By: Lanora – Woman to Woman Blog –
We were in Branson, Missouri for the Feast of Tabernacles this year. The first day went well, except more people showed up that didn’t register online, so we were packed into the main room as well as the overflow room which defeated the purpose of registering. I guess that’s a good problem to have.
Sunday morning, the second day, David and I got up early to have our breakfast so we would be ready to start all the sound and video equipment to conduct live stream services. About that time, the whole northwest electric quadrant, in Branson, went out. Here we were, on the 9th floor, as we waited to see what was happening or whether we would be able to have services. We could see other nearby Hotels and cabins had no electricity either. I later found out that it was a common occurrence around Branson by one of the Hotel workers that had lived in Branson all their life. We had been coming to Branson for 30 years or so, and had never experienced anything like this.
By consensus we decided to cancel services Sunday and just made it a “Family Day” as we were told it could be late in the day before it could be fixed. David and I finally walked down the 9 flights of stairs with others leading the way with lights. We went out to get lunch and that’s when we really saw the effects of the outage. You could see signs on the doors everywhere saying “No electricity”.
In spite of all the difficulties; most of the people were kind and helpful. On the positive side, during the blackout, some of the people helped the elderly that couldn’t get out for lunch, they went out and brought back food and drinks, letting their light shine in brotherly and sisterly love. Many served running the golf cart to drop people off because of the Ozark hills, helping the elderly, making coffee, serving cookies, helping with the offering and unloading and loading. They had the right attitude! God would be pleased with their love for one another.
The Hotel staff was wonderful during the blackout. They brought juice and cold drinks upstairs for those that couldn’t get out. Later on, that evening they provided a meal for all of us that stayed at the Hotel. Thankfully later in the day, the electricity finally came on about 3:00 pm.
We were very thankful to come out of our darkness into the light.
Rejoicing in our Trial or Complaining
It made me think that when things go wrong at the Feast, or anywhere in general, do you rejoice in your trial or do you sit around and complain? Do you have faith God will see you through? It reminded me of the Israelites complaining to Moses and Aaron when they were in the wilderness after leaving captivity in Egypt.
Exodus 16:2-5
2 Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.
3 And the children of Israel said to them, “Oh, that we had died by the hand of the Lord in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.”
4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you. And the people shall go out and gather a certain quota every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My law or not.
5 And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare what they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.”
The Israelites complained again about having no water to drink in Exodus 17.
Exodus 17:1-3
1 Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the Lord, and camped in Rephidim; but there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Therefore the people contended with Moses, and said, “Give us water, that we may drink.” So Moses said to them, “Why do you contend with me? Why do you tempt the Lord?”
3 And the people thirsted there for water, and the people complained against Moses, and said, “Why is it you have brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?”
God Delivers Them
God continually delivered bread, meat and water for 40 years in spite of their complaints but yet they weren’t thankful.
God had them wander around in the wilderness for 40 years. Why is that? Maybe it’s because those that complained failed their test. God eventually let them die off and not enter the promise land. God would then bring along a younger generation that would hear and obey His voice.
Moses didn’t get to go into the promise land because he disobeyed what God told him to do in the sight of the people. Moses said “Must we bring water out of this rock” instead of doing what God said. He was to speak to the rock instead he struck it twice. The rock represented Christ! God is particular, something people tend to forget!
Numbers 20:7-12
7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
8 “Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.”
9 So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him.
10 And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?”
11 Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank.
12 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them.”
Being Thankful
We should be thankful we aren’t in the wilderness as someone at the Feast said. “We have a roof over our heads instead of a tent and no sand in our britches.” I love that line, well said my friend. So be thankful and rejoice that God called you to be tested!
Is God trying to teach us patience, compassion and perseverance? Are we listening to His voice? I have to wonder! God must be sorely disappointed in our attitude because some of the people checked out of the Hotel the day the power went out and either went home or went to another hotel. One had a medical issue so I understood his position. This is not what God wants to see as each of us still has much work to be done in overcoming our short comings.
Spoiled Israelites
We have been spoiled like the Israelites and have become entitled because we have had things so good at the Feast in the past, with lots of room to roam and plenty of food and entertainment. What are we at the Feast for? Are we there to learn about God or are we there for fun, food and entertainment as quoted by Cecil Green’s Bible study? Yes, the fellowship is good, as we should be rejoicing with one another.
At the end of the Feast I read each of the reviews that were turned in and I’m ashamed to be associated with the people that wrote the complaints that I read. I saw very little gratefulness in the reviews, only entitlement and what they wanted. “I want, I want!” They complained about the free breakfast with no turkey bacon, not realizing there was a tradeoff of $1,000 service fee that we were able to have removed by not having turkey bacon on the breakfast menu. There were complaints about the Hotel, the free food that was catered, the youth classes, they wanted more activities for the Youth, activities in general and much more.
What they didn’t know is they could have had NO CGI Feast to attend in Branson at all. We were fortunate to get the Grand Plaza Hotel and Convention Center. Did we forget we go where God places His name? The owners were wonderful to work with and very helpful to accommodate all our requests. I counted 11 other groups in Branson that the Brethren could have gone and visited with. Aren’t we all the body of Christ?
Where Are Our Standards
I witnessed inappropriate dress wear from some of the younger women. In I Timothy 2:8 it says how women should dress in moderate apparel.
8 I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and doubting;
9 in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing,
10 but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works.
I thought as a woman to woman I should have spoken to them and educated them on their appropriate wear, but I was told not to. What are people afraid of? I know scripture talks about not offending the little one, but I don’t believe this is what Christ was talking about.
In fact God says in Isaiah 58:1
1 “Cry aloud, spare not; Lift up your voice like a trumpet; Tell My people their transgression, And the house of Jacob their sins.
We are coming before God for the Feast whether it’s a Holy Day or during the week. Who wears shorts to services? We need to ask ourselves, “Are we becoming like the world because that’s exactly what it looked like to me?” I don’t believe Mary Magdalene even dressed that way! Why don’t we say something? Where are our dress standards? Shouldn’t we be teaching some standards? What do you think God thinks about the lack of guidance to the people?
I saw people doing what they wanted because they wouldn’t follow directions or be corrected even after multiple conversations before the Feast. Some didn’t even consult with the Festival Coordinators to see if they could even do special music or if someone else was on the schedule. We have no standards on “Special.” I found that some wouldn’t follow directions at all, an attitude of “Don’t tell me what to do.” I have news for them, in the Kingdom of God, someone will always be telling all of us what to do. We need to be practicing it now with a humble and right attitude.
I think we have missed the whole point of coming to the Feast; we aren’t at the Feast to be entertained. We are there to learn about God’s Kingdom and what our roles will be.
Like the Israelites who wandered around for 40 years they did nothing but complain and they lacked faith God would fix any problems that came along or that He would provide for them when they were hungry and thirsty. I totally agreed with what God did! They didn’t get to enter the promise land because of their lack of faith. They didn’t believe and honor God! They died in the wilderness. They failed the test God had given them!
How Do We Fix It?
Go back to the reason we are at the Feast in the first place. We are there to learn about the “Coming Kingdom of God.” We should be going back to the basics without entertaining people every night and learn to rejoice before our loving God. During the blackout trial did we pass or fail? Was this test for each of us? Did you wait on God or did you leave in a huff? What was your attitude? Did you make the best of it when the lights were out? Some did!
I wish this article was more uplifting and on the positive side, but I was saddened by the attitudes that I had seen at the Feast. I have never seen this at other sites that I have gone to through the years. Please don’t misunderstand me, the messages were good, it’s the lack of standards and complaints that made me write this article. Some people think we don’t need standards like how to follow directions, how to dress, special music that is sung by someone who doesn’t have a talent for it, as anything goes. Again, there were no standards. We should bring our standards up to God’s and not bring God down to the ways of the world.
We all need to check our attitude including myself and go back to just having services where we can really see who is committed to following God’s voice and His ways! I’ve heard people say God knows my heart. Unfortunately, as my husband always says “YES He does!”
