Enthusiasm for God’s Coming Holy Days

Well, brethren, do you get excited about things? Are you enthused about many things? Just a few things or no things? Nothing. Probably you're enthused about some things. I hope all of us are enthused about quite a few things. What is it that gets you most excited? What are you enthusiastic about? Now, I'm very enthusiastic about my new grandson. Zander, of course, Zander, as I already mentioned, is the cutest little grandchild in the world. No offense, Matteo or Cooper, you know, anyone else. No offense. But, anyway, Barbara and I had some good FaceTime with Zander this week, also with our daughter.

But we enjoyed spending time with him. It's nice that we have modern technology since we're so far away. So we get to see him, and he gets to see us, and he can hear us, and we can hear him. So it's pretty cool. So I get excited about that. And, by the way, Zander has a little snowboard attached to him almost all the time now. He'll probably be a famous snowboarder someday. But Zander had what was considered very close to a club foot. So he has to wear this apparatus, which is like a snowboard. If you can imagine a snowboard between his legs, it's keeping his legs out like this because they need to come back.

Or they need to pull him out because they come in, so they need to get him back out. So this is common. You know, I don't know how common, but fairly common. So, anyway, he's having to wear that snowboard many hours a day. He's actually pretty cute when you see him in it. It looks like he's ready to hit the slopes. But I would appreciate your prayers that it will work, and that he won't even know he ever had to wear the stupid thing.

Now, I'm very excited about my grandson, but I'm also very excited about the upcoming Holy Day season. The Feast of Trumpets is now just slightly over three weeks away. It's almost here, September 17th. The Day of Atonement is just 10 days after that, and then we're off to keep the Feast of Tabernacles on the last great day in just a little over a month now. In fact, you can start looking for that last full moon. I always love to see that last full moon, just one month before the Feast begins. So start looking for that last full moon.

It won't be long. It'll be here. Now, Barbara and I are going to Puerto Vallarta in Mexico. There will be about 550 brethren all staying at an all-inclusive resort. It means everyone there will be church members except for the people who run the hotel. So it'll be very exciting to see brethren all day long. We'll be able to eat all day long, too, I understand. Almost like being on a cruise, but you're on land.

So it has some advantages. It will be the largest contingent of deaf and hard-of-hearing brethren that have ever assembled in the United Church of God. So that'll be also pretty cool. Just about every deaf person that we have will be there. Now, Puerto Vallarta is straight west of Guadalajara on the Pacific coast. It's on the Pacific coast, not on the Gulf coast, but on the Pacific coast. Guadalajara is west of Mexico City. Mexico City is closer to the Gulf side, and then Cancun is right on the Gulf side.

But Séwerclor on the other side on the Pacific. It's south of Cabo San Lucas and north of Acapulco. Places I've never been before, but I'm looking forward to going to Puerto Vallarta, so I'm enthusiastic about attending there. And I must admit, going to a popular resort area in a foreign country is somewhat exciting, but I would still be very enthused if I were going to Branson, Missouri. I know that because I've been to Branson, Missouri, and I've always had a great feast. In fact, I've been to Branson, Missouri more often than just about any other feast site, except maybe Dayton, Ohio.

I can't remember which one we went to more often. I was living up in Pittsburgh at the time, and we would go to Dayton for the feast up there. And then we went to Branson for the feast until we became involved in the Deaf and Hard of Hearing program. So I love going to Branson.

Branson has its own wonderful benefits. It's not about the area anyway. It's about going up to worship the king, keeping the feast, worshiping God, and fellowshiping with God's people. And that takes place that every feast site, when the Deaf brethren want to go back to Branson, we'll be glad to go back to Branson. In fact, we would enjoy going back to Branson. We would love being there with all of you, or some of you. I know a number of you go to Branson.

Quite a few of you transfer, but regardless, we would enjoy being at Branson for the feast once again. Now, let me ask you something. What is your enthusiasm level for the upcoming Fall Holy Days? Have you measured that yet? On a scale of 1 to 10, are you starting to get more and more excited as the days draw closer? How enthusiastic are you about going to keep the feast with God's people? And, of course, Trumpets is a feast day and the Day of Atonement as well.

And there are spiritual benefits, certainly, to the Day of Atonement, even though we won't be eating that day. We will certainly be rejoicing. So there are many good things to look forward to in regard to each and every one of God's Holy Days. And we should all be very enthusiastic about the coming Holy Days, whether we have kept them 50 times or only once. Or maybe not at all. If anyone's going for the first time, we should still be very enthused and excited about going to the feast.

Are you also preparing to gain the most from God's Holy Days this year? Are you preparing yourself to gain from the feast? And also, are you preparing to give of yourself during these coming Holy Days? Brethren, don't let the cares of this world keep you from preparing properly for the observance of these very important days. These days are an integral part of the plan of salvation.

They symbolize God's plan of salvation. They're an integral and very important part. Mr. Rhodes mentioned in his letter about our priorities. He says, if we want to be in that wedding supper, we need to change our priorities to ensure that we are not preoccupied with the cares of this world.

The world is going to try to stamp out a lot of your enthusiasm when it comes to these Holy Days. Satan will try to stamp them out with trials and problems. We always have, it seems, a lot of trials and problems just before the spring Holy Days and the fall Holy Days. Of course, it happens all year long, but at times it seems it's more intense around these spring and fall Holy Days. So we should be careful that we keep our priorities straight and that we are focusing in on the importance of observing God's Holy Days.

Now, the word enthusiasm is derived from two Greek words. In fact, if you want a title for this sermon, you can call it enthusiasm for God's upcoming Holy Days. We're going to talk about enthusiastically observing God's coming Holy Days. The word enthusiasm is derived from two Greek words. The first one is en, which means in, and theos. I think many of you know what theos refers to. It's a Greek word which means God. So in enthusiasm, the word enthusiasm in English basically means God in you. At least that's one particular meaning.

It's from en and theos. So it's talking about God in you. We should be excited because God is in us. We should be stirring up the Spirit of God because God is in us. So to be enthusiastic means to be energized, and it means to be inspired by God, to be energized and inspired by God. We all want to be energized. We want to be inspired by God as these Holy Days approach. Now another biblical term, akin, or very similar to enthusiasm, is the word fervent, which comes from the Greek word zeo, meaning to boil with heat or to be hot.

To boil with heat or to be hot. And let's go to Acts chapter 18 for a moment. And let's consider someone who was fervent in spirit. This was a man that was very, very excited about God's truth. He was enthusiastic about the ways of God. We read about him in Acts chapter 18, verse 24. Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. Now here's a man that had studied the Scriptures.

He was mighty in the Scriptures. He knew the Bible, the Scriptures well, the Old Testament, of course, because that's all they had at that time. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue when Aquila and Priscilla heard him. They took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.

So they discussed more about the true meaning of God's Word and who the Word was. Jesus the Christ, the Messiah. It says, And when he desired to cross to Acacia, the brethren rode, exhorting the disciples to receive him. And when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace. For he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

So Apollos was fervent in spirit. He was enthused with the power of God. He had the Spirit of God strong within him. And he spoke strongly about Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind. We should also be fervent in spirit. We should be enthusiastic about God's truth and way of life. Now in Romans 12, Paul talks about the need for all of us to be fervent in spirit. No matter what your temperament is, and perhaps some of you don't get as excited as others do initially, but deep down inside, there needs to be a burn going on, a burn of the Spirit of God.

And we should be zealous for God's truth and God's way of life. Even though we may be more reserved, we may not be outwardly all that enthusiastic in some ways, we need to have that inward spirit. In Romans 12, verse 9, Paul says, let love be without hypocrisy. Now that says a lot, doesn't it? Let love be without hypocrisy. We're supposed to love God with all of our heart, soul, and might.

We're supposed to love our neighbor as ourself. We're supposed to love all people, even our enemies. And let love be without hypocrisy. Now that's very, very important in the Church of God that we learn to have true love, because hypocrisy isn't true love. We should not be hypocrites. We should live faithfully and loyally at all times and not play games in the Church of God. We should live by every word of God. So let love be without hypocrisy, abhor what is evil, cling to what is good.

Find out that which is good and cling to that. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love. We should be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, the right kind of love, sincere love, in honor giving preference to one another, not lagging in diligence, not being slothful, not lagging in diligence. Fervent in spirit. Fervent, again, from the word zeal, which means to boil with heat, to be hot. Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

Rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer, distributing to the needs of the saints, and given to hospitality. These are all instructions that Paul tells us we need to be doing. We need to be fervent in spirit. We need to be loving without hypocrisy. We need to do all these things, and we need to bless those who persecute you.

Bless and do not curse, it says in 14. 15 says, Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be sensitive and empathetic to those who are mourning. Rejoice with those who are rejoicing. Be happy for those who are rejoicing, but also be sorrow for those who are feeling sorrow. Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. If everyone would just live by these few verses, what a different world we would have.

What a different church we would have. Pay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. And if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. We should have peace in the Church of God. We should have unity in the Church of God. As much as it depends on you, do your part. In fact, Mr. Barrant wrote an article in the United News, I think this last issue, and I forget the exact title, but it's up to you, I think, is basically what it was saying.

I think that was essentially the title. It's up to you, what we do in the future. How are we going to behave as God's people? If we behave as Paul tells us to hear, then we're going to be in good shape. We will become a church without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

So again, the point I'm, the main point I'm making out is we are to be enthusiastic about God's way. We are to be fervent in the Spirit. We are to serve the Lord and serve one another. Now, another word closely related to enthusiasm and fervent is the word zealous. You know, you've heard that word. I've given sermons on that word, in fact. It's the word zealous, and it also comes from a Greek word very close to zeo.

This is the word zellos, z-e-l-o-s, which means excitement of mind, ardor, fervent, or spirit. It means ardor in pursuing, embracing, or defending someone or something. So are you zealous for God's truth and God's ways? Now, I think we're all quite familiar with Revelation 3. We've read it many times because it has to do with the seven churches, particularly the church at Laodicea, the church in Philadelphia here as well.

Revelation chapter 3, let's start reading in verse 14 about the lukewarm church, not a church that is fervent, not a church that is enthusiastic, not a church that is full of zeal. And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things, says the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God. I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish that you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth. Because you say I am rich and have become wealthy and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, or blind and naked.

I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich, and white garments that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and anoint your eyes with eyesave that you may see. So anyone who is lukewarm or apathetic, apathy is basically the opposite of enthusiastic. If you're not enthusiastic, you're apathetic oftentimes. You don't have any zeal, you're not enthused. You're apathetic. You're lukewarm. He says, Christ says in verse 19, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten, therefore be zealous.

This comes from the word zealous. Therefore be zealous and repent. Be zealous and repent. We should all be enthusiastic about repentance, seeking God's will and praying for forgiveness when we sin and being enthused that God grants us repentance and that He restores us to Him. He goes on to say, To him who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my throne.

So, brother, we do need to be enthusiastic. We do need to be zealous. We do need to be fervent. Another word that's closely related to enthusiasm is the word earnestly. It means to be hot, to be furious, to burn, to blaze up, and to be kindled. In Jude 1.3, Jude 1.3, there's only one chapter, verse 3 says, We are told to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered unto the saints.

We are told to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered. Again, we need to be energetic. We need to be enthusiastic about the faith that was once delivered to us. And certainly a part of that is God's Holy Day. A very important part is worshipping God and keeping His Holy Days.

We're here on the Sabbath because this is one of God's Holy Days. We're excited about being here. We're enthused, hopefully, about being here on God's Sabbath. Now another biblical expression for enthusiasm is to leap for joy. To leap for joy. To just stand up and leap for joy. And it is expressed by the Greek word skrteo, s-k-i-r-t-a-o. And it talks about jumping and leaping for joy. So we should have that enthusiasm.

There are times when we should feel like jumping, and maybe we ought to just jump. Jump for joy. That's being energetic. That's being enthusiastic. By the way, I've recently been reading this book. It's called The Power for True Success, How to Build Character in Your Life. It's really a good book. It goes through 49 character traits. For example, enthusiasm is one of them. It talks about how apathy is basically the opposite of enthusiasm. Many of these definitions for the words I got from this book, so I wanted to give credit to that.

This is the power to live out character, how to build character in your life, the power of true success. It's actually written by a team of people from the Institute in Basic Life Principles. You can get it on Amazon. It's a hardback book, but you can get it for like $10, because this one is used, but it's like brand new.

It's a good book. I think you would benefit from it. Let's go to Galatians 4, verse 18. It talks about being zealous in doing good. We need to be zealous in doing good, in doing good works. In fact, the Bible says in Ephesians that we were created for good works. Now here in Galatians 4, verse 18, it says, but it is good to be zealous in a good thing always.

We need to be zealous in doing good and in doing good things always. This should be our way of life. Let's try not to make excuses for ourselves. Let's strive to be zealous, to have that zeal that we need to have. It is good to be zealous in a good thing always, and not only when I am present with you. This is, of course, Paul speaking to the Church of Galatia.

We should not be hypocrites. We should always be zealous, not just around the minister, but we should always be zealous. That's basically what Paul's saying, is we should be zealous for good works. It doesn't matter if the minister knows what you're doing. In fact, it's probably better in some ways that he doesn't know, because if you do things secretly, God will reward you openly.

God will bless you. So we should be zealous, and the feasts of God are great things. We are to be zealous in good things, but the feasts of God are great things. They're amazing things. So how much more zealous should we be as these days approach? We need to be full of zeal. We need to be fervent in spirit, keeping these holy days in a way that is pleasing to God.

Now, brethren, we are instructed to never allow ourselves to be weary in well-doing. I know life takes its toll, and it's easy to get weary. I've gotten weary at times, but we have to fight against that. It's the human tendency to become weary. But God says He will renew our strength when we look to Him and when we go to Him in prayer, when we fast, when we look to Him, He will renew our strength.

So have faith in God that He'll give you the zeal that you need, and don't worry about anything. Try not to worry. Try to turn it over to God and trust Him and let Him work in your life. I know that's a whole lot easier to say than oftentimes it is to do. And we all need to be sensitive to that, because for some of us, it may be easier than others.

Others may have a much more difficult time, depending on their temperament and the way they handle things. So we need to be concerned and compassionate toward all people and encourage them. Don't drag them down, but encourage them. Encourage them by telling them they're doing things right, that they're doing good things. Look for good things to encourage people about. If we're going to be enthusiastic and zealous about God's Holy Days, it is important that we begin thinking about observing these days. In fact, that's why I'm giving this sermon.

I typically give a pre-feast sermon for this very reason, so we can start thinking about it, dwelling on it, praying about it, and looking forward to these days. So let's go to Leviticus 23, where we're going to read again about why we keep these days. Leviticus 23, verses 1-3, talk about the Feast of the Lord. God says, Speak to the children of Israel, say to them, The Feast of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, that is commanded assembly, these are my feasts.

We're not about to stop keeping the feasts. We believe that these are God's feasts and that God wants us to keep the feasts. Here in the United Church of God, we are zealous for keeping the feasts. We want to keep God's feasts. We know that we should keep God's feasts, and we're very happy to keep God's feasts. Six days shall your work be done. The Sabbath is a day of solemn rest. It is a holy convocation. We're here on the Sabbath because we believe in the Sabbath. We believe in keeping God's holy days holy.

That's why we meet here on the seventh day. We don't do work on it because it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all of our dwellings. When we go back home, we keep it at home. We keep the Sabbath all day long, from evening to evening. It's not just coming to church. It's all day long. These are the feasts of the Lord. Verse 4, They are holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.

Then it goes into the Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread. It talks about the Feast of Pentecost, their firstfruits. It talks about the Spring Holy Days. Then in verse 23, it begins talking about the Fall Holy Days, the days that we're coming up to now. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

So this is on a new moon. On the first day of the month, you shall have a Sabbath rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets. You shall do no customary work on it. You shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Also the tenth day of the seventh month shall be a day of atonement. It shall be a holy convocation. Ten days later, a holy convocation.

These are holy times. They're commanded assemblies. We get together on these days, whether they fall on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. It doesn't matter. Those are the days that we keep these days, and we'll continue to keep these days on the appointed day. You shall do no work on that same day, for it is the day of atonement to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.

It's an important day to make atonement for you. And we know that the Spring Holy Days also talk about the atoning sacrifice of Christ. So there's a great parallel between Passover and the Day of Atonement. And for any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day, that person shall be cut off from his people.

And any person who does any work on that day, that person I will destroy from among his people. God is showing how strongly He feels about keeping His holy days. God wants us to observe these days. He's adamant about observing these days. So if we don't afflict ourselves, and it's talking about fasting on this day, this day of atonement, not eating food, not drinking water.

It's talking about afflicting ourselves and fasting, drawing close to God, having a proper fast. Verse 31, You shall do no manner of work. It shall be a statute forever throughout your generations and all your dwellings. It shall be to you a Sabbath of solemn rest. And you shall afflict your souls.

So this is a day of rest. It's a time to afflict our souls. It's a time to draw close to God. So we need to keep the day of atonement. We need to keep the Feast of Trumpets. And we need to be zealous. We need to be fervent in spirit as we go into these days. Now let's notice the Feast of Tabernacles. It talks about the Feast of Tabernacles in verse 34. Speak to the children of Israel, saying the fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days. So that's a full moon, beginning of those holy days.

On the fifteenth day, the middle of the month, is the full moon. For seven days to the Lord. On the first day, there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.

For seven days, you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day, you shall have a holy convocation. That's the last great day. So on the eighth day, we have a holy convocation. The seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles, the first day being a holy day or a high day. And we certainly would not do any work on that day.

And of course, we assemble together, if at all possible, with God's people for these fall holy days. Verse 37, these are the feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations. And he says in verse 38, besides the Sabbath of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your free will offerings which you give to the Lord.

Also, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, this is a harvest festival, you shall keep the Feast of the Lord for seven days. On the first day, there shall be a Sabbath rest, and on the eighth day, a Sabbath rest. And you shall take yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

You shall make tabernacles, is what God is instructing them to do. Temporary dwellings. Now, we go to various areas around the world, and we stay in temporary dwellings. It doesn't have to be a tent. If you want to stay in a tent, you're welcome to. There's camping in Branson. You could probably figure out a way to camp wherever you want to go. But we feel it's fine to stay in a temporary dwelling, such as a condo or a motel, things such as that. You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year.

It shall be a statue forever in your generations, and you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days, and so on. So, we understand. We know that we're to keep these days. The Scripture is clear that these are to be kept in all their generations. In fact, they're going to be kept in the millennium. In fact, let's see that in Zechariah 14. Zechariah 14, the Feast of Tabernacles will be observed. I think it's logical to conclude that the other holy days will also be observed. It follows. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Christ is going to have the Feast of Tabernacles be observed during the Millennial reign of Christ.

It stands to reason that all the holy days will be observed. They picture the plan of God. They picture the plan of salvation. So in Zechariah 14 verse 16, Zechariah 14, 16, and it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem is talking about how there's going to be a call to war, and all the nations will assemble outside of Jerusalem.

There will be a great battle, and many people will die. We've gone through the book of Revelation in detail. We've discussed a lot of the plagues and things that will happen prior to Christ's return.

There will be an assembly of people to fight against Jesus Christ at His return. And He says, anyone who's left after many are destroyed, see what's going to happen to these people. What is God going to expect of them? It shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem to fight against Christ shall go up from year to year to worship the King. So every year they are expected to come up to worship the King. Those nations that are around Jerusalem will come up to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

I suspect there will be other sites where the Feast will be kept. God's in charge, so if we all go to Jerusalem, He'll figure out a way to get us all there. But they will come up year to year, and they'll keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up to enter in, they shall have no rain.

They shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. So we got a little foretaste of what it means to have no rain. Now it's raining again. But that was a little foretaste.

It was getting quite severe. The drought was getting very severe here in Oklahoma. It may return to a severe drought. We don't really know. Someday it may get very, very bad here in Oklahoma. Regardless, it does talk about having no rain for those who will not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. God will withhold the rain as a punishment for those who will not come up and keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

And in that day holiness to the Lord shall be engraved on the bells of the horses, the pots in the Lord's house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. In other words, everyone is going to be expected to worship God, to worship the King, to worship Christ.

So everyone's going to come up. They're going to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. They're going to keep the Holy Days of God. It's good that we are zealous now in keeping God's feasts. Now, the Feast of Trumpets, we know, pictures Christ's return. The seventh trumpet will sound. Christ will return. And the saints will be glorified at that time.

Those long dead, such as Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, those long dead, and then also those who are very recently dead, those who are saints who will die, who have died recently or will be dying just shortly before Christ's return, they're all going to be resurrected to eternal life. Anyone who died, or frankly anyone who's alive with the Spirit of God dwelling in them, is going to be changed into spirit at Christ's return.

Those who have died will be raised first. Those who are alive and remain at the time of Christ will be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. The trumpet is going to blow. Now, the trumpet is symbolic of a call to action. A blowing of trumpets was used to call an important assembly of people together. It was used often as a call to battle, a call to war. And there is going to be a call to war.

As I said, people will rise up against Christ. Christ and the saints will put down the rebellion. You know, the world faces some very frightening and earth-shaking cataclysmic events before Christ returns and before Satan is bound. This world will rise up to fight Christ at his return.

Christ is coming back again at the sound of the trumpet. Now, that's something to get excited about. The return of Christ. Jesus Christ coming back. It's something to get enthused about. It's something to be fervent in spirit about. It's something to pray about. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done and pray it faithfully and fervently daily. Now, the Day of Atonement, we know, pictures the binding of the great adversary. It pictures the binding of Satan the devil. Now, what a day of rejoicing that's going to be. We're going to jump for joy, aren't we?

When Satan is bound. I know I'm planning on it. I'm going to jump for joy. When Satan is bound, he's not going to be influencing any of us for a thousand years. It's going to be a wonderful time. It'll be a day of rejoicing. We're going to be closer to God than ever before when Satan is bound.

We will learn more fully what it means to become at one with God. On the Day of Atonement, we will reflect also on the spring holy days that picture the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

These days are beautiful when we look at them as a whole. The spring holy days and the fall holy days and the entire plan of salvation and what they picture and mean. Now, the Feast of Tabernacles reminds us of God's deliverance of the children of Israel and their entrance into the Promised Land.

The Millennial reign of Christ is the Promised Land. It's the land that's been promised to us. It's a rest. What a glorious time of resting. Just think you're not going to have all the pain and problems and suffering and sorrow that you experience on a daily basis today. That's all going to be behind us for the most part. Not that there won't be some of that because there'll still be humans, but for us who are changed in the Spirit, that's all going to be behind us. It's going to be past. What a time of rejoicing during the Millennial reign of Christ. We'll enter into the Promised Land. So the Feast reminds us that this physical life is just temporary. Now, we're not going to be able to stay at the Feast. I'm not going to be able to stay at Porta Viarta. I'm going to have to come back to Oklahoma because now isn't the time. Christ's Kingdom is not yet established, but it's temporary and it looks forward to a wonderful time. I plan to rejoice at the Feast. I plan to look forward to the return of Christ and the establishing of the government and the kingdom of God. I plan to rejoice in fellowship with all the people that are there. 550 of us getting together to keep the Feast. We're going to be striving to set a good example.

And those who don't will get in trouble because there's going to be 549 of us looking out for each other, for that one person who's going astray and trying to help them get back on the right track. And that's as it should be. Now, we should set the best example possible at the Feast.

We should be careful. I know in Port of the Arte, the alcohol is included in the price. I think it's watered down, but we're still going to have to be careful that we don't overdo it. We drink in moderation or extreme moderation and set a good example.

Because drunkenness, we know, drunkards will not inherit the kingdom of God.

So it's not appropriate to get drunk at the Feast or any other time. That's way too much rejoicing. That's not the kind of rejoicing that God wants us to do. He wants us to keep his laws and have good, clean fun. That's what God wants for us. So the Feast, again, this Feast is temporary, but it looks to something that will last for a thousand years. That's a long time for human beings. A thousand years is a long time. In fact, no person has ever lived a thousand years.

They lived nine hundred and seventy some, or eighty or some, but they've never lived a thousand.

So it's a long time for a human being. And most of us don't even live a tenth of that time as human beings. So it's a wonderful time and it's reflective of a time that's coming that will be a time of great joy. The Feast is a time of fall harvest, and we all have a work to do now in helping harvest all those God is calling. All those God is choosing now, and apparently he's not choosing a ton of people right now. He's not calling a ton of people. He may step it up before Christ returns, but there may be more and more people sometime in the future that will come.

We don't know. All we can do is do our part to preach the gospel. The rest is up to God. God's the one that does the calling. We're just supposed to fulfill the commission of preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God to the world and to give a warning message to the world. And that's what we'll be doing. The kingdom of God seminars that we hold in September will be doing that. It'll be a warning message, and it will be a message to those disciples God is calling now.

Brethren, it's okay to have feast fever. That's one kind of fever that's great to have. It's okay if you're getting feast fever. Don't fight it. Let it happen. We want to have feast fever. We want to be excited. We want to be looking forward to the feast. We want to be enthused about the feast. We want to be fervent about keeping God's holy days. I've mentioned in future sermon or past sermons that when you go to a convention, if it's a sales convention of some kind or if they're selling something, the people are all excited. They're gung-ho about the chance to make money at these conventions. They're all fired up. I used to have a fundraising company, and I'd go to these fundraising conventions. Everybody was so fired up about some new products that hopefully they could make money on. We should be more excited than those people. Those people that get very, very excited about whatever it is, widgets they're trying to sell, or some great herbal remedy of some kind, shakly products, herbal life, whatever it is. We should be far more excited about observing the feast days and going to keep the feast together. Our minds should be focused on the holy days of God and worshiping God and fellowshiping and serving God's people. That's what we should take to the feast with us. We should have feast fever, and we should have it on our minds and our hearts. We should discuss it, talk about it, consider it, let it flow through you, be fervent in spirit, stir up the spirit of God, focus on the feast days, be immersed in the topic. We need to be immersed. You know, people that go to these conventions, they seem very immersed. That's all they can think about.

We need to be immersed in the feast. So we should come to the feast with great zeal to learn more about God. There will be many sermons that will be given regarding the meaning of the feast days, and those days, those sermons are already being prepared. I'm working on my feast message. I've got a Bible study to give to. I've got to get working on that. So we are beginning to work on these feast messages a month or two in advance. You know, we want to feed God's people well.

We want to give good messages. So please pray for us. Pray for all of us who have an opportunity to speak at the feast, that God would work in us, that God would stir us up, that God would help us reach His people with His truth and inspire one another. And let us be enthusiastic about praying for the messages. Have you been doing that yet? You don't have to raise your hand, but have you even thought about it? Have you started to pray about the feasts and the messages that will be given? And the ministers who aren't already working on these sermons and trying to come up with good ideas? Start praying about it. We need your prayers. God answers prayers. He answers prayers of the righteous people of God. So I implore you to pray for me. Pray that God would inspire me, that He'd pour out His Spirit on me and Stan Hopper and Bill Kegel and anybody else that's speaking at the feast. Anybody else who has an opportunity to speak. And we should do this on the Sabbath, too, shouldn't we? Pray for Jim Mann. By the way, I appreciated the sermonette today.

We should pray for one another. And if you're not praying for us, why not?

Now, why aren't you praying for us? You need to be praying for us. We need your prayers. So let's pray about the feast and let's get ready for the feast. Let's get excited about it. Let's go diligently every day between now and the feast. Let's pray for one another. Pray for the Holy Days. Pray that hurricanes won't hit Puerto Vallarta or anywhere else. We don't want any hurricanes bothering us at the feast this year. God's protected us at the feast in the past when hurricanes have been close by. But frankly, I would rather not have to be concerned about it during the feast. So let's pray for one another. Let's pray early. Let's pray hard. Let's be fervent for one another. All right. Now, the last great day pictures the great white throne judgment period when billions of people will be resurrected and they will come to life and they will have an opportunity to really know God for the very first time. Now, frankly, I don't believe my dad really knows the true God. You know, my dad, he's still alive. He's 85 years old, I think, 86.

He's getting up there, but I don't believe he really knows the true God. I don't think he's ever really been called of God and he's never been tuned in with God. So I'm looking forward to see my dad knowing the truth of God. Now, that's going to be amazing. That's going to be a wonderful change.

You know, my dad living by the ways of God. Now, that will be exciting. My mother is a part of the United Church of God now and she's lived by God's ways. She's set a wonderful example for me and for the rest of the family, but my dad never has. My dad's been an alcoholic. My dad's had lots of issues and problems, but I'm looking forward to my dad knowing God's truth. Being brought up out of the grave and he's going to be shocked. Whoa! He is going to really be shocked. He's going to...

Man, I can't believe you guys knew. You really knew the true God. You knew what was going on and how badly I treated you all these years. You know, he's going to be... He's going to feel ashamed.

He's going to feel ashamed, but he's going to repent of the way he treated my mother, the way he treated us. He's going to repent of that. So, that's very exciting, isn't it? That's something to get enthused about. I'm looking forward to that. The Great White Throne Judgment Period.

Now, there will be some who will even rebel against God even at that time. I pray that my dad won't be one of those. I doubt that he will. I think he'll humble himself. He'll change. But it does talk about in Malachi... Let's go to Malachi. And I've never really considered this so much in terms of the last great day, but I was thinking about it. You know, the subheading says, The Great Day of God. It says, The Great Day of God. And I don't know that it specifically refers to the last great day or not, but I think we can see a connection here.

Verse 1, For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven. Now, we believe the Great White Throne Judgment Period will be a period, not just a day. It may be a hundred years. You know, we don't really know how long it's going to be. But, you know, let's read it together. For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly, will be stubble. They're going to get burned up in that day. Now, I don't think it's just talking about at Christ's return, but it's talking about a time when they'll be thrown into the lake of fire.

You know, if they don't repent before God, if they don't humble themselves, then all who do wickedly will be stubble, and the day which is coming shall burn them up. There's a day coming, and they'll be cast into the lake of fire. It says, The Lord of Hosts, that will leave them neither root nor branch. There will be nothing left of them. They'll be forgotten.

They'll be gone. But to you who fear my name, the Son of righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings. Those who fear God's name will be healed. In the fullest sense, they'll become born into the family of God. With healing in his wings, and you shall go out, and you shall grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet. On the day that I do this, says the Lord of Hosts, eventually those who will not repent of their sins, they'll be cast in the lake of fire. They will become ashes under the feet of the righteous. He says, Remember the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel. With the statutes and judgments, behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with the curse. He says, Remember the law of Moses, keep the commandments of God, keep the Ten Commandments, keep the law. And I'm going to send Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great day, the dreadful day of the Lord. Now, we know that Elijah was certainly a fulfillment of this prophecy. I'm sorry, John the Baptist was a fulfillment of this prophecy. John the Baptist came, Christ talked about him as a fulfillment of this Elijah. Now, Mr. Armstrong certainly had an impact. I know that he turned my heart to my father through the truth that he taught, through the calling that I've been given. So, I can see perhaps a type that, at least for some of us, now, I don't know if Mr. Armstrong is a fulfillment of Elijah or not. That's God's bailiwick. He knows exactly who fulfills this. We know John the Baptist did. Perhaps one of the two witnesses will be also a fulfillment of this in the spirit of Elijah.

So, we don't really know for sure. I think it's presumptuous to act like we know everything. There are some people that think they know everything. They think they've got it all figured out. In fact, recently, in a sermon, a man who calls himself an apostle, who was a part of the Church of God, who has his own church now, he recently gave a sermon called the Synagogue of Satan. Basically, he's saying that anyone who doesn't follow him, who was once a part of the Church of God, is of the Synagogue of Satan. In the sermon, he marked people like Jim Franks, Vic Kubik, Denny Luker, Melvin Rhodes. This is what's happening in the world out there.

This is what's happening. You may not have heard of it. You may hear of it in the future.

You know, don't be shocked when someone says, I am the apostle. Follow me. I'm the only play on the successor to Herbert Armstrong. I'm the only one. If you don't follow me, you won't go to the place of safety, because that's going to happen. There are people that will rise up. They'll make claims like this, and people won't have to make choices.

I don't know exactly how this will come to fruition or fulfillment, but I'm telling you that there are deceivers out there. There are people who think they've got it all figured out, and that they are the one true apostle. Who knows exactly where all of this teaching will lead in the future. I don't know. I just warn you to be close to God, draw near to God so that you know the truth of God, and that you are led by the Spirit of God, and that you are not deceived by false prophets and false apostles, by people who would lead you astray. Just a warning. I was talking about the last great day. Does this picture of that, the last great day?

Certainly, it's a great white throne judgment period. All people will come up who have never known the true God. They will come to know the true God. They will have a choice.

Will they accept God, or will they not? If they don't, they'll be cast into the lake of fire. There will be a new heavens and a new earth. Revelation talks about this. These are prophecies that will be fulfilled. It's exciting to talk about the Holy Days and to consider what they picture and what they mean and how they're being fulfilled. Again, I implore you to consider these feast days. There's much more that we could discuss. There's more that we could talk about.

Setting an example. It's all very important. What are you going to do where you go to the feast? What kind of an example are you going to set?

Make sure it's a great feast for your children. Spend time with your children. Do some fun things.

Church isn't the only thing that goes on, but church is most important. You should go to all the services. Be there for the services. Be there to be instructed, to be taught of God.

Make that a priority. Let everyone know it's your priority. But also make it fun for your kids and do fun things. Enjoy nature when you can. Get out and have some fun. I always have some fun at the feast. I go to the services, but I have some fun. I enjoy the feast because it should be a time of physical rejuvenation as well as spiritual rejuvenation. We should be rejuvenated both physically and spiritually. You need to have a godly balance when it comes to that.

Now, I noticed at Port of the Arte, they do have some pretty fantastic fishing.

They have sailfish, marlin, thousand-pound marlins. I mean, these gigantic marlins, seven, eight, nine feet long, thousand pounds. They catch them down there in Port of the Arte.

They also have tuna that are 300 pounds. So, I don't know, I'm starting to look into these charters to consider. You know, maybe I could spend one afternoon after going to church, you know, not on a high day, of course, but enjoy the feast. Get excited about the feast. Get enthused. Have a great feast. I've been blessed with God's sent me to 24 different sites. This will be my 24th different site. In 39 feasts, I've been to 24 different sites around the world. Then to foreign countries, I've had a wonderful opportunity. Many of you have done the same thing and you've enjoyed these opportunities that you've been given. Some just like staying close to home, which is fine. It doesn't matter. Keeping the feast is the important thing.

So, brethren, are you excited about keeping the feast this year? Are you zealously preparing to keep God's Holy Days? Are you being fervent in drawing close to God as these days approach?

What type of feast will you have this fall? Prepare yourselves now to have a wonderfully inspiring and rejuvenating feast of God. All of them. Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles, Last Great Day. I hope you're excited. I hope you're enthusiastic about keeping God's Holy Days. The annual feasts of God were also made for man, just as this Sabbath has been made for your benefit. I would encourage you to, if some of you are not able to go to the feast, that we all remember those who can't go. We'll make up a list. We'll let you know who's not able to go. Let's remember them. Let's send cars to them, and let's encourage them during the feast.

Brethren, prepare to give the most. Serve at the feast. Look for ways to serve.

So prepare to give the most, and also prepare to gain the most, starting with drawing close to God.

Gain the most that you can from the feast this year. And remember, brethren, these are God's feasts. So let's keep them to His honor and glory.