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October 14, 2021
Dear Brethren,
As we look across America, there are very few who realize that our problems—whether national or individual—are actually spiritual and not physical. Why? Because most Americans have forgotten God. Even establishment “Christians” lack this understanding—because they have rejected the laws and commandments of God. Yet many can see our rapid national decline: the rampant crime, escalating drug abuse, pervasive hatred, the vile sexual sins, massive illegal immigration—all coupled with government corruption at every level. Indeed, America is reeling under widespread lawlessness, which has dramatically increased in the last two years.
Many perceive that truth and honesty are falling by the wayside. They daily witness the destruction of the family, the demise of education, the failure of government, the greed of business. And they recognize that even “Christianity” has become impotent. But what they do not see is that all of these problems are spiritual—and reflect God’s judgment on the nation.
On top of all of these problems, we are faced with a growing dictatorship by the federal government, as well as in many state governments. These corrupt leaders, from President Biden on down, are literally shredding the Constitution with their destructive decrees and policies. They are oppressing the people—and they are obviously God-haters!
The following verses from Proverbs 29 show what happens to any nation that is ruled by wicked men. We can clearly see the contrast between a righteous leader—be it a king or any other leader—and those who are evil. These passages also reveal how the people are either blessed or oppressed by their leaders: “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn…. The king establishes the land by justice, but he who takes bribes tears it down…. Scornful men bring a city into a snare, but the wise turn away wrath…. The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seeks his well-being…. If a ruler hearkens to lies, all his servants are wicked…. A king who faithfully judges the poor, his throne shall be established forever…. When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increases; but the righteous shall see their fall” (Prov. 29:2, 4, 8, 10, 12, 14, 16).
Few understand that God is now actively judging America for three particularly great sins: 1) Abortion—now 63 million and counting; 2) Our adherence to Sunday-keeping and our observance of pagan holidays (while ignoring the true Sabbath); 3) Our rampant use of drugs, legal and illegal. These three great sins are the result of rejecting God. Indeed, as Jesus said about the time leading up to His return, “Lawlessness shall be multiplied and the love of many shall grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). There is no question that the nation is falling apart at nearly every level because of these three great sins—plus many other grievous sins.
While some leaders may consider asking for God’s help, He is rarely considered in all of their “solutions.” Indeed, all remedies tried in the past have ultimately failed. Why? Because our leaders do not understand this basic truth about human nature, as Jeremiah lamented: “O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps…. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer. 10:23; 17:9). Thus, because we trust in men, nearly all of our solutions fail!
The truth is, we as a nation need to turn to God in true repentance—with all of our hearts—confessing and forsaking our sins. Perhaps then God might lift His hand of correction and give us a little peace. But even if a return to Protestantism and Catholicism took place, that would only be a partial return to God—perhaps a 30 percent return at best.
Add to all of these troubles the millions of illegals that are flooding into the country. Ultimately, this problem will be central to the destruction of America. In Deuteronomy 28, God warned: “The stranger dwelling among you shall get up above you very high, and you shall come down very low. He shall loan to you, and you shall not loan to him. He shall be the head, and you shall be the tail. And all these curses shall come on you, and shall pursue you and overtake you, until you are destroyed because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. And they shall be on you for a sign and for a wonder, and on your seed forever, because you did not serve the Lord your God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things” (verses 43-47).
As the modern descendants of the ancient ten tribes of Israel—USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and northwestern Europe—we are all doing exactly as they did. We have left the true God for our idols and the works of our own hands. Just as God pleaded with ancient Israel through the prophet Jeremiah, these same words apply to our nations today: “Hear the Word of the Lord, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel. Thus says the Lord, ‘What injustice have your fathers found in Me, that they have gone far from Me and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?...
“ ‘And I brought you into a plentiful country, to eat its fruit and its goodness; but when you entered, you defiled My land and made My inheritance an abomination. The priests did not say, “Where is the Lord?” And they who handle the law did not know Me; the rulers also rebelled against Me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal and walked after things that do not profit. Therefore I will contend with you,’ says the Lord, ‘and against your children’s children I will contend…. Has a nation changed their gods who are yet no gods? But My people have changed their glory for that which does not profit. Be amazed, O heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be utterly desolated,’ says the Lord. ‘For My people have committed two evils; they have forsaken Me, the Fountain of living waters, and hewn out cisterns for themselves, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
“ ‘Have you not brought this on yourself, in that you have forsaken the Lord your God, when He led you by the way? And now what profit is there in going the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or what have you to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the River? Your own evil shall correct you, and your backslidings shall reprove you; therefore know and see that it is an evil and bitter thing that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and that My fear is not in you,’ says the Lord God of hosts.
“ ‘But where are your gods that you have made for yourselves? Let them arise, if they can save you in the time of your trouble; for according to the number of your cities are your gods, O Judah. Why will you contend with Me? You all have sinned against Me,’ says the Lord. ‘In vain I have stricken your children; they received no correction…’ ” (Jer. 2:4-5, 7-9, 11-13, 17-19, 28-30).
God laments that Israel does not respond and return to Him: “This people that I formed for Myself; they shall declare My praise. Yet you have not called upon Me, O Jacob; much less have you troubled yourself about Me, O Israel…. [But] you have made Me serve with your sins; you have wearied Me with your iniquities. [In spite of the fact that] I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions for My own sake, and will not remember your sins. Put Me in remembrance; let us plead together; declare yourself, that you may be justified” (Isa. 43:21-22, 24-26).
These prophecies are dual—applying to the time Jeremiah and Isaiah gave them and to the time of the end, right now. (Write for our book America and Britain—Their Biblical Origin and Prophetic Destiny.) God continues His indictment, warning that He will bring evil against the nations of modern, end time Israel: “Therefore hear, you nations [of modern Israel], and know, O congregation [the churches of God], what will happen to them. Hear, O earth; behold, I will bring evil on this people, even the fruit of their thoughts because they have not hearkened to My words, nor to My law, but have rejected it” (Jer. 6:18-19).
“As a fountain keeps fresh her waters, so she keeps fresh her evil; violence and spoil is heard in her; continually before Me are grief and wounds; O Jerusalem [all the modern nations of Israel], take warning, lest My soul depart from you; lest I make you desolate, a land without people…. For everyone from the least of them even to the greatest of them is greedy for gain; and from the prophet even unto the priest everyone deals falsely. They have also healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightly, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace. Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down…” (verses 7-8, 13-15).
God makes it clear that these sins are not just with the political and religious leaders, but with all the people—from the least to the greatest, the young and the old. They all have been led away into sin and idolatry. Yet, in their times of trouble, they want God to save them; but very few are truly willing to return to God. They are like their forefathers, who flattered God, as recorded in Psalm 78. Notice: “They did not keep the covenant of God and refused to walk in His law. And they forgot His works and His wonders which He had shown them…. When He slew them [in His correction], then they sought Him; and they turned back and sought after God earnestly. And they remembered that God was their Rock, and the Most High God was their Redeemer.
“Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouths, and they lied to Him with their tongues, for their heart was not steadfast with Him; neither were they faithful in His covenant. But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and did not destroy them; yea, many times He turned His anger away and did not stir up all His wrath, for He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes away and does not come again” (Psa. 78:10-11, 34-39).
Our God is a God of love and mercy. So even in the midst of the most difficult, trying times of great distress and anguish, IF our nations would wholeheartedly return to God—in genuine, humble repentance; in an attitude of willing obedience—God will hear and He will return to us. “ ‘Therefore even now,’ says the Lord, ‘turn to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. Yes, rend your heart and not your garments, and return to the Lord your God: for He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and He repents of the evil’ ” (Joel 2:12-13). Then God would fulfill His promise to us: “Return to Me, and I will return to you…” (Mal. 3:7).
This is what it will take for God to lift His heavy hand of judgment against us. However, a substantial return to God is most unlikely. Nevertheless, God continues His call to repentance, warning our nations of His impending correction. Again, Jeremiah writes: “ ‘Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? No, they were not at all ashamed, nor could they blush; therefore they shall fall among those who fall. At the time that I punish them, they shall be cast down,’ says the Lord.
“Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths where the good way is and walk in it, and you shall find rest for your souls. But they said, “We will not walk in it.” Also I set watchmen over you, saying, “Hearken to the sound of the ram’s horn.” But they said, “We will not hearken” ’ ” (Jer. 6:15-17).
Since it is evident that there will be no mass return to God by the modern people of Israel—though they have been and are being warned—it is up to each one of us, as God’s spiritual family, to always be seeking God’s ways. We are to love God with all our hearts and to stay close to God the Father and Jesus Christ through daily prayer and Bible study. The apostle Peter writes: “Therefore, beloved, since you know this in advance, be on guard against such practices, lest you be led astray with the error of the lawless ones, and you fall from your own steadfastness; rather, be growing in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and into the day of eternity” (II Peter 3:17-18).
Psalm 119 is perhaps one of the most important psalms to which we can look to help us continue to grow in grace and knowledge. It underscores the humble attitude of faith that we need to have toward God’s precepts, statutes, testimonies, laws, and commandments.
It is actually quite amazing when Psalm 119 is contrasted with statements made by the patriarch Job. Job used the word “I” 198 times, directed toward himself, indicating how righteous he was. After he repented, he used “I” only 14 times—all directed towards God. However, in Psalm 119 there are 135 places that use “I”—and all of them are directed toward God and His ways. Psalm 119 is God-centered; Job was self-centered. This is a pattern we should be following in our worship of God. Psalm 119 is a good guide for growing in grace and knowledge. While we will only quote here some of the first verses of Psalm 119, it would be good for you to personally study the chapter from beginning to end. No doubt this psalm reflects Jesus’ very thoughts, while He was in the flesh, about God’s teachings and instructions.
1. Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.
2. Blessed are they who keep His testimonies and who seek Him with the whole heart.
3. They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.
4. You have commanded us to keep Your precepts diligently.
5. O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes!
6. Then I shall not be ashamed when I have respect unto all Your commandments.
7. I will praise You with uprightness of heart when I have learned Your righteous
judgments.
8. I will keep Your statutes; O forsake me not utterly.
9. With what shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to
Your word.
10. With all my heart I have sought You; O let me not wander from Your
commandments.
11. Your word I have laid up in my heart, so that I might not sin against You.
12. Blessed are You, O Lord; teach me Your statutes.
13. With my lips I have declared all the judgments of Your mouth.
14. I have rejoiced in the way of Your testimonies as much as in all riches.
15. I will meditate upon Your precepts and have respect to Your ways.
16. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word.
17. Deal bountifully with Your servant, that I may live and keep Your word.
18. Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.
As we see all the troubles in the world, we need to draw close to God the Father and Jesus Christ through prayer and study, as well as personal fasting. God will strengthen us as we truly follow the Great Commandment: “ ‘And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second is like this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:30-31).
Brethren, thank you for your love, and for your prayers for all the brethren, and for us in Hollister. Thank you for reaching out to other brethren and to those who need help. We are praying for you daily that God the Father and Jesus Christ will continue to bless you, strengthen you, heal you, and protect you. Stay close to God. “Now to Him Who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that is working in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all generations, even into the ages of eternity. Amen” (Eph. 3:20-21).
With love in Christ Jesus,
Fred R. Coulter
FRC
2021 Feast of Tabernacles Reports and Comments
Below are reports from the main CBCG Feast sites. In addition, we had over 200 smaller Feast sites that hosted from 3 to 10 people. Every site had the Feast DVDs—plus the regular study CDs. This turned out to be a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles for everybody, in spite of all the various Covid-19 restrictions.
Panama City Beach, Florida—We had a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles in Panama City Beach. Our numbers were lower than in previous years, but much of that was concerns over Covid-19. I had several calls from people who were scheduled to come but were concerned about Covid because of their age and health conditions. Nevertheless, we enjoyed great fellowship with one another, which included a picnic at the state park, an evening social, and a terrific Bible study. A special thanks to Steve Durham for addressing scriptures concerning our calling, and then giving all the participants the opportunity to share how and when they were called by God. The overall atmosphere was pleasant and spiritual. We all shared meals together and had the opportunity to draw closer to one another as brothers and sisters in one family—the family of God. We all stayed healthy in spite of concerns over Covid. I think I speak for all who attended that we enjoyed one another and had a wonderful Feast. Thanks to all!—RK
Burlington-Colchester, Vermont—Our group of 25 grateful brethren here in the Burlington-Colchester area had a most fulfilling and memorable Feast with much love shown by all. There were no problems or difficulties, as God poured out His blessings, protection, and love upon us. The messages from Fred were well received, as we learned more about the glorious plans that God has for mankind and our part in it. We experienced wonderful sunny weather all through the Feast, and took advantage of the great weather by playing miniature golf, going on the Lake Champlain narrated boat ride, zip lining, and walking on the Causeway. The fellowship was tremendous and everyone rejoiced looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ when He will bring everlasting peace, love, and joy to this world.—RK & EK
Daytona Beach, Florida—The 2021 Feast of Tabernacles in Daytona Beach was a resounding success with about 30 brethren rejoicing and praising God each day while being fed with great spiritual food from the sermons by Fred. It was great to be renewed in the knowledge of the Feast—and especially the Last Great Day and how created relations play into the plan of God.
For some, it was their first Feast ever; and for others, it was their 55th-plus Feast. The Feast was filled with fun activities and great fellowship—like a Riverboat dinner cruise, lunch at local restaurants, a fun night (where teens were the stars of the show), and other wonderful fellowshipping opportunities. God’s plan is truly wonderful—just as it will be in the Millennium and Last Great Day. We are all looking forward to the reality of that time!—NJ
Rotorua, New Zealand—Greetings to all from CBCG brethren in New Zealand, being next door to down-under Australia. About 19 of us attended God’s Feast here in Ngongotaha, Rotorua, New Zealand. While Auckland is our largest city, is under lockdown, preventing some members from attending with us.
We thoroughly enjoyed the rejuvenating and encouraging sermons and sermonettes, the wonderful healing family atmosphere, and the fellowship with our Father, Jesus, and each other. Our beloved Fijian families sang special music in Fijian, with their beautiful melodic voices (14 of them were in the choir, with 5 of us in the audience). A translation was given later of what they sang—their praise and prayer to our great God. It was truly a refreshing, encouraging, and strengthening Feast. Also, Raymond (Ray) Murray was ordained as an elder on the Sabbath before the Feast. Ray has been involved with God’s Church since 1975.—RM & LJ
Townsend, Tennessee—We had a tremendous Feast of Tabernacles in Townsend. The brethren all arrived with a loving spirit, which made our fellowship and activities even more inspiring. We averaged more than 70 in attendance. We were blessed to have several new brethren attend, and the weather this year was beautiful. We were able to spend a lot of time together; our activities included a catered luncheon, cookout, ice cream social, family variety show/dance, and nightly fellowship. We also had the baptism of Dinah Farmer.
We again enjoyed having several children at our site. The children had Bible lessons and also performed special music. On the last day, they shared the lessons they had learned throughout the Feast. What a blessing it was for all of us. Thank you to all the children—we loved having you as part of our fellowship. We now look forward to the Feast in 2022, back in Pigeon Forge. We thank everyone for their help in making this year’s Feast successful. God and Christ have blessed our Feast, and we give the thanks and praise to them.—TF &RF
Tulsa, Oklahoma—This year, we again used the Homewood Suites conference room located on Garnett Road in Broken Arrow. The weather was nice: cool mornings and warm afternoons. The first day we had 21 in attendance, and for the rest of the Feast it ran anywhere from 15 up to 19, with an average of 17 per day. This was double what we had last year.
On Wednesday after services we had pizza and salad—everyone stayed for that! We just sat around and enjoyed the eats and fellowship for a couple hours. On the last day, all the ladies put together a meal of sandwiches, fruit, cakes, and pie—plus tea and coffee. So we all stayed a couple of hours over and really enjoyed each other’s company. This year, we had three people transfer in from Tennessee, a couple and a single older lady—so we were able to make new friends. The nice thing about small sites is that you are able to really get to know each other.
Everyone pitched in and served. Lots of pictures were taken by our visitors—so we hope they will look back and remember what a great and inspiring Feast they had in Tulsa, and the warm welcome they received. A lady who could not attend with us said she would start her Feast sermon disk at the same time we did ours. In that way, she was listening to the message at the same time we were. I hope and pray that everyone had a great Feast here in Tulsa.—LB
Blanchard, Idaho—A wonderful Feast of Tabernacles was kept to our great God in beautiful northern Idaho under sunny skies and in fresh mountain air! The temperature was great, with some welcomed rain coming in late on the 7th day.
There were 12 faithful, enthusiastic members, and one child, each day—with six others joining us on some days. All those attending were thankful for the messages of hope presented by Fred and enjoyed the approach taken this year that added to the depth of our understanding.
The highlight of the Feast was the fellowship shared each day and the commitment that each one showed. Activities included horseback riding, golfing, and touring in the area. There was a Bible study on the first and last day and a presentation by John Guenther on church history. We also had a game night and a movie night.
Many thanks to Patrick and Georgia Ryan for the work of organizing and setting up the festival facilities.—RT
Shipshewana, Indiana—The brethren in attendance at the Shipshewana site enjoyed themselves very much. We had a wonderful opening night and first-day Sabbath service with 28 in attendance. We averaged about 23 each day for the rest of the Feast. The weather was rainy only one day. The rest of the Feast was filled with lots of sunshine and temperatures ranging from 70 to 78 degrees. The fall colors were not fully in, but everyone was in a festive spirit and enjoyed the setting. The focus this year by the brethren was specifically on God’s family, fellowship, and spending quality time together. I am happy to report that just as we would expect from God’s people, we were able to enjoy a rejoicing spiritual family reunion with enthusiastic service, heartfelt fellowship, wonderful Bible studies, excellent food, and lots of laughter.
Activities included a catered meal on day one, two meals prepared and sponsored by brethren, a pizza night, a Family Day cookout, a hiking trip, a kayaking trip, and entertainment from one of our members who shared his talent on guitar. Several nights were spent playing games and diamond painting, which created a great opportunity for fun and fellowship. Group activities also included a meal at the historic Blue Gate Restaurant.
Once again we watched the film Deep Field: The Impossible Magnitude of our Universe. We viewed an additional film called Universal Size Comparison 2020, a Harry Evett production. Both films feature stunning imagery showing the creative power of God and depict an unforgettable journey from earth to the outermost edges of the universe. Afterwards we listened to Fred’s message, “True Fellowship With God.” The brethren were greatly inspired by the films and the message.
Many brethren commented on how much they enjoyed the quiet beauty of the rural farm setting, the many local shops, and the wonderful fellowship. They especially appreciated the spiritual food inspired by God in the messages (we played the prerecorded messages from the website each day). We truly felt God’s presence, protection, and warm embrace as we rejoiced in His Feast. Thank you Fred for all you do, and may God continue to bless you, keep you, and fill you with His love.—AJ
Port Dickson, Malaysia—The Malaysian brethren had a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day in Port Dickson. This year was a really challenging year for all the brethren around the world; and for us it has been challenging, too. We had the faith that we would have a Feast this year—and God granted us a fantastic Feast. This year’s Feast was a miracle. I found our site just one week before the Feast. Excellent site, and one of our best Feasts ever. God makes things possible. We had a fantastic meeting hall, great meals for all three Sabbaths, and a very quiet environment. We are so thankful to God for all the blessings and protection.
The weather was great and all of our activities went off without a problem. We all participated in meals, activities, a Bible quiz, and a Bible activity for adults and children—plus we had a volunteer entertainment contest night. We skipped our outdoor trips due to Covid.
The highlight again this year was the spiritual food we received in the extraordinary sermons by Fred, which were well received by all, plus two sermons by me. My first-day sermon was “Our personal relationship with God.” A big thank you to Fred. We had 26 in attendance including children throughout the eight days. Overall, the Feast was a great memorable success. Thank you for your prayers.—AM
Branson, Missouri—Branson’s Feast this year was very satisfying in fellowship and in making new friends. Most attendees already knew each other, but there were several new to Branson who were happy to be with us—and we hope they will join us again. We had 54 the first day and ranged from 3249 on subsequent days. We enjoyed special music daily with our outstanding local singers.
Activities included a pizza/bingo afternoon with our most-fun-ever resident emcee, a spontaneous musical afternoon with a generous guitarist and our special singers, a group meal, and our wonderful yearly cookout sponsored by a local Arkansas group. You couldn’t have asked for a better time for all of us to be together. God’s people have the best helping hands, and everyone made this the smoothest Feast ever. We appreciate everyone’s service.
The week passed quickly. It’s always good to come home with new friends.—B
Hollister, California—Here at Hollister, we had a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles with 20 brethren. With our own meeting hall, we were able to have three full-fledged meals—and we had a lot of fellowship, which lasted for hours. On every other day we had snacks, then the brethren went out wherever they wanted to go.
Darlene Reddaway and Gloria Kuc had a wonderful hilltop chalet that they rented for the Feast. On Friday afternoon before the Sabbath, we all gathered at their chalet. We could see the entire valley below—a spectacular site. Then we had a Bible study, followed by a tremendous meal that lasted into the evening. We were able to watch the sun set from that great viewpoint.
It was one of the most fulfilling and satisfying Feasts ever, and we all left inspired after the message of the Last Great Day.—FC
Houston, Texas—We had an enjoyable and encouraging Feast. Thanks Fred for your dedication and hard work concerning the sermons each day. These sermons expanded our understanding and appreciation concerning our growing relationship with God and Christ. The weather was a big factor for those attending. The first and last day turned out the most people.—TF
Pasadena, California—An intimate group of believers gathered in Pasadena to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Attendance was around 15 and included visitors from other organizations. We had many positive reports of a “great Feast,” but our God centered conversations were the highlight! We enjoyed fellowshipping over meals after services and generally sat around chewing the fat about the messages, discussing world events, and debating each other’s questions. Some bold few went skydiving, while others basked in the serenity of the Arcadia Arboretum. Several participated in a Fun Show; we all got brain freeze at the Ice Cream Social; and we wound up getting to share hamburgers and hotdogs from our BarBQue in the park with some homeless individuals. Feasting on food, fun, and lots of godly fellowship, we were thankful for the peace that God provided for His Feast in Pasadena. —BN
Kalbar, Queensland, Australia—This year brethren gathered to attend the Feast of Tabernacles at Kalbar, a small township nestled at the edge of the beautiful scenic rim of southeast Queensland. We would all like to express our thanks to the Gnech’s for opening up their home and hosting the Feast, as well as for their tireless service.
Attendance averaged around 16, with 21 on the Last Great Day. Thanks to the brethren who made the special effort to travel significant distances to keep the Feast with us. As always, the messages provided by Fred were timely, informative, and inspiring. Wholesome spiritual food is especially needed as we all face uncertainties and difficulties living in these end times.
Brethren enjoyed a relaxing lunch each day and used the time during and after lunch for extended fellowship to get to know each other and the challenges brethren face in their daily lives. Everyone volunteered for opportunities to serve; there was great peace and harmony, which added wonderfully to the overall experience.—PS
Nelson Bay, Australia—The Feast we usually hold in Nelson Bay was cancelled because of government regulations that made it illegal to travel more than 5km from your local area; plus, the accommodations we needed were closed. So we changed tactics and held Zoom sessions with Bible studies nearly every morning, with sermons in the afternoon. The sessions were attended by about 50 brethren; the speakers were varied and including Roy Assanti on the first day speaking on “A Perspective as the Millennium Begins.” Steven Greene joined us from Vermont on the Last Great Day, giving us a study titled “Harvest Seasons Salvational Work.” We spiced up services as much as possible with videos, hymns, and special music by Sophie Carson. God’s Spirit was evident and the meetings were most edifying. Many commented on how Feast-like the atmosphere was in spite of our lockdown situation. Our prayer for next year is that God the Father and Jesus Christ will “set their people free” to worship Him.—PC
