Thank you for your efforts in keeping the festivals. May all the prayers you sincerely offered during the festival be answered, and may you receive abundant blessings of the Holy Spirit.
The things that Heavenly Father has commanded us to do are given because they bring us abundant blessings. Let us be sure to follow them. Preaching the gospel, attending worship services, and praying to God—everything He asked us to do is for our blessing. Let us give thanks to our Father, who allows us to keep the blessed Sabbath, grants us the Holy Spirit when we pray, and above all, gives us eternal life so that we can enter the kingdom of heaven.
God has commanded us to always rejoice (1 Th 5:16–18; Php 4:4). We are the people who should always rejoice because we are destined to go to the kingdom of heaven, where there is no pain or sorrow but only overflowing happiness. In order to take us to glorious heaven, our Father came to this earth during His first coming in the name of Jesus and died on the cross, taking the punishment for our sins. He came in the flesh like thorns for the second time and devoted Himself to our salvation, offering countless prayers with fasting, early morning prayers, and evening prayers over 37 years. We, too, should share the value of salvation with members who have not yet realize it, praying for them. It is important to understand the blessing of one worship service and saving one soul. How happy we are! As children who can call Almighty God “Father,” we should live always joyfully, giving thanks to Him who has granted us eternal life and the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Only those who do the will of God will enter the kingdom of heaven. Always rejoicing is also God’s will. Even in the world, people who experience good things are full of smiles while those who have worries and concerns wear a frown. Since we are on the way to heaven, a beautiful place overflowing with joy, we should not frown but always smile and rejoice. It is said that what is in our hearts is reflected outward. When joy flows from us, it influences those around us to think, “That person must be so joyful because they have been saved. I should be joyful, too.”
God taught us to rejoice and be glad for great is our reward in heaven even if we face persecution while preaching the gospel (Mt 5:8–12). When we have a joyful heart, we are filled with the desire to seek out our lost heavenly family members, thinking, “I shouldn’t go alone to the kingdom of heaven, enjoying eternal blessings, but I should also bring those poor souls with me.” This loving heart wells up within us and bears fruit. Guiding dying souls to God brings not only joy but also great rewards. Think about the joy of going to heaven and avoid negative thoughts, as the Bible says, “Set your hearts on things above.” When we guide many to that place, both we and they will be filled with joy.
For us, only joyful days lie ahead. Although we were despised in the early days, now, according to the prophecy that we will receive honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth, those around us recognize our Church of God as a good church (Zep 3:14–20). As we have spread the light of the new covenant, the darkness has receded, and people have begun to look toward the light. Two thousand years ago, when Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit and preached, 3,000 or even 5,000 people were led to God in a single day. In the same way, all we need to do now is simply preach the gospel since we have received the Holy Spirit. Now is the time to be praised, so preach the gospel boldly and diligently. Let us not hide the Holy Spirit we have received during the Festival of Tabernacles, but instead share it with many others through the Holy Spirit movement.
We are under God’s protection in Zion, a safe refuge where disasters cannot approach us, so we should always rejoice and be glad. Let us open the Bible and teach the word of God to guide many people to Zion to receive the water of life (Jer 6:16–19; Ps 91:5–11; Jer 4:5–6; Jn 6:53–57). Let us encourage them to follow God’s word, which brings us blessings even when we come in and when we go out (Dt 28:1–6). As children of love, let us guide those who live in sorrow and hardship to live always joyfully, by leading them to eternal tree of life and the kingdom of heaven through the New Covenant Passover. Children of Zion! May you lead many people to God’s side, bringing joy to Him, and receive abundant rewards and praise from our Father in heaven.
