This will be Dottie and my first-ever observance and celebration of this Biblical feast. Up until this year, I mistakenly believed that all of the Biblical feasts were only for the Jews. That is the lies that I had been told for my entire Christian life of 45-years by my spiritual forefathers in Christianity. I learned from the Scriptures that all seven of the Biblical Feasts are actually the Feasts of YAHWEH GOD and that He game them to the 12-Tribes of Israel and mandated that they observe them forever, because they are His Appointed Times (Moadim). The Jews, which is short for the southern kingdom of Judah and Benjamin, are only two of the 12-Tribes of Israel. As Christians, we have been grafted into spiritual Israel, and the Biblical Feasts are just as much for us to observe and celebrate as the Jews or any of the other Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Road Trip To East Tennessee For Sukkot (Tabernacles) Feast
My wife, Dottie, and I leave early today to meet up with a couple from Plano, Texas, who are both our BTF (Best Torah Friends) and BFF (Best Friends Forever) to begin our long caravan road trip to the Chattanooga area of Tennessee. We are both excited to see and experience this 8-day festival, not knowing exactly what to expect. Our friend from Plano have been walking in Torah observance for a number of years so they are seasoned and mature feasts observers.
Our plan is to drive to Nashville, Tennessee the first day and spend Tuesday night there. We then plan to drive the remaining distance on Wednesday and check-in to our cabin prior to sunset, when the feast officially starts.
About 100-miles short of reaching our motel in Nashville, we all stop to eat supper. After supper has ended, Dottie and I get back in our car and our good friends get into their car so that we can resume the last "leg" of our road trip.. Shortly, thereafter Dottie and I begin to argue and attack each other verbally. My wife becomes so angry that she tells me that when we reach Nashville I can just put her on a plane back home because she has no desire to spend the next eight days with me. The situation is tense and our relationship has gone from a spirit of peace one moment to a complete spirit of anger and turmoil in a matter of minutes. As I drive and try to contemplate what has just occurred, I sense in my spirit that we have both become victims of a spiritual attack by the enemy. I reach over to my wife, who at this time has become quiet and sullen, and take hold of her hand and begin to explain to my wife that the enemy just has attacked us spiritually, by placing his angry and foul thoughts in our mind, so that we would verbally attack and hurt each other emotionally and spiritually. We then pray and ask YAHWEH to give us authority over the enemy and his foul thoughts in the mighty Name of Yeshua His Son. My wife and I then proceed to take authority over the enemy and attack him rather than attacking each other. In a matter of just a few minutes, YAHWEH'S shalom returns to both of us and the spirit of anger and turmoil are gone. My wife and I forgive each other for allowing the enemy to use us to hurt each other and everything is good once again.
We later learn from fellow brothers and sisters that the enemy is known for trying to stir up strife and divide families prior to the feasts, especially the feast of Sukkot. They apologized for forgetting to forewarn us. My wife and I are learning that the enemy is a pro at introducing his thoughts into our mind in such a way that we think that the thoughts originated with us personally. Praise YAHWEH for the knowledge and the victory that He gives us over all the power of the enemy. HalleluYAH!
Mission Successful - We Can Do This!
My wife, Dottie, and I arise early about 6;00 AM on Sunday morning October 1, 2017 with mixed emotions about what lies before us. We are excited , nervous and a little fearful as we prepare to leave to deliver YAHWEH'S Petition addressed to the ten pastors at the ten churches in the Grapevine area. We pray together and ask YAHWEH to bless and direct our steps and protect us as we go. Our plan is to arrive early and tape the packets to the door of the churches prior to the people arriving for church services. I drive and Dottie navigates with GPS as we depart on our mission. We are also in prayer as we travel. We arrive at the first church on the list and it is still dark outside. As we pull into the parking lot close to the door of the church, a light flashes as if our picture has been taken. Undeterred by this I quickly get out of the car and approach the church door. I proceed to tape the packet to the door and then return to the car. As we drive off, we join hands and pray that YAHWEH will disturb the shalom of this pastor and that He will remove the veil of blindness and deception from his eyes. We repeat this prayer for each pastor that receives a packet this day. As we drive to our next destination, Dottie remarks that she is nervous and feels as though we are criminals or that we are breaking the law. I attempt to calm her fears by telling her that we are not breaking the law or doing anything wrong. I tell her that we are simply doing what GOD has called us to accomplish. We successfully deliver five out of the ten packets that we brought. We have an incorrect address on one or two of the ten and some of the churches have people who arrived early, so out of fear I decide to postpone these deliveries. I pray that YAHWEH will grant to me His boldness and strength so that in the future I will not fear to deliver these packets, even though the pastor may be standing by the door as I tape the packet. HalleluYAH!
Preparations For "Martin Luther" Trial Mission
I excitedly share with everyone at our next Sabbath home Torah study group meeting the revelation that YAHWEH has given me regarding the new delivery mode for His Petition. Everyone is excited to hear this testimony on Saturday, September 16th. We then engage in a wonderful study in GOD'S Word and a great pot-luck meal and fellowship afterwards.
On Monday I begin to prepare YAHWEH"S Petition to be delivered to ten Christian Pastors of ten churches in the Grapevine, Texas area that I find listed in the local internet directory.. I personalize the petitions with the Pastor's name and also the name of his church. My wife and I make plans to deliver the petitions on early Sunday morning, October 1, 2017, so I include this date on each petition as the date delivered. I purchase 9 X 12 manilla envelopes, address labels, and blue 1 inch wide painters tape for attaching the envelope to the door of the churches. I know that Martin Luther nailed his 95-Theses to the church door but I figure that will not work today because most church doors are glass instead of wood. Also, YAHWEH has not called me to deface or damage property. I realize that it would be good if I could insert the 9 X 12 manilla envelope inside a clear plastic zip re-closable bag in case of inclement weather, but I am unable to find the correct size locally. I will make plans to order this item when we return from our upcoming trip to Tennessee for the Feast of Sukkot.