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GOD'S FESTIVALS DO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!What do you think of when someone isdescribed as being "different"? Do you imaginea person who is odd or peculiar? One who is a

social misfit? The kind of person you definitelywould not want to be associated with? Whentalking about people, unfortunately the derogatory or bad meaning of different is most commonlyused. Yet, there is another important meaning ofthe word.Do you know that God expects His people tobe "different"? Not different in the sense of beingstrange in one's personal habits, but different inthe sense of being special. Read what God saysabout His people in Titus 2: 14 and fill in themissingwords: "[Jesus Christ] Who gave himselffor us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity,and purify unto himself a people,zealous of ." Pecu-liar here means beyond the usual; out of theordinary; special.God wants His people to be different by beingeager (zealous) to obey Him and do good. He

says of mankind in general that " there is nonethat doeth good, no, not one" (Rom. 3: 12). Also,that the natural human with his carnal mind - amind which thinks only in physical terms ofgetting for the self - "is enmity against God"and cannot obey God's laws (Rom. 8:7). We,God's people, becomea special pleasure to Godwhenwe obey His laws. It is our obedience to thelaw of God that makes us different from the restof humanity.Of all God's laws, it is our keeping of theSabbath that makes us most noticeably different.God gave us His weekly Sabbaths and annualSabbaths (feast days) to be special signs thatwould make us obviously different from the restof the world. Notice the account of the specialSabbath covenant God made with Israel inExodus 31: 12-13. "And thespake unto Moses, saying, Speak thou alsounto the children of Israel, saying, Verily________ ye shall _for it is a between me and you

The Feast of Tabernacles is a joyous time when God's people gather together in great numbers.

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God's people are dedica ted to a set of valuesdif ferent than those of the world.throughout your generations; that ye may knowthat I am the Lord that doth _[sanctify means to set apart or designate asdifferent or special] you."The weekly and annual Sabbaths remain todayas special signs that set apart God's people asdifferent from the rest of mankind.God does not require us to keep His festivalsjust to live differently for difference sake. Godwants us to live by His way of life - whichincludes keeping the feast days - because it'spart of the only way of life that leads to peace,happiness and eternal life as a member of theGod family!God wants what is best for us. ReadDeuteronomy 28: 1-14 and see what Godpromised Israel He would give them if they keptall His laws: prosperity, health, protection,

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peace, good weather and leadership over allnations on earth! God wanted Israel to live Hisdifferent way - His happy way of life - so thattheir lives would be shining examples to the othernations who would then seek to imitate Israel.Similarly, God wants His Churchtoday to keepHis laws, including His festivals, so that we mayreceive the same blessings and more! Our livescan also become examples others will desire toimitate. And when are those examples morenoticeable than when our brethren gather in largenumbers at the various Feast of Tabernaclessites around the world?God commands the observance of His festivalsfor many reasons. One is to show the worldthroughthe livesof God's peoplethat His isa muchbetter way of life. The observance of the feastdays also unifies the Church through extrafellowship. It provides intensive instruction in howto better live the way of life God wants us to live.Another very important reason is that God'sfestivals constantly remind usof His planand howweandthe rest of the world fit intothat plan.Each festival explains an important step inGod's plan to bring human beings into His family.Understanding the meaning of each feast is vitalto knowing where and how you fit into God'spurpose of making you part of His family someday. This special Fall Festival lesson willconcentrate on explaining the meanings of the fallfestivals: the Feast of Trumpets, the Day ofAtonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and theLast Great Day.

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETSThe Feast of Trumpets is found in the list ofGod's feasts given in Leviticus 23. Read verses23-25. Notice that the Feast of Trumpets alwaysfalls on the first day of the seventh month of

God's sacred calendar. This means it will fallsometime in the month of September or earlyOctober according to man's calendar.God describes this feast as "a memorial ofblowing of trumpets." The kind of trumpet theIsraelites used was a shofar, or a ram's horn, notthe kind of trumpet commonly used by musicianstoday. The ram's horn gives a piercing blast3

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This shofar, l ike the ones used by the Israel ites, gives a piercing blast when blown.

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when blown. It was used to warn of impendingwarfare just as sirens today warn us of militaryattack.So what meaning does the blowing of trumpetshave on this day?The event pictured by the Feast of Trumpets isthe return of Jesus Christ! He will come "with ashout, with the voice of the archangel, and withthe trump[et] of God" (I Thess. 4:16). Christ'sreturn is going to come during a time ofworldwide war such as the world has never seen.When asked by His disciples what the worldwould be like before His return, Jesus replied thatthere would be many wars, and that worldconditions would be so bad that no human wouldbe left alive if He did not intervene. (ReadMatthew 24:3-22 .)The Feast of Trumpets is a reminder to us thatthe return of Jesus Christ is man's only hope forsurvival. It is also a warning to us that we shouldseek His protection. God wants us to neverforget that man's way of doing things leads onlyto death and destruction. (Read Pro. 14:12.)Let's look at another important event pictured4

by the Feast of Trumpets. This Holy Day alsopictures the resurrection of the saints to immortallife at the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Thesaints are those whom God has called and havebeen willing to obey Him. Notice what God saidthrough the apostle Paul in I Corinthians15:51-52: "Behold, I shew you a mystery; Weshall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, atthe : fo r the

shall , and the_____ shall be incorrupti-ble, and we shall be changed."The above words describe your parents whoare spirit begotten members of God's Church atChrist's return. They and all of those who willrepent of their sins and who receive the HolySpirit of God prior to Christ's return, togetherwith all of those who have died while being in theChurch, will be made immortal when He comes.The Feast of Trumpets comes once a year to

remind us of the glorious return of Jesus Christ,and the resurrection of the dead - the timewhen the sons of God will be born into God's

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family to live forever! No wonder God commandsus to meet together (have a "convocation," Lev.23:24) on this day each year to review thesewonderful future events.How Well Do You Remember?

Answer the following questions by circling thebest answer.1. The Feast of Trumpets picturesA. the resurrection of the saints to eternallife.B. the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.C. the restoration of God's government onearth.D. All of the above.

E. None of the above.2. Jesus Christ will return to a worldA. that is at peace.B. that is full of war.C. thafis obedient to God's laws.

THE DAY OF ATONEMENTOn the tenth day of the seventh month ofGod's calendar is another feast day, the Day ofAtonement. God instructs us about this feast dayin Leviticus 23:26-32. Notice verse 27: "Alsoon the tenth day of this seventh month thereshall be a _--- : it shall be an holy

unto you; and ye shall"The Day of Atonement is the Holy Day onwhich we fast - eat no food and drink no liquids."Afflict your soul" means to humble yourself byfasting. In Psalm 35: 13 David said, "I humbledmy soul with fasting." "Affl ict" in Leviticus 23and "humbled" in Psalm35 are translations fromthe same Hebrew word. So we afflict ourselvesby fasting.But why does God want us to fast?Satan has deceived man for nearly 6,000years now. He has led man to think that hedoesn't need God. Man thinks he can get alongjust fine on his own.But look where man has gotten on his own.The world is full of trouble! When Christ returns,mankind will be on the verge of self-annihilation!

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On the Day of Atonement, we take in spiritualfood instead of physical food.God, living in accordance with His will. Theaccount of how God is going to restrain Satan isfound in Revelation 20: 1-3. "And I saw an angelcome down from heaven, having the key of thebottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. Andhe laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent,which is the , and _and him a years,and him thebottomless , andhim , and set a seal upon him, thathe should the__________ , till the thousandyears should be fulfilled."Ancient Israel held a ceremony on the Day of

Atonement that symbolized Satan beingrestrained. You can read the account of this inLeviticus 16. The high priest cast lots over twogoats. The goat on which the Eternal's lot fellwas killed for a sin offering, just as Jesus Christwas killed for our sins many centuries later.(Christ's death makes our "at-one-ment" - ourreconciliation - with God the Father possible.)Then the high priest laid his hands on the head of6

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the other goat (which pictured Satan) andconfessed the sins of Israel, figuratively puttingthose sins onto the goat. That goat was thentaken to the wilderness and released. SinceSatan is the real author of sin (John 8:44), thispart of the ceremony pictures the time just afterChrist returns when He will place uponSatan thesins of mankind and cast him into the"bottomless pit." Then all mankind will finally beable to become "at-one" with God the Fatherthrough Jesus Christ's sacrifice, and begin livingGod's wonderful way of life.The Day of Atonement and all that it pictures is

the world's guarantee that a new age of universalpeace, harmony and cooperation with ourCreator is coming - the Golden Age of Christ'srule on this earth pictured by the next festival.

How Well Do You Remember?Answer the following questions by circling thebest answer.1. God commands us to fast on the Day ofAtonement so that weA. will draw closer to God.B. will realize how much we need God.C. will be humble and teachable.D. All of the above.E. None of the above.

2. When Jesus Christ returns mankind willA. welcome Him.B. ignore Him.C. fight against Him!

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLESTheFeast of Tabernacles is probably the most

joyous time of the year for God's people.Because God has wisely commanded us to savea second tithe (totn) of our incomes throughoutthe year, we are able to go to one of His variousFeast sites throughout the world and therereceive inspiration and instruction, as well aspartake of many of the good physical things oflife. Read God's command to keep the Feast ofTabernacles in Leviticus 23:33-36 and 39-43.God commands us to keep the Feast ofTabernacles for seven days. The first day is a

special Sabbath or Holy Day. During these seven

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days God tells us to live in "booths" ortemporary dwellings. That is why we stay inmotels, campers or tents during the Feast ofTabernacles. God wants us to remember thatthis life inthis world is only temporary. We shouldbe constantly looking forward to eternal life inGod's family. That way we will not becomebogged down in pursuing the temporary physicalthingsof this life to the point we forget aboutGodand the eternal life He can give us.The Feast of Tabernacles pictures what theworld will be like after Christ has returned toearth and established His government over allnations. There will be worldwide peace andpeople will convert their weapons of war intofarming tools. (Read Isaiah 2:4.) It will be a timeof peace that will extend even to the animalworld. Notice Isaiah 11:6-9. "The wolf also shalldwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall liedownwith the kid; and the calf and the young lionand the fatling together; and a little child shalllead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed;their young onesshall lie down together: and thelion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking

A Feast "booth," such as this tent, gives one thechance to experience a truly temporary dwell ingplace.

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child shall play on the hole of the asp, and theweaned child shall put his hand on thecockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroyin all my holy mountain."It will be a time of great prosperity andabundance to the extent that the harvest will notbe all gathered in before it is time to plant againI(Read Amos 9: 13.) It will be a time wheneveryoneknowsGod's way and is living itl (ReadIsaiah 11:9 and Micah 4:1-5.) The world will nolonger consider it strange to keep the Feast ofTabernacles because God says through Zechariah that everyone will keep the Feast! (ReadZechariah 14:16-19.)Can you imagine such a world? No morediscrimination against anyone because of theirreligion! No more bad grades in school aspunishment for going to the Feast! No moreuncertainty over whether world war will come,destroying families and everything they haveworked for! No more will parents spend all theirtime struggling just to make enough money forthe needs of their family! Rather, they will havemore time to spend with their families in

The World Tomorrow will be a time when men willreally turn their weapons of war into implementsof peace.7

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constructive spiritual, educational, cultural andrecreational activities! There will be plenty ofeducational opportunities for everyone to reachhis full potential! How unlike this present world.And how much like those seven joyful days ofGod's Feast of Tabernacles!As we observe the Feast of Tabernacles eachyear, we experience a preview of the peace andprosperity the whole world will enjoy during theMillennium, the thousand years of Christ's rule onthis earth. During the Feast we enjoy meals wecan't afford at any other time of the year.Because of God's protection we have peace.More time is available to learn God's way which brings all these good things - throughdaily services, special Bible studies and extraprayer because we are not busy working at thethings that consume so much of our time the

other 51 weeks of the year. More time is alsoavailable to spend on recreational activities thatbring us closer together with our families andbrethren. We have time to enjoy cultural activitiesthat teach us to appreciate the fruits of diligenteffort in developing one's talents.God never intended man to have to work allday just to be able to survive. Genesis 3:17-19tells us that because of Adam's sin, God cursedthe ground so that man would have to workextra hard fighting thorns and thistles (weeds)to get the land to produce crops for his food.God did this to help man realize thatthe way of obedience to God is betterthan man's way of rebellion. But originally,God gave Adam an abundant garden wherehe didn't have to struggle to produce food.God wants people to have time each day to

God's blessing in the World Tomorrow will result in abundant crops.

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spend developing their potentials and talents.For seven days each year at the Feast ofTabernacles, God gives us that extra time. Thesedays are a foretaste of the Millennium in whichmankind will have time for those activities thatenrich one's life, and help him to build the verycharacter of God.

How Well Do You Remember?Answer the following questions by circling thebest answer.1. The Feast of Tabernacles picturesA. the Millennium.B. the 1,000-year reign of Christ on theearth.C. a time of peace, prosperity and happi

ness.D. All of the above.E. None of the above.2. We live in temporary houses ("booths")during the Feast of Tabernacles becauseA. the Millennium will last only 1,000 years.B. God wants us to learn that this life in thisworld is only temporary.C. God wants us to learn to live beyond ourmeans.

THE LAST GREAT DAYGod's festivals picture His plan to givemankind eternal life and sonship in His family.That plan cannot be completed until all peoplewho have ever lived have been given their

chance to receive eternal life. The Last GreatDay pictures this final phase of God's plan.The Last Great Day occurs immediately afterthe Feast of Tabernacles. It is mentioned inLeviticus 23:36 as the "eighth day," and in John7:37 you will read of the seventh and eighth daysof the Feast of Tabernacles.All of you have friends and relatives you loveand enjoy very much, but who are not in the

Church. You probably have friends at school whoare not in the Church with whom you enjoyplaying various sports and doing many otherthings. To spend eternity with that friend wouldcertainly add to your enjoyment of eternal lifebecause you share so much together now. The

Last Great Day is your hope that your friendsand relatives will share eternal life with you, for itpictures the time when God will call everyone Hehasn't called during this and past ages. He willgive them His Spirit after they repent of their sinsand accept Christ's sacrifice. He will allow themtime to live the Christian way of life as we dotoday and then make them His sons. Then youwill be able to enjoy being God's son togetherwith your loved ones!Revelation 20: 11-13 speaks of this time afterthe Millennium as the "great white throne"judgment when the "books" of the Bible will beopened to their understandingso they can live bywhat is written in them. It is their time ofsalvation. And the Bible indicates that themajority of people who have ever lived willaccept and live God's way and become His sons(Rom. 11:26).

How Well Do You Remember?Answer the following question by circling the bestanswer.1. The Last Great Day picturesA. the second resurrection.B. the great white throne judgment period.

C. a time of salvation for all those who diednot knowing God's way of life.D. All of the above.E. None of the above.

A FUTURE FOR YOUWhat anexciting andwonderful futureGod's fallfestivals picture for you andall mankind!A promiseof Satan being bound so that the whole world canlive peacefully and happily without his influence! Apromise of physical abundance and prosperitynever before experienced by mankind!A promiseof universal knowledge of God's ways and right

education so that all have equal opportunity todevelop their talents andpotentials!Man could not ask for a better future, and Godwould not give us any less. As you keep God'sfall festivals this year, think on their meaningsand realize how truly blessed you are to have

such an exciting future ahead of you! Have aninspiring and happy festival season!9

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SERMON NOTESSERMONETTE

SERMON

SERMONETTE

SERMON

10

MR.

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MR.

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SERMONETTE

SERMON

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11

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SERMON NOTESSERMONETTE

SERMON

SERMONETTE

SERMON

12

MR.

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SERMONETTE

SERMON

MR.

MR.

13

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SERMON NOTESSERMONETTE

SERMON

SERMONETTE

SERMON

14

MR.

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SERMONETTE

SERMON

MR.

MR.

15

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SERMON NOTESSERMONETTE

SERMON

SERMONETTE

SERMON

16

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SERMONETTE

SERMON

MR.

MR.

17

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FEAST HIGHLIGHTSDAY 1MORNING:

AFTERNOON:

EVENING:

DAYSMORNING:

AFTERNOON:

EVENING:

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DAY 2MORNING:

AFTERNOON:

EVENING:

DAY 6MORNING:

AFTERNOON:

EVENING:

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Keep the memories of this Feast of Tabernacles for years to come.Describe the activities and experiences that made each day special.

DAY 4MORNING:

AFTERNOON:

EVENING:

DAYSMORNING:

AFTERNOON:

EVENING:

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