Tabernacles Transformation

My family and I started our transformation from Christianity to a Scriptural based belief about 8.5 years ago.  It was shocking and revolting to discover the depth and length that paganism had within the bounds of Christianity.  As we embraced Scriptural principals and walked away from pagan customs we found ourselves being abundantly blessed.  So many things in Scripture that hadn’t made sense before now we saw with Spiritual clarity.

One of the major things we discovered was that ha satan, our adversary, had imitations for everything the Creator had made.  Every imitation was widely accepted and embraced by many churches.  So we began the process of purging out the leaven and making our walk a Set Apart relationship. 

After embracing the wonderful gift of Shabbat, we started looking at the Feasts Days of YHWH.  We had basically rejected the pagan imitations already, so we now had to consider the real days of celebration and begin observing them as best as we knew. 

Our first Tabernacles/Sukkot was kept in our back yard in a tent.  We had been attending Shabbat meetings with a local assembly, but since they did not observe YHWH’s Feast Days, we decided we should and all we knew to do was try our best.  We had no clue there were other Believers assembling within close driving distance of our home, so we were doing what we knew to be right the best way possible.

That first Sukkot it was my wife, son and me sleeping in a tent in our back yard at our suburban Dallas home.  Between the sirens and traffic noise from highway 175, we didn’t feel too Set Apart.  I know some of our friends, neighbors and relatives thought we were crazy, but we knew what we knew and there was no turning back.  Halfway through that first Sukkot, my then 3 year old son Zachry, got very ill.  It was SO cold that year and realizing the danger of exposing him to more sickness, my wife and son moved back into the warm house.  Believe me, that last few nights by myself, in the freezing cold, I questioned my sanity.  I remember getting during the night to go into the house for restroom use and looking at my family warm and sleeping soundly.  Needless to say, it was a miracle we ever kept Sukkot again.

The next year was somewhat better as it wasn’t as cold and no one got sick, so even though it wasn’t an awesome experience we felt better about our decision and were encouraged to press on.

Our third year we discovered another family from the assembly we were attending was keeping Sukkot on the country acreage and they invited us to join them.  So we set up our tent out in the field about 400 yards from Lake Fork and began this new level of Sukkoting.  We now had another family to fellowship with and the campfire time was awesome.  We also discovered some other new elements to Sukkoting; fire ants, coyotes and outside toileting.  So even though we were so happy to be with another family of Believers, we had some adjusting to do, again.  We came away with a new desire to follow YHWH and knowing we had made the right decision.

Our fourth year was a tough one.  I had reinjured an old back injury and was unable to fully participate in the sleeping on the ground experience.  We had made plans to Sukkot with our friends again and it was frustrating not being to be involved in the way I desired. 

Year five things took a different direction.  My back was a lot better and the opportunity to join a large group of Believers Sukkoting in Oklahoma opened up.  So we loaded up the truck and we moved to… well we headed to Oklahoma.  This was a new and awesome experience.  Hundreds (almost a thousand) other followers of YHWH together celebrating this appointed time.  For the first time we saw the heart of Sukkot among a large group of people and we were blown away.  Even though we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves my family didn’t really connect to other families and we left excited but still feeling like there was more.  Granted, it was probably us because we went with our dear friends the Droblyn’s and they connected to other families.  It was so great to be with YHWH’s family and learn.  The teaching was awesome, the music anointed and the atmosphere was excellent.

Year six we cycled up to another level.  Due to last minute issues, we changed from the Oklahoma group to a closer group meeting south of Arlington TX.  We didn’t really know anyone else going, it was just us and our adopted family the Droblyn’s  We recognized some of the scheduled speakers and like the last Sukkot in OK., Jimmie Black was doing the music.  So we arrived not knowing what would happen just excited to be with YHWH’s people.  Right out of the gate we saw obvious differences from our previous Sukkot.  This one was way less organized and somewhat hectic.  There were less people than the previous one but still there was about 300 people in attendance.  After settling in and adjusting to sporadic weather, something very awesome began to take place.  Unlike the previous year when the size of the Sukkot pushed us outside the camp, this year we were just yards from the tent of meeting and in a circular site with several other families.  Although we knew none of them, YHWH began a new work.  We began to form bonds that at the time we had no idea would be so strong.  When Sukkot was over, we felt like we didn’t want to leave.  Yes, there were mosquitoes, skunks (really), horrific weather swings and fire ants; this time we had forged a bond with our new family.  We wept as we left and prayed we would meet again soon.

 

Year seven (this year) YHWH completed our first week of Sukkot!  We approached Shavuot (Pentecost) with no idea were we where going for Sukkot.  The group we had Sukkoted with last year had chosen to observe the Feast using the vernal equinox and we felt the correct Feast was exactly one month prior than the dates they had chosen.  After much prayer and fasting we decided to look for another place to Sukkot.  In the meantime a really neat bond had been formed from last year.  Right after Sukkot 2009, we found out about a meeting in Dallas called the Final Return and there were some really great teachers going to be there so we went over for the weekend.  When we arrived (with our family the Droblyn’s) there were a few of the families from Sukkot last year,  So we were able to spend some time with our new family and enjoy the meeting.  We exchanged contact info and promised to keep in touch.  Just Shavout, one of the families sent us an email inviting us down to celebrate this Feast with there group from the Georgetown area.  This was 3 1/2 hours southeast of us but we felt this was YHWH’s will so we and the Droblyn’s drove down to be with our new family.  While there the issue with Sukkot came up and someone casually suggested we should do our own Sukkot.  It was laughed about and we moved on.  A few days later David Brumlow, Chris Droblyn and I were discussing plans to put a Sukkot together.  We initially thought it would be really small and just involve the few families that we had Sukkoted with last year.  We had less than 90 days to prepare for this and didn’t really understand the magnitude of our undertaking.  YHWH did send Steve Hoelscher to us and he had done previous Sukkots, so we had some help.  Right in the middle of planning, with no real advertising, YHWH worked a tremendous miracle.  Just days from Sukkot we suddenly had a meeting with around 200 other Believers.  We had felt the burden to keep this Sukkot centered around the local men  attending and their families, so we booked no “big name” speaker other than our friend/brother Paul Nison.  The worship was to be done by Jim Mattson a local brother and lo and behold, Jimmie Black was going to join us for two days. 

Right in the middle of YHWH’s Sukkot, something beautiful happened.  YHWH called the men together for the morning prayer time, and the first morning we met YHWH put us on our faces right in the east Texas dirt.  We repented for the lack of leadership we had displayed in our homes and vowed to become real men of YHWH.  On that day, YHWH’s presence was poured out on our meetings.  Something powerful, beautiful and anointed happen in Rusk, TX.  Bonds were formed that were based on our love for Truth and Torah.  I changed that day and have no desire to return to the old ways. 

Next year in Jerusalem…  If not, we will be were YHWH leads with those who are seeking Him and looking for His return.