November 5, 2015 Member Letter

Dear Brethren,

In my September letter I wrote about the “upcoming” fall holy days. Today, as I write this letter, we have been home from the Feast of Tabernacles for almost a month. I know I am stating the obvious when I say that time flies! Just consider, here we are in November and in less than eight weeks the year 2015 will be history! It seems like only a couple of weeks ago that we began writing that date on all our letters.

In many ways I can say that this was our family’s best Feast ever. Sharron and I traveled to two sites—Orange Beach, Alabama, and Antigua, Guatemala. The local cultures were very different between these two sites, but the brethren were very much the same. In Guatemala there was a language barrier, but it was easily overcome by our common faith and purpose. We felt right at home in both locations.

The Feast is an amazing tool that God uses each year to focus our attention on the reality of the Kingdom of God and the reign of Jesus Christ on this earth. The recorded words of Christ are very clear: “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). If we focus on the spiritual, we can be assured that things will work out. They may not always be as we desire, but “we know that all things work together for good to those who love Him, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). The question isn’t what our focus should be but whether we can maintain that focus after returning from the Feast.

In some ways it is like getting a new pair of glasses with progressive lenses, which are divided into two parts—the upper for regular vision and the lower for reading. When I first needed glasses for reading, I spent the additional money to get these special lenses. If I looked straight ahead through the upper part of each lens, I could see just fine and well out into the distance; but if I looked down through the lower half of the lens, things that weren’t close up looked blurry. By looking down I could read a book, but I had trouble adjusting between the two.

The optometrist warned me to be careful for the first few days, since I could actually stumble or even fall while getting used to these dual lenses. For a while I tried wearing them all the time, but I found myself stumbling more than once. Looking through the lower part of the lens and then looking up caused dizziness, and any ledge or step was a problem. I finally gave up on the glasses for regular wear, choosing only to use them for reading.

When we return from the Feast, we can face similar difficulties. We focus on the Kingdom of God for eight consecutive days; but when we return to our homes and begin to focus on our immediate surroundings, that vision can fade or grow blurry. That’s when it is easiest to stumble. Of course, I am referring to our spiritual vision and the need to keep it sharply focused on the Kingdom of God.

In thinking about that focus, consider what is written in Revelation 2 and 3. I have read the messages to the seven churches hundreds of times; and each time I read about Laodicea, I come away with a number of questions. One of my questions is, How does this happen? I don’t think you wake up one day and declare yourself to be a Laodicean—a lazy and indifferent Christian. When you came into the Church, you were determined to be a diligent Christian. I believe those in Laodicea began that way as well. But over time that enthusiasm began to wane. They became lukewarm, but they didn’t begin that way.

I also don’t believe the Laodiceans set a spiritual goal to be “poor, blind, and naked” (Revelation 3:17). In this same message we are told how to overcome this condition. Look at verse 19: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.” One doesn’t have to be like a Laodicean; one doesn’t have to be indifferent; one doesn’t have to be a spiritual sluggard. Of course, saying the words “be zealous” won’t make you zealous.

I returned home from the Feast this year with a sense of urgency and a desire to put more focus on the Kingdom. During the Feast we heard about that vision each day for eight days, but how long did it last once you returned home? Possibly, for some, that very first day back at work wiped out so many good memories from the Feast.

It is unclear how many more Feasts there will be before Christ returns; but however many remain, the fact is, one more has now been completed. I hope that this year’s Feast has inspired you to keep your focus on the Kingdom and to be a diligent Christian by making the necessary changes in your life. None of us want to be like the Laodiceans. I encourage all of us to take the lessons from this year’s Feast and use them to stay focused on the Kingdom. 

Solomon wrote in Proverbs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” (Proverbs 29:18, King James Version). Other translations use the word revelation instead of vision, but the point is the same. If you can’t see the future, then it is easy to become complacent toward God’s law and this way of life. The Bible in Basic English has, “Where there is no vision; the people are uncontrolled.” Without a clear vision of the future, it is difficult to grow spiritually. This is why the Feast is so important.

Brethren, it was wonderful seeing so many of you at the Feast this year. Between the Feast in Orange Beach and the Feast in Guatemala, we saw almost 2,000 brethren, or 20 percent of our total membership. It was exciting to see the large crowds and feel the enthusiasm. I returned from the Feast determined to do better spiritually, to pray more, to study more, to fast more often and do everything I can to maintain that zeal. How about you? It won’t be long until we will be talking about these same themes in connection with the Passover. It is true, time really does fly!

Sincerely, your brother in Christ,

Jim Franks