Greetings,
For a while now we have been giving some attention to developing our understanding of the deeper aspects of the gospel. When the gospel is mentioned, the most common starting point for understanding it is probably the point where Christ began His ministry. Mark records that Christ “… came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God …” (Mark 1:14). In addition, the Passover season gives us an excellent opportunity to appreciate the great breadth of the gospel. It is clear that it also includes as a major component, the sacrifice Christ made in order for man to be reconciled with His Creator.
When Christ was born there were shepherds watching over their flock by night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them bringing news of the birth of Christ. An interesting aspect of that encounter is that as the angel appeared the area around was bathed in light. Light came into the darkness of the night. The angel said to the shepherds, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings (euaggelizo — gospel, literally to announce good news) of great joy which will be for all people.” The gospel, or good news, was, “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:8-11).
The good news which they heralded — the gospel — was that Christ would be a Savior to all people. A Savior “makes open, to make free, to be safe, to deliver.” In Isaiah we read, “And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the Lord of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the Lord because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Savior and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them” (Isaiah 19:20). The Apostle Paul referenced Christ as being the Savior to all men. “… because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe” (1 Timothy 4:10).
The Passover is the foundation upon which God’s great plan of salvation stands. Without Christ’s sacrifice and payment of the death penalty for all people, there would be no salvation and there would be no additional members of God’s eternal family. God’s plan of salvation for mankind could not have gone forward. The gospel (“good tidings”) of Christ’s birth and intended role as the Savior of all men — which would culminate in the glorious Kingdom of God being established on earth — is woven into the fabric of the Passover season. This is indeed good news.
U.S. Feast of Tabernacles Registration
The U.S. Feast of Tabernacles sites are now open for on-line registration!!
We will again have two sites within the U.S. for the Feast of Tabernacles, which begins on September 24 and ends on October 1, 2018.
Oxnard, California at the Residence Inn by Marriott at River Ridge
Granbury, Texas at the Granbury Resort Conference Center
It is very important for us that you register now and you may rest assured that you will be able to make changes later if your situation changes. Your registering now assists us greatly in our festival planning. In the past, many registered late or not at all, which made it difficult for those working behind the scenes to negotiate and plan.
We also have new functionality in our festival registration system, which enables us to easily communicate information specific to each site via email to those who have registered (e.g. meals, activities, etc.) Registering will ensure that you receive these emails.
The registration page is found on The Father’s Call website under the Welcome menu. You can quickly go to the page by clicking here.
Brian Orchard
