News/Prophecy & God is For You

Fred R. Coulter—November 12, 2011

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Greetings, everyone! Welcome to Sabbath services. This Sabbath we're going to cover several different topics. We'll cover some things in news and then we will look at some other things a little later on. First of all, let me just read part of an email that was sent to me.

When we get 100-million, that's a hundred million willing Christians, to bond together, voice their concerns and vote, we can take back America, with God's help.

That's what the evangelicals are trying to do. Now, we don't know how their efforts will go in this coming election. However, here's something that we need to understand. This helps answer the question: How did we get to where we are today?

In 1952 President Truman established the Day of Prayer. In 1988 President Reagan designated the first Thursday in May of each year as the National Day of Prayer. In June 2007, then presidential candidate Barack Hussein Obama declared that the USA was no longer a Christian nation.

Very interesting.

This year President Obama canceled the twenty-first annual Day of Prayer ceremony at the White House by saying that we don't want to offend anyone. But on September 25th from 4 a.m. to 7 p.m. a national day of prayer for the Muslim religion was held on Capitol Hill beside the White House. There were 50,000 Muslims in Washington, D.C., that day. And he prayed with them.

I guess it doesn't matter if Christians are offended by this event. We obviously don't count anyone anymore. The direction this country is headed should strike fear in the heart of every Christian, especially knowing that the Muslim religion believes that Christians that cannot be converted should be annihilated.

This shows how we've gotten rid of God. Hosea 4 tells us some very important things. This also ties in with the latest news that has been on the news now for three days.

People don't understand that when you go against God, He doesn't come out of heaven and strike you down necessarily. There have been some cases of that. However, God knows, because He has created His laws and they are spiritual and they apply all the time to everybody everywhere, then the sins of the people will just accumulate more and more and more and their sins will end up being the punishment that comes upon them. At the same time, everyone still thinks he's doing right. We're going to read a couple of descriptions of Israel, which are actually prophetic for us today.

Hosea 4:1: "Hear the Word of the LORD, children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, 'There is no Truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.'" Yes, we want to give all of the criminals mercy and the ones that should be executed give them mercy and let them go. But notice how this ties right in with our society today.

Verse 2: "By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and the committing of adultery they break out; and blood touches blood." Do we have that? Think about all the abortions. In one of the sermons that you will receive pretty quickly, if you haven't already received it, was by Michael Heiss, who gave a message at the Feast of Tabernacles. It's called God's Justice System, Redeemer/Blood Avenger. One of the reasons why Christ is going to come back in such power and fury is because He's avenging the blood of the saints, the prophets, and the innocents who have been killed.

Here's what happens, v 3: "Therefore, shall the land mourn, and everyone who dwells in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the heavens. Yea, the fish of the sea shall also be taken away…. [v 5]: …And you shall stumble in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother." That's exactly what's happening.

On the way up I was listening to the news and all of the wonderful Sunday-keeping preachers down in Oakland where they have the 'Occupy Oakland' where they've had the fires and the looting and the burning and the stealing and the rapes. Wonderful demonstration of obedient citizens, you would think—huh?

They came down there, and today, they're trying to make it peaceful. They're trying to heal the problems that occurred because of the sit-ins. Well, they're not going to do it. They're all 100% for what the people are rioting against. But here's what happens. Think of this. Many different ways that this happens along with it. You can add in drugs, you can add in the way that we're living, you can add in the financial crises and things like that that are going on where they have to cut back on police and firemen and so forth.

It's like the one town in Alabama that they just ran out of money. All the retired teachers and policemen and firemen came and protested before the city council. And they said, 'We don't have any money.' But the city council was the one who agreed to the terms of the unions, and the unions were the ones who were demanding of it. And no one has any thought as to what's going to happen when the money runs out.

Verse 6: "'My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.… [Because they reject God, people don't have knowledge of right and wrong.] ...Because you have rejected knowledge..." It's not a matter of lack of knowledge because they're ignorant. It's a matter of lack of knowledge because they reject it. And the very thing that they reject is what they need to keep these things from happening, which is the Word of God. Here is a living principle. You reject God; He will reject you!

"...Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being a priest to Me.…" (v 6). Remember, the original mission that Israel was given there in Exo. 19 was that they were to be a kingdom of priests for God to go into the whole world and teach them God's way. Since God made His covenant with them, God did not go to other people; He didn't go to any other nation.

Verse 7: "As they were increased, so they sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame." All of those who are trying to bring this nation back to where it was, are saying, 'Well, if we do this, if we do that, if we do the other thing…' There's no national call of repentance. There is no way of straightening it out.

Verse 8: "They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And it has become, like people, like priest... [like what's happening down there in Oakland today] ...and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings… [that's exactly what is happening today] …for they shall eat and not have enough..." (vs 8-10). Yes, and they'll all get overweight, too, because of the nature of the food and the nature of the medicines, the nature of everything that we do to the land and the environment. It all adds up: a little bit of this, a little bit of that, incremental of this, incremental of that, defining deviancy down, eliminating sin.

"...They shall commit whoredom and not increase because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart" (vs 10-11). They're not able to think. They have no understanding. They don't have the compassion they ought to have. Look at the situation at Penn State that unfolded this last week where one of the assistant coaches was performing sodomy right in the shower at the Penn State locker-room where the football players got ready for their games. Penn State has 110,000 out there in the stadium every game. Don't you think that brings a lot of money? They didn't handle it. He should have been fired right on the spot. He should have been turned in to the police right on the spot. But what happened? They didn't! It kept going!

Now they're probably going to find that this man violated many boys, but he's out on bail and the students are rioting for the coach because he was fired. And in an interview with a couple of—as the Bible says—empty-headed women, a couple of young female students there, they had no thought for the boy; they had no thought for what is right. All they wanted was to reinstitute the coach, Joe Paterno, so he could coach the last game. Trustees and board of directors had to fire him. But where will this lead? How's the punishment going to be meted out?

Rather than seeking advice from God, v 12: "My people seek advice from their wooden idols, and their rod declares to them, for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to go astray, and they have gone a whoring away from under their God."

This is why, one of the first things that Satan always does is to try and get people involved in illicit sex and try and get things defining deviancy down. In San Francisco they're seeking permission to eat in a naked cafe and have the naked cafe right on the street. No sense, no understanding, nothing but lust and greed.

Verse 14: "Will I not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, or your wives when they commit adultery? Even the men themselves go aside with whores, and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes. The people who do not understand shall fall."

How many times does God have to give warning? I've said several times, why don't you just read through the whole book of Jeremiah and you see how God pleaded with the children of Israel. He says, 'What is this you're doing? Why don't you return?' But all nations degenerate and they come to a point where the overpowering perversion of sex and crime and Satan and demonism all combine together. As I pointed on the Transhumanism sermons, that they now understand that behind the physical cells in our bodies that keeps them running is something that has to be spirit. So, rather than seek God, they are seeking spirits: ghost shows, witches. There are 2-million witches in America right now that are registered. How does that compare with the Churches of God?

Jeremiah 6:13: "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." It was reported that Oakland is trying to handle this 'Occupy Oakland,'—the fire, the shooting, and all of the rebellious, disobedient with drugs, rape, everything going on, trying to express their right—so they asked other police departments to help them. They were turned down with a caveat, 'if we come it's $1,000 per day per policeman and if you do hire us, the $1,000 a day is just the starting point.'

Speaking of priests. Even one of a Church of God:

Local minister indicted for tax evasion charges. A Union, Kentucky minister was indicted Thursday by a Federal grand jury for attempting to evade thousands of dollars in income taxes. The indictment alleges Ronald E. Weinland, 62…

He's the one who claimed that he was one of the two prophets and his wife was the other one. Why does God let these things happen? It's like I started out, the penalty automatically comes in the time that God determines!

…attempted to evade taxes in the amount of $357,065 over a period of five years starting in 2005.

His fatal mistake was he opened a Swiss bank account. Now the Swiss bank accounts of Americans must be reported to the IRS. And everyone that has a Swiss bank account is going to be audited. It gets back to Num. 32:23, 'Be sure your sins will find you out.' Always happens!

Verse 14: "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?….'" (vs 14-15). That includes all sodomy and bestiality and all the things that they're doing. Throw in there all the scientific investigation into transhumanism. Throw in there genetically modified foods. Throw in there all of the destruction of people because of the prescription drugs that they have. All of it! Consider everything. Consider the neglect of the parents toward the children, the neglect of the children toward the parents.

"'…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" (v 15). God always gives warnings; He always gives punishment to come along. Sooner or later it catches up with everyone—doesn't it?

Give you an example, a little sleight of hand. President Johnson—in order to make the budget balance between 1964 and 1968—he took social security trust funds and mixed it into the regular budget, so there would not be deficit. And from that time Congress has been putting IOUs into the trust fund, so there is nothing left, but a stack of IOUs. What do we have today? The whole nation is going to go the way of that little old town in Alabama, 'We're out of money.' Even the state of Ohio is there. 'We're out of money.' All the union workers want their wages. They want totally publicly paid benefits of health and retirement, without having to contribute a penny.

Then they always rig the rules, so the old timers will be sure and get maximum retirement by doing this: The last three years before they retire is one of the basis that in many of the contracts they figure out what to pay them for retirement. So, all the old timers get the overtime so that in the last three years the majority of them are making well over $100,000 a year. Rather than accepting the fact that they have to take care of the finances now, and you have to pay for a portion of your retirement, and a portion of your health benefits, the unions poured in all kinds of money into the state of Ohio and they ran a vote against what the legislature had passed to cause all the public service unions to pay part of their retirement and part of their health plans.

The people, along with the unions, voted that down 69%. They also went to the other extreme, which really is the same kind of vote—greed! They had another ballot measure that was passed 69-31% that the citizens of Ohio could not be forced to pay health care premiums to the government. What can you say? One defies the other, that both would pass the way that they did, because here they say (the 69%), 'We don't want to have to pay for health care ourselves. The government can't take it out.' Now everyone says, 'Well, that's a victory for the Republicans.' No! It wasn't the same attitude as it was for the firemen and the public service union employees. They don't want anything taken out of their paycheck to pay for their retirement and benefits. The same thing: All covetousness! All greed! So, Governor Kasich had to stand up and say, 'Well, folks, I accept the vote. You voted it, but don't come to the state for any money. We're broke, we have no money. All you municipalities and counties out there are going to have to take care of it your own.' What they're going to do is put on the ballot tax increases for the county or the city, and guess what? The citizens are going to vote it down! Covetousness!

Verse 13: "For everyone from the least of them even to the greatest of them...everyone deals falsely."

Verse 16: "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."…. [Isn't that what they say? Yes, indeed!] …Also I set watchmen over you, saying, "Hearken to the sound of the ram's horn."….'" (vs 16-17). That's a sound of alarm, a sound of war. Have we heard a lot of alarms: economically speaking? societal speaking? criminal law speaking?

They were talking on the news about this situation in Penn State and it was brought up, all these pedophiles out there, and there are thousands of them. If you don't believe there are, you go on a Google search and look for sexual predators and pedophiles in your community, because they all have to register. There's some right near you. But even though they've been caught, arrested, prosecuted, and let go, when they get out again, they go online and they start being predators again for underage boys and girls.

Have you seen the CNBC documentary on that? What they do, they run a sting operation and they catch these men who deliberately are trying to solicit 12, 13, 14, 15-year-olds for sex—male and female. Some of them drive several hundred miles to come to the house, but it's a setup. They get the picture of them and the moderator comes out and he asks them, 'Why are you here?' Oh, just to talk! Then he said, 'Well, I have this transcript here.' He reads them part of the transcript and then they start saying, 'Well, I know it was wrong, but I didn't intend any harm.'

This is multiplied over and over and over again to where one of the—like the Penn State incident occurred. They don't want to walk in the old paths and they don't want to do what God says. God says they should be executed, so you keep the evil out of the land. Likewise, cruel and unusual punishment is life in prison. God said to execute those, 'those who are worthy of death, execute them.' Since we don't, our prisons are full. We're running out of tax money; the penalties come along right away.

"…'But they said, "We will not hearken.".... [Listen, to obey! When you're going through and reading the book of Jeremiah, please note how many times God says, 'You didn't obey My voice.] ...Therefore, hear you nations, and know, O congregation, what will happen to them…. [the congregation happens to be the remnant of the Church of God] …Hear, O earth... [How many times do we hear heaven and earth concerning the Word of God. And Jesus saying, 'Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.'] ...behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts... [And if their thoughts are only evil continually, guess what's going to happen?] ...because they have not hearkened to My words, nor to My Law, but have rejected it'" (vs 17-19).

It's amazing how these things are going to come. How many times did God plead with them? He even told them that if they would stop killing their children in offering them to Moloch, and if they would keep the Sabbath, they wouldn't go into captivity. Everyone wants the blessings; everyone wants the monetary reward. But it doesn't come through sin and through demands. It comes through loving God and serving Him!

Here's another time. This happened over and over and over again. Look at the length of time that these things were, Isaiah 1:1: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." Long period of time. They were warned. We read in Jer. 6 where He says, 'Hear, O earth.'

Verse 2: "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth... [heaven and earth] ...for the LORD has spoken, 'I have reared and brought up children, but they have rebelled against Me." You can read in the book of Judges and the book of 1st & 2nd-Samuel, 1st & 2nd-Kings, 1st & 2nd-Chronicles all of the prophecies for the Minor Prophets.

He says we're more stupid than cattle, v 3: "'The ox knows his owner, and the donkey his master's crib; but Israel does not know Me; My people do not understand.' Ah, sinful nation, a people burdened with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children who deal corruptly! They have forsaken the LORD; they have provoked the Holy One of Israel to anger; they have gone away backward" (vs 3-4).

The way things are going to lineup be careful how they're lined up, because it's going to come in a way not expected. It's going to come one after the other: financial problems, natural disasters. Look how many we had this year, record number of tornadoes. What did we have the year before? Record number of hurricanes! What did Texas go through, Texas and Oklahoma? Record drought!

When you read Deut. 28, all of those things are happening, all across, with all the children of Israel. He says, 'How do you like all your sin and punishment you're receiving? You want the pain and agony to stop?' All right, God says here, v 5: "Why should you be stricken any more? You will revolt more and more; the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even to the top of the head there is no soundness in it; only wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, nor bound up, nor soothed with ointment" (vs 5-6). And you can't even get the things done in the government and in the churches to begin to make a dent in all of these problems.

I know that these things are difficult to listen to and go through. I understand that. But unless we understand what is coming, how will we be prepared? Not only prepared in a physical way, but how are we going to be prepared in the spiritual way, in an emotional way, for the difficulties that are coming?

Verse 7: "Your country is a desolation, your cities are burned with fire... [We've had that here in California—haven't we? They've had it in Texas. They had it in Oklahoma.] ...Strangers devour your land right in your very presence... [Are they not buying it? Yes, they are! Yes, indeed!] ...and it is wasted, as overthrown by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left as a booth in a vineyard, like a hut in a garden of cucumbers, like a besieged city" (vs 7-8). Someone asked me what is it there 'like a hut in a garden of cucumbers.' It means that you just let everything go wild. You don't care of everything and pretty soon everything is all overgrown. I remember one time in Idaho, I think I've mentioned this before, we left to go on vacation, and we were in a joint project with a couple of other brethren up there for a garden.

When we were gone for the two weeks, the only thing that happened was that it was irrigated. When we came back, the whole garden was overgrown with morning glories. And once those get a hold, you can't stop it. So, we had virtually nothing out of that garden. This is a good description of it.

Here's the hope, and the hope has got to be the brethren of the Churches of God. And so even within the Churches of God there needs to be a change in our own particular lives. We're living in the most convenient time in the whole world. It's cold, you get up in the morning and say, 'Oh, it's cold.' Turn on the heat. You need food, you go down to the supermarket and there's everything you want there and it's always been there. Like the anti-killing of animals, some lamebrain in San Francisco wrote, put a little comment in the paper, 'If you want beef, don't kill the animals, go to the store and buy it.'

My suggestion for those who don't believe in fur coats and leather boots, leather shoes, because you're killing animals, you need to get a one-way ticket to the first town north of the Arctic Circle, and you need to live there and find out what it's like to live in the cold, and to understand why God gave animals for clothing. Who, by the way, God Himself after the sin of Adam and Eve made them clothing from goat's skin—right?

Back to the small remnant, v 9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have become like Gomorrah." Is that telling us perhaps maybe why we haven't had any nuclear terrorist attacks? I do not know!

Read about the Churches of God in Rev. 2 & 3 and that tells you the Churches of God have a lot of work to do to clean up their own act—don't they? Because we are not all yielding to God the way that we ought to.

Verse 10: "Hear the Word of the LORD, rulers of Sodom; give ear to the law of our God, people of Gomorrah. 'To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices to Me?' says the LORD…." (vs 10-11). The sacrifice is going to start the 25th of November. That's the onslaught to the stores to buy the gifts to celebrate Christmas to honor God while they satiate themselves with everything that they want. Come to God and say, 'Oh, this is wonderful.' It would almost be incredible if a large number of people would come to understand, 'We've been deceived.'

Remember this: Satan always begins with a benefit or with humor! Always! That's why all children are indoctrinated by Walt Disney and cartoons. Their minds are already programmed for witchcraft; already programmed for doing things the way of the world. And then they go to school, and by time they're 12-years-old, like in New York City, it's mandatory that they be taught every perverted sex act under the sun, because the parents have neglected them, and the schools have to deal with the consequences there. But the schools also promote it because the teachers also have sex with their students. Yet they're 'religious.'

It says bring no more vain sacrifices here, v 12: "When you come to appear before Me, who has required this at your hand, to trample My courts?" That was when the temple was still standing. And what did they do? 'Oh, well, we've got to improve on what God does. That's have a little corner over here for Moloch. And let's have a little corner over here for Baal. And, oh, yes, we need to put an idol up here, right over the gate, just so that we can please everybody. We don't want these other people to be offended.' There's no way you're not going to offend the punisher with the sword and the avenger that is living within the land right now today. If you can't figure that out, then I can't help you.

Verse 13: "Bring no more vain sacrifices; incense is an abomination to Me—new moon and Sabbath..." I just wrote a paper on the new moon and the Sabbath, because there are those out there set to destroy the Sabbath while they're saying they found a better way on how to calculate the Sabbath. I'm going to have to give a separate video on that to go with our calendar things. This is why

  • you need to study
  • you need to pray
  • you need to be diligent in what you are doing

—because not only the things in the world, but there will be things within the Churches of God where there are going to be the tares, there are going to be the ones that have snuck in, there are going to be the ones who are infiltrators to take down.

"...new moon and Sabbath, the calling of assemblies; I cannot endure iniquity along with the solemn assembly! Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates; they are a trouble to Me; I am weary to bear them" (vs 13-14). We're going to have all of these ceremonies—aren't we? 'Yes, we're doing Christmas for the sake of children. Yes, all these lies are good white lies and we all have a good time. Besides I like all the things that I get, and the children are all excited.'

God says, v 15: "And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide My eyes from you; yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood." What should the nation do? Anyone want to turn around this nation? Are the people even willing to do it? What sort of condition do they have to get in to, to be willing to hear?

If someone really, really preached the Truth to them, they would reject it. How about someone going up to Bill O'Reilly and saying, 'Bill, you think you're a good Catholic. You think you're a good Christian. You have fought for the right to have manger scenes in the city square. And you denounce anyone who says they shouldn't be there as being against God. Well, why don't you take your Douay Version of the Bible and why don't you read about idolatry and read in Jeremiah 10 about the Christmas tree?' All of those things!

I wonder what his reaction would be. Would he say, 'Oh, that's right. By the way, I have to let everybody know on my Bill O'Reilly show that this is not right before God.' How about all the churches? They have all their Christmas drives right now—don't they? Would they listen?

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There's one thing that God does not like to do. You read in Ezek. 33, He says, 'I do not delight in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked would turn from his way.' And whenever you go through all of these prophecies where they have what God is going to do with the punishment, there's always a space of repentance. God always gives time for a space of repentance.

He does here, Isaiah 1:16: "Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean... [How do you do that? You stop doing the sins, resolve to change and quit. When you come to the New Testament application of it, then you have to go to Christ to have your sins forgiven.] ...put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan, plead for the widow'" (vs 16-17).

Where is the first place to begin? All the clergy! How are you going to reform them? All of those who have their feel-good kind of Christian religion, whether they worship on Sunday or Sabbath, or whatever, are you willing to do that? Are you willing to stand in the pulpit and tell your people, 'Don't keep Christmas, don't keep Halloween, don't keep New Years'? Will any of the 'religionists' reform? Maybe one here or there!

Let's try politics. Let's go to Washington, D.C., pronounce to the President, the Senate, the House of Representatives and the Supreme Court the ultimatum of what God says that will help you get this nation squared around. After all, don't you say that's what you want to do? Don't you say you want it to be good for everyone? Don't you say that you are here to do good?

Here's the recipe, v 16: "'Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do good; seek judgment, reprove the oppressor. Judge the orphan, please for the widow'" (vs 16-17).

That's just the start! This could even be done by the President since he claims to be Christian, which he had his flub concerning his Muslim faith. But since he claims to be Christian and he wants the good of the country and he wants to bring jobs and he wants to stop the economic disaster we're facing, at least he tells us that.

Jeremiah 5:1: "Run to and fro through the streets of... [Washington, D.C.? No it says here]: ...Jerusalem... [could be any city] ...and see now, and know, and seek in her open places, if you can find a man..." Or in today's world, even a woman. You know why Michelle Bachman could not get elected? She believes in God, she believes the nation is being punished because of our sins! She even quoted part of the prayer of Solomon where Solomon prayed that 'if My people would pray to this place and return to Me, then I would forgive their sins.' Oh, but you can't mention that, because of the Muslims, and the Buddhists, and the Christians, and the Catholics, and whatever other brand of religion you have. Is there anyone there in Washington, D.L.C.—District of Liars and Corruption—who fits this right here?

"'...if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks the Truth..." (v 1). Not a political solution, because remember: political solutions never solve spiritual problems. And all of our problems are spiritual:

  • the national problems
  • the health problems
  • the economic problems
  • the child behavior problems
  • the educational problems

—are all spiritual because they have rejected God. "...if there is one who does justice, who seeks the Truth; and I will pardon her" (v 1). God would hold off the hand of His judgment.

Isaiah 1—let's see what would have to happen then. Here's what would have to happen. Vast repentance! This is why Jesus held out the example of Nineveh and Jonah's preaching as an example of what the people in His day should do because they repented at the preaching of Jonah.

Here's what they would have to do, Isaiah 1:18: "'Come now, and let us reason together,' says the LORD. 'Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient... [you need both—willing and obedient] ...you shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword;' for the mouth of the LORD has spoken it" (vs 18-20).

Here we are with all of these things we're looking at right now. That's why those of us in the Church of God need to find our strength and our help in God. The world is not going to change. Maybe a small section of people in some area might. Maybe some Protestant churches may. But overall they are not going to do it. That's why we have to be strong.

There are some very interesting Psalms that we need to go over so we can claim the promises of God; so that we are not swept along in the political and religious warfare that's going to take place in the world. Because through it all:

  • we've got to grow
  • we've got to change
  • we have to have faith in God

And though we can look out at the world and we can see all these things that are going on, the most we can do is—if we can on a one-to-one basis—help someone. Through Church at Home we're trying to reach people who are trying to find God. And through all of our books and publications we are helping a great number of people starting to get their lives squared around.

Here's what it has to be for us, Psalm 56:1: "Be gracious unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up; fighting all the day, he oppresses me." And sometimes there are days you feel oppressed. Sometimes there are days you just feel that you're having to fight every day for everything.

Verse 2: "Those who lie in wait for me would trample me, for many are those who proudly fight against me. When I am afraid, I will trust in You…. [Today more than ever before this is what we really need in our lives. God is there to help us.] …In God—I will praise His word—in God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid... [You go from being afraid and fearful of the things that are coming to where you are not afraid because of God.] ...I will not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?…. [you also have days like this]: …All day long they pervert my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil. They stir up strife; they hide themselves; they watch my steps as they wait for my soul" (vs 2-6). Could those be some of the thoughts of Jesus during His ministry? Could be! Was everyone against Him? Yes! Like I mentioned here recently, Jesus offended everyone, even all of the disciples were offended at Him the Passover night.

Verse 7: "Because of iniquity cast them out. In Your anger cast down the people, O God. You number my wanderings, O put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will be turned back…." (vs 7-9). That's how we survive! That's how we are able to handle these things! Come to God; He will turn back the enemy.

Have a good example of that with this false preacher, Ron Weinland. Remember when we covered some of these things and I gave the sermons, a false prophet within the Church of God? What did we say? His day is coming! Did his day come when he least expected it? Did his day come to stop him from doing what he was doing? Yes! When we pray for those in the church, we also need to pray that God will bring the ministers and the brethren to repentance as well. And if not, if there are ministers who are hurting the brethren, deceiving them, lying to them, that God would expose them and take care of it. He will! This is why I've said, when you pray, open the Bible to the Psalms. Use the Psalms as part of your prayer and let those things be kind of an introduction for your praying and then begin to add your own words to it.

But here it is right here: "…This I know because God is for me. In God—I will praise His word; in the LORD—I will praise His word. In God I have put my trust; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (vs 9-11). Tie that together with v 4: "…What can flesh do to me?"

Let's see what Jesus said. This is quite a thing. He said we're going to face this. Matthew 10 has to do with the preaching and teaching. This also has to do with the society that we are living in. Matthew 10:16: "Behold, I am sending you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves. But beware of men; for they will deliver you up to councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues…. [Did they do that to the apostles? Yes, they did!] …And you shall also be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a witness to them and to the Gentiles.... [They didn't buy their way into heads of states.] ...Now when they deliver you up, do not be anxious about how or what you should speak; for in that hour it shall be given to you what you shall speak. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father that speaks in you" (vs 16-20). This is why if you have a relationship with God and the Spirit of God, you will know what to say when the time comes.

Now notice, it's going to be a difficult proposition. We've lived through this, we'll see it happen again. What He's saying here, brethren, is this. This will happen in cycles down through time until Christ returns.

Verse 21: "Then brother will deliver up brother to death; and the father, the child, and children will rise up against their parents and have them put to death. And you shall be hated by all for My name's sake; but the one who endures to the end, that one shall be saved" (vs 21-22). Exactly the same thing!

This I know, God is for me! That can help strengthen you mentally and spiritually, because the things we are going to face down the road, we don't know how disastrous they are going to be. We don't know how difficult they are going to be. But unless we are strengthened mentally and spiritually, and physically as much as we can, to be ready all the time, it's going to come on us and bowl us over.

Then He says here, v 23 "But when they persecute you in this city, escape into another... [How's that for traveling ministry?] ...for truly I say to you, in no way shall you have completed witnessing to the cities of Israel until the Son of man has come." This is an ongoing thing down through time, like I've said. Always remember this, and I think about this all the time. Part of my constant prayer is that with God we live and move and have our being, because of God. Always keep that in mind.

Verse 24: "A disciple is not above his teacher nor a servant above his master." That's the greatest way for all teachers and ministers to remember to not get exalted. If you sin, repent, just like you demand of brethren when they sin to repent.

And what you're going to find is this: You'll be crying out to God daily

  • for His Spirit
  • for His Word
  • for the washing of the water by the Word to the inner recesses of your mind

That is the deep part of our relationship with God. That's where we get the strength in times like this. Not to look at people and see their faults and blame them. Yeah, we can look and see their faults and what they do, but we need to come to God and always remember: this I know, God is for me.
Here's something else, v 25: "It is sufficient for the disciple that he become as his teacher, and the servant as his master." This is why we're also told, 'Let this mind be in you which was in Christ.' This is why everyone who is a preacher, elder, teacher:

  • needs to be teaching, not ruling
  • needs to be uplifting, not oppressing
  • needs to be encouraging in times of great difficulty

What did Jesus say concerning foot-washing? In John 13 we find the same thing here. This is why the more you study the Bible, the more you put it together, the more you see it is one whole unit with all these different parts that are inner connecting, just like a big sphere where you can have lines intersecting, almost an infinite number of lines coming together within this sphere, inner connecting.

Here is what He told the apostles that night, after foot-washing, John 13:12: "…He said to them, 'Do you know what I have done to you?.... [they knew this was a servant's job, washing the feet] ...You call Me the Teacher and the Lord, and you speak rightly, because I am. Therefore, if I, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, you also are duty-bound to wash one another's feet; for I have given you an example, to show that you also should do exactly as I have done to you. Truly, truly I tell you, a servant is not greater than his lord... [Same thing we're reading back here in Matt. 10—correct? Yes!] ...nor a messenger greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them'" (vs 12-17).

Let's come back here to Matthew 10, again; let's see what else He says. He gave these instructions to us so that when difficult times come; we know that He said at the end 'lawlessness is going to multiply. The love of many will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end the same shall be saved.'

Matthew 10:25: "…If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call those of his household?.... [If someone doesn't think well of you, or if someone doesn't like you, or whatever—because you serve God—don't worry about it. Pray about it. Ask God to handle it.] ...Therefore, do not fear them because there is nothing covered that shall not be uncovered, and nothing hidden that shall not be known" (vs 25-26). Does that always apply? Have we seen that over and over again? Yes, indeed, we have—haven't we?

Verse 27: "What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, proclaim upon the housetops.... [No censorship here—right?] ...Do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but do not have power to destroy the life... [The Greek there is 'psuche' and actually that's translated life more than it is soul. It's proper to translate it life here rather than soul.] ...rather, fear Him Who has the power to destroy both life and body in Gehenna'" (vs 27-28).

See how that all ties in right there? Then He talks about we're better than sparrows; even the hairs of our head are numbered (vs 29-30). This I know:

  • God is for me
  • God knows me
  • God understands me
  • God wants me to come to Him

—all of those things. Then He goes on saying the things that will happen, how every house is going to be divided against itself.

Psalm 56:13: "For you have delivered my soul from death. Have You not kept my feet from falling, so that I may walk before God in the light of the living?"

Let's go on to the next Psalm, these connect. These are tremendous Psalms, and it talks about what to do when we're in trouble. How do we handle it? Psalm 57:1: "Be gracious unto me, O God, be gracious unto me; for my soul trusts in You... [that's how it needs to be] ...in the shadow of Your wings I will make my refuge until these great troubles pass by."

  • Ask God to handle them.
  • Ask God to take care of them.
  • Ask God to intervene and change the circumstances.
  • He will!

Then we get to the end of everything, we know that it tells us that all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28)—all things!

Verse 2: "I will cry to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me." This is how, right here, this one verse and the other verse. 'This I know that God is for me'. And this verse here: He "…fulfills His purpose for me." God did not call us in vain. God knows whatever problems and difficulties you have. God wants you to change and grow and overcome. He does put upon you the burden of doing it all at once. It is a process for His purpose. If you get down and discouraged and you think all is lost and there's no hope, remember those two verses:

  • This I know, God is for me!

You cry out to God, God Most High, that means the Father.

  • Who fulfills His purpose for me!

He is fulfilling His work in you. Here's how to pray. I've been confronted from enemies within the Church and some of them still consider me an enemy of theirs, but I'm not. This is how we pray for our enemies. Let's just review that again:

  • Pray for them that they can repent and change and be converted.
  • Pray for them that they will leave you alone.
  • Pray for them that God will keep them far from you.

Then if there is no other way:

  • Pray that God will execute His judgment upon them, what He considers needs to be done.

God will do that, Psalm 59:1: "Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; defend me from those who rise up against me. Deliver me from the workers of evil and save me from bloody men" (vs 1-2). You've read some of these Psalms and think about everything that David went through. This is one of his Psalms when Saul was watching to kill him.

Verse 3: "For behold, they lie in wait for my soul; the mighty are gathered against me—not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD. Without my fault they run and prepare themselves; awaken to help me, and look upon me. And You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations… [This is carried down toward the end-time. That's interesting. If you'd like a little interesting Bible study, look up all the places where it says all nations.] ...show no mercy to any wicked traitors" (vs 3-5—those who don't repent.

Here's another one. If you've had a hard time praying or if you've had a hard time repenting, or if you've had a hard time understanding what's going on, Psalm 86:1: "Bow down Your ear, O LORD, answer me... [hear me, answer me] ...for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul... [or my life] ...for I am Holy; O You my God, save Your servant who trusts in You. Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I cry unto You all day long" (vs 1-3). How did he do that? In his mind! When you really have the relationship you need with God, you will find yourself doing that, too. That's why Paul said pray without ceasing!

Verse 4: "Rejoice the soul of Your servant, for to You, O LORD, do I lift up my soul... [Here's a promise]: ...for You, LORD, are good and ready to forgive... [He's not waiting to punish you. He wants you to repent. Now there are some times when we have to take our punishment and our lumps, too. But He is ready to forgive.] ...and rich in mercy to all those who call upon You. Give ear, O LORD, to my prayer, and attend to the voice of my supplications.... [Notice the urgency in his prayers. This is what we need in ours.] (notice the day of trouble): ...In the day of my trouble I will call upon You, for You will answer me" (vs 4-7). Remember: God is for me! God will answer me!

You can tie Psalm 61 in with Psalm 91. This is what we're going to need. We have to 'be wise as serpents, harmless as doves.' You've heard of all the economic things that may take place. They are going to happen, sooner or later. Like I've said, you need to have some physical supplies. God leaves it to you to do so. He gives the example of the ant. You don't need someone to boss you around to do it. You need to be like an ant and take care of it. Every time you go to the store, buy a little more of this, store it. Buy a little more of that and store it.

Psalm 61:1: "Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth I cry to You when my heart is overwhelmed..." (vs 1-2). There are times when we get overwhelmed. There are times we just don't know what to do. We're all going to come to circumstances where it's greater than we can handle. Why? So that we'll trust in God!

I like what William Tyndale wrote in Obedience of the Christian Man. I'll paraphrase it: If everything were good and right all the time and no troubles and no difficulties, we would of all people be most arrogant. If God bids you to go over the sea, He's going to send a tempest to test you.

What happened with the Apostle Paul on the way to Rome? They got caught in a hurricane! What did Paul have to do? He said, 'I have prayed. Everything's going to be all right.' But what did they have to do? They had to cast everything overboard so the ship wouldn't sink. The moral of that story is, never get on a ship from Egypt (joke). But he had to go by ship, was there a tempest? Yes!

Psalm 61:2: "...lead me to the Rock higher than me... [Always come to Christ. And put in there Matt. 7:24-25, because we're building a house. We're building it on the Rock. We are to endure the rain and the flood and the wind.] ...for You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower against the enemy…. [Notice what he kept his mind on—always!] …I will dwell in Your tabernacle forever; I will take refuge in the hiding place of Your wings…. [God's supernatural, spiritual protection for you.] …For You, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me the heritage of those who fear Your name. May You add to the days of the king's life; may his years be as many generations…. [We're looking for the resurrection—right?] …May he abide before God forever; prepare mercy and Truth to preserve him" (vs 2-7). Those things are really tremendous.

Use these Psalms for your prayers and that will help you in these times. If you read all of these, one after the other, see how they flow. See how David prayed. See the faith that he had.

Psalm 62:1: "Only for God does my soul wait in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I shall not be greatly moved" (vs 1-2). You can trust in Him.

In using these Psalms, preparing for the days that are ahead, because we've all been warned—haven't we? As Greece is going, so are we going to go? How do we handle that? Trust in God at all times!

Scriptural References:

  • Hosea 4:1-3, 5-12, 14
  • Jeremiah 6:13-15, 13, 16-19
  • Isaiah 1:1-17
  • Jeremiah 5:1
  • Isaiah 1:18-20
  • Psalm 56:1-11, 4
  • Matthew 10:16-25
  • John 13:12-17
  • Matthew 10:25-28
  • Psalm 56:13
  • Psalm 57:1-2
  • Psalm 59:1-5
  • Psalm 86:1-7
  • Psalm 61:1-7
  • Psalm 62:1-2

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

  • Exodus 19
  • Numbers 32:23
  • Deuteronomy 28
  • Revelation 2; 3
  • Jeremiah 10
  • Ezekiel 33
  • Matthew 10:29-30
  • Romans 8:28
  • Psalm 91
  • Matthew 7:24-25

Also referenced:
Sermons:

  • God's Justice System, Redeemer/Blood

Avenger/Redeemer by Michael Heiss

  • Transhumanism #s 1&2

Book: Obedience of the Christian Man by William
Tyndale

FRC:lp
Transcribed: 11-23-11
Formatted: bo—11-25-11

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