you keep sinning and keep sinning, remember the keys that dropped. Let that be every sin! After awhile you build up lots of sin. Then God brings the punishment. He doesn't have to say, 'I bring this punishment against you.' It comes automatically.
Then there comes a time when everything is so collectively bad—any nation, any people, anywhere on earth—God has to intervene to punish. Think about it in your life.
- Do you want to come to God on His terms?
or
- Is God going to have to bring you to Him through punishment on His terms because you won't listen?
That's what needs to be presented to this nation.
We have a lot of 'do-gooders' out there, but you've got to come to God. God is not going to accept lip service. Let me tell you what happened in Georgia three years ago when they had a drought down there. They had three days' water supply for the city of Atlanta. The governor of Georgia called a special meeting, public meeting, had the press there, had the cameras rolling. He confessed the sins of the people of Georgia and asked God to forgive those sins and asked God to overlook their weaknesses and please send some water. God answered that prayer! He sent the water and more and more and more. Filled up all the reservoirs. All the rivers were going—because of one man. That's why these things happen so that people will turn to God. They won't do it otherwise, so what is God going to do to wake them up?
Then it comes to a point that God is going to take away the inheritance. Doesn't matter what land you've inherited in the world that God has given to you and your people wherever you are, you sin against God, God is going to take it away. He will send an enemy and He will destroy, because you won't come to God! That's what needs to be told to the people in America. Whether people want to believe that they are the descendants of Israel or not in the United States of America and some of the other choicest places of the earth, we're here. Now see what happens when it comes to a point when there is no repentance! I couldn't help but think of that when I saw those raging people on the news, in hatred over one man who said, 'I believe in traditional marriage.'
Out of it, it showed that there were more people than suspected; kind of like Elijah when he was feeling sorry for himself. God had to say, 'Elijah, there are 7,000 men who haven't bowed the knee to Baal.' Of course, he didn't know who they were.
What happened when they had the Chick-fil-A buy-in they were swamped with people! So it shows there are some people out there. God is going to recognize even that. 'Look at this.' But when it gets to the point of overwhelming sin that there's no repentance at all, then God must take action to dispossess. That's what He did to Israel.
2-Kings 17:8: "And [they] walked in the statutes of nations whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which the nations had made." Remember, 232 years God gave them. As I read this I want you to think of every individual. I want you to think of yourself. I want you to think of your community, your state, your nation; and maybe have the Ten Commandments right close at hand.
Verse 9: "Now, the children of Israel secretly did things that were not right against the LORD their God. And they built high places in all their cities for themselves from the Watch Tower to the fortified city. And they set up images and groves for themselves in every high hill, and under every green tree. And they burned incense in all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had removed from before them..." (vs 9-11). Remember, what did God tell Abraham concerning the land? What did He say? It took 400 years that He gave them. He said, 'The sin of the Amorites has not come to the full.'
He also told the children of Israel concerning the sex laws in Lev. 18-20, He said, 'Don't do these transgressions of My sex laws because the nations whom you are replacing are being expelled from the land because of those sins. Don't you do them.' I want you to keep all of this in mind.
God also told them, 'When you come into the land, beware after you have everything and you are filled to the fullness and you have sealed houses and you're living in them and you have food without scarcity and you have cattle, gold, silver, brass, and all of these things and all this wealth. Beware, lest you forget the Lord your God.' Keep all of that in mind as I'm reading this here.
Verse 11: "And they burned incense in all the high places, like the nations whom the LORD had removed from before them, and they practiced evil things to provoke the LORD to anger, For they served the idols of which the LORD had said to them, 'You shall not do this thing.' And the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah, by all the prophets, by all the seers, saying, 'Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets'" (vs 11-13).
God has done even better than that. In the nations affected by who are the descendants of the house of Israel, they average between one and five Bibles per household. They have got God's message in their houses but they won't read it. They have it in their pulpits but they refuse to obey. We have it in the White House. We have it in the Congress. They even open Congress in prayer every single day, and then turn around and lie and cheat and commit all kinds of fraud and lying, sex sins by the so-called 'princes of Israel.'
Even though it's there, even though they know better, v 14: "Nevertheless. they would not hear, but hardened their necks, like the neck of their fathers who did not believe in the LORD their God. And they rejected His statutes and His covenant which He made with their fathers, and His warnings that He testified against them.... [notice all the evidence stacking up against them] ...And they went after vanity, and became vain, and went after the nations around them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them not to do like them. And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God..." (vs 14-16).
- Did they have trouble? Yes, they did!
- Do we have trouble? Yes, we do!
We say we are a Christian nation. We have taken God into compact with our Constitution—did we not? When you take God into your compact, He is going to hold you to your word. If you don't believe that, you go back and read the account about the children of Rechab.
Remember the Rechabites? Rechab told all of his descendants, 'You shall not drink wine or strong drink ever. None of your descendants.' So, in the middle of Jeremiah's warning to Judah, he said, 'Call in the children of the Rechabites here.' He called them in. He said, 'Set before them wine and make them drink.' The children of Rechab said, 'No, no, we will not drink wine because our father Rechab said we shall not do it.'
What did God say because of that? He said, 'If the children of Israel would do like the Rechabites, because they believed and followed their father to this day and they refused to drink wine; therefore, I will spare them and their descendants. But I'm sending the rest of you off into captivity.' I bring that up from this point of view. That in the midst of all the troubles that are coming down, God will spare those who honor Him. We can apply that to the Church as well.
Verse 16: "And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God and made molten images, two calves for themselves. And they made a grove, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire. And they used divination and sorceries, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger. So, the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them out of His sight; not one was left, only the tribe of Judah by itself." (vs 16-18). Then what did Judah do? They ended up doing worse!
What would you consider the worst offense against God here in the United States of America, the British Commonwealth, Australia, New Zealand? What do you think is the worst violation against God that the so-called religionists have done? Those who call themselves Christian? What is the worst thing that they have done? They have rejected God by saying God has abolished His law!
God holds all of the Protestants and Catholics responsible for
- taking His name in vain
- for saying that He forsook His Law
- for calling the law a curse
- for rejecting His Sabbath
- and taking all of the pagan holidays of the nation and incorporating them as 'Christian' festivals in their societies.
They have set the tone and God is taking away their version of Christianity so fast it makes your head swim. They did the same thing.
Here's what God says, Jeremiah 3:20: "'Surely as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, so you have dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel,' says the LORD. A voice was heard upon the high places weeping and supplications of the children of Israel... [Oh, boo-hoo, when they're in trouble—right?] ...for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God" (vs 20-21). What is the remedy? A government entitlement based upon borrowing 40 cents of every dollar? No!
Verse 22: "'Return, O backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings.' 'Behold, we come to You... [that's what they need to say] ...for You are the LORD our God.'" In other words, if you're going to return to God, you come to God on His terms.
Verse 23: "'Truly, in vain is salvation hoped for from the high hills, from the multitude of mountains. Truly, in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.'" Yet, all the blessings that have come; all the things that God has done. I'm getting a book on about 32 things that have happened to America because there were individuals who would pray to God and believe God. Not called to conversion, but just for the nation. I'm going to bring a sermon on that as well. God says return! He is not interested in bringing all of the curses, but if there is no repentance, they are going to come and they are going to come in fury as never even thought would happen. Look at what is happened here in the last three years just with the wildfires alone.
Verse 24: "'The shameful thing has eaten up the labor of our fathers... [Is that what's happening? Where's the dollar going? Who owns all of the mortgages?] ...labor of our fathers from our youth, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters. We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covers us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even to this day... [Does that sound a little bit like Gen. 6 that we read earlier? Yes, indeed!] ...and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God'" (vs 24-25). God never, never said—Jesus never said, 'I have come to abolish the Law.' He even said clearly in the New Testament they like to hold: 'Don't even think that I've come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.'
Jeremiah 4:1: "'If you will return, O Israel,' says the LORD, 'Return to Me. And if you will put away your abominations out of My sight, then you shall not be removed. And will swear... [how about this for a resolve and change] ..."As the LORD lives"'" (vs 1-2). Get rid of your atheism and evolution. Get rid of your false Christianity. Get rid of the other religions. Not only do the Christians have to repent, the Buddhists have to repent and, boy, do the Islamic Muslims have to repent, because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
Here's what you're to say: "'..."As the LORD lives," in Truth... [everything that God does is in Truth] ...in judgment, and in righteousness...'" (v 2). Get rid of all your foolish laws and regulations and stupidity and religions that you have now. Remember this: the establishment—whether its religion, government, finance, or whatever—never has it right. Never! That's the broad way that Jesus talked about.
Now notice if they will swear: "'…"As the LORD lives," in Truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; then the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory'" (v 2). Not the great things that they have done. Not the great things that they have built. No! In Him! God says if you return, but they won't.
Jeremiah 5:7: "How shall I pardon you 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" (vs 7-8).
What I want you to do in your mind's eye, have a panoramic view of all the bars, rock concerts, all of the places of entertainment, all of the places of sex that they have, all of those have that in your mind and think about why God is going to punish. In all of those you have to add in the drugs, lying, cheating, two-timing, all of those things come in that package. Yes!
I saw a special about Miami. Wow! Then I thought about what about every major city. What happens Friday night, which begins the Sabbath? They all run out and give themselves over to evil—don't they? Yes, indeed! And they're all given to pleasures. Yes, indeed!
God says, v 9: "'Shall I not punish for these things?' says the LORD. 'And shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this? Go up upon her walls and destroy; but do not make a full end; take away her branches, for they are not the LORD'S. For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very deceitfully against Me,' says the LORD. 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 shall become as wind, for the word is not in them; thus it shall be done to them.' Therefore, thus says the LORD God of hosts, 'Because you have spoken this word, behold, I will make My words in your mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them'" (vs 9-14). We're sitting right now on the brink of this.
Now, let me just do a little sidebar here. I know there will be some people who will say, 'Fred Coulter is an angry man.' That's not true! I'm very sad about what's happening. I know how it's going to end because the Word of God tells us.
There was a Day of Atonement in 1979 when I resigned from the largest Church of God in the history of the world. God inspired me to say on that Day of Atonement that unless there was someone standing in the pulpit in Pasadena right now telling all the brethren, all the ministers, to repent and amend your ways, that the forces would be set in motion which would destroy that Church.
I didn't have that in my notes. God inspired that. That didn't come from me, that came from God! Did it happen? Yes, it did! God's Word is always true. If it doesn't happen in six months, don't say I'm wrong. If it doesn't happen in a year, don't say I'm wrong. If it doesn't happen in three or four or five or six years, don't say I'm wrong, God inspired me to say that 1979 and it didn't reach its climax until 1995. God gave plenty of time, plenty of space, plenty of opportunities, like He has with this nation.
He said He's going to do it, v 15: "'Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from afar, O house of Israel,' says the LORD. 'It is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know, nor understand what they say.'" Wonder if it's a coincidence about what the Chinese are doing, what the Muslims are doing, what organized crime is doing, all of those things. Think about it. He says He's going to do it.
Verse 21: "'Now hear this, O foolish people and without understanding; who have eyes and see not; who have ears and hear not; Do you not fear Me?' says the LORD. 'Will you not tremble at My presence, even I Who have placed the sand for the boundary of the sea by a never-ending decree, so that it cannot pass it?.…'" (vs 21-22). That's why it's good to go out on the beach at the ocean and watch the waves awhile and think about that. When you do, think that what you're looking at goes 12,000 miles before you come to the next continent.
"'...And though they toss themselves, yet they cannot prevail; though its waves roar, yet, they cannot pass over it. 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'" (vs 22-25).
Every farmer in rancher in all of the drought area in the Midwest go look at your crops and look at the sins of the nation and know that God has done that. He may have mercy if there's some degree of repentance. We do not know. It's all within the realm of choice that the individuals have to make where we started in Deut. 30:15, there's life and death set before us. God always honors repentance, just like He did with the governor of Georgia with the drought.
There can be a reprieve for a while, but know for sure that that tsunami wall of debt which faces the whole world is going to come crashing down just like the people in Indonesia were sitting there watching after the earthquake, right on the beach. When the water went out, even some of the people went down where the water went out and didn't know that the water was being sucked back up into the tsunami.
All of a sudden way down there where they shouldn't be, way below the water level, because the sand was exposed and they just followed it out there. And then they looked up and here comes the tsunami, so they start to run and run and run. They can't get out of it fast enough and it comes up and it flows over. There were 250,000 people killed in Indonesia because of the tsunami. I wonder if that's why the Indonesian Muslims are not so hostile to the West, because we helped them. God honored that help. But all of those things are a warning. It's all going to come to pass. Yeah, the priest, everyone deals falsely.
Jeremiah 6:14 "They have also healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace." Thank you, Glenn Beck, there is no peace, and you aren't going to do it, and you aren't going to initiate the third grade awakening.
Verse 15: "'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,' says the LORD. Thus says the LORD, '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... [Isn't that interesting, even allowance for the Churches of God—right?] ...what will happen to them'" (vs 17-18).
Verse 19: "Hear, O earth... [Didn't we hear that somewhere before. 'I set heaven and earth against you this day as a witness.'] ...behold, I will bring evil on this people..." Here's God's righteous judgment. Remember where we started that the thought of their heart was only evil continually. It says in Gen. 8, from his youth up. Here's what God bases His judgment on, it's not arbitrary, it is not mean, it is not hostile. It is cruel, it is difficult.
Here's why: "...even the fruit of their thoughts..." (v 19).
- What's on your mind?
- What goes through your mind that only you know?
- What evil imaginations do you conjure up in your mind?
Everyone has them—don't they? Yes, indeed! How do you think evil is perpetuated? and perversion is multiplied? and lying is sanctified? and cheating is hailed as the thing to do? and Having a false religion, worshiping false god? 'Oh, let's all get together and we'll all be good and come back to God, our way.' No, you come back to God His way!
We'll just do a little sidebar here. When God told the children of Israel to go into the land; that He'd take care of the enemy, they sent out twelve spies to spy out the land. They came back and ten of them said, 'Oh, boo-hoo, we can't do it. The people are so big; the walls are so high. We can't do that.' Joshua and Caleb said, 'No! No! God will destroy them for us. We can win the battle.' Oh no! No! We won't do it! God is asking too much of us!
That was only 18 months in the wilderness. Little did they know because they refused God, they were going to spend another 38-1/2 years wandering. It didn't have to be 40 years, but by the choice of the people in rejecting God. They cried and boo-hooed all night and God said, 'All right, you will not go into the land. You are going to wander for 40 years, a year for every day.' Then they thought about that at night and said, 'We should go in. We'll go in, we'll go in.' Moses said, 'Don't do it.' We'll go in, appoint us a captain.
Here they go out, charging, and they're going to do the will of God their way when God said don't go. What happened? They got beaten back! Sound a little bit like our war on terror? Sound a little bit like one is going to chase a thousand of us? Yes, indeed!
"...the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkened to My words, nor to My law, but have rejected it" (v 19). Think about that.
Like I've said before, read the book of Jeremiah. For all of those elite out there with all of your great degrees and your great colleges and your great scientific things that you do—oh, by the way, remember the great cyclotron that they have over there in Switzerland? They now think that they have discovered the particle after all that time—and the universe is filled with them, brethren. And they won't acknowledge God. All of the high and mighty, God has a message for you.
Jeremiah 8:8: "How do you say, 'We are wise... [Rom. 1 says you're fools] ...and the Law of the LORD is with us'?... ['Oh, we understand it, we'll interpret it our way. Oh, Yes, indeed!'] ...Lo, certainly the lying pen of the scribes has written falsely…. [Have they not? Yes, indeed!] …The wise men are ashamed, they are terrified, and are captured. Lo, they have turned away from the Word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them? Therefore, I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who shall inherit them, for everyone from the least even to the greatest is given unto covetousness.… [Isn't that true? Yes, indeed!] ...From the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely'" (vs 9-10).
I'm getting a report on a book that is entitled, Render Unto Rome, yes, indeed! I'll give you a report on it. They have merchandized the people; they have taken from the people; they have preached sin and lawlessness to the people, and God's judgment is coming.
"'…From the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. For they have 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 an abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down,' says the LORD" (vs 10-12).
Now we don't know what the time of our visitation will be but it's going to be something indeed. Let's come over to the next chapter. I'm going to go over just a little bit here. Here's how Jeremiah felt and here's how I feel. Look out and see all that God has blessed this nation with and all the people that God has blessed on the earth to turn their back on Him.
Jeremiah 9:1: "Oh, that my head were waters, and my eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place for traveling men, that I might leave my people and go away from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men. 'And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies. But they are not valiant for the truth on the earth; for they go from evil to evil, and they do not know Me,' says the LORD" (vs 1-3). All of these things are coming.
Verse 7: "Therefore. thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Behold, I will refine them and try them; for what else can I do because of the daughter of My people?.… [What do you expect God to do? Remember the keys and the law of gravity. Remember the sins.] ...Their tongue is a slaughtering arrow; it speaks deceit; one speaks peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in his heart he lies in ambush. Shall I not visit them for these things?' says the LORD. 'Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?'" (vs 7-9). Then He says He's going to make Jerusalem a heap.
Let's see about where we're headed here. For those of us in the Church of God, we better be:
- strong
- praying
- studying
- living God's way
Here's what we're headed to. Here's what Jesus said it would be. After He said about false prophets and wars and rumors of wars, famine, earthquakes and things like that, He said:
Matthew 24:8: "Now all these things are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to affliction, and shall kill you..." (vs 8-9). Did you not see the hatred and willingness to kill on the news for being against homosexual marriage? Yes, indeed! He kept saying, 'You've the Bible, the Bible!' Remember that?
"...and shall kill you; and you shall be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then shall many be led into sin... [Is that not what is happening? Just like lemmings!] ...and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another; and many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many; And because lawlessness shall be multiplied..." (vs 9-12). I don't think we understand the magnitude of what that is going to be. It's not just increase; it is multiplied. Remember the old story of doubling a penny everyday for 30 days? At the end of 30 days you'll have over a million dollars. That's multiplied.
"...And because lawlessness shall be multiplied, the love of many shall grow. But the one who endures to the end, that one shall be saved.... [That's what we have to do, brethren.] ...And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end come" (vs 12-14). We don't know how long that's going to be, how long that's going to take. But we have to be ready at all times.
Here's how bad it's going to be. All of this is going to lead up the Great Tribulation. I'm not saying all of this to scare you. I'm not saying these things because I have any delight in doing so. But I feel compelled in looking at what is happening in the world and the Churches of God today. What else are we going to do?
Here's what's coming, v 21: "For then shall there be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be again." We're entering into the days when there are going to be a lot of people saying, 'Why didn't someone tell me? Why didn't someone tell me how bad it was going to be?' That's why I started out: read Psa. 91.
This is important because God is dealing with you. Remember you can overcome your sins and faults and weaknesses and God knows you have them. Some of them are going to be lifetime things that you need to work on. We're never going to be perfect in the flesh, so don't get discouraged and get down about everything. You are on God's side. Remember this:
Psalm 91:1: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High... [And you do. The world can't see it, knows nothing about it, but you do.] ...shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." Just like He did with Lot and his daughters. They escaped. They had to go through some difficult times, but they made it.
Verse 2: "I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I will trust.' Surely He will deliver you from the fowler's trap and from the destroying pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers... [His unseen protection] ...and under His wings you shall take refuge. His Truth shall be your shield and buckler.... [to give you strength] ...You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor for the arrow that flies by day, nor for the plague that walks in darkness, nor for the destruction laying waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand; it shall not come near you.... [you may escape with the skin of your teeth] ...Only with your eyes you shall behold and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the LORD, Who is my refuge, even the Most High, your habitation" (vs 2-9). Because you know you live and move and have your being within Him.
Verse 10: "No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling, For He shall give His angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways. They shall bear you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and asp; the young lion and the jackal you shall trample underfoot" (vs 10-13). That will happen at the resurrection, brethren.
Verse 14: "Because he has set his love upon Me... [You just put your name there, because he, that is you, have set his love upon Me, that is God.] ...therefore, I will deliver him; I will set him on high because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation" (vs 14-16).
So, brethren, these days that we're living in we need to really understand and stay close to God!
Scriptural References:
- Genesis 6:5
- Genesis 4:6-7
- Genesis 6:5-8, 11-12
- Deuteronomy 30:15-20
- Judges 2:10-14
- 1-Kings 11:1-8, 14
- 2-Kings 17:8-18
- Jeremiah 3:20-25
- Jeremiah 4:1-2
- Jeremiah 5:7-15, 21-25
- Jeremiah 6:14-19
- Jeremiah 8:8-12
- Jeremiah 9:1-3, 7-9
- Matthew 24:8-14, 21
- Psalm 91:1-16
Scriptures referenced, not quoted:
- Romans 1; 2
- Leviticus 18-20
- Genesis 8
Also referenced:
Sermon Series: Grace Upon Grace
Books:
- Why We Want to Kill You by Walid Shoebat
- Render Unto Rome by Jason Berry
Article: Idaho to be First Chinese State by Bill Turner, Boise Conservative Examiner (theperpetualview.wordpress.com) July 20, 2011
FRC:lp
Transcribed: 8-15-12
Formatted: 8/16/12
Copyright 2012—All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes, no part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner. This includes electronic and mechanical photocopying or recording, as well as the use of information storage and retrieval systems.