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Christian Biblical Church of God
Post Office Box 1442
Hollister, California 95024-1442
(831)-637-1875
Fred R. Coulter
Minister
February 19, 2008
Dear Brethren,
Earlier this month, Dolores
and I were able to visit with Chad and Rachelle and see our
newest, beautiful grandson Zachery, who now weighs nearly 11
pounds. Though he had a shaky start, being 5-1/2 weeks
premature, he is doing just fine—and Rachelle is an excellent
mother. It has been a trying time for all of us because of
Zachery being so little and being in the hospital for over a
week. During our visit, Rachelle treated us, all of Chad’s
family and Ed and Belinda Davis to wonderful, home-grown Barbado
Sheep leg-of-lamb and loin chops. It was great to be able
to spend the time visiting all of them.
On Sabbath, February 9, we had
double services in Waco, Texas, with about 75 brethren gathered
for this special occasion. On Sunday, I went down to
Houston and met with 38 brethren, holding double services there
as well. It was a most profitable trip. I returned home on
Monday afternoon, while Dolores came in on Wednesday after
visiting her brother in Nowata, Oklahoma.
Unfortunately, I came down with a severe case of the flu, which
put me in bed for five days. This is the first time I have
been sick in nearly three years, and it really laid me low.
As I write this letter, I am about over it—but I am still
hacking and coughing a great deal. I hope and pray that
all of you are doing well.
While
recuperating I watched a great deal of the news. It is certainly
evident—based on the ongoing political campaigns in the
United States—that the majority of Americans do not really
believe in the Bible, in Jesus Christ or in God the Father.
God has been virtually shut out of the government, shut out of
the schools, shut out of public life—and shut out of the
personal lives of most people. However, God does exist.
God rules in the heavens and on the earth, and sets up over the
nations even the “basest of men” (Dan
4:17).
Those who
think that God does not rule in the nations and in the
lives of men are greatly mistaken. God has given mankind
free moral agency and has set before us life and death—commanding
us to choose which way we will follow. This applies to all
nations—to every human being. Yet, rebellious
mankind refuses to recognize this fact of existence.
Indeed, the
very choices God set before the children of Israel are the same
choices He originally set before Adam and Eve in the Garden of
Eden: “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 so 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, 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. I call heaven and earth to record this
day against you that 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, so
that you may dwell in the land which the Lord
swore to your fathers—to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob—to give
it to them” (Deut.
30:15-20).
God rules,
whether for life or death—for blessing or cursing. Those
whom God has called to eternal life—blessing. For
those who shut out God or reject Him—death! As the
Old Testament amply demonstrates, time and time again—throughout
their entire history as a nation—God pleaded with Israel to love
Him, to obey Him and to keep His commandments. But they refused.
In the book of Hosea, God clearly shows what happens to a
society when it rejects God. In fact, Hosea’s prophecy is
for the people of Israel today—and not just for the Jews, but
for the modern descendants of the northern ten tribes:
“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.
By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and the
committing of adultery they break out; and blood touches blood’
” (Hosea 4:1-2). This
prophecy clearly describes the
United States today—as well as the whole world. Indeed, God also
has a controversy with all the nations of the world (Jer.
25:31).
Sin affects
everything. The land, the oceans, wildlife—all are affected by
man’s sin. Notice:
“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. Yes, the fish of the sea shall also be taken
away…. And you shall stumble
in the day, and the prophet also shall stumble with you in
the night, and I will destroy your mother. My
people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you
have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being as a
priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the law of your
God, I will also forget your children”
(Hosea 4:3-6).
Children of
this generation are all but forgotten—shoved aside by negligent
parents, and “dumbed down” not only by our educational
institutions but by the popular media as well (including movies,
television, music, publications, etc.).
Yet, in
spite of all these troubles, the majority of people will not
seek God. They will continue trying to solve problems
their own way—collectively and individually—without seeking
God’s solution. Human solutions will not work—because the
cause is not simple human error, but the fact that we
have rejected God and are living in sin. Until
there is repentance, there will be no change. The truth
is: NO
ONE CAN SOLVE HIS OR HER PROBLEMS WITHOUT GOD! Hosea continues:
“As they were increased, so they
sinned against Me. I will change their glory into shame. They
eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their
iniquity. And it has become, like people, like priest; and I
will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their
doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. 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”
(verses 7-10).
God must
judge sin—yet He is merciful and kind and has no pleasure in the
death of the wicked. Whenever there is true repentance,
God will forgive—He will intervene and save and protect:
“ ‘And you, son of man, speak to
the house of Israel. Thus shall you speak, saying, “When
our transgressions and our sins are on us, and we are
wasting away in them, how then shall we live?” Say to them, “As
I live,” says the Lord GOD, “I have no delight in the death
of the wicked, except that the wicked turn from his way, and
live. Turn you, turn you from your evil ways; for why
will you die, O house of
Israel?”
’ ” (Ezek. 33:10-11).
As we see
end-time prophecies being fulfilled before our very eyes, we
need not fear. If we are seeking God, and loving God the
Father and Jesus Christ with all our hearts, He will watch over
us and protect us. In fact, God will separate the
righteous from the wicked and give them special protection, even
during God’s most horrible judgments. Ezekiel prophesied of this
as well: “ ‘Therefore I
will also deal with fury; My eye shall not spare, nor will I
have pity. And though they cry in My ears with a loud
voice, I will not hear them.’ And He cried in my ears with
a loud voice, saying, ‘Let the executioners of the city draw
near, even each with his destroying weapon in his hand.’
And behold, six men came from the way of the Upper Gate which
faces north, and each had his slaughter weapon in his hand. And
one man among them was clothed with linen, and a writer’s
inkhorn by his side. And they went in and stood beside the
bronze altar. And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up
from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the
temple. And He called to the man clothed in linen, with
the writer’s inkhorn by his side. And the Lord
said to him, ‘Go through in the midst of the city, in the midst
of Jerusalem, and set a mark on the foreheads of the men who
are groaning and are mourning because of all the abominations
that are done in her midst.’ And He said to those in my
hearing, ‘Go through the city after him, and slaughter. Let not
your eye spare, nor have pity. Fully destroy old men,
young men and virgins, and little children and women. But do
not come near any man on whom is the mark. And begin
at My sanctuary.’ And they began with the old men who were
before the temple” (Ezek.
8:18-9:6).
Because of
God’s gracious promises, we need not fear at all. Instead,
we need to take the opportunity today to draw closer to
God. We need to yield our hearts and minds to God
the Father and Jesus Christ—in love, faith and hope. Christ will
help us, comfort us and be with us: “For He said, ‘In no way
will I ever leave you; no, nor will I ever forsake you in
any way.’ So then, let us boldly say, ‘The Lord is my
helper, and I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?’… Jesus
Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever”
(Heb. 13:5-8).
Regardless
of your circumstances—whether you are young or old, whether you
are strong or weak, whether you are newly converted or a
long-time saint, whether you are rich or poor—if you love God
and keep His commandments, Jesus Christ promises that He will
watch over you. Notice: “I know your works. Behold,
I have set before you an open door, and no one has the power to
shut it; because you have a little strength, and have kept My
word, and have not denied My name [in this wicked and evil
generation]. Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of
Satan, who proclaim themselves to be Jews and are not, but do
lie; behold, I will cause them to come and worship before your
feet, and to know that I have loved you.
“Because
you have kept the word of My patience, I also will keep you from
the time of temptation, which is about to come upon the
whole world to test those who dwell on the earth.
Behold, I am coming quickly; hold fast that which you have, so
that no one may take away your crown. The one who
overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and
he shall not go out any more; and I will write upon him the name
of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the new
Jerusalem, which will come down out of heaven from My
God, and I will write upon him My new name. The one
who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the
churches” (Rev. 3:8-13).
If we live
in God’s love and faith every day, we can be sure that God will
keep His promises to us. Jesus Christ is the head of the
Church. Through the power of His Holy Spirit, He is in
you. He will never fail you! God the
Father and Jesus Christ love you. You have been called to
eternal glory—and they will give you eternal life.
When we keep these truths uppermost in our thoughts, we will
have peace of mind—regardless of the conditions around us
personally and in the world.
Update on the Bible Project:
Just as they began printing the new Bible, the Chinese New Year
interrupted their work. The Chinese New Year is best
compared to a combined family reunion, Forth-of-July
celebration, and two-week vacation—enjoyed by the entire nation.
The holiday shut down the printing facility from February 3 to
February 17. However, they will be back to work this week
and we hope to have the first sample copies around March 10.
March 20 is the anticipated ship date, so you will be receiving
your Bibles just before or just after the Feast of Unleavened
Bread.
Because of the flu, I am making
this letter a bit short. However, we are including the
annual Web site report, as well as other information I have
mentioned in recent sermons.
Brethren, we love you, pray for
you daily, and continually ask God to watch over you and protect
you in all circumstances. We thank you for your continued
support through your love, prayers and tithes and offerings.
May God bless you with His love and grace and prosper you in all
things.
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
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