September, 2007

Fred R. Coulter

Minister

September 11, 2007

Dear Brethren,

Today is the sixth anniversary of the shocking 9/11/2001 attacks on the United States by radical Islamic fundamentalists. While there have since been no attacks on American soil, there have been similar attacks on other countries—and numerous attacks have occurred in conjunction with the ongoing war in Iraq. As we watch world events, we should focus on three key areas of Bible prophecy:

One: The Middle East is the focal point of man’s history and the return of Jesus Christ. In order for a world government to be set up for the final “Beast” to lead, the Moslem world will have to be sufficiently tamed and brought into the modern age. This will develop into an economic and political union of Arab states akin to the European Union. Events taking place in the Middle East today will ultimately lead to this key union—from which the prophetic “king of the south” will emerge.

Two: The modern nations of Israel will continued to receive judgment and punishment for their sin and rebellion against God—and especially for the horror of abortion, which is rapidly approaching 50 million. England has already declined greatly over the past 160 years because of rejecting God and embracing Darwinism and secularism. It now appears that a Moslem majority may emerge in England in the near future and gain a dominant position of power in the nation and government.

Three: When England lost its economic power at the end of WW II, the world trading currency shifted from the British pound to the American dollar. Now the dollar is declining at an accelerating rate. Because of massive national balance-of-trade debt, government debt (national, state and local), corporate debt and personal debt, the dollar is rapidly descending toward inevitable collapse. The evidence is obvious: inflationary prices, the collapse of the housing market, the rise in home mortgage foreclosures, etc.

The dollar’s failure has been coming in stages through inflation which devalues its purchasing power. Consider this: Compared to the dollar of 1913—back before the Federal Reserve took over the American banking system—today’s dollar is only worth four cents. This means that a $500,000 home today is only worth $20,000 in 1913 dollars.

As these problems continue to grow, the American economy will experience a major fall—which will undoubtedly usher in the “Amero” as its replacement. The failure of the U.S. economy will be similar to the economic crisis faced by Argentina and Brazil from 1970 to the 1990s. However, as those nations recovered, we too will recover after a painful recession at best, or a deep depression at worse. Again, this will be God’s punishment for our national sins, and will advance the coming of Satan’s world government. While it is certainly not pleasant to read and hear about such things, we must not stick our heads in the sand or our eyes shut pretending that world evils will all somehow go away.

The prophecies of God are sure and will occur. Most people want the blessings of God—but they also want to be free to do whatever they please and continue to live in sin. When the curses of God come upon them for their sins, they get angry and wonder why. They fail to realize that half of the promises of God are blessings for righteousness, and half are curses and punishment for sins.

Right now, aside from the Jews, the modern-day descendants of Israel—America, Canada, Britain, northwest Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa—are all suffering from the heavy hand of God’s correction. The first to suffer greatly was South Africa, in the 1980s and 90s. They survived the near destruction of their nation, the demise of the Kruger Rand and the natives taking over their government. But they are no longer the wealthy nation they once were. In all the nations of modern Israel, we can see the same trends taking place—in government, business, economics, the schools, even on the streets. Yet, God prophesied of this thousands of years ago: “The stranger [foreigner] that is within you shall get up above you very high; and you shall come down very low. He shall lend to you, and you shall not lend to him: he shall be the head, and you shall be the tail.

“Moreover all these curses [from verse 15 on] shall come upon you, and shall pursue you, and overtake you, till you are destroyed; because you did not hearken to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you: and they shall be upon you for a sign and for a wonder, and upon your seed for ever. Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness, and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things. Therefore you shall serve your enemies which the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of all things: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon your neck, until he has destroyed you” (Deut. 28:43-48).

Indeed, is not pleasant to read of these things before the Feast of Tabernacles; nevertheless, they are the realities of today and of the very near future. But here is good news! If we are wise and love and obey God, He will see us through it all. While it is true that we need to be prudent in financial matters and reduce our debts, it is most imperative that we maintain a strong spiritual relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ through prayer, study, keeping His commandments and laws—which all reflect our love for God! This is what I have been bringing out in the sermon series, “Be Strong in the Lord.”

The simplest definition of our entire relationship with God from His perspective is this: “Obey My voice.” The apostle Paul wrote, “If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Gal. 3:29). If we love God and believe His Word, we will obey God’s voice as Abraham did, and the Bible is the word of God. When God confirmed the promised to Isaac, He explained that it was because of Abraham’s faith, love and obedience: “Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws” (Gen. 26:5).

Jesus made it clear in the New Testament that we are to likewise obey His voice: “Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and practices them, I will compare him to a wise man who built his house upon the rock [Christ]; and the rain came down, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house [reflective of our trials and overcoming the world]; but it did not fall, for it was founded upon the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not practice them shall be compared to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand; and the rain came down, and the floods came, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it” (Matt. 7:24-27).

Remember this: We are called to be part of God’s solution to all the problems of the world. When Jesus returns, we are to help Him rule and judge the world (Rev. 20:4-6). This is the meaning of the Feast of Tabernacles and why we keep these days. Regardless of the way things are going in the world, we need to rejoice in our calling and in God’s feasts. Not only is God going to give us the gift of eternal life at the first resurrection, but we are going to help save the world and assist Jesus Christ in completing God the Father’s plan and purpose for all mankind. So rather than being depressed or feeling down because of all the “doom and gloom” of this present world, we need to keep our spiritual focus on the hope of God for the Church—and for all mankind. Realize this: The whole world is actually waiting for us and all the children of God to save this world with Christ. As Paul wrote, “Now if we are children, we are also heirs—truly, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer together with Him, so that we may also be glorified together with Him. For I reckon that the sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation itself is awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God; because the creation was subjected to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who subjected it in hope, in order that the creation itself might be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

“For we know that all the creation is groaning together and travailing together until now. And not only that, but even we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, also groan within ourselves, awaiting the sonship—the redemption of our bodies. For by hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is not hope; for why would anyone still be hoping for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we ourselves wait for it with patience.

“Now in the same way also, the Spirit is conjointly helping our weaknesses because we do not fully understand what we should pray for, according as it is necessary, but the Spirit itself makes intercession for us with groanings that cannot be expressed by us. And the one Who searches the hearts comprehends what the strivings of the Spirit are because it makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Rom. 8:17-28).

Brethren, thank you once again for your love and prayers, which mean so much to us. Without your prayers we simply could not do the work we are doing. Like you, we are weak and struggle with human nature. We too realize that we have nothing except what we receive from God. Indeed, our very day-to-day existence depends on His love. Thank you for your continued support through your tithes and offerings. It is our goal to return as much as possible back to all the brethren so they will have all the tools necessary to grow in grace and knowledge and obtain eternal life. May God the Father and Jesus Christ continue to strengthen you with His grace and love in everything.

With love in Christ Jesus,

Fred R. Coulter

FRC

P.S.: The Bible Project is right on schedule; I will write more on it after the Feast.