Warm hellos friends, brethren, co-workers, spiritual family, and scattered children of God from here on the Gulf Coast. My wife and I pray and hope this finds you doing well, and that again your week has been blessed.

Most all of us have returned from God’s Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day, and we’re back into our normal routines…whatever “normal” is these days in this unsettled world. Communication from many that my wife and I serve have all reported that they are safe and sound having also returned home.

There’s an interesting shifting change with how many in the “church” and how most of the world looks at these days we just observed as God commands.

Why is it that many in the Christian community look upon these appointed times as primarily “Jewish celebrations” and believe they are not necessarily meant to be observed by New Covenant believers? Others believe we should focus on what the Jews do with increased emphasis so that we should be doing all that they do including their traditions.

Many have their few verses they turn to and take out of context to attempt to support their assertion.

Leviticus 23 labels these celebrations as “feasts of the LORD” and “My feasts”. They are not simply “Jewish Feasts”. They are not simply “Christian Feasts”.

They were created and structured by the Eternal God. The first appointed time of meeting and convocation on the list in Leviticus 23 is the weekly Sabbath. Jesus stated, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) It is clear that this applies to the annual Sabbaths and appointed times as well.

It does not require genius level Hermeneutics and Exegesis to examine the record of the practices of Jesus, the early church, and the apostles, to clearly see that the weekly Sabbath and biblical festivals were celebrated by them. (Luke 4:16; Acts 17:2; Acts 18:21; 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Colossians 2:16; etc.) You and I must prove why we observe the feasts of the LORD and then make a commitment to celebrate them.

During the Feast of Tabernacles this year we were instructed from God’s Word that the King of Kings will command all peoples of all nations to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles following His return to set up the kingdom of God. (Zechariah 14:16-17)

Ezekiel 45-46 describes the celebration of the festivals in connection with the millennial temple in Jerusalem. It only makes sense that all of the feasts of the LORD will be directed to be celebrated by all peoples. “Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3). Those laws will include Leviticus 23 and instructions about God’s festivals.

We celebrate the feasts of the LORD and try to capture the honor of appearing before and coming before Him. What an awesome picture to try to envision!

I find it helpful to review the Scriptures that describe the glorious setting of the third heaven where our awesome God resides. (Revelation 4; 15:1-2; 19:1-6) We can compare our feasting on physical and spiritual food with God, to the seventy who ate before the presence of God on Horeb.

Now He said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank.” (Exodus 24:1, 9-11) What an awesome event!

So yes, God commands His people to come before Him and rejoice. “You shall rejoice before the LORD your God . . .” (Deuteronomy 16:11) What a joy and privilege to come before our Creator and both praise Him and learn from Him! We’ve just done that these last few days, and hopefully we’re energized to march forward in the months ahead as good soldiers and disciples of Jesus Christ.

Arms up friends! Our sincere prayers and thoughts are with you daily. Thanks in advance for your heartfelt prayers for us.