It's the first of August and soon, two full moons from now, we'll be observing the Feast of Tabernacles. Living in "temporary dwellings" teaches us that this world is momentary. As King David said, "My life is but an handbreadth." He compared his life to a flower that blossoms for a season. It's an irony that we live in a time so filled with ominous signs of the end, not only of individual life, but of mankind as a whole. Yet those who set dates for the end of this age have all, thus far, been wrong. Even sincere religious men and women have been guilty of presumptuous sin, presuming to render decisions reserved for God.

It seems easier to predict the end time than prepare for it. It's easier to condemn mankind for doing wrong than provide an example for men should live.

Two of the major Holy Day seasons are preceded by acts of repentance. The period of self-examination during Passover is followed by the Days of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of Tabernacles is preceded by Atonement in which we have a day to mourn our human frailty. Each time we come close to God we are confronted with the need to reach a higher standard. We come to face to face with the overwhelming task of being made in the image of God.

The truth is "we are his workmanship" meaning He is making us in His image. But we have a part in the process. We submit to the life being created in us, Jesus Christ living through us. This life is temporary. The new life is permanent.

Until next time,