A Festival of Peace

In just a few days, a small handful of people all around the globe will be leaving their day-to-day lives in order to gather for an annual week-long festival that looks forward to a wonderful future that draws closer each day.

Where can we turn to find good news in today's world? Just take a look at the headlines: Iran continues to develop its nuclear program; trade tensions mount; Mideast peace negotiations seem to be going nowhere; and US General Stanley McChrystal calls for up to 40,000 additional troops to be sent to Afghanistan.

The world is in trouble. Observers of world events can see that storm clouds are brewing on the horizon, and fast! The global scene is fraught with strife, fear, gloom and uncertainty.

And it doesn't stop there. The ramifications of a planet that turns on itself are catastrophic—and they will not be limited to some vague, distant section of the world. They will have a major impact on your life!

There will be wars and rumors of wars and nation will rise against nation. And there will be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, all leading up to what the Bible describes as great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:6-7).

But what if I told you that, though these events are certain to happen, there is an equally certain bright future coming immediately afterward? What if I told you that the spiritual source of evil will be bound and that humanity will at long last be able to live in harmony? What if I told you that there will be a future, not filled with sorrow and tears and death, but with peace, harmony and joy?

What if I told you that you could be a part of it?

In just a few days, a small handful of people all around the globe will be leaving their day-to-day lives in order to gather for an annual week-long festival that looks forward to a wonderful future that draws closer each day.

This festival has a long-standing history. For the better part of 2,000 years, it has been observed by a small but dedicated group—a festival kept by Jesus Christ Himself and continued by the Church of God to this day.

So what is this festival? The Feast of Tabernacles, a celebration kept in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, which pictures the newly returned Jesus Christ establishing His reign on earth and ushering in an era of long-awaited peace, joy, and stability.

From South Africa to Sri Lanka, Italy to India, Australia to Alaska, God's people will be gathering together to enjoy a week-long foretaste of that environment. A festival of peace; good news in action, if you will.