Interviewers were hitting the streets, the restaurants; even health
clubs, putting microphones in front of people, asking their opinions
about the election. As expected, they were mixed about fifty-fifty.
Mostly, people were just "glad it's over."
What would Jesus Christ say, if He were interviewed about America's
election debacle?
Since Christ is "the same, yesterday, today, and forever," He would
not change His message. Christians should heed His words. He said before
Pilate, when on trial for His life, "My kingdom is not of this world:
if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I
should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from
hence.
"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus
answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for
this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the
truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
"Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?" (John 18:36-38).
Christ was saying that IF the coming world-ruling government He
represents, the Kingdom of God, were merely another government of THIS
WORLD, then He would have been leading a group of armed
insurrectionists! The hopes and aspirations of His disciples would have
come true! They clearly expected Him to overthrow the existing
governmental structures; the Sanhedrin, the puppet Herods, and the
occupying Romans. Frustrated by Christ's inaction upon His arrest, Peter
attempted to kill Malcom, the servant of t
But Jesus Christ represented, NOT a warring, fighting government of
this world, but the soon-coming Kingdom of God from heaven itself!
When His kingdom IS to be on this earth, His servants, and Christ
Himself will indeed fight! Notice two quick proofs: "...with
righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the
meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his
mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked"
(Isaiah 11:4). Christ will administer the death penalty when He
rules on this earth! In vision, John saw the greatest event to take
place in all history, the second coming of Christ: "And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called
Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war."
When His kingdom is being established on this earth, He will be a
WAR-making Christ!
"His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns;
and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
"And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is
called The Word of God.
"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses,
clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should
smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron:
and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God" (Revelation 19:11-15).
The reason Jesus Christ did not become a political activist; did NOT
resist the unjust, illegal, hypocritical powers in place was because He
represented a future government; a world-ruling government which would
eventually fight "the war to end all wars."
Those who not only "believe ON" Christ, but those who BELIEVE Christ
will do as He did; will obey what he said!
Remember, Christ came into this world as the humble carpenter from
Nazareth under one of the most brutal regimes in history—the Roman
empire under the Caesars! Paul himself, knowing he would eventually be
martyred by Nero, wrote to the Christians in Rome, including members of
Nero's own household, "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.
For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of
God.
"Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of
God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.
"For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt
thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou
shalt have praise of the same:
"For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that
which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he
is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth
evil.
"Wherefore ye must needs be subject, not only for wrath, but also for
conscience sake.
"For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God's ministers,
attending continually upon this very thing.
"Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due;
custom [a tax] to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.
"Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth
another hath fulfilled the law" (Romans 13:1-8).
Clearly, no Christian was to become an antigovernment anarchist,
attempting to take the law into his own hands. Roman law was not
altogether evil, and allowed Paul himself to fulfil His life's work! Had
he not exercised his franchise as a citizen of Rome, Paul could never
have invoked his personal appeal to Caesar, and would never have
finished his final testimony.
A Christian is NOT a "partisan!" A partisan is one who is "a strong
supporter of a person, party, or cause; one whose support is based upon
FEELING rather than on reasoning" (The World Book Encyclopedia
Dictionary).
America and the world witnessed many glaring examples of
"partisanship" at work—support for a candidate based upon FEELING; upon
emotion and subjectivity rather than reason— for many weeks following
the presidential campaigns. Such partisanship was painfully obvious,
even in very high judicial bodies, and among highly-placed appointed or
elected judges.
Citizens of Christ's soon-coming kingdom are NOT to become deeply
embroiled in "partisanship." It is perfectly understandable for a
Christian to be on the "conservative" side of political issues, however.
A Christian has an impossible task to understand anyone who advocates
"partial birth abortion," same-sex marriages, and the like, and will
tend toward more conservative values, since such values are emphasized
again and again in the Bible.
The sanctity of marriage and the home; the rejection of homosexuality
as a perversion; the sanctity of human life—these and other "political
issues" make up the agendas of political candidates. It is only natural
that the heartland of America (as evidenced by the colored maps seen on
television during the presidential elections) tended toward George W.
Bush, while the two coasts, with their large strip cities (Boston to New
York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, and San Francisco to Los Angeles and
San Diego) tended toward Al Gore.
Now, it is the duty of every Christian to "be subject to the powers
that be."
However, if the strident rhetoric, continual vote-counting, angry
charges of "a stolen election" are any indication, our presidential
election IS truly "all over except the shouting."
No Christian, if he or she is obedient to Jesus Christ, will be
engaged in any of the shouting. r
_______________________________
IS A MAJOR WAR JUST AHEAD
IN THE MIDDLE EAST?
What began as violent protest over Ariel Sharon's visit to the Temple
Mount has become a protracted wave of violence that has left more than
300 dead — most of them Palestinians — and a constant rattling of sabers
by Israel's neighboring Arab and Islamic states! Even US Ambassador
Martin Indyk says the inflammatory rhetoric coming from Arab capitals is
"a very dangerous challenge." Here is what could cause a major war to
break out — and what Bible prophecy says about a coming occupation of
Israel by a foreign power!
by Garner Ted Armstrong
The newly-inaugurated American President, George W. Bush, will
suddenly be plunged into extremely serious talks with those he selects
to serve him regarding America's foreign policy. No doubt, both the new
Secretary of State, retired General Colin Powell, and Bush's Vice
President, Dick Cheney, who were the two who orchestrated the Gulf War
under Bush's father, will be a part of any such serious talks.
The ongoing violence in the Middle East could easily result in
another MAJOR WAR, even though the parties do not wish it. Recently, the
Jerusalem Post offered a chilling scenario which went something
like this: Suppose Palestinian gunmen succeed in slaughtering some
Israeli children? Then, if Israeli helicopter gunships should retaliate,
but accidentally send rockets into a Palestinian school and many
Palestinian children die, this would trigger violent riots and protests
in cities all across the Middle East. During this outburst of rage, the
Hizbollah, which has been receiving arms and rockets from Iran, attacks
into northern Israel from Lebanon (the Hizbollah has greatly reinforced
their border positions following the Israeli withdrawal from southern
Lebanon).
The Israeli IDF responds in force, fulfilling their promise that, if
they are attacked from Hizbollah bases supplied by Syria, they will
attack Syrian targets. Syria quickly sends columns of tanks into
southern Lebanon, attacking Israel there, and in the Golan.
Saddam Hussein has already moved one division (at least) to its
closest border with Israel, in Jordan. All Arab states have already
placed their armed forces on high alert; mobilization has been underway
for some time.
Meanwhile, Israeli commanders have been stepping up training
exercises in the valley of the Jordan River, hoping to hone the skills
of their own tank crews and tank destroyers in case Saddam Hussein
decides to roll through tiny Jordan, and attack Israel across the
narrow, shallow Jordan River.
All of this strongly suggests that the parties in the Middle East are
diligently preparing for war! Perhaps some of them genuinely do not want
another war, with its terrible consequences for all sides, but IF a
particularly outrageous guerilla attack, or an unfortunate response
which causes horrible "collateral" damage occurs, war could happen at
any moment quite by accident!
Even Egypt, notwithstanding Mubarak's peace treaty with Israel, has
been said to be "preparing for a conflict with Israel."
Saddam Hussein eagerly hopes to fulfil his ambition to lead in a
destructive war against Israel! He hopes to become another Saladin, or a
Darius—a man of the status of one of the Persian or Arabic leaders of
the past who has overthrown the Jews in Jerusalem! He has continually
spoken of "destroying Zionism."
Remember, Arab nations around Israel are festooned with the latest
state of the art military technology from the US, Germany, France,
Russia, and China! They possess double supersonic MIG jets from Russia;
medium-range ballistic missiles from China; anti-ship missiles from
France; anti-aircraft missiles from Russia; SCUDS hidden away in Iraq,
and both chemical and biological weapons. Pakistan possesses "the bomb."
It is no wonder then, that just the other day, three Israeli nuclear
submarines, which were built by the Germans, have quietly put to
sea—just after a private warning to Syria, and the reinforcement of
Israeli troops in the Golan!
The three submarines, the Tekuma, Dolphin, and the
Leviathan, are at this moment prowling the waters off shore Syria!
They possess missiles which could come crashing down on Damascus, and
the Syrians know it!
The Syrians, and all of Israel's neighbors are also aware that Israel
has a sizeable arsenal of nuclear weapons, and the means to deliver them
within only minutes upon Damascus, Baghdad, or any other Middle Eastern
capital. Had not former President George Bush intervened when Saddam
Hussein sent SCUDS crashing into Tel Aviv in the Gulf War, the Israeli
Air Force was prepared to turn Baghdad into glass! Last-minute shipments
of America's anti-ballistic missile "Patriots" (which were only
marginally successful, and which failed to stop the SCUDS), and a change
in US Air Force targeting from Saudi Arabia, switching to "SCUD-hunting"
in far western Iraq instead of bombing targets such as Baghdad and the
Republican Guard, is the only thing which halted Israel from using the
bomb.
Had there been poison gas or biological weapons in the nose cones of
those SCUDS which exploded in Tel Aviv neighborhoods, you need not doubt
for a moment that Israel would have retaliated with nuclear weapons!
Clinton's Legacy
Many observers have charged that outgoing President Bill Clinton
tried to push unwilling Middle Eastern leaders into negotiating a peace
agree-ment because he was in search of an historical "legacy." There is
at least some substance to this possibility. Clinton did not meet with
Yassir Arafat and Ehud Barak because they wanted another summit, or
because they were ready to come to the negotiating table. To the
contrary, Clinton pushed hard to get a peace agreement before he leaves
office, hoping that he could go down in history as "the man who brought
peace to the Mideast."
But neither Arafat nor Barak were ready for any such push. Both were
occupying implacable positions, particularly over the future of
Jerusalem, Jewish settlements, and the refugee question.
If Ariel Sharon's timing in visiting the temple mount, and of one the
holiest sites in all Islam is questionable, it is doubtful that he
calculated such a move based upon the nearness of US election. It is
much more logical that he wanted to glean even further support from the
far right in Israel who are tired of Barak's conciliatory policies
toward Palestinians. Sharon wants the Prime Ministry. Should he succeed
(and since Netanyahu has now decided not to run, this is not an utter
impossibility), this would be the last straw to Arab leaders.
Why? Because they hold him accountable for the "Christian Phalangist"
slaughter of innocent men, women and children in refugee camps in
southern Lebanon during Israel's occupation of that country back in the
1980's.
The stage has been set, in many ways, by America's fumbling outgoing
president, who tried to push unwilling (and largely unable) protagonists
into making peace when neither was ready for it. Sharon was the wild
card.
Now, the violence continues to swirl like a deadly tide — each injury
or death triggering mindless hatred and desire for revenge — and it
could get so out of hand it results in a wider war!
You and I could wake up any morning and hear that Iraqi, Egyptian,
Syrian, and Saudi tanks are attacking Israel!
If such were to occur, and if massive loss of life were to occur in
Israel, and IF NUCLEAR, CHEMICAL OR BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS were to be
unleashed, the major powers would be instantly involved!
Bible prophecy says Jerusalem will be "surrounded with armies" and
that a great false prophet who claims to BE GOD will be ensconced in a
temple in Jerusalem when the great tribulation breaks out!
Christ warned, "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:)
"Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
"Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out
of his house:
"Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his
clothes.
"And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in
those days!
"But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
Sabbath day:
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be
saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened" (Matthew
24:15-22).
Clearly, this prophecy says that unless God Himself intervened, there
would not remain alive on this earth a single human being!
This great time of world trouble would ANNIHILATE HUMANITY if God
does not stop it! It is to be triggered IN JERUSALEM!
If Clinton sought to use the Mideast "peace process" as a possible
plum so he could divert attention away from other more unsavory
subjects, he would have done well to have read what God says about those
who trouble themselves with Jerusalem: "The burden of the word of the
LORD for Israel, saith the LORD, which stretcheth forth the heavens, and
layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within
him.
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people
round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and
against Jerusalem.
"And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all
people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces,
though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it"
(Zechariah 12:1-3).
WATCH, and you will see our new administration quickly involved in
attempting to quiet the violence in the Mideast; trying to work with
Britain and Europe to stave off the creation of a ALL EUROPEAN ARMY
APART FROM NATO, and finding itself entangled with Chinese outrage over
George W. Bush's statements about an independent Taiwan!
Americans have been mesmerized like a rabbit before a snake, narrowly
focusing on "dimpled chads," while a very real and a very dangerous
world moves closer every day to the Great Tribulation prophesied by
Christ.
For the complete historical and prophetic background, and for an
understanding of what the immediate future holds, read my booklet,
Mideast Strife — Will
It Lead To Armageddon? r
_______________________________
SADDAM HUSSEIN SUPPORTING
PALESTINIANS WITH MONEY, WEAPONS
by Garner Ted Armstrong
The WORLD TRIBUNE recently reported that Saddam Hussein
has earmarked over $890 million in an attempt to create a wider war in
the Mideast. Frequent large pictures of Saddam have been appearing in
Palestinian daily newspapers, with the caption, "Thank you Saddam
Hussein for the heroic stand for the feelings of our martyrs."
The ads are placed by families of Palestinians killed in the latest
rounds of rioting and gun battles in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank —
families which have received $10,000 in cash as compensation, sent
directly from Saddam. The report said up to thirty families have already
received direct cash payments from Saddam, who is seeking to buy
influence, and to deliver arms to the Hizbollah.
It was alleged that the Palestinian connection to Saddam is one Assam
Ahmad, a PA Public Works official, who shuttles back and forth between
the Gaza and Baghdad airports.
Saddam has said millions of volunteers have come forward in Iraq to
fight alongside the Palestinians. Saddam said, "If we had the
opportunity, Iraq would have come to you [the Palestinians] with its
armies."
Many Middle Eastern nations, including Egypt and Iran, are "alarmed"
by the growing interference of Saddam, and by his increasingly close
relations with Syria. Obviously, Saddam is not yet disabused of the
notion that his destiny is to become another Saladin, or perhaps a
Darias, and to lead Arab armies in the complete destruction of Israel.
It is known that Saddam's stock-piles of chemical and biological
weapons were never found, and that he is busily working once again on
nuclear weapons. It is also known that Saddam is cooperating closely
with Libya, and that the Chinese shipment of long-range ballistic
missiles which recently arrived there are actually intended for Iraq.
A recent statement by U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Edward Walker
is chilling: He said we do not want "...to see divisions of Saddam
Hussein's Republican Guards with the latest tanks, an Iraqi nuclear
bomb, Iraqi missiles that could reach Paris." Of course, no one believes
that any such missiles would be aimed at Paris. They know Saddam has
already launched SCUDS against Tel Aviv, and would use the far more
accurate and deadly Chinese "No Dong" missiles against Israel.
How ironic that US and European money, spent for Iraqi oil (allowed
to be offered for sale under UN sanctions) should end up being used in
further attempts to destroy Israel.
Never forget that the Bible is a Middle Eastern book, centered around
Jerusalem!
Prophecies of Jesus Christ point out that a two-pronged, major event
will precipitate a great WORLD WAR—a time of trouble eclipsing every war
of the past—a great "abomination" will be set up in Jerusalem, and the
city will be "surrounded with armies." r
_______________________________
Personal
from...
Garner Ted Armstrong
WHAT A WONDERFUL FEAST it was! God granted us a whopping increase of
at least FOUR HUNDRED this year! Not only was attendance UP at our three
original U.S. Feast Sites, but by adding a fourth site in Lexington,
Kentucky, and having an attendance there of over three hundred and
fifty, many more people were able to travel to one of our United States
Feast sites.
One of the highlights was seeing so many NEW people; those who had
never attended a Feast of Tabernacles before!
My wife and I arrived back home tired but joyful — scarcely able to
believe the Feast was over so soon! We traveled to Panama City Beach by
air just after Atonement, flying from Tyler to Dallas/Fort Worth,
changing planes after an hour's layover, then flying to Atlanta, where
we once again had to change planes, and on to Panama City Beach.
Our condominium was located right on the sugar-white beach, with a
beautiful view of the sky blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico. During our
entire time there the surf was very calm; bright, sunny day followed
bright sunny day; the temperatures were in the high 70s and low 80s, and
each morning and evening treated us to inspiring, awesome sunrises and
sunsets.
We were joined just before the Feast by our son Mark and grandson
Michael, 13, and by our son David, his wife Dijana, and their two
children, Sonja Dee, who is 8, and her little brother Daniel, who is 5.
It was wonderful to see the grandchildren playing together and excitedly
going to the beach.
Just before the Feast, we very much enjoyed a special night out at
the famous "Captain Anderson's" restaurant with Tom and Audrey Kerry and
their two precious little girls. Captain Anderson's is a fabulously
decorated restaurant, right on the largest marina in Panama City Beach,
with the deep-sea fleet tied up just outside. Tom Kerry is an ordained
minister in the Intercontinental Church of God, and Area Coordinator for
the southeastern United States. He also serves as the Festival
Coordinator for Panama City Beach.
On Sabbath morning, October 14th, as we gathered in the
"Boardwalk" convention center, in Salon "A," a smaller room than we had
enjoyed the previous year, we had expected to see a crowd of about 350,
believing many would have decided to go to Lexington, instead. What a
surprise to see our ushers scrambling to bring in more and more chairs
until there was simply no more room! We had at least two hundred more
than we had expected, for an attendance that first day of 530! That
afternoon, even more chairs had to be brought in!
Eventually, 579 people registered in Panama City Beach!
After my second sermon on Sunday morning, October 15th, we
flew from Panama City to Atlanta, changed planes, and then flew from
Atlanta to Lexington, Kentucky, to find a happy, enthusiastic crowd of
nearly 350 Feast-goers who were enjoying the magnificent new auditorium
in the Embassy Suites. As always we were able to meet with so many old
and dear friends, and to greet many new ones.
Mr. George Trent was on hand when we arrived to fill us in on the
first two days of the Feast. Mr. Trent is the Area Coordinator for the
Northeastern United States, and was working as Festival Coordinator for
Lexington.
I had sent one of my paintings to each feast site for inclusion in
the raffles which were held to help defray expenses for some of the many
Festival activities. I am not a great artist by any means, but I have
enjoyed trying my hand at painting now and then, and I was surprised and
pleased by all the enthusiasm over the paintings! It certainly helped to
pay for our festival expenses—and everyone had a wonderful time at each
of the raffles and the family fun and talent shows.
On a very sad note, Mr. Max Nunnery, an ordained minister in the
church, and pastor of the group in Fayetteville, North Carolina, had
died only days before the Feast of inoperable cancer. His wife Marie and
her daughter were in Lexington, and it was a very sad and emotional
moment to greet them both. Yet, because both Max and Marie have
understood thoroughly the truth about the resurrection, Marie was able
to come to the Feast and be in the midst of many hundreds of God's
people who love her, and who comforted her in her loss. It was
especially moving to hear Max's brother, Mr. Robert Nunnery, give the
sermonette in place of his brother, whose name was listed on the
speaking schedule, published in the Feast brochure.
Only one year earlier, Mr. Robert Nunnery had been attending with the
original parent group, the WCG. However, when he attended one of my
personal-appearance campaigns, he asked me if he wrote to me personally,
would I answer? I said yes, of course, and answered his letter when it
came a few weeks later. He had many questions about the law of God, and
about some of the puzzling scriptures in the Book of Galatians. As a
result of his letter, I not only sent him a fairly lengthy personal
response, but decided to do a three-part series of sermons on the Book
of Galatians. If any of you have not heard this three-part series, and
would like to hear a verse-by-verse exposition of Galatians, please call
or write, and we will be happy to send them to you.
As a result of all this — but primarily through his brother Max's
example, God brought Mr. Robert Nunnery into the ICG many months ago.
As I told many, "If men can be sweet, then Max was a sweet man." He
was much loved, and will be sorely missed.
We left Lexington on Tuesday afternoon, flying first to St. Louis for
a layover and another change of aircraft, and then on to Springfield,
where we picked up a rental car and drove down to Kimberling City,
arriving very late at night.
The next morning, we were very inspired and elated to see a "wall to
wall" crowd of over five hundred people in the auditorium! Dr. James
Ricks and his wife, Natalie were there to greet us, along with a very
large, enthusiastic group of people. In Kimberling, we were reunited
with our third son, Matthew, his wife Shannon and two children, Andrew,
8, and little Hunter, who is a toddler of 1 year. As always, it was
wonderful to see so many old friends from over the years.
The Inn, with its many spacious condominiums overlooking beautiful
Table Rock Lake, was an inspiring setting. I spoke on both Wednesday and
Thursday mornings. Dr. Ricks had arranged a short "golf tournament" (we
had only time for 9 holes) on Wednesday afternoon on a truly beautiful
and picturesque golf course close to Branson. Somehow, my partner Mr. Ed
Fain and I managed to eke out the victory! The prize? A box of brand new
golf balls!
That evening, a very large group of ministers and hosts and their
wives boarded a bus and went to the "largest restaurant in Missouri," a
huge steak house with five different kitchens and many, many dining
rooms, and enjoyed a marvelous steak dinner. All took turns standing up,
identifying themselves and their area, and getting acquainted.
After my sermon on Thursday morning, we had to leave during the song
service to make sure we arrived in Springfield on time to catch a plane
for Dallas/Fort Worth, where we had to lay over for about two hours,
then catch a plane for Reno, rent a car, and drive for over another
hour, arriving very late at night at our reserved one-bedroom
condominium on the shores of Lake Tahoe.
Since we had lost two hours "body time," it was a bit difficult the
next morning, but once we were having our coffee overlooking the
spectacular beauty of Lake Tahoe, it was well worth it!
We were greeted by a very happy, enthusiastic crowd in the "North
Shore Conference Center," and by Mr. and Mrs. Phill Dunagan. Phill is an
ordained minister in the Church, and Area Coordinator for the western
and Rocky Mountain states, as well as Festival Coordinator.
I spoke to a very fine crowd of nearly 150 on both Friday and the
final Sabbath, which was a double Sabbath, "The Last Great Day." On
Friday evening, about 35 or 40 of us gathered in Chris Cumming's and Bob
Kluin's condominium for our traditional steak and salmon cookout —
fabulous food, wonderful camaraderie, and Phill Dunagan and Bob Kluin on
their guitars providing the music while we sang a lot of the old songs,
including some inspiring hymns. Chris Cumming, who is our hard-working
web site operator, had heard me mention a beautiful song I had heard on
the radio called "Four Days Late," by the group called "Karen Peck and
New River," and, lo and behold, they had found the CD, and played it for
all of us. I have to confess that, in that setting, with all those
wonderful friends and the next to last day of the Feast, I was moved to
tears once again to hear that song. The words are about Jesus at
Lazarus' tomb; how Mary and Martha despaired because He was "four days
late," but how they rejoiced when Lazarus was resurrected. It is very
inspiring! My wife and I left early—those two hours of "body time"
catching up with us, and, after about 6 hours sleep, once again enjoyed
our little condo, which featured a corner fireplace.
It rained briefly, and the temperatures dropped into the 40s, so I
went outside, grabbed a double handful of pine needles, and soon had a
crackling fire going while the coffee pot was gurgling happily away.
Those mornings overlooking Lake Tahoe are so memorable, I cherish every
moment! I took a brisk morning walk along the shore and out onto a dock,
where the wind was blowing at about 20 knots, and large waves breaking.
Believe it or not, there were larger waves on Tahoe than in the Gulf of
Mexico while we were there!
As usual, following my final message, I couldn't help preempting our
very fine song leader, Mr. Stanley Roberts, and lead the final song,
which has become tradition over the last 22 years, "Till We Meet Again."
As always, tears of sadness and joy were in many eyes—joy at being at
the Feast, and sad-ness because it was too soon over!
As I think back over the Feast, I am extremely grateful that there
were virtually NO problems of any significance! God gave us GREAT
weather throughout the Feast at all four U.S. sites, even though
separated by such vast distances!
My wife and I traveled on eleven different airplanes for 22 takeoffs
and landings! Thankfully, our airplanes were almost always right on
schedule—we experienced almost no serious delays, and managed to be at
each Feast site exactly on time!
I suppose some may think the expression "The BEST FEAST EVER" gets a
bit hackneyed, since we hear it so often, and yet, since there were so
many who had never attended a feast with the Intercontinental Church of
God, and many who were experiencing their very first feast, the four
U.S. Area Coordinators told me they heard this expression many times!
Now, back in harness in the work, doing television, writing,
preaching, fielding dozens of telephone calls, I look forward already to
the next one! r
_______________________________
Personal Letter
from Israel...
The following was written by an American of exceptional insight. A
board-certified nurse-practitioner and former president of the
Conservative synagogue in Nashville, Stuart Goldstein lives in a small
town near Haifa in Israel with his wife and three sons. Please share it
with as many people as you can, ASAP, including newspapers, radio, and
TV stations wherever possible.
_______________
Jews are often accused, particularly since the Holocaust, of being
overly paranoid about anti-Semitism _ seeing the effects of
anti-Semitism where none really exist.
After watching and listening to the world news (CNN International,
BBC, Sky News) along with the reaction of world governments and the UN
to the latest violence here, most of us here can only conclude that
anti-Semitism in the guise of anti-Israeli sentiments is alive and well
in the world at large. Just last night I watched a 20 minute report on
CNN in which Saeb Erakat and Hannan Ashrawi were interviewed and lied
openly without challenge by their interviewers while I waited for an
Israeli response. In a 20 minute report not one Israeli was interviewed.
On my way home from work I listened to the BBC discuss what Israel
was doing in "the occupied territories," a pre-Oslo term that bears no
relation to reality when discussing the totally Palestinian controlled
areas of Ramallah, Nablus, etc.
Before I head off to work for a 17 hour Yom Kippur shift, here are
some facts as many of us see them and are living them in the current
days:
Are we to assume that the Palestinian people are so out of control
that any act to which they object may produce such violence as the only
response? How then are we to trust any peace agreement? How then are we
to trust Palestinian sovereignty in the Old City or trust them as our
peaceful neighbors? Why is it that the world ignores the fact that the
only time in history that there has been unlimited access to all
religions to their holy sites in the Old City has been since the 1967
recapture of the Old City by Israel?
The myth of mere rocks against rifles: Here is what a typical
Palestinian attack looks like. Thousands (no exaggeration) of
Palestinians, mostly young men and children, begin to storm an Israeli
outpost which protects an Israeli village or the road bordering
Palestinian territory (NOT occupied by Israel) with Israel proper. I
have never heard the question asked as to why we need such protection if
we have a peace agreement and a partner for peace. Behind this mob,
hiding behind buildings and other cover are both Palestinian police and
civilians with automatic weapons who fire on the outpost. The soldiers
can either ignore these "mere rock throwers" until they physically
overrun their outpost and attack what is beyond (unarmed Israelis) or
selectively fire to try to stop the surging crowd from reaching the
village they are protecting.
As the world decries the 80+ Palestinian deaths, no one stops to ask
how many would actually be dead if Israeli forces were actually doing
what they are accused of -- shooting indiscriminately into these crowds
with their automatic weapons. Literally hundreds or thousands of
Palestinians would be dead by now if that were the case. And, instead of
stopping the violence, the Palestinian diplomats now sing their one-note
tune demanding an international inquiry into the violence, as if this
will be a solution to anything no matter what is discovered.
Yes, tanks and helicopter gunships have been moved in to the worst
areas. But they have been used as tactical scare tactics, not as
offensive weapons. Simply imagine how many would be dead if the fire
power in these weapons had been used.
So, rock throwers are not mere nuisances. These masses of attackers
represent a true threat to both the soldiers in their outposts as well
as the Israeli citizens that live behind these outposts.
Are more Palestinians being killed and injured than Israelis? Of
course. They are out in the open while the Israeli troops are trapped
within bunker-type buildings. The Israelis are not leaving these
outposts to give chase as they well could. They are defending their
positions. All media reports we have seen paint this as Israeli
aggression. Are children being killed? Indeed. I ask you, what kind of
parent allows, and in many cases encourages, their child to go to the
front lines of what is basically a war to throw stones at armed
troops??! This is NOT civil disobedience or demonstration. This is mass
mob rioting with all the dangers that entails. The Palestinians send
their children to be slaughtered and then cynically use this against us
in the court of world opinion. The reporters know this but are quick to
blame us for the outcome. (I hope you all saw and read about the false
front page NY Times/AP photo "showing" an Israeli soldier about to
attack a bleeding Palestinian boy, which turned out to be an Israeli
soldier trying to protect a bleeding American yeshiva student who
had been pulled out of a taxi, stoned and stabbed, from further attack.
The press assumption: if a youth is bleeding, it must be the outcome of
Israeli aggression).
The myth of Israeli presence as a provocation: The Palestinians have
come to their border with us and not vice versa. There has been no
unprovoked Israeli insurgence into Palestinian territory. Wherever there
is an Israeli presence _ as approved by the Oslo agreements -- it is to
protect Israeli citizens who are constantly under threat of attack by
our "peace partners." The Israeli outposts, well outside the independent
Palestinian towns and villages, did not suddenly move towards those
towns and villages and magically become objects of provocation. The
Palestinians left their homes in masses and attacked these sites. Their
diplomats ask us to remove our troops from these areas of "provocation"
in order to gain land by violence that they did not gain by negotiation.
If we allow that, where does it end?
Still, with all that, Israel yesterday agreed to hand control of a
Jewish religious site in Nablus (Joseph's tomb) over to the Palestinian
police in order that there would be absolutely no "provocative" Israeli
presence anywhere near the Palestinian town. A few days before, in an
unprecedented act of sheer hatred, the Palestinian police refused to
allow Israelis to evacuate a severely wounded border policeman who had
been shot in the neck by Palestinian rioters. Negotiations went on for
four hours to no avail and the policeman died. In the meantime, Israel
smuggled doctors dressed as Arab residents into Nablus to try to save
the life of the son of the Nablus governor. He was airlifted to an
Israeli hospital for treatment. Did you see this in your news?
In an agreement worked out by both sides, the Palestinians promised
to protect this holy site as the Israelis withdrew. During the
withdrawal, one Israeli border policeman was killed and several
seriously wounded. After the withdrawal, the Palestinian masses stormed
the tomb, pulled out Jewish religious articles, prayer books and the
like and burned them, set fire to the inside of the tomb, and destroyed
as much of the tomb itself as they could, stone by stone. These are acts
by people who, according to Saeb Erakat and Hannan Ashrawi, just wanted
Jewish presence out of their town but bear no hatred towards Jews or
Israelis. They just want peace.
In all the years of conflict, not a single mosque, whether occupied
and used or not, has been touched by Israeli authorities or civilians.
This is the behavior of people who propose to have control over a city
holy to three religions and to protect the holy sites of all. This
horrible act yesterday said more to Israeli Jews about the Palestinians'
true feeling towards the Jews than almost any other act during the
current violence. Attacking army outposts represents a totally different
statement than that made by destroying Jewish holy artifacts and sites.
The myth of one-sided effects of violence: As I speak, I can only
exit my village in one direction, the roads being closed off in the
other 2 directions by burning tires and rock and Molotov cocktail
throwers. Last week, my car was stoned and Molotoved while exiting an
archaeological site near my home and far from Arab towns. This is inside
Israel proper where we are expected to trust our Israeli Arab citizens
and try not to believe that there is fifth column in our midst.
Throughout the country many main roads have been sealed off by either
Palestinian or Israeli Arab riots. There are Jewish towns and villages
where food and supplies must be airlifted in because there is no open
roadway in or out of the villages. These are homes in Israel proper, not
in yet to be negotiated territory. Have they mentioned this in your
news? Is our government simply supposed to ignore this and abandon its
citizens to whatever fate may await them at the hands of the mobs? Would
an American (or French) government allow its citizens to be slaughtered
by a mob of armed rioters? (By the way, Le Monde finally came out
yesterday and publicly decried Chirac's emphatic and public support of
the recent Palestinian actions).
Perhaps the most telling interview I heard was on the BBC with a
member of the Palestinian Legislative Council. When asked if Arafat
truly had the power to stop the mob violence, he said that it probably
could not be done without exerting fatal force on the rioters. I was
amazed when the logical follow-up question was not asked: "Then how do
you expect the Israeli forces to stop this violence without using fatal
force?" That question has never been probed in any media report I have
seen. It is the duty of any government to protect its citizens from
violence. Just what are we supposed to do here?
The myth of Lebanon and the UN: Four months ago, Israel left Lebanon
and then waited patiently while the UN took months to get permission
from the Lebanese government to supervise the drawing of the border
between the two nations. Israel withdrew to that border without
hesitation and has been there ever since. The UN moved in to "monitor"
the situation. Every single day since our withdrawal, mobs of Lebanese
come to their side of the border to throw rocks, bottles of burning oil,
and Molotov cocktails at the soldiers sitting in their outposts, and
worse, at farmers trying to tend their fields. What do they want???
For years the myth was that if Israel would only leave their security
zone then things would return to normal. We left. We continue to be
taunted daily by mobs that have increased in size rather than decreased
over time and whose weaponry had increased in sophistication (they now
use rock catapults, which are a serious weapon) and the damage they
produce. The UN sits there in silence (other than their readiness to
condemn Israel at the drop of a hat). Israeli soldiers have acted with
the ultimate in restraint and there have been minimal casualties.
Yesterday, the worst nightmare of our country occurred. In an
incredibly well-planned attack, Hizbullah forces crashed the border
fence, drew a small patrol to the fence break with fire and then
kidnapped three soldiers, who were whisked away in a civilian
automobile_not a spontaneous act of violence. One of those soldiers was
the cousin of the Bedouin chief of security at my hospital. I comforted
him as he cried like a baby on my shoulder when he got the news at work
last night. Lebanon, of course, has clean hands in all this because it
was done by the Hizbullah, not the Lebanese army. No matter that
Lebanon, as a supposedly sovereign nation, should be held accountable
for cross border violence instigated from within its boundaries. No
matter that after Israel returned its security zone to Lebanese control
the Lebanese turned the area over to the Hizbullah rather than placing
their own troops in control there. Lebanese sovereignty, between Syria
and the Hizbullah, is a total myth. Where is the UN? Why, they're
debating a proposal condemning Israel for their recent aggression
against Palestinians.
Kafka lives! The myth of Ariel Sharon: Sharon probably wishes he was
as powerful as the world press makes him out to be! Was Ariel Sharon's
ascent to the Temple Mount a smart thing to do in the current situation?
No. Was his ascent to the Mount a sufficient "provocation" to trigger
off the violence we have seen since that Friday? Also no. He went
unarmed and without violence to visit a Jewish holy site that all agree
is an act allowed to all Jews. Arab Israeli MKs were there as well
without "provocation" even though they are Israeli Members of
Parliament.
Let's review. The Thursday before Sharon's visit, an Israeli Border
Patrol soldier was murdered by a double roadside bomb inside of Israel,
an unprovoked act of violence we had not seen in years. The next morning
(before Sharon's ascent to the Mount), a Palestinian policeman, on a
joint patrol with an Israeli partner, pulled his automatic rifle on his
partner, murdering him, and then wounded another Israeli policeman. When
Sharon ascended the Mount, he saw the mounds of boulders which had been
prepared well in advance for pelting Jewish worshipper at the Western
Wall below. There was obviously a well-planned uprising in the wings
waiting for a convenient spark, which Sharon provided. It is clear to
Israeli security forces that that spark would have come from somewhere
else eventually. After he left, the Imam in the El Aksa mosque on the
Mount whipped the congregation (about two thousand worshippers) into a
frenzy, repeating the "new Palestinian truth" that the Israelis have
secret plans to take over the Mount and destroy the mosques there and
that Sharon represented their scout.
The Moslem sermon on the Temple Mount today included the following
supplications: "We want the battle against the enemy to be orderly. We
want dead amidst the enemy. We want to kill and not be killed. We must
fight guerrilla warfare." Thus the violence started as the crowds surged
out after their prayers and began throwing the awaiting boulders over
the wall and surging into the Old City to take over and burn an Israeli
police station there, severely injuring a number of policeman, who did
not shoot into the crowds. Did you see it on the news?
And I return to my original premise about anti-Semitism posing as
anti-Israelism. The facts discussed above are available to the world
press and they are certainly available to world leaders as well as the
UN. Where is there any semblance of justice here? Surely there is enough
wisdom around to understand that the side with the most weaponry is not
always the aggressor. Was Russia condemned in the UN over Chechnya? Do
you remember the massive fire power used in those battles by the Russian
army against poorly armed rebels (also Muslims, by the way)? Did you see
the pictures of massive destruction of the Chechnyan towns and villages?
Did that incident get half the attention that the Palestinian cause
always gets? Ask yourselves why.
And so, these are very sad times for us as a people. What many don't
comprehend is that they are perhaps even sadder times for the world at
large. If the world's moral compass becomes so warped as to accept
almost any act against Israel as legitimate, where does that end?
Israelis watched in stunned silence as two thousand Palestinian
supporters crowded into Times Square. We see it as the ultimate chutzpah
and ask where the AMERICAN Jews are?
So, my friends, it is a very sad start to a new year. I am heading
for our hospital, where I will be for at least the next 17 hours as we
are the government army evac hospital for all of northern Israel. As you
might suppose, we are on high alert. A nice way to spend my Yom Kippur.
Those of you who believe, please pray for the peace of Jerusalem and our
nation as a whole. Those of you who don't, we could sure use some
positive energy, thoughts, and actions coming our way. We feel abandoned
as in no time in recent history. Whether you even support Israel itself,
support truth and justice and don't allow lies to warp your thinking and
that of your friends.
In dreams of peace,
Stuart, Wendy, Josh, Noach & Eli
r
_______________________________
MOMENT OF JUDGMENT
Are we in the time of the Ten Virgins?
by Chris Cumming
At the Feast of Tabernacles at Lake Tahoe, Mr. Armstrong gave
a sermon, in which he asked, "Are we involved in the Work Jesus gave to
the disciples?" He spent the balance of the sermon showing how God goes
about bringing disciples to the Work and how He prunes and winnows the
flock to insure that the Work is done.
One of the scriptures he quoted was:
"Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but
let him glorify God on this behalf.
"For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God:
and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not
the gospel of God?
"And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and
the sinner appear?" (1 Peter 4:16-18).
This is an interesting question. Just what does this scripture mean,
"if the righteous scarcely be saved?"
Is there a possibility that some of the righteous will not be saved?
If so, how could this happen? How many could be lost? Is there a
prophecy of Jesus Christ that speaks about members of the Body of Christ
being lost? What happens to those who are lost? Are they denied the
Kingdom of God forever? When will a member know if he or she is saved or
lost? Is there a way to insure that we will enter the Kingdom?
In this article, we will answer these questions and show just how the
saved are saved and the lost are lost. This will encourage us to be
ready at that moment of judgment.
Some 2000 years ago, just before the Passover the disciples were with
Jesus near the Temple in Jerusalem:
"And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples
came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
"And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say
unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that
shall not be thrown down.
"And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall
be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matthew
24:1-3).
Now, as we know, Jesus goes about giving them the Olivet prophecy.
Verses 4-5; He speaks of false prophets.
Verse 6—wars and rumors of war
Verse 7—famines, pestilence and earthquakes;
In verses 10 and 12 Jesus speaks of members becoming offended and the
love of many waxing cold;
Verse 14 states that the gospel will be preached in all nations;
Verses 15 through 28 describes the tribulation— the abomination of
desolation and warnings about false Christs.
Beginning with verse 29 we read about heavenly signs and the first
sighting of Christ appearing in the clouds of heaven coming in power and
great glory.
All of these scriptures are prophecy. Jesus spoke to the disciples
using straight talk rather than in parables. Then, while still upon the
mount of Olives, Jesus gave them prophecy about the members of the body
of Christ. He did it in a parable. Let's read that parable.
As we do, remember, Jesus is still answering the question, "What
shall be the sign of thy coming?"
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
"And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
"They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
"But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
"While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh;
go ye out to meet him.
"Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
"And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our
lamps are gone out.
"But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for
us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were
ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
"Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to
us.
"But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man cometh." (Matthew 25:1-13).
Seems like a simple parable, doesn't it? Five wise virgins, five
foolish virgins, five ready; five not ready. However, as we are going to
discover, this is much more than a parable. It is a prophecy that
affects our very eternity.
There is so much spiritual meaning to this prophecy that we are going
to have to approach it and delve into it by many different means.
First, we are going to look into just how this parable is structured
and how that structure impacts its meaning and message. Second, we are
going to define several terms that make up these 13 important
scriptures. Next, we will use spiritual logic and come to some initial
conclusions regarding these scriptures. Fourth, we will immerse
ourselves into the whole Word of God and find the deep meaning of this
prophecy and ascertain why it may be the most important salvation
prophecy in the whole Bible.
Now, since the central characters in this parable are the wise and
foolish virgins, we will take a close look at just what it takes to be a
wise virgin and how one can become a foolish virgin. Finally, we will
look at some encouraging steps we can all take to insure that we are
among those wise virgins who will meet with the bridegroom.
I. STRUCTURE OF THE PARABLE
Jesus is still answering the one single question as to what would be
the sign of His coming. He had already given them a list of world
events. He is now addressing the body of Christ and what would happen to
them at His coming.
He sets the stage in the very first verse. He says that the Kingdom
of heaven is "likened." He is about to tell us just who is going to be
in the Kingdom at His coming. He states that there are ten individuals
who represent the firstfruits, who have God's Holy Spirit, represented
by lamps and oil. He further describes the body of Christ as being those
awaiting the return of Christ.
He then gives us some inside information that the ten virgins do not
have. In verses 2-4, He tells us that five are foolish and five are
wise. The ten, themselves do not know, specifically who is who. That
knowledge comes later. The interesting thing is that we don't know
either. They are doing all the same things together.
Verse 1: Ten go forth to meet the bridegroom.
Verse 1: They all took lamps.
Verse 5: They all slept.
Verse 6: All ten hear the cry.
Verse 7: They all get up.
Verse 7: They all trim their lamps.
The distinction comes at verse 8 when half of them see the problem.
It is then that they are thrown into an absolute desperate panic.
Problem is, this distinction comes at the last possible moment when
nothing can be done. Their fates are cast. The rest of the parable is
Epilogue.
What happens to the five foolish virgins comes in one distinct
moment. THE DOOR TO THE KINGDOM IS SHUT.
If this is not enough, the bridegroom, Himself, states that He does
not know these individuals. This is judgment. It comes in a single
moment. It is severe shock to the minds and hearts of those foolish
virgins as they realize; in one moment, they have LOST the Kingdom.
The sobering and even shocking fact for us is that Jesus Christ is
telling us that a full ONE HALF of the body of Christ, as it exists
today, WILL NOT BE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD.
We will prove this more fully as we go along.
II. DEFINING OF TERMS AND ELEMENTS
1) THEN (the first word of the parable)
It means "at the time that"…as at the time of this future event I am
talking about. It can also be phrased, "now going along with these
events is this."
So we see with this single word "THEN" that Jesus is telling the
disciples, and by extension us, that in the end time and during the time
of the Tribulation we will be in the time of the ten virgins. That is to
say, that during the end time and the great tribulation, 50 percent of
the body of Christ will be in the process of falling away.
The ironic element is that they will not know that they have fallen
away until the moment of Christ's return, when the door to the Kingdom
is shut.
2) TEN: the number ten.
The numbers used in the Bible have different definitions based on the
context and message of the individual scripture. In this parable, the
number ten is used to denote "an indefinite number." At the same time,
it is used to mean "personal testing." It would seem clear that anyone
God calls to be a firstfruit is going to be tested.
Obviously, it represents the total number of virgins, and therefore
100 percent of the church.
The number ten is also used to denote Testimony, Responsibility and
Law. We would have to say that God calls us to salvation and that we
have a responsibility to enter into the salvation process and to become
like Christ.
So, based on these definitions of the number ten, we have that group
of indefinite number, known as the firstfruits who are being judged and
tested and who have a responsibility to work out their salvation up till
the return of Christ.
3) FIVE: (as in five wise or five foolish virgins)
"Five" has two distinct meanings here. First, five is half of ten.
Jesus is not saying that 10 percent or 20 percent will fall away. He is
clearly indicating 50 percent or half of those in the body of Christ at
the time of late end time and the tribulation. Five is also used to
denote divine grace, wisdom and good stewardship.
Remember that Jesus is actually focusing on the five wise virgins in
this parable because He is telling us just WHO will make it into the
Kingdom. The five wise virgins are definitely those who practice wisdom
and good stewardship.
4) FOOLISH: (as in the five foolish virgins).
This is Strong's word 3474 moros as in moron. It means "dull
or stupid;" "heedless" and it means "BLOCKHEAD." It also is defined in
Strong's as "absurd."
Now wouldn't it be absurd to give up one's calling and to give up
eternity in the Kingdom of God? Wouldn't we call this person a
Blockhead? Surely, this is what Jesus is calling them in this parable.
5) WISE: (as in the five wise virgins).
This is Strong's word 5429 and means "thoughtful," "sagacious" or
"discreet" (implying a cautious character).
Sagacious:
a) of quick sense perceptions; keen-scented; skilled in following a
trail (as in the pathway God has set before us).
b) Hence, of quick intellectual perception; discerning and judicious;
knowing; far-sighted.
Discreet:
Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and
in the adaptation of means to ends, prudent, sagacious, not rash or
heedless; cautious.
Now, don't these two words capture what a wise servant is? They are
actively and energetically involved in the salvation process. They avoid
error and evil. They know how to work their way clear through the
salvation process and they never take their eye off the Kingdom of God.
They are ready at all times and keep themselves full of the Holy Spirit.
6) TARRIED: (as in the bridegroom tarried).
This does not mean "delayed." It means "to take time" as in the
bridegroom was on his own timetable.
In the days of the disciples, it was the father who told the son when
the marriage would take place. Therefore, how could the bridegroom be
delaying his coming? God is on a timetable and He is sending His Son
according to His plan.
7) MIDNIGHT: (as in at midnight the call was made).
This word means "middle" or "in the midst" or "along the way." So
Jesus is saying, through the parable, that in the midst of all these
events, the cry will come out that He (Jesus) is coming; that He is
returning to this earth.
8) CRY: (as in a cry was made—verse 6).
Going back to the marriage ceremonies of Jesus' day, when the father
of the bridegroom determined that the time was right, the priest would
blow on the trumpet to announce to the wedding party that the marriage
was about to take place.
This cry is an indication of the Day of Trumpets which pictures the
return of Jesus Christ to this earth.
9) TRIMMED: (as in they trimmed their lamps).
From Webster's Dictionary the word means, "To make trim; to put in
due order for any purpose; to make right, neat, or pleasing.
In looking at the context of the parable we see that the trumpet has
sounded and all ten of the virgins are checking to make sure they are
ready. We are talking about self examination here. In nautical terms,
"trim" means to check the cargo to see that it is balanced and in order.
These bridesmaids are checking to see if they are ready to proceed to
the marriage. Half will boldly know that they are ready to meet Christ
in the air. The other half will realize, in that one moment, that they
are not ready.
10) GONE OUT: (as in "our lamps are gone out"—verse 8).
Most margins will indicate that this should be rendered "going out."
The Strong's word is 4570 and means to quench. The foolish virgins were
pointing out that their lamps were going out. The firstfruits will
indicate that they now see that the Spirit of God is quenched in
them…going out.
III. SPIRIT DRIVEN LOGIC AND CONCLUSION OF THE PARABLE
Based on these definitions and what we have discussed so far we can
conclude the following:
In the end time there will be an indefinite number of humans in the
body of Christ. Half will be very actively engaged in the process of
salvation. The other half will be, for a period of time, engaged in the
process of backsliding and falling away from the process of salvation.
Ironically, they will still be actively attending a church. They will,
in all probability, not even know they are falling away.
At the end of the Tribulation, there will be a trumpet blast and we
will know that Christ is now appearing in the sky. We will look up into
the sky and in a moment, all the wise firstfruits will rise up as Spirit
beings to be with Christ.
The others will realize, in that moment of judgment. that they will
not be in the Kingdom. Their lamps will have gone completely out.
We now want to fully immerse ourselves into the Word of God and to
confirm the verses we see in this Prophecy Parable.
IV. IMMERSING OURSELVES INTO THE WORD OF GOD.
As we are about to see, the primary elements of this parable of
Matthew 25 are confirmed throughout the Bible. You will actually see how
God uses His Word to confirm His Word.
"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which
took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom."
Regarding the going forth to meet the bridegroom, Christ:
"Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which
the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me
only, but unto all them also that love his appearing." (2 Tim. 4:8).
"Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the
great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ" (Titus 2:13).
Regarding the bridegroom and where they are going:
"And Jesus said unto them, Can the children of the bridechamber
mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? but the days will come,
when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast"
(Matthew 9:15).
Jesus, here, establishes Himself as the bridegroom for the parable
that would come later in His discourse with his disciples.
"They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:"
(Matthew 25:3).
"The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he
beg in harvest, and have nothing" (Proverbs 20:4).
"There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise;
but a foolish man spendeth it up" (Proverbs 21:20).
These two verses define the elements of the foolish virgins and how
they fail to keep the flow of the Holy Spirit coming from God. A wise
servant will, in his or her relationship with God, be constantly asking
God for more of His Holy Spirit and never allowing that Spirit to be
used up or quenched.
"But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps" (Matthew
25:4).
"Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy
God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows"
(Psalms 45:7).
"For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth
not the Spirit by measure unto him" (John 3:34).
To wise servants, God give liberally of His Spirit. Verse 34 states
that He gives it without measure.
"While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept" (Matthew
25:5).
"For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall
speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely
come, it will not tarry (procrastinate) (Habakkuk 2:3).
"For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of
God, ye might receive the promise" (Hebrews 10:36).
The element of sleeping here is not necessarily a negative one. All
ten slumbered and slept. Some commentaries show that this slumber
denotes our normal, everyday life with family, career and dealing with
this world. A wise servant has patience and though he or she is living a
normal, human life, they are keeping their eye on the Kingdom and Jesus
Christ. They are actively engaged in the salvation process which
includes invoking of the Holy Spirit, overcoming personal sin and
becoming more like Jesus Christ. They are doing that which God called
them to do.
"And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh;
go ye out to meet him" (Matthew 25:6).
Regarding the cry being made:
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and
they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end
of heaven to the other" (Matthew 24:31).
"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in
Christ shall rise first" (1 Thessalonians 4:16).
Regarding those wise virgins going out to meet Jesus Christ:
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage
of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
"And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen,
clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints"
(Revelation 19:7-8).
"Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps" (Matthew
25:7).
"Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to
give you the kingdom.
"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax
not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief
approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
"Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;" (Luke
12:32-35).
Wise servants have their treasures in heaven, that is, they are fully
committed to Jesus Christ. Notice how this verse encourages us to have
our lights burning. The girded loins is a reference to Ephesians 6:14
where we are admonished to be girded about with the truth of God.
"And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our
lamps are gone out" (Matthew 25:8).
"Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his
fire shall not shine" (Job 18:5).
"How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh
their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger" (Job
21:17).
"The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked
shall be put out" (Proverbs 13:9).
Here, we have verses from the Old Testament with direct allusion to
the verse 8 of this parable of the ten virgins. The fate of the five
foolish virgins is made clear.
"But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for
us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves"
(Matthew 25:9).
This verse is stating that each person in the Body of Christ is
responsible for their own Salvation. We cannot gain the Kingdom of God
by the righteousness of our brothers. These following two verses show
that the righteous or wise virgins cannot save their foolish brothers.
"They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the
multitude of their riches;
"None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a
ransom for him" (Psalms 49:6-7).
"Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing
grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break
the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will
cut off man and beast from it:
"Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it (Israel),
they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith
the Lord GOD" (Ezekiel 14:13-14).
This is an especially interesting verse. This is a prophecy against
Israel because of their idol worship. God is saying that even if Noah,
Daniel and Job were standing with the evil doers, they would only be
able to save themselves from God's judgment upon Israel. At the return
of Jesus Christ, the wise servants will only be able to save themselves
and not their brothers who have fallen away. The next two verses
establish the idea of going to the only source of power in the Universe.
The wise tell the foolish to go to them who sell the oil for the lamps.
God is the only source for the Spirit of God which is depicted by the
oil.
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that
hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price.
"Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your
labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.
"Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live;
and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies
of David" (Isaiah 55:1-3).
"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near:
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon
him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:6-7).
These verses are a warning that all those in the body of Christ
forsake their backsliding ways and to remain in the salvation process.
Clearly, in the parable of the ten virgins, we see a moment when the
Lord will not be found.
"And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were
ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut" (Matthew
25:10).
There are a number of verses to confirm each element of verse 10. Two
verses in Revelation 22 show the bridegroom coming.
"And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every
man according as his work shall be."
"He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen.
Even so, come, Lord Jesus" (Revelation 22:12, 20).
The next two speak to those wise servants who are ready to meet Him:
"Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the
end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:13).
"Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light" (Colossians 1:12).
These final two verses show types of the door being shut.
"Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said, It is
a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known my ways:
"Unto whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my
rest" (Psalms 95:10-11).
"And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but
to them that believed not?
"So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief" (Hebrews
3:18-19).
The following verse from Hebrews shows a physical type of there being
no place for repentance after one has fallen away. The foolish virgins
find that despite their cries, the door will not be made to be open.
"Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for
one morsel of meat sold his birthright.
"For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the
blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though
he sought it carefully with tears" (Hebrews 12:16-17).
Esau's father gave him no place to repent and gain back his
birthright. It was lost forever. The verse gives us a good description
of how foolish virgins will feel when they find they have lost the
Kingdom.
"But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not"
(Matthew 25:12).
This phrase, "I know you not" is very important to the parable. It
proves that we are talking about the body of Christ. God, the Father and
Jesus Christ know the firstfruits because they have the Holy Spirit. The
foolish virgins are being told that they are not known NOW. Notice what
Jesus says to the Pharisees and their kind who never had the Holy
Spirit:
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the
kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in
heaven.
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied
in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done
many wonderful works?
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me,
ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23).
He says here that he "never" knew them; a clear distinction from what
God is saying to the foolish virgins. Now notice the scriptures which
speak to who God knows and does not know:
"For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the
ungodly shall perish" (Psalms 1:6).
"The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of
iniquity" (Psalms 5:5).
"Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a
worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth" (John 9:31).
"But if any man love God, the same is known of him" (1 Corinthians
8:3).
"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal,
The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the
name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Timothy 2:19).
All these verses confirm what we read in Matthew 25. Now take a brief
look at both the wise and foolish virgins to make sure we all know what
it takes to be a wise or foolish virgin.
V. THE WISE AND FOOLISH VIRGINS
In a nutshell, a wise servant of God is one who entered into the
Salvation Process with their baptism and repentance and with the
receiving of the Holy Spirit. They have remained actively engaged in
this process and though they have had moments of backsliding, they have
never fallen out of the process. Indeed, they are making forward process
all the time.
The foolish servants of God were once in the Salvation Process but
fell into their backsliding without repentance until they finally fell
completely from the process. Notice:
"For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have
tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost,
"And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to
come,
"If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing
they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open
shame" (Hebrews 6:4-6).
Maybe Hebrews 4:1 gives us the warning the foolish servants should
hear.
"Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering
into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it" (Hebrews
4:1).
Think back now, to Jesus giving this prophecy in the form of the
parable of the ten virgins. Jesus actually confirms the prophecy of this
parable in straight, nonparable discourse given at that same time. Turn
to Matthew 24 and beginning in verse 36:
"But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of
heaven, but my Father only.
"But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of
man be.
"For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and
drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe
entered into the ark,
"And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be.
"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the
other left.
"Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and
the other left.
"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
"But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what
watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have
suffered his house to be broken up.
"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the
Son of man cometh.
"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made
ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
"Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so
doing.
"Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his
goods.
"But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord
delayeth his coming;
"And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink
with the drunken;
"The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for
him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
"And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the
hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matthew
24:36-51).
We see here that Jesus wanted to make this prophecy very plain by
presenting it both in straight talk and in the form of a parable. You
can see the same wording and phrases being used in both presentations.
So, what can we do to insure that we remain a wise virgin?
VI. INSURANCE AGAINST BECOMING A FOOLISH SERVANT
There is one sure step we can take to insure against becoming a
foolish bridesmaid. We need only to examine ourselves daily before the
throne of God. Ask ourselves if we are truly, energetically persevering
in the salvation process. Are we overcoming sin in our lives? Are we
involved in the same Work Jesus gave to the disciples? Are we watching
world events and for the signs of His coming? Remember the 13th
verse of the prophecy:
"Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein
the Son of man cometh" (Matthew 25:13).
Here are three verses confirming this idea to persevere and to watch:
"Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong" (1
Corinthians 16:13).
"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and
watch unto prayer" (1 Peter 4:7).
"Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be
sober.
"For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are
drunken in the night.
"But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate
of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation" (1
Thessalonians 5:6-8).
Time is short. We are truly in the time of the ten virgins. Now is
the time to redouble our efforts and our resolve to be that wise,
sagacious and prudent bridesmaid. Let us go forth boldly and be ready
for that moment of judgment. r
_______________________________
Feast Reports for 2000
Panama City Beach, FL Feast Site
The "Feast of Tabernacles 2000" at Panama City Beach, Florida was a
tremendous and overwhelming success as being the "best Feast ever" for
the 579 people of God that were registered at the Boardwalk Convention
Center site. Overall, throughout all of the ICG's Feast sites this year,
were added over 400 more than last year's statistics. Also, by the time
the "Last Great Day" began, Panama's site had baptized 10 more potential
sons of God! What a blessing this year has been to have a few of the
"innumerable multitude" begin to trickle into God's church!
The details in the "picture-perfect" weather during the eight days
began with perfect driving conditions throughout the southern region of
the United States, and ended the same as each one of God's people said
their tearful "good-byes" before their journeys back home. Due to the
many activities that were arranged this year to enjoy all eight days
seemed to pass too quickly for all of us. Everything was a success: the
Fish Fry and Family Dance, the Karaokee Cruise Ship as well as the
Pirate Cruise, the Swim With The Dolphins on board another cruise
vessel, the Family Fun Night Talent Show and raffle, the Kids Carnival,
Teen Night, Chuck-E-Cheese kids' night, and, last, but not least, the
Feast of Tabernacles Annual Beach Party!
How much fun can God's people have in one week? Not enough for some,
including myself, who stayed an extra day, taking full advantage of this
years' "weekend to weekend" Feast schedule. While some of us met at
various places for a good time on the last Saturday night, a lot of us
had dinner and drinks at a place called, "Schooners" and heard a live
band play some old rock-n-roll! Leave it to New Orleans to host a Feast
and you had better get ready to have fun and get fat! We remember well
the old "Mardi Gras" before our conversions, so the "know-how" is still
in us!
And what a reason to celebrate! The growth since the ICG started has
been fantastic and God is bringing in people with talents to share in
the work of this end time generation. The seeds that have been sown
since the days of the Worldwide Church of God founded by Mr. Garner Ted
Armstrong's father, the late Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong, are actually
beginning to sprout, now, after fifty years of warning and witness. And
"some that are first will be last, some that are last will be first"
seem to echo as do other scriptures that are today coming to light. The
truth of God prevails among the "second generation" of God's people
while the first generation seems to be swallowed up by the society of
this world. The Worldwide Church no longer exists as God's people. They
have forsaken all of God's Laws, His Feasts and Holy Days, and, most
importantly, His Sabbath which is the sign of His people. And much of
this hasn't been understood . . .until now!
We have heard for decades through the only "link" to God's Truth, Mr.
Herbert W. and Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong, the subject of "duality" in
God's Word. And, finally, the parallel has been revealed by God through
Mr. Tom Kerry in his awe-inspiring sermon that was given in two parts:
the first given on the first day of the Feast, the second given on the
Last Great Day. Just as the first generation of ancient Israel died off
and did not enter into the "promised land" across the River Jordan, so,
too, has the first generation of God's true Church died off. We, the
second generation, being so close to the end time events that are about
to engulf the world, are standing on the "edge of eternity!" Our reason,
our purpose, our motive to be strong and of great courage, just as God
told Joshua before bringing all of Israel's second generation
across/through the river Jordan, has now intensified. And though we are
scattered and "few in number," it has always been for this reason that
God chose us, took care of what we lacked, and loved us.
"For thou art an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the
LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself,
above all people that are upon the face of the earth.
The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye
were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all
people:
But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath
which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with
a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the
hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt." (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
We, as potential "sons of God" dwelling inside a temporary body, look
forward year after year to the Feast of Tabernacles for the most joyous
occasion that God could ever bless us with as human beings. The coming
together of God's people from all over the United States and Canada is a
unique and awe-inspiring event. It is a space in time each year that we
can find other humans with the same mind-set in accordance to God's Laws
gathered together for worship, fellowship and celebration. The
celebrations and fellowship may vary from one activity to another
because not all of God's people are gathered together at one set event.
This is why the worship is so important. It is the place where ALL of
God's people are gathered to hear the daily messages. It is the sure
place that we know God is present with His host of angels even
though we do all things in the name of Christ. It is the place where we
can hear inspired words of warning and hope. It is our starting point,
our reason for fellowship and our trumpet call to celebration!
What makes each Feast of Tabernacles even better than the previous
year? Not because of the "behind the scenes" work that goes into the
morning coffee and donuts served with a smile each morning before
services or the scheduled activities being on time and successful. Nor
is it because the volunteer workers put forth their best effort to make
everyone as comfortable as possible or that the stage is set just right
for everyone to admire. All of us who work "behind the scenes" do what
we do because it is our "reasonable duty" as the apostle Paul
admonished. No, it's not because of the little work that goes into
bringing a few of God's people together to a Feast of God's command.
Rather, it is because we are one year closer to the return of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth when the King of all kings will show us how to really
have the BEST FEAST EVER!
Feast Celebrated in Kings Beach
Phill Dunagan was Festival Coordinator for King's Beach, California
again this year. He reports that 146 registered for Feast 2000. If this
Feast had a theme, you would have to say that, spiritually, it was
"immerse yourself in the Word of God." Physically the theme was
"participation." Never have we experienced such consistent participation
in all the planned events.
Weather
We were blessed with moderate temperatures and sunny skies for most
of the Feast. There was some wind on Friday and the Last Great Day which
caused whitecaps and waves upon the deep blue waters of Lake Tahoe.
Temperatures were generally in the mid to high 60s most days under
cloudless skies. The nights were cooler with temperatures getting down
near freezing.
Speakers
There were three ministers and six total speakers this year.
Ministers Phill Dunagan, Chris Cumming and Stan Roberts each gave two
sermons. George Bratcher, Wallie Fagerstedt and Bill Jeswine presented
five sermonettes between them. Mr. Armstrong spoke on Friday and the
Last Great Day.
Bible Bowl & Ice Cream Social
This event has been held the last three years and has become a great
way to begin the Feast with its fun and fellowship, not to mention
delicious tasting, home-made ice cream. Several teams formed for the
Bible Bowl. The team "Hope" was undefeated winning all competitions. Les
Bullock captained that team. Second was the team, "Clueless." Their
captain was Syble Arms of the Chowchilia Gang. Third were the "GoalGetters"
lead by Lois Chapman. Taking turns as game host and judge were Phill
Dunagan, George Bratcher and Chris Cumming. Both George and Chris were
accused of being deaf when it came to deciding which team responded
first to the Bible questions. It must have been all that ringing in
their ears!!
Picnic
This was, by far, the greatest picnic we have ever had. 84 brethren
feasted on hamburgers, hot dogs and something called the green chili
burger provided by the Albuquerque church. There were also at least 3
types of chili (mild, medium and hot). As expected, some thought the
mild too hot and the hot too mild. Such is the case when the Feast is
composed of both Yankees and Southerners.
At one point, I thought we were being visited by the county sheriff
but it was Martin Dean wearing a white cowboy hat. He was a striking
figure as he strolled around the covered eating area we have used the
past few years.
Cooks included just about everyone. Most notable were Bob Kluin, Don
Brown, Dev Jensen and John Dean. Others included Stan & Judy Roberts and
Jeanette Dunagan. There was lots of other great food, drink and
fellowship.
Virginia City Day Trip and Train Ride
On Monday, after services, brethren gathered in the Conference Center
parking lot. We drove in caravan to the old west town of Virginia City.
Our adventure began with a ride on an old steam locomotive. 74 brethren
gathered at the ticket booth, which was converted from an old passenger
car. Ben Chapman was there with wife, Lois. I knew the steam engine
would bring him around and we were all glad he was there. I smiled as he
stood near the station and looked up the track in the direction of the
train whistle sounding in the distance.
After the train pulled into the station and its passengers
disembarked, we crowded near the two open cars and filed aboard. A man
in train engineer garb was our host and gave almost constant commentary
of the history of the railroad and the mines and landmarks we passed
during the 35 minute round-trip.
On the trip back to the station, the locomotive labored on the
upgrade and Phill Dunagan was heard throughout the car as he shouted, "I
think I can; I think I can," referring to the childhood story of the
"engine that could."
After the train ride, we had some time to explore the city itself
with its old shops, taverns and museums. One felt the combination of
both the old west and modern merchandise and food items found in the
dozens of shops along the wooden sidewalks. Virginia City pretty much
closes down at about 6 p.m. so many of us journeyed back to Lake Tahoe
arriving just before sundown.
Southwest Dinner & Raffle
This year's dinner was hosted by the Albuquerque church and took
place Tuesday night. The decorations and the food were definitely that
of the southwest. Sombreros and serapes adorned the walls. At the buffet
table were chicken and cheese enchilada casserole and crunchy beef
tacos. There was also steaming Spanish rice and for dessert, delicious
Mexican cookies. There were between 112 and 120 brethren present for
this event and extra tables had to be set up to accommodate all the
guests.
As guests filed into the Alpine room, they were greeted by more than
120 raffle items displayed on long thin tables along the north and east
walls. Tickets were three for one dollar again this year and the
brethren could place tickets for the items they desired.
Among the many items were a $100 bill on a plate along with a sign
promising additional gifts for three people, a painting by Garner Ted
Armstrong and two carved bears donated by Wallie Fagerstedt. This raffle
was another Feast event which experienced full participation by the
congregation.
In 1998, we sold 2,088 tickets and grossed $696 dollars. Last year,
we sold 2,904 tickets and raised $968. This year, we had a 75% increase
by selling 5,067 tickets and setting a new, all-time record of $1,689.
These funds are used to pay for the Feast brochure and dinner expenses.
The winner of the 100 dollar bill was Peter Kazlowski of Port Alberni,
BC, Canada. After Peter won the money he was informed that he would be
pulling the names of three families gathered there to receive the
additional gifts. These three gifts turned out to be a 50 dollar bill
for each family!
Thanks to a highly organized raffle team, we were able to distribute
more than 150 separate items by 9:30 p.m.; another record.
The dinner and raffle has proved to be a highlight of the Feast.
Family Fun Night
This event was scheduled for Wednesday night. At first, we thought we
would have to cancel as only four acts had signed up but Stan Roberts,
Phill Dunagan and Bob Kluin would not be deterred. In rapid manner, they
endeavored to put together a two hour program which was a delight to all
who attended.
Acts included singing by Carolyn and Bob Kluin, a dance performed by
Becca Roberts and Cambria Schwabenland. Then there was Phill Dunagan
performing his popular impressions of Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley.
There was also a joke contest and various impromptu skits including a
very funny "three-headed professor" performed by members of the Picker &
Wilson families of La Pine, Oregon. Stan Roberts then gave a moving
rendition of a song inspired by a crow he encountered while meditating
in the woods one day. I especially loved the meaning of the words he
sang (caw-caw-caw)!!
New Area Two Fellowship Groups
Events are progressing that could result in as many as 3 new
fellowship groups in Area 2. Las Vegas is official. Chowchilla should be
official almost immediately. We are also looking at San Francisco
becoming a fellowship group soon.
Chris Cumming ---