Greetings Brethren,
I trust that you have all had a very profitable, enjoyable and spiritually uplifting Feast of Tabernacles. The preliminary reports coming into the office here in Charlotte are very positive. Many are commenting favorably on the spiritual quality of the messages and the spiritual tone of the fellowship at the Feast this year. I enjoyed the opportunity to spend part of the Feast with brethren in Wales and also in France—where I had to keep an eye on Mr. Apartian! Our traveling speakers have all commented positively on the sites they visited and brethren they were able to speak with. For the most part, negative attitudes were largely absent.
We are all very thankful the turbulent weather generated by hurricanes that swept through the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico spared most of our brethren and the Festival sites in those areas. Our prayers go out for the people who have suffered as a result of these calamitous events.
One incident that occurred at the Clearwater, Florida site might be of interest to you. A dinner cruise was scheduled at the Feast for Sunday evening—just as hurricane Wilma was coming toward the west coast of central Florida. About 240 brethren had already paid for the cruise, and we were informed that it could not be cancelled unless the Coast Guard ordered an evacuation of the area—so the brethren arrived on time and the cruise went ahead. However, the owner of the cruise vessel was concerned about the weather and safety and decided to monitor the weather radar that evening in his office. He noticed a band of severe weather from the hurricane approaching Clearwater and was about to contact the captain of the ship to bring the boat back to the dock—when suddenly the band of bad weather simply disappeared off the radar screen. He indicated to us later that he had never seen something like that happen before. God does protect His people.
We have scheduled a Council of Elders meeting in the middle of November here in Charlotte, and I would like to ask for your prayers that God will guide our discussions and decisions. We also have members who need our prayers for health problems and a variety of other needs.
Comments
What Impact will this Feast have on your life? This past Sabbath, Mr. Davy Crockett gave a very thought-provoking sermon here in Charlotte. He explained how the Feast focuses our minds on the plan of God and values that will be the basis for the kingdom of God. However, upon returning from the Feast we will all be tempted to fall back into old routines and ways of thinking and acting—back to life and business as usual.
Our challenge at this time is to remember that the world we live in is not God's world (John 18:36), and that this world is going to pass away (I John 2:15-17). This is why the apostle Paul warned that we must not be conformed to this world (Romans 12:1-2), and Jesus Christ warned that we must come out of this world to avoid experiencing the plagues that are coming on a disobedient and God-forsaking civilization (Revelation 18:4).
In order to help make this Feast have a real impact on our lives, Mr. Crockett urged everyone to take three important steps:
- Review the notes of the messages you heard at the Feast. Identify important points in the messages, and really think about and pray about how to apply these points in your life. Discuss the applications of these points with friends.
- Review your experiences related to the Feast—both good and bad—and see what lessons you can draw from these experiences. Make a list of the lessons that you learned this year and share these lessons with others when it is appropriate.
- Set goals for the coming year. Determine what needs to change in your life in order to become a better Christian and a more useful instrument in God's hands. Develop specific plans for making changes in your life. Set definite times to pray, study and fast. Think about where you want to keep the Feast next year. Make sure you save your festival tithe this year. Read some books and plan some experiences this year that will help you grow and prepare for the kingdom of God. Remember that without goals we don't accomplish anything, and that we cannot keep doing the same things and expect different results!
The real success of this Feast is yet to be determined. If this Feast is going to have a lasting impact on our lives, we must each act on the steps we have just discussed. In the days ahead, ask God to help you apply what you learned at this Feast so you can make real changes in your life and be prepared for the coming kingdom of God.
Warm Regards, Douglas Winnail