Rejoicing In The Lord

Well, as I mentioned to you, I hope that all of you can say that your feast was not only an uplifting and beneficial week, that God, the eight days that God has us meet together and worship Him. That's what we're doing there. The primary thing we're doing is worshiping God. And of course, we're there, as we read in Deuteronomy, to learn to feel God. That is a part of what we're doing. And yet, there's another aspect that it also says there in Deuteronomy, that we go to the feast, and that's, of course, the focus of most of these references that we have this information about fearing God, but also we're told to rejoice, to rejoice before God. And I hope that that's certainly something that you can say you did. I know I felt like we were rejoicing. We were almost rejoicing too much, because, you know, when you have to take some suits for start of the feast and some suits for end of the feast, bigger ones, then you would say that the rejoicing, you know, might be getting more and more out of hand. But nonetheless, it's a wonderful time that God creates for our use. And I point that out as far as wherever we go, whether we are here locally, whether we go to other sites, whether we go around the world, as some of our brethren do, we always want to have the focus that God requires that we are not only there to rejoice, but that we come away rejoicing, and that we even now. And I'm looking forward to talking to many of you afterwards to see how things went. And, of course, like I said, there are difficulties here and there that you run into. But we have to overcome those somehow and be able to progress, and still be thrilled, thrilled and excited and uplifted and rejoicing over what God is teaching us in these festivals.

Now, it certainly is a different type of program than most anything else in the world. Unfortunately, we're going to be heading into the dark days of Halloween and Christmas and Valentine's Day and New Year's Eve. You know, those all come up in the dark months here of the winter. But we want to be carrying forward from the feast a rejoicing, a excitement that I think we can do by reflecting back on what we covered during the feast, the speaking that was done, the services, I thought was just incredible here in Branson.

I'm involved in working with those who are going to speak, and so I do kind of have an idea of what they're going to talk about. And yet, I don't know that I could have been any more pleased with how it turned out, and the themes that we see God provided, because that's really what happened. God provided information, and I want to be able to talk about that some. But I also want to begin this sermon in rejoicing in the Lord. That would be a title for it, Ken. Rejoicing in the Lord, because that's what God expects.

That's what He wants. He even sends us to an eight-day festival to learn to rejoice. Be rejoicing with one another. Rejoice with your family. Rejoice with one another. Because of course what the spiritual significance is of what He's having us do. But I want us to look back at 2 Chronicles 30. I want to look at 2 different accounts here of some of the people of God.

In this first case, it would be the people of Israel and Judah, who are, of course, the people of Abraham, the people that God had chosen to work with. I will emphasize that because that is incredibly important to understand. God chose to deal with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and the children of Jacob and down to today. He continues to work with the physical house of Israel.

Now, they're scattered all over the earth, and of course in some areas more so than others. We understand some of the things about where the different tribes would have been migrating. I don't intend to go over that. I'm not very good at that stuff. But I understand it. I understand the value of it. I understand the significance of God choosing a people that are to be special to Him.

Now, why didn't God choose the sons of Ishmael? He didn't. He blessed them in many ways, but that wasn't who he was going to work through. He was going to work through Abraham and his son Isaac. And then later Jacob, who changed his name to Israel, and then Israel's 12 sons, and some of them, primarily Joseph and Judah, are going to be given more responsibility in this life and even in the future.

So, we need to understand that, but I shouldn't go into that right now. I want to cover this little section here in 2 Chronicles, because this is at a time when Hezekiah was a king in Judah. I don't have a lot of this history dating and all in my head, but Hezekiah was one of the better kings.

I mean, there were a few, at least, that seemed to be somewhat responsible and who were trying to get people to pay attention to the Word of God. Here in verse 1, Hezekiah, 2 Chronicles 3, Hezekiah sent word to all of Israel and Judah and wrote letters to Ephraim and Nasser that they should come up to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, their God of Israel.

For the king and his officials, all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passover in the second month. This was a revival. They were just now figuring out, we need to do these holy days. We need to observe the holy days that clearly are written here in the law, but that we've neglected for years or decades or certain kings before and would not have promoted those or encouraged them to be celebrated. But Hezekiah was saying, we need to do it.

And of course, it looks like, in this case, it's dealing with these spring holy days, dealing with Passover and later the days of Unleavened Bread. But what I'm wanting to focus on is, in verse 3, they could not keep the Passover at the proper time because the priests did not sanctify themselves as a fish in number, nor did the people assembled. So there was a reason why they were doing this in the second month.

The plan seemed right to the king. And so in verse 6, He sent runners. Curriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his officials, as the king commanded, saying, O people of Israel, return to the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so that He may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand of the king of Assyria.

So this would, again, from that statement, appear to be the time when Israel is being overtaken by Assyria, Judah is still laughed, and Hezekiah is encouraging the people in Judah that he rules over to, we need to obey God, or we're going to be like the Israelites, so we're going to go into captivity like they did. And so they sent the couriers, they said this, Do not, in verse 7, be like your ancestors and your kindred, who are faithless to the Lord, God of our ancestors, so that He make them a desolation, as you see.

Do not, in verse 8, now be stiff-necked as your ancestors were, but yield yourself. This is dealing with these annual holy days, Passover, the Days of Unleavened Bread, things that Hezekiah was just now reading, Leviticus 23, and seeing, we need to do it. And so He says, Don't be stiff-necked, like your parents and grandparents, yield yourself to the Lord, and come to His sanctuary, which He has sanctified forever, and serve the Lord your God, so that His fierce angle can turn away from you.

For as you return to the Lord, your kindred and children will find compassion with the captors, and return to the land. For the Lord God is gracious and merciful, and will turn away His face from you if you return, will not turn His face from you if you return to Him. And so He was imploring the people. We've got to do this. This is what God said. This is the Word of God. We need to do it. But unfortunately, in verse 10, you don't see a very good outcome.

You see people who do not wish to yield themselves, who don't want. See, what you all were doing in keeping the Feast of Tabernacles, in going to the place where God had placed His name, to go where the Feast of Tabernacles is going to be celebrated, and to learn from God, and to learn to fear God, and to yield yourself to God. That may have cost you a job. That may have cost you a certain amount of pay.

That may have cost you favor with whoever your employer is. But see, it also puts you in good stead with God, because He's the one that we ought to be following. But He says in verse 10, the runners went from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, what happened? They laughed at them. They laughed them to scorn and mocked them. What? Keep a Passover? Keep a Days of Eleven Bread?

That's ridiculous. We don't need to do that. You know, we could get penalized for that. They laughed at them and mocked them. Only a few from Asher and Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem, and the hand of God was on Judah to give them one heart to do what the King and the officials commanded by the Word of the Lord.

Here you find a revival, in a sense, of knowledge of the Word of God. In this case, it was passed on, and the people were impressed. At least some of them. Some of them were willing to yield themselves. Some of them were willing to humble themselves and do what God says. I point this out because it seems that those who laughed at that, or those who were mocking the fact that you're thinking about keeping a holy day from God, and appointed assembly from God, this is a pretty poor response.

But I want to contrast this with what we read in Nehemiah chapter 8. Nehemiah chapter 8 is actually a chapter that we perhaps go to well, or at least occasionally, because it also is about, in a sense, renewing of knowledge of the Word of God. And in this case, this is when Nehemiah is being written, it is long after the fall of Jerusalem and the captivity of the people of Judah.

And then they've been in captivity to Babylon for 70 years and are allowed to come back and to once again be in Jerusalem.

And so, Nehemiah and Ezra, and those who were leading the people in this return to Jerusalem, and this rebuilding of the temple and rebuilding of the walls in Jerusalem, this was the work that they had been given to do, and it was, they needed God's blessing, they needed to be excited about it. But I think it's fun to read what it says here in Nehemiah 8, because it describes a feast of trumpet service, almost to the tea, as far as kind of how we do it. Obviously, we do it a little different today than they would have then. But it says in verse 1, when the seventh month came, the people of Israel being settled in their towns, all the people gathered together into the square, around the water gate. And they told the scribe, Ezra, to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had given to Israel. And accordingly, the priest Ezra, he was a scribe and a priest, he brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, and this was on the feast of trumpets. The first day of the seventh month, and he read it facing the square before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women and those who could understand in the ears of all the people, were attentive to the books of the law. They had come out of a captivity. They were now, once again, back in the land of Israel, the land, the city around Jerusalem. And here, they're, in a sense, kind of re-maybe they were aware of it while they were in captivity, and yet, certainly, they wouldn't have been able to celebrate it very well or even partially acknowledge it. And so, it's an exciting thing for them, once again, to become grounded in the true truth of God, in the Word of God that was made available to them. And it says, the scribe Ezra stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose, and besides him, a bunch of other guys with long names. They were there as well, and they were supporting him.

And he opened the book in verse 5, and the sight of the people. He was standing above the people. When he opened it, all the people stood up, and Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, Amen. Amen, lifting up their hands, and they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. And so, some of the men, the Levites, helped the people in verse 7, help the people understand the law. All the people remained in their places, so they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense so that the people could understand the writing. So, this sounds pretty much like a church service today. We stand up, we sit down, we sing a hymn, we go to reading something else from what we've studied out of the Bible. And this was exciting to them, because they hadn't been able to do that in captivity. They hadn't been able to be mindful of what does God want us to do.

And so, in verse 9, Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe in the Levites, who taught, the people said to all the people, this day is holy to the Lord, your God, do not mourn nor weep. So, this was, again, the Feast of Trumpets, as we would know it, for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

That's quite different than the people who, eh, we don't want to know that. That's ridiculous. Back in Hezekiah's time, at least some of them were laughing at them for doing such a silly thing. Of course, it's not a silly thing. It's an important thing. And as He says here, you know, this day is holy. This is a day that's been sanctified and set apart. This is a day that God has appointed festival before Him. And so, the people were crying.

They were torn up for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. And He said to them, go your way, eat the fat, drink sweet wine, send portions of them to those for whom nothing is prepared. For this day is holy to the Lord our God. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. As you worship God in spirit and in truth in His festivals, where He has placed His name, He wants us to do that in great joy.

Great excitement rejoicing in the Lord. So the Levites steal the people, saying, be quiet, for this day is holy. Don't be grieved. The people went their way to eat and drink and send portions and to give, or excuse me, to make great rejoicing. Great rejoicing! Because they had understood the words that had been declared to them. So I think you find a different response. You find a different engagement. You find an attitude of receptivity. You find people who really wanted to do, you know, we need God's favor.

We need to do what He has told us to do in His Word. So in verse 13, on the second day, the heads of the ancestral houses of all the people with the priests and Levites came together to describe Israel in order to study the words of the law. And they found written in the law that the Lord commanded by Moses that the people of Israel should live in booths. They should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month. And so not only the Feast of Trumpets is noted, but not the Day of Atonement, but the Feast of Tabernacles is noted here in this account.

And He says they're supposed to live in booths. And so, verse 15, they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem, as follows, Go out to the hills and bring branches of wild olive, myrtle, palm, other leafy trees to make booths as it is written. So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on the roads of their house and in their court in the courts of their house of God, in the square at the Watergate, in the square at the gate of Ephraim, and all the assembly of those who were returned from captivity.

So here, they had already been punished for disobeying, and they didn't want to do that again. So they were just excited about obeying and rejoicing. And it says that the assembly of these who returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. And from the day of Joshua, the son of Nun, to that day, the people had not done so. That was actually a thousand years before. That was a long time ago that they had actually done this part of, I'm sure they celebrated the Feast of Tabernacles and the other Holy Days during some of the time of some of the kings, David and Solomon.

I would surely think that is the case. But here, they're reading, well, they're supposed to go make booths. You can read that back in Leviticus 23. And so, there, in verse 17, at the end of it, there was very great rejoicing. See, again, their response, their excitement, no matter how many years, because some of us have observed the Feast of Tabernacles for many, many years, no matter how many decades, we have observed the Feast of Tabernacles.

It's a time of rejoicing. It's a time of understanding that, you know, we're living temporary lives. There are a lot of things we learn from the booth imagery, as we had explained during the Feast. But it says, it was very great rejoicing day by day. From the first day to the last, you read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the festival seven days, and on the eighth day, there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinances of God.

So this is, I point these two examples out, one that was a poor response, and then one that we want to emulate, we want to follow it. We want to rejoice, not only during the Feast, but we want to rejoice in returning. And rejoice, even as we think back on what it was we covered during the Feast of Tabernacles. I would mention three or four things that, in my mind, stand out from the services. You have notes, if you were there, you have notes of some type. So you know kind of what it was that we covered. But as I said, I think what we covered throughout the Feast this year was extraordinary. Now, all of us who were speaking were very ordinary.

We were very ordinary. We'd stumble over words and misread something. But the message was what God was helping us to learn. First of all, one of the things that we focused on in several sermons here in Branson was the significance of Israel in God's plan. The significance, Mr. Dick, went over a sermon on the first day that was regarding how it is that the laws that were given to the people, the special treasured people of God, were wonderful.

They didn't do them. That was a problem. But see, that can be applied in our lives today, and it will be applied in the millennial rule of Jesus Christ. See, we're looking, as we do focus during the Feast, on the Kingdom of God, the rule of God on earth. And the Bible defines that as a thousand years, where Christ will rule and the saints will rule with Him. There's more to it beyond that, a white-prone judgment beyond that, and the new heavens and new earth beyond that.

And yet, the focus of the Feast of Tabernacles is commonly on the Kingdom of God, the dissolution of the kingdoms of men. The governments of men all need to be replaced. Just watch TV. Even some of them that function as ours does and has for a couple hundred years. That's not long for a government. You look at some of the world-ruling empires as decades, or centuries, or even half a millennium sometimes, as far as length of time. I think the Roman Empire was about 500 years. And we've only been around 200 years, and we've had a lot of favor because we followed some of God's rules. Some, not all, but some of God's rules. But now, all you can say is, well, this is pretty much just a shameful, shameless circus that our government officials engage in, and they're trying to spread that misinformation.

But see, as Mr. Dick described, the laws of God were not bad. They just weren't used. They weren't applied. They were going to need to be applied, so we need to have some idea what they are. And as he pointed out, there are different things that are just standards from God. Just do it. You don't have to figure out all the details as far as we do today, you know, billions and billions of regulations, all kinds of restrictions, all kinds of loopholes, all kinds of baloney. That's what we deal with in this world. But we are going to be learning to apply those in the world to come. We're going to be learning to teach those. Well, read it. Here it is, in the book. This is going to be the textbook for the world tomorrow, for the kingdom beyond today that we're looking forward to. But we also explained how that God is going to gather Israel. He's going to bring them back. They're going to be gathered once again. They're scattered all over the globe today. The people of Israel, for the most part, they don't know who they are. Some of them, I guess, probably should or would. I don't know that the bulk of them would, but in some way God's going to gather Israel. That's why he even says the twelve apostles are going to be given responsibility over one of the tribes of Israel. How are you going to do that if they're not gathered together and then worked with to actually make a model for everybody else to follow as to how to worship God. How does God want to be worshipped? This is how he chooses to be worshipped. And then, of course, we can go through many of the things that we try to do today in our lives in obedience to get away from sin and disobedience. And so Israel will be gathered. There's going to be a new economic system, a pre-enterprise system, not socialism, but a capitalistic system where stealing and coveting are very clearly a part of the law. That God says would be used in dealing with finances and affairs.

And, of course, as I mentioned, we had a Bible study dealing with the throne of David today and how that it does exist. God even wrote about that, as we read in the Old Testament, and how that in the New it says Jesus is going to come back. He's going to take the throne of David in rule. It's going to be in Jerusalem at that time because that's where he's going to be. But, see, we went over a lot of information about why it's important to understand that God chose to deal with the people of Abraham, the people of Israel. What does that have to do with us? Well, God also opened our minds.

He hasn't opened everyone's mind, but he has opened ours. And so it is as a precedent for working with people in the Church of God today. It has a precedent that we need to understand because it's going to be emphasized even in the future. And so one of the themes was an understanding of how God chooses to work in his manner, in his way.

Another topic we covered in a couple of different sermons we're dealing with is why temporary dwellings? Why booths? What meaning does it have? We went over some of that. It's not only just temporary existence and looking forward to permanent existence in eternal life. Let's see the booths or the Feast of Tabernacles representing not only the temporary life we live, but also how it is that there is a harvest that is going on and how it is that God, and even as a booth would be, it was a covering.

God is a covering for us if we learn to grow in faith and trust in him. There are a lot of things that were mentioned about our temporary lives. And of course that's an important part. Another and third part of what we covered extensively in different sermons was dealing with God's purpose for human life, his purpose for dealing with us. You can never get away from the trunk of the tree, from the big picture, as we had in several sermons.

Mr. DeMoor gave a sermon, and some of us perhaps do not know who Mr. DeMoor is. And yet we observed him give a sermon. That was extremely effective. I doubt that it was easy for him to do that because he has this deteriorating disease that he wanted this stool that Paul thankfully provided for him. Because he didn't think he could stand up there an hour and give a sermon.

And yet I'm thankful that he was able to give what he did because it was a focus on what it is to be an heir of God. And what do you have to overcome to be there? How important is that? Well, I think he says it far better than I could. Dr. Ward covered things in our telecast that commonly he's going to cover about the difference in this culture and the culture to come, and how important that is.

That we realize that God is working with us. God is going to bring a kingdom of peace to the world. And a peace that begins at one point and then continues to expand forever. Those are important concepts to have in mind. And if you were there the last day, I hope you were, Mr.

Dick went over an explanation of the eighth day. And we always cover, at least in years when we have two services on that day. So one of those two services is going to be regarding, well, what is this day? What do we believe it pictures? What do we believe it's about? And of course, it's about a time beyond the millennium and a second resurrection when the rest of the dead live not again until a thousand years are finished, but then they do live, and that there is hope.

But I never recall having it explained in the way that he did, because he made perfect sense about why it is that we teach this. As he said, you don't find the statement second resurrection anywhere in the Bible. But you do find the reference to a resurrection that is second in line. See, it really is all about God's choosing and God's timing. And he, of course, was able to elaborate on that quite well. And remarkably, that there would be a physical resurrection, a resurrection where the dry bones would rise and they would eventually have breath enter into them in the Spirit of God given to them.

As he said, I think maybe it was already referenced, maybe it was this morning, you try to find any commentaries say anything about Ezekiel 37, they have no idea. They have no clue what this is talking about. You and I read that, and we realize, well, that's talking about a resurrection that Revelation talks about. But of course, Revelation wasn't written when Ezekiel was writing this. Somebody's got to be in charge here of providing information as needed.

And all of us are at a point where we can look at what was written and what is more recently written and what we are looking forward to and the hope that that gives us. It was really interesting to me just to see the way that was put together and explained.

We should have all of these on our sermon list here eventually. We're still working on it. It's not the easiest thing to get completed and done, but as we have them available, I'll send you a note and tell you where you can get them easily. I hope that we could listen to some of those again. And then in conclusion, the final service that we had last day, we often have a little lower attendance because some people need to travel earlier and some people are wore out by then.

There are a lot of different reasons why we usually have a little smaller attendance, but it was actually pretty good this time. What Joe Green was able to go over was really incredible because I know whenever he was reading a couple of different segments out of Kings or Chronicles or Samuel or somewhere that showed how it was that the giants other than Goliath, the relatives of Goliath, were all slain by different individuals, none of whom I could have named at all. I would not have been able to come up with that because that's just not something you generally read.

It's there. It's in the Bible, and yet he showed, I think in remarkable fashion, that if you trust God, then you can conquer any giant problem that we feel that we have. Whether those problems are health-related, because we often deal with that, at least from time to time, whether they're financial, whether they're job, whether they're family-related.

As he was pointing out, these giants just seemed to have kept coming back. The Philistines, again, were coming back to attack Israel. You'd think they'd wise up after a while. Didn't work the first time. Didn't work with David or Goliath or Anne Goliath. Didn't work with whoever the first ones were there. I can't remember their names. I couldn't have written them down. If you haven't read that recently, then you might not remember.

And yet, he clearly showed that what is it that would prevent us? What is it that would keep us from being here next year? What is it? Will we overcome? Will we endure under the end? Will we fight every battle, every giant that we face, and continue to obey God until the end? I thought that was a good way to close. It's a good way to think about our observance of the Holy Days, because obviously we came to the end of the Holy Day season.

We came to the conclusion of the fall Holy Days here with the end of the last great day. A Monday. A Sabbath, but a Monday, that we could celebrate and enjoy and be excited about. And want to be revved up to come back next time. See, that's what God wants us to be reminded of as we go forward. To rejoice in. No matter what smaller issues we may have needed to overcome. We certainly don't want to drag ourselves or anyone else down with stuff like that. We want to focus on the exciting things that God provided, because He provided an incredible amount of benefit for any of us who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

Any of us who were soaking up what was made available, it was a lavish buffet. And I'd like to go back. I do take notes of some types, usually, so that I can go back and remember what it was. What was it that we talked to? What was it that we were taught? And that, of course, I think is what God wants us to do. We think not only of this year, and as I said, going into some of the dark months before we'll get to the spring holy days and the Passover once again and a rehearsal of God's plan and of His work in our lives.

Because that becomes rather personal when it involves the blood of the Lamb. What it involves, He and I. That's right. He or I, He and me. What it involves, our Lord and each of us individually. That begins to be very personal because we want to be moving away from sin. We want to be identifying and then understanding what it is to be repentant and what it is to be close to God. And how it is that we really can, in everything we do and say, rejoice and help everybody else to rejoice in the Lord.

Part of this has to do with our prayer and our contact with God. Sometimes when we're busy at the feast, we might not focus on that as much as we should, although I hope we did. I know it's important and it's needful. And I know that we find statements, and I've probably mentioned this before, praying without ceasing just seems impossible to me. Because how could you do anything else? That would be all you could do.

But being instant in prayer at any time, knowing that you can go to the Father, that you can pray, that you can focus your attention, your mind, your concerns.

That's what we want to do as we go forward and as we then benefit each other. Because each week we're going to be coming together. I'm sure next week we're going to have a bigger crowd. And we're going to have a wonderful opportunity to lift one another up and be rejoicing in the Lord. And yet a part of that has to do with our drawing close to God.

Oh, turn to Philippians 4. This was read a couple of times during the feast, but it's still applicable for us even today as we've returned home. Philippians 4 says in verse 4, rejoice in the Lord always. And again I say, rejoice. He wants us to be uplifted and excited by the Word of God, by the teaching that He gives us. He says, let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. Don't worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your request be made known to God.

Be instant in prayer. That's another statement. Of course, you know, pray without ceasing is also there too, so whether I understand it or not. Being instant in prayer, bringing things to God, enable us to have a focus that is on God and on His plan, on His purpose, on His Word, on His law, on His love, on His Spirit, on His purpose for our lives. That is going to be uplifting to us and it's going to help us encourage one another. We're told to draw together and to encourage one another.

And so I hope that having gone to the feast and having enjoyed that time, I hope we were able to rejoice, again regardless of any setbacks. I told some, at least a few of you were there, several of my piddly little things that happened right before the feast had a problem with my denture or my plate.

Two prongs hold it on, one of them falls off. I don't want that to happen again, not right two days before the feast. I don't like that because I was thinking, how am I going to eat a steak if my teeth won't stay in? And that's not very pleasant, but thankfully they were able to fix that one day and I was able to go on. And of course I also mentioned I take some medication and I dutifully filled all of that so I'd have it before we concluded or I can have it ready and take it with me.

Of course I got it all ready and got it to the pharmacy and forgot to pick it up. So again, I had to solve that by just getting them to transfer it and that was easy enough. But I also told you that I have this key for the car, this little fob. Some of you have cars that use these. A lot of the newer cars do, I think now. And these suckers are really nice. They are quite pleasant if you know where they are.

Because if you don't know where they are, you can't go anywhere. Actually, if it's in the car, it's okay because it'll go. But I told the department heads as I was talking with them the first night, I have two of these. And there have been times when I couldn't find one and I was glad I had the other one on my drawer there at the house. But of course, I go off to the feast and only take one. And so I don't have the other one. If I can't find this one, I am stuck. I'm not going to church. I'm not going to... what can I do? I don't even know how to replace it. They're costly to replace, I know. And I don't want to have to do that. But about the... I think it was the fifth day of the feast. It was Friday. All of you pretty much had gotten out of the building and I was one of the last people to leave the theater, head out to the car. Get out to the car. Pat's gone with me. Get out to the car. Thankfully it wasn't raining. It was still shining. Nothing. Doesn't work. No key. And I'm wondering, where in the world? I don't have... This is the only key I've got down here. And so we go back in, and of course you hope, and these kind of fit in your pocket easy, but they also can fall out. And I thought, well, I probably need to talk to the management, see if anybody's turned in a key. I need to... I don't... none of our people are still there. You know, these are all inconveniences. Thankfully, and I thank God for the fact, go down, look underneath the seat I'm sitting in. There it is, right there on the floor. And so it was only a momentary panic that I was a little upset that I was so stupid that I would lose the only one key I have with me down here in Branson. But thankfully, it was only a few minutes before I recovered it and was able... But I'm just saying that, you know, we had such an incredibly uplifting, positive, exciting Feast of Tabernacles, and we were rejoicing during that time. We need to continue to carry that on as we go forward. So rehearse your notes, you know, go back over, listen again if you'd like. We had some incredible information provided, and I know that God wants all of us to fully rejoice in what He has provided. And so in doing so, we not only help ourselves, but we help each other.