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December 17, 2019
Dear Brethren,
The CDs for The Holy Bible In Its Original Order have finally arrived! They are beautifully done. The whole Bible is on eight CDs, with the Commentaries on one CD and the Appendices on another. It took much longer than originally expected, but they are here. How to order: At the end of this letter is a coupon that you can fill out and mail back to order the CD Bible. We will send as many as three sets per order. If you prefer, you can e-mail your request.
As We Enter a New Decade: The Roman year 2020 is about to begin in the throes of great turmoil. In the United States we are in the midst of an "Impeachment War," where the Democrats are immersed in lie after lie in their attempt to overthrow President Donald Trump. They reject the obvious truth that is in plain sight—and provable. Indeed, it is readily apparent that they are in the grip of Satan the devil in their attempt to destroy this nation. Let us all pray that the truth will prevail and that God will give His Church the time needed to grow and overcome, as well as to preach the Gospel.
In most of our lifetimes, we have never seen such a mountain of problems, troubles, and crises confronting the entire world—financial, political, and religious. It seems there are troubles on every side, which affect nearly everyone everywhere in different ways. Look around the world and you will find affliction, calamity, and sorrow sweeping from nation to nation.
- Wars, revolts, and riots
- Terrorist attacks and bombings
- Famine and plagues
- Pirates and thieves stealing and looting
- Trade wars
- An avalanche of drugs and drug-related deaths
- Hordes of illegal aliens
- Extreme weather—heat and cold, drought, fires, and flooding
- Murder, shootings, stabbings, and growing violence
- Accidents, sickness, and disease
- Sexual depravity and perversion of all kinds
The daily avalanche of such news is almost overwhelming—too much to handle. Those who cannot cope hide their eyes from it, or turn off the TV and radio. Some drown themselves in diversions, pleasures, or drugs—hoping that these miseries and calamities will somehow go away. But they won't. It is reminiscent of the song, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!"—or the Psalm about flying away like a bird in order to avoid the troubles and wickedness on every side. 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).
It truly would be nice to "get away from it all"—to avoid the stress, tension, and frustration these things may cause us. But in reality, we cannot always do so. However, we can face these things with the strength and faith of God the Father and Jesus Christ and the true 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 simply put it like this: "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 lovingkindness, 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 face of all these things we can have peace of mind. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can control our minds and emotions and not allow the troubles of this world to control our thoughts and feelings. Remember, the latter days are going to be filled with peril and distress, just as prophesied. But we must live through it—endure to the end. And we can only do so with complete faith and confidence in God! We can have peace of mind when we understand from God's Word why these things are happening—and realize that God and Christ are in complete control. These events are disturbing and distressing, but we do not have to let them control our thoughts and emotions.
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 the active judgments of God against those sins—so that people might have an opportunity to repent. But they must choose. If they choose to continue in sin, the judgments of God will become more and more severe—and God is no respecter of persons or of nations. In His mercy, God always gives warnings and a space of time for repentance. If people repent, He will honor that by lifting and easing His judgments.
In the book of Jeremiah, God tells us that He is always actively judging the nations. While the following is specifically directed to Israel, it also applies to all nations: "The Word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 'Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.' Then I went down to the potter's house, and, behold, he was working at his wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was ruined in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.
"Then the Word of the Lord came to me, saying, 'O house of Israel, can I not do with you even as this potter?' says the Lord. 'Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hands, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel. If at any time I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck it up and to pull it down, and to destroy it; if that nation, against whom I have spoken, will turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do to them.
" 'And if at any time I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build it and to plant it; if it does evil in My sight, that it not obey My voice, then I will repent of the good with which I said I would do them good.
" 'Now therefore, speak to the men of Judah, and to the people of Jerusalem, saying, "Thus says the Lord, 'Behold, I am forming evil against you, and devising a plan against you. Return now, each one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good' " ' " (Jer. 18:1-11).
Imagine if 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—in the lives of every person—whether good or evil. What would you see?
Without a doubt, you would see exactly what God saw in Jerusalem and Judah as He talked to Jeremiah. As we read this, we can liken the city of Jerusalem and Judah to Washington, DC and America, or to London and the UK, etc. "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" (Jer. 5:1-2).
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 their backslidings are multiplied" (verses 3-6).
God answers, " '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?' says the Lord. 'And shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?' " (verses 7-9).
" '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 [the ministers and teachers of today] shall become as wind, for the word is not in them; thus it shall be done to them' " (verses 11-13).
God pleaded with them to repent—the people, their leaders, their prophets and priests—and warned them to turn from their wicked ways, yet 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 for the sins of the few—but for the gross sins of the vast majority. They are coming because of all the lying, cheating, stealing, and drug addiction; for all the scheming, treachery, and deceit; for all the covetousness, gambling, corruption, and financial fraud; for all the adultery, fornication, and homosexuality; for all the abortions; for the rejection of God in the schools, the governments, and the courts—and in individual lives. 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 any more?] 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,' says the Lord" (Jer. 6:13-15).
Again, God pleads with the people to repent, but they would not listen. "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, 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' " (verses 16-19).
God will honor the few who repent and turn to Him. However, the majority of people will only continue to go their own way. On the other hand, we must continue to trust God in order to remain faithful and stay spiritually strong. Here is how we can do it, as David was inspired to write: "To You, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. O my God, I trust in You; do not let me be ashamed; let not my enemies triumph over me. Yea, let none who wait on You be ashamed; let them be ashamed who deal treacherously without cause.
"Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You do I wait all the day long. Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindness, for they have been of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Your lovingkindness remember me for Your goodness' sake, O Lord.
"Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He will teach sinners in the way. The meek He will guide in judgment; and the meek He will teach His way. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth to those who keep His covenant and His testimonies" (Psa. 25:1-10).
Again, in these times of trouble God will be with us if we remain steadfast in the truth and love of God: "Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul trusts in You; yea, in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge until these great troubles pass by. I will cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me. He shall send from heaven and save me; He rebukes him who would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth His mercy and His truth…. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Your glory be above all the earth.
"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I myself will awake the dawn. I will praise You, O Lord, among the people; I will sing of You among the nations, for Your steadfast mercy is great even unto the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. Be exalted above the heavens, O God; let Your glory be above all the earth" (Psa. 57:1-3, 5, 7-11).
When we maintain our fellowship and relationship with God the Father and Jesus Christ in love, trust, and obedience, we can have full assurance and confidence that God will see us through all the circumstances we might face. As David said, "I will bless the Lord Who has given me counsel; my heart also instructs me in the nights. I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore My heart is glad, and My glory rejoices; My flesh also shall rest in hope" (Psa. 16:7-9).
Special Announcement: On November 16th I was in Pasadena, California, where we have a large fellowship group. This particular Sabbath we had nearly 50 in attendance. I am pleased to announce that Darrell Brown, a longtime elder formerly with the WCG, and I ordained Bryon Norrod as a Deacon. Byron has been faithfully serving the brethren in love for a number of years. After the collapse of the WCG, the Pasadena brethren experienced numerous difficulties. But Bryon was always ready to help, freely giving of his time to comfort and pray with the distressed brethren. Many of you have heard him on our CBCG Go To Meeting Friday evening presentations.
Special DVD: This month we are sending you a special DVD produced on Church at Home. It contains the following video segments:
- The Delusion of Drugs
- How to Overcome Addiction
- What has God Done for Mankind?
- How to Connect With Christ
- Witchcraft in Entertainment and Media—Part One
- Witchcraft in Entertainment and Media—Part Two
The Delusion of Drugs is especially moving; you may want to share it with others.
Brethren, in these critical times all of us need to truly draw close to God the Father and Jesus Christ with the ultimate spiritual goal in the forefront of our minds: being born into the Family of God. We need to continue to build and maintain our spiritual relationship with them through constant prayer and daily Bible study. If we do, there is no doubt that we can endure whatever the future brings—with the faith, hope, and love of God—as we develop godly character and true righteousness. Remember to stand in grace, walk in faith, believe in hope, and live in love.
Thank you for your love and prayers, and for your reaching out to other brethren and to new people by giving them CDs, DVDs, books, and literature—and for directing them to our websites. Thank you for your continued support through your tithes and offerings. God will surely bless you with sufficiency in all things, as He has promised. We pray for you every day that God may continue to bless you with His love and grace in all things.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
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