by Herbert W. Armstrong

It has come and gone! How time flies! Reports from around the world tell us this was in reality the greatest Feast of Tabernacles in our time. The entire Church had been made ready for it, because the Church is in process of making herself READY for a far GREATER event– the coming of the KING of kings and LORD of lords to usher in the very event of which we were enjoying merely a foretaste!

Definitely God’s Church is by her Head Jesus Christ being set back on God’s track. Reports from around the world have one tone – a NEW SPIRIT has been injected from God into His people the earth around. There is a spirit of LOVE – of REJOICING – of UNITY – of TOGETHERNESS – of a common LOYALTY to Jesus Christ, His TRUTH with no watering down, of being truly ONE – AT-ONE-MENT with GOD! It is a HAPPY spirit, a joyous spirit!

The attitude of division, suspicion, taking sides, seems to have vanished. Now we are once again truly O N E Body of Christ in harmony and peace and love!

And of course it was another FIRST! Modern technical facilities did not yet enable us to bring together by microwave and satellite every feast site on earth. BUT for the first time, on the first day and the Last Great Day, all festival sites in the United States, Canada and England were joined together by television cameras and motion picture screens at the various sites – all but Hawaii, where they heard the audio portion only.

A few mechanical difficulties caused a delay on the opening day. But from all reports the Last Great Day transmission was technically OK and all of you were as if you were right with us at the moment here in Tucson. When I spoke, they tell me, by TV camera close up, my face appeared live many times larger on your screen than if I had been physically there. I hope it was all satisfactory, and many reports say it was.

THIS DREW US ALL TOGETHER–AS IF WE WERE ALL IN ONE AND THE SAME BIG AUDITORIUM!

But the main thing is that we all had the attitude, feel, and spirit of BEING TOGETHER – one of UNITY in CHRIST!

Reports from all over say the sermons were somehow inspired by the living Christ to be the BEST EVER! I know they surely were here at Tucson, where upwards of 5,000 were assembled together.

Through the years I have heard some very fine sermons at various festivals, even by some of the younger ministers. But this year EVERY sermon here at the Tucson site, as well as every sermonette, was simply super. For one thing, the messages were kept generally on the theme of the occasion – the coming millennial reign of the Kingdom of God, and/or our preparation for it. There were deeply spiritual and moving sermons on our need to prepare spiritually for it. There were messages on the GOVERNMENT of the Kingdom during the millennium. There were explanatory sermons on the type of civilization – the agricultural nature of society and the happiness it will bring, during the coming thousand years.

Both sermons and sermonettes hewed to the line, as God instructs, and gave us “MEAT IN DUE SEASON.” These Festivals were given us to remind us every year of God’s great Master Plan working out HIS TREMENDOUS PURPOSE here below. This year all ministers “hewed to the line.”

I personally congratulate all the ministers, and I know all the brethren join me in this. You ministers did look to the living Christ for guidance and inspiration, and He answered your prayers!

This morning I happened to tune in for about thirty seconds on Pat Robertson and his 700 Club. He was offering a little leaflet or tract of some kind that would show the reader how to live this new wonderful life in Christ. Too bad all those evangelists do not understand fully what the true life in Christ is.

To them, their brand of “Christianity” is one that exalts Jesus Christ, worships Him, but as PART of this world – assuming this is HIS world. They remain PART OF this world, while talking about, accepting, even worshipping Christ. But Jesus said, “In VAIN do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold the traditions of men… Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:7-9).

How thankful we should be that God has revealed to us HIS GOVERNMENT, based on His LAW, which is HIS way of life.

The Church of God is the Body of Christ CALLED OUT FROM the world.

We must live in it, but we are not OF it! We look forward for God’s WORLD TOMORROW!

What a joyous time we just had looking forward to that wonderful time!