Among the billions of people who live in the world now and who have ever lived, there have been a wide range of guesses about what will happen after death. Beliefs vary greatly but few offer hope to everyone. In all of this chaos of thought, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, which we just celebrated, declare a truth and a hope that is pure and refreshing. They teach us about a truly loving Creator whom Jesus revealed to mankind as a Father seated upon a throne of mercy - a Father who wants everyone to be saved.
The last four Holy Days (Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day), which God declares as “My feasts” (Leviticus 23), reveal the final elements of the plan of God. They portray salvation through the return of Jesus Christ, a thousand years of peace and oneness in the government of God for mankind. This will be followed by a period of time in which all who have died without knowing the truth will be resurrected and educated so that they can make an informed choice about how to live their lives.
The Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day have given us eight days of spiritual feasting - days in which we focused on the Almighty God and the only true hope for mankind. We rejoiced in the excitement of knowing that our family members and others in this world who have never turned to God nor learned obedience to Him will be given a fair and complete chance for salvation. If we kept the Feast with willing hearts and were spiritually filled, we have gathered the momentum God intended and the motivation to preach this wonderful truth in a world where the storm clouds are gathering. This bright point of light that was illuminated once again this year gives us something to focus our attention on in the months ahead.
Every time I visit the graves of my parents, I am reminded of the blessing of the knowledge God has revealed. Every time I hear of war and rumours of war or of millions of refugees with starving children, I recall the great hope that we heard about in sermons and read about in personal Bible studies. Keeping the momentum that each feast gives us is something we are admonished to do.
Momentum (technically speaking) means the force of motion gained in movement or impetus. It takes energy to keep anything moving and that is the part God does not do for us. God provides the impetus and motivation. We have the responsibility to keep that momentum going in our lives. We are to build the character of consistency and patient continuance in well doing. God has made His plan for the future clear to all those who love Him and keep His commandments. He offers eternal life, a spiritual body and an inheritance with Jesus Christ and all the saints in His family. God asked what more He could have done that He has not done (Isaiah 5:4). We have been fed spiritual food at the feast and the Bible is constantly at our side. We are to treasure the offer God has made and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. God does not give us a task that is impossible. With Him, all things are possible. He has done His part and now we must do our part.
In daily and frequent prayer and study, we stay close to God. Some tips on how to keep your momentum might include: 1) take good notes and review them soon after the feast, 2) talk about your feast experiences and ask other people about theirs and 3) always accentuate the positive as it is very easy to think negatively and that is when little hills become mountains.
We can always find things to criticize and be negative about, but as Christians we need to treasure the wonderful truths God has revealed to us and keep our attention focused in that direction. As we observe the daily troubles of humans on earth and hear the empty words of the religions of this world, our faith and clarity of thought is enhanced. In our communication with family members we love, but who are not obedient to God, we can be looking forward to their time of understanding. We need to remember the price Jesus paid for our part in His plan and know that we are ambassadors for that Kingdom and that plan. We need to build the character that will be pleasing to God. It is right and good that we are responsible to continue to preserve the momentum of His feast days. Let us all do our part this year.
