God commanded His people to observe seven annual sacred festivals as well as a weekly Holy Day, the Sabbath. That law is still "on the books"--in the Bible. Rather than the New Testament nullifying, rescinding or abrogating it, the New Testament elevates, magnifies and reinforces that law.

And what an absolutely beautiful law it is! For those who have come to love God's Word and way of life, the Holy Day gatherings and celebrations are the highlights of the year. It seems God made us human beings with an innate desire to observe traditional anniversaries and special days, whether they be Holy Days or holidays, when people gather together to celebrate or mourn. As a result, almost every culture has national and religious high days. How much better when the days one is observing are ones that God Himself has instituted and commanded, as will be explained!

Seven festivals, four in the fall

God has made the fall a special time of year. Four of the seven annual festivals of God occur in September and/or October. In the fall many retail stores begin to display things pertaining to Christmas, but Christmas is not one of the biblically mandated Holy Days. Christmas is not even mentioned in the Bible, and the Bible gives no suggestion of celebrating the anniversary of Jesus' human birth. Jesus Christ should indeed be worshiped; and the Holy Days that God the Father and Jesus Christ have instructed mankind to observe all honor Jesus Christ and what He has done, is doing and is going to do. God's seven festivals convey and portray the seven most important steps in God's master plan for offering salvation to every human being that has ever lived or will live!

A fascinating and thorough explanation of God's festivals and their meaning is contained in our free booklet, Holidays or Holy Days: Does it Matter Which Days We Keep,.

The observance of the Holy Days fulfills all the natural desires for tradition, excitement, reunions of loved ones, camaraderie, eating together, spirituality, music and inspiration. In addition, the observance of God's Holy Days includes worship, interesting ongoing education in the Bible and learning the deep meaning and purpose of life!

Countless people who have been called by God over the past few millennia have come to regard the celebration of God's feast days as the most joyous days of the year. The religion of Judaism honors those days, but the New Testament gives us a much deeper understanding of their meaning and how they portray the ongoing work of Jesus Christ. That deeper understanding is why they are so spiritually rewarding and enjoyable. Many feast days include a nice meal together, but every Holy Day is a spiritual banquet of inspiring music and messages. The seven festivals are Passover, Days of Unleavened Bread, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles and Last Great Day. Our booklet thoroughly explains the prophetic and spiritual meaning of each festival.

A preview of this month's articles

The articles in this month's issue of VCM are relevant to present world conditions, prophecies of the end time and the fall festivals of God. "Armageddon: The End of the World?" explains what the Bible really says about Armageddon and other end-time events. It summarizes God's plan and how Armageddon will be a prelude to world peace when Jesus Christ will be ruling as King of kings.

This autumn has special sober meaning for the people of the United States and also the rest of the world. Sept. 11 will be the one-year anniversary of the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. Most people are much more conscious than ever before of the likelihood, even inevitability, of more terrorist attacks on the mainland of the United States as well as elsewhere. "Will God Continue to Bless America? If Not, Why Not?" reviews the effects of the terrorist attacks and what they portend for the future. The attacks brought about a revival of religious activity, but it seems most of it was shallow and short-lived. Amidst the sloganeering of "God bless America" and "Let's roll" looms a major question: Will God bless America as He has so many times in the past, or has America lost favor with God because it has increasingly rejected the Bible as the source of its beliefs and the guide for its actions? And if God is presently protecting America in spite of the fact that this country has turned its back on God, what might be God's reasons for temporarily preserving America?

"Oops! I Made a Mistake!" is a moving article based on personal experience with some profound lessons, similar to some of the principles of servant leadership. It has to do with our reactions when we learn of mistakes--our mistakes and the mistakes of others. It would be a kinder, gentler world if the wisdom of this article were applied.

"I Dare You!" is an important article to help parents in teaching their children how to cope with all the taunting and tempting dares with which they will be confronted. It also shows how all of us need to be on guard against responding to the more subtle dares that Satan and the world throw at us. We must dare--have the courage--to do what is right under all circumstances. But we must not respond to challenging invitations or dares to do what is illegal, sinful, damaging or foolish.

"The Diets of the Millennium Should Be the Diets of Today" addresses today's increasing crisis of poor health and why people get sick or why they stay well. One of the fall festivals of God is the Feast of Tabernacles, which portrays the coming millennial reign of Christ on the earth. What will people eat during the Millennium? Surely it will be healthful food. So shouldn't we be eating the same kind of food now in order to achieve and maintain good health? And since the Bible makes it clear that our bodies and minds belong to God, shouldn't we be good stewards and take good care of God's property? Taking good care of our health is an important Christian responsibility.

That's it for this issue. Please check the Archives for back issues of VCM. And for a list of our booklets on many important Bible subjects, please check the Literature Library of the United Church of God Web site, www.ucg.org. While you are there, you can subscribe to The Good News, the flagship magazine of United Church of God. It's free for the asking.

If you are interested in knowing more about what the Bible teaches about God's sacred festivals, please ask. And if you would like to visit a congregation for a worship service on a Sabbath or Holy Day, you will be most welcome. If you need information or directions, we'll be glad to help. For answers to any of these questions, please contact us at www.ucg.org.