Personal
from Herbert W. Armstrong

Recently I sat down and allowed myself to reminisce for a few moments on my life.

It has been a RICH life, full of the joys of accomplishment and also full of opposition and bitter persecution.

My mind went back to age 19, when I had a job just a few miles north of Biloxi, Miss., one of our more than 80 Feast sites this year, then age 23 to 30 in Chicago, Ill., then in Oregon and Washington and finally, at age 34, my conversion and start in GOD’S WORK.

But then I was AROUSED from this thinking of the past to LOOK FORWARD into the upcoming FEAST OF TABERNACLES, and the Millennium on earth it pictures.

No matter how joyful is your anticipation of the soon-coming world tomorrow in the Kingdom of God, your anticipation falls far short of the realization you will experience!

THINK OF THIS! A time when we who have God’s Holy Spirit will be changed to immortal spirit beings–actually BORN sons of GOD. In fact we shall then BE very God, except God the Father will be supreme in authority, and Christ the Son, next under the Father, in supreme command over all of us.

But THINK OF IT! Marvelous as this human body is, it does have its aches and pains and discomforts. Then, composed wholly of SPIRIT, we shall suffer no physical pain, but experience continually supreme HAPPINESS and JOY!

We shall have supreme FAITH in the righteous power of Christ. There shall be NO SATAN around anymore! We shall be converting the unconverted mortals who live into that glorious Millennium, delighting in seeing them accept and EXPERIENCE repentance of sin and FAITH in Jesus Christ, discovering the glories of living GOD’S WAY of outflowing LOVE!

We shall be immune from accidents or injuries. We shall be exuberant in glowing perfect HEALTH and WELL-BEING! We shall be thrilling to rich accomplishments, looking back over great accomplishments and looking FORWARD to NEW projects to make the world peaceful, happy, filled with delights. There will never be a dull moment–always we shall be participating in making others happy and joyful IN PERFECT PEACE!

In just a few weeks we shall attend the 1985 FEAST OF TABERNACLES, enjoying a foretaste of the glorious Millennium, with many hundreds of brethren of like faith and anticipation.

I believe this year’s Feast will be the most wonderful and enjoyable since God’s Church of our time began keeping this Festival at Belknap Springs, Ore. My wife and I had been keeping the seven annual Sabbath days for 14 years before that–the first seven years alone by ourselves, and the next seven with the parent church of the Church of God for our time and era.

We must remember, however, that just like when the servants of God came together to worship Him in the days of JOB, Satan came also among them. I have to WARN YOU–Satan also is looking forward to this year’s Feast, so he can come to different Feast sites and cause us any trouble he can, but if we PRAY with our whole hearts for Christ’s protection, He is more powerful than Satan and can restrain Satan from attacking us. So BE SURE YOU BEGIN PRAYING FOR THIS FESTIVAL RIGHT NOW–and keep it up until the Feast is over.

Begin now to pray for angels to accompany our thousands of members, most of whom will drive to the Feast site that they attend. Pray for GOD’S protection over all our brethren.

Many have been working long hours for a long time already to make this the most inspiring and joyous Festival so far.

Be sure to add your PRAYERS to their efforts–for God’s special protection and His blessing–and we shall all return home with our spiritual batteries recharged to the FULL. THERE WILL BE NO SHORTAGE OF GOD’S SPIRITUAL RECHARGING!