The 20th class of Ambassador Bible College started its academic year with a welcome picnic hosted by local alumni this past Sunday, Aug. 26. The student body, consisting of 32 students from across the U.S., Australia and Ukraine, gathered for a lunch and a number of fun get-acquainted games.

An interesting observation about this class is that 11 of the students are siblings of ABC graduates, and a few more are cousins. This is a testament to the endorsement and value that graduates have placed on their ABC experience. We are hopeful, too, that we will welcome students from India and Malawi for the second semester. Most of the students are in the 18-24 age range. Many students had already been in contact with one another via different social media groups.

On Monday, Aug. 27, the students gathered in the ABC classroom for Orientation. The resident faculty explained policies and procedures, while encouraging students to make the most of this special opportunity. I emphasized that preparation for future service to God and His Church is an important part of the ABC mission.

During the afternoon, the new students took a tour of the home office, including the new video studio, enjoyed a dessert social with the home office staff, and then met with choir director Ken Shoemaker to begin the process of forming this year's choir.

The ABC experience is special in not only the many classes covering the entirety of the Bible, but that the students themselves have consciously and thoughtfully taken a year out of their lives to intensely study the Word of God. Their intent is not only to understand and better articulate their beliefs, but also to transform their lives to become more like Jesus Christ. The development of character is an essential part of education—as important as acquiring biblical knowledge.

I asked the students to take particular note of 2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." The New Living Translation puts this even more clearly: "All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."

Podcasts

We make and continually strive to improve our audio podcasts, which now number 91. This past week, I recorded two with Dr. Steven Britt that discussed his current article in Beyond Today magazine entitled "Sound Science and the Bible, Do They Conflict?" While some podcasts are interviews with our ministers and church members, we want to develop a format that has broader appeal to the public where we discuss issues of religion, philosophy, ethics and science. These would be discussions of current material in our periodicals as well as outside material.

Feast Intro Video

The video for the Feast of Tabernacles opening service is in final stages of production. It features interview comments from our brethren about the Feast. It includes welcoming remarks in which I make reference to my sermon entitled "We Are Pilgrims." Dr. Donald Ward and I will be giving split sermons on the Sabbath during the Feast when we webcast services to all Feast sites.

We Are Pilgrims

The Bible describes those who live a faithful life as PILGRIMS on the earth. Note the words of the Apostle Paul as he describes the course of those obedient to God: "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:13).

The primary dictionary definition of a pilgrim is "a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons."

I cannot help but note the similarity to the celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles with this imagery. Paul then continues the thought: "For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them" (Hebrews 11:14-16).

In short, life is a journey leading to a homeland of perpetuity with God. The Feast of Tabernacles is a celebration depicting the Kingdom of God, which will be our permanent home.

The importance of seeking this permanence is further typified by how the Feast was to be observed: "You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 23:42-43).

Not only is this life described as makeshift, it is designed to be a journey: "You shall truly tithe all the increase of your grain that the field produces year by year. And you shall eat before the Lord your God, in the place where He chooses to make His name abide, the tithe of your grain and your new wine and your oil, of the firstborn of your herds and your flocks, that you may learn to fear the Lord your God always. But if the journey is too long for you, so that you are not able to carry the tithe, or if the place where the Lord your God chooses to put His name is too far from you, when the Lord your God has blessed you, then you shall exchange it for money, take the money in your hand, and go to the place which the Lord your God chooses" (Deuteronomy 14:22-25).

This imagery was intended to teach profound lessons about how God is working with each of us. We are on a trip now, living in temporary accommodations, rejoicing, and learning eternal values.

The Feast of Tabernacles is a pilgrimage where we live in temporary accommodations. That is a significant difference from the other festivals, which we keep locally.

Our life is a journey that begins with coming out of the world and going somewhere. We pass through the milestones of commitment, baptism and occasional hardship. This is a trip in which we count the cost and calculate whether we have the desire and resources to finish. This pilgrimage ends with the joy of entry into the Kingdom of God.

King David meditated in the Psalms in several places pondering on the "measure of his days" and asking God to allow him "to know my end" (Psalm 39:4). David asked God, as we also should, to "teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom" (Psalm 90:12).

The days are counting down quickly towards the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of Tabernacles where we will come to more profoundly understand these eternal lessons.