SERMONS
The importance of the Feast of Tabernacles to Mankind
By Brother Isaac Ennang
The Feast of Tabernacles is a festival ordained by God Almighty for His people, the Israelites, while they were travelling from Egypt to Canaan. They were to keep it from the 15th day of the seventh month and were to observe it throughout their generations. It was an eight day festival. During the Feast the Jews were to dwell in booths to remember when they dwelt in temporary shelters in the wilderness. (Leviticus 23:33-43) The celebrants should give offerings in appreciation of God’s goodness on them as he had blessed them. – Deuteronomy 16:13-17
The Feast is also called the Feast of Ingathering, to typify how God would call His children to Himself in course of time. And this is happening in this age. In Matthew 18:20 Jesus Christ our Saviour says that even if it is two or three people who gather in his name in spirit and in truth, he would be in their midst. – Matthew 18:20; Joshua 24:14,15.
The main event of the Feast is the reading of the law of God for the understanding of God’s children. (Deuteronomy 31:10-13) This is also the case now.
There was a time when the Jews did not keep the Feast because they were in Babylonish captivity for 70 years. When they came to know of its importance through the reading of the law, they observed it with great fervour. – Nehemiah 8:8,12.
Those who say the Feast has no relevance to Christians are in error for the fact that Christ celebrated it. The record in John chapter 7 shows that Christ addressed the congregants at the middle of the Feast. (John 7:14-17) Furthermore the account states: “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.” – John 7:37, 38. Compare Isaiah 25:6, 7.
However, if we want to offer gifts to God and realize we have a matter with our neighbor, we should go and reconcile with the person first before coming to make the offering. (Matthew 5:23, 24) In 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, St. Paul makes us to understand that we should celebrate the Feast of the Lord with clean heart condition, not with malice and wickedness “but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” – 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7.
God’s Kingdom the perfect solution to the problems of the world
Brother Andrew Ese Ekireghwo, Assistant Station Minister, GKS Lagos
The Kingdom of God is the universal government of righteousness and peace which God Almighty has purposed to set up in these last days as the perfect remedy to human sufferings and woes.
The problems of the world are many. There health problems such as Corona virus, cancer, Lassa Fever. AIDS, SARS. Some have no cure. Some sicknesses require people to be in hospital for weeks and even months. In spite of efforts of governments, new diseases, which are even more deadly are emerging and killing people.
There are also problems of hunger and famine. The economic problems make people to be unable to fend for themselves. They sell their property to make ends meet. There are problems of insecurity and wars. Governments have provided funds and equipment to defend their borders, secure lives and properties, yet the problem of insecurity persists. Deaths are rampant through drowning, collapsed building; poisonous gases, suicide, etc.
To solve these problems human beings have tried various forms of government. These include plutocracy, aristocracy, oligarchy, monarchy, democracy, etc. But these have not satisfied the yearnings of mankind.
But none of these systems of government can wipe out death, and give man perfect and happiness. This is what all nations desire, except God Almighty in His Kingdom, hence the Kingdom of God is called “The Desire of all nations” – Haggai 2:6,7
This universal Kingdom of God will be fully established after the heavens and the earth had been cleansed of all ungodliness. It would be under the headship of Jesus Christ and his cabinet of 144,000 chosen and anointed. – Revelation 14:1-5; Hebrews 12:26-28. See also Isaiah 32:17, 18.
In that Kingdom of God there will be no more poverty, sickness, death, war and other ills that plague mankind today. – Isaiah 65:17-19, 24-25; 49:10: Jeremiah 33:6; Isaiah 35:5-7.
Apostle John saw a vision of the New Jerusalem while on exile in the island of Patmos. He states among other things “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea… And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” – Revelation 21:1-4. The things God will do in His kingdom we do not know all of them. 1 Corinthians 2:9,10.
According to the Prophet, Micah, the nations will convert their weapons of war into agricultural purposes. There will be universal peace and all the military academies and training camps will be closed down. Everyone will live quietly in his own home in peace and prosperity. For there will be nothing to fear, as The Lord Himself has promised. – Micah 4:3, 4
Apostle admonished us to live up to the standard required of us so as to be inheritors of the Kingdom by His grace. – 2 Peter 3:13, 14.