A gathering of 366 exuberant first day feast keepers met in the idyllic settings of the Ruins at the Falls, in the tourism resort town of Ocho Rios. The joyous celebrations never lost intensity over the next eight days despite torrential rains which occasioned a change of venue mid-feast, and the postponement of the baptism of 4 persons until the morning after the feast.

Estimates of the damage caused by Tropical depression 16, which was upgraded to Tropical Storm Nicole, exceed J$10 billion (US$100 million) with more than 200 communities surrounded by water and inaccessible, more than 150 houses damaged or destroyed, and 13 people confirmed dead so far. Amidst this devastation however, the spirits of the Jamaican worshippers remained high, and the riveting and relevant feast sermons were more memorable than ever before.

Comprising members of the Kingston, Spanish Town, Maroon Town and Ocho Rios congregations, the assembly celebrated the opening day with characteristic gusto, balanced by an encouraging, yet sobering exposition on the book of Zechariah by Pastor Ian Boyne.

Pointing out that of all the so-called Minor Prophets, the book of Zechariah was the most apocalyptic and Messianic, Mr. Boyne explained that it was to give hope to God’s people by revealing His future salvation through Jesus, the coming King and Messiah. He explicated the lessons about Christ’s return as king and exhorted listeners to persevere and overcome, as Christ will be rewarding each person according to his or her works. He highlighted several specific practical situations that can pose a special challenge for believers including lying, and lack of forgiveness and mercy. He however reassured everyone that the book of Zechariah showed that God will restore peace and prosperity to the earth, and that this should give us hope to endure.

Tabernacles this year was a rich spiritual feast of unforgettable sermons and sermonettes. In fact, Mr. Boyne said that in his 35 years of keeping the feast, this year’s messages were the most memorable and most impactful he had ever heard. One highlight for most persons was a sermonette by youth president Sean Goldburn entitled “How to Overcome the Giants”, in which he used the story of David and Goliath to teach some powerful lessons on how to overcome the challenges—or giants—we all face as believers.

Elder George Ramocan’s two sermons were unforgettable. In his first, he explored in depth, what it meant to put God and the Kingdom of God at the center of our lives. One profoundly important point he made was that the fundamental problem of people who don’t put God above family, personal achievement, comfort, and pleasure, was that they were not fully convinced about the gospel of the Kingdom of God. In his second sermon, he showed how the book of Revelation was a template for the plan of God for humanity as revealed and symbolized by all the holy days.

Deacon Paul O’Connor gave a piercing sermon on how to avoid being deceived by Satan, including how to spot potential elements of self-deception in our own walk. Deacon Derrick Alwood also gave an interesting and poignant sermonette about the spiritual dangers of depression and how to deal with this potentially fatal condition.

Overseas minister Pastor Bill Russ gave sermons entitled “The Love of God” and “Understanding the Mark of the Beast.” Pedro Hall of the Spanish Town congregation gave a much appreciated sermon on “What it means to be spiritual.” This writer delivered a sermon entitled “Don’t Bow to Babylon.”

In Pastor Ian Boyne’s last great day sermon, he systematically debunked the evangelical doctrine popularly called ‘Once saved, always saved.’ He gave a theologically intensive treatise disproving the view that believers should only believe and trust in the power of God and that personal works played no part in one’s eventual salvation. He showed that the power of God will only take effect in the life of Christians who take responsibility for living lives of overcoming based upon their faith, and their commitment to develop Godly character. In a comprehensive and in-depth sermon, Mr. Boyne showed that problems, setbacks and challenges were integral to our eventual salvation, as they presented opportunities for overcoming and for developing the character of Christ. He gave several biblical examples to demonstrate that believers who cooperated with God’s spirit, and who really drew upon God’s power while taking full responsibility for practicing faith and for making right decisions, were far more likely to qualify for entry into God’s kingdom than those who didn’t.

The dynamism, exuberance and captivating illustrations of Ricardo Hall’s sermon on the evening of the last great day caused many people to conclude that his was the sermon of the feast for them, however. In his electrifying message he emphasized our identity as priests and kings elect, in the kingdom of God, against whom Satan and his kingdom were fiercely opposed.

“We can continue to live as how God expects us to live despite the system of governance and the economic crisis that confront us in the world,” Mr. Hall asserted. He showed that there were many biblical examples of people who, while living as aliens, maintained their identities as God’s people. In graphic, sometimes hilarious-sometimes poignant style, he explored the stories of Daniel and the three Hebrew boys in Babylon. He also reiterated, using several scriptural references, God’s promises to help believers overcome suffering, as well the glorious promise of eternal life in the world tomorrow as kings and priests.

Due to a national weather warning of rains, the scheduled baptism for the morning of the last great day had to be postponed for the following morning. We were spared the torrential rains in the early morning as four persons—all children of church members—repented of their sins and were baptized by Pastor Boyne and I in the waters of the Caribbean Sea.

One long time member of the church, and a feast keeper from in the early 70s, affectionately called Lady C, commented that in all her years of feast keeping, this was undoubtedly—never mind the cliché—her best feast ever. Her verdict was echoed by many others.

GS.