Leonard V. Johnson
Pastor and Co-Founder
Greetings from Spring Hill, Florida.
The LORD’s spring season feasts are upon us.
When speaking of the month of Abib/Nisan, our LORD God declared ──
“’ This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first
month of the year to you.’”
– Exodus 12:2.
So, truly, the first day of the year 2025 was the 30th of March at sunset.
The LORD God’s holy Passover is on the 11th of April, beginning at sunset.
The LORD’s Passover
The children of Israel were specifically commanded to observe the LORD’s
Passover in the Book of Exodus. Every head of the household was to take for
himself a lamb, without blemish, a male of the first year ── a lamb for a
household ── Exodus 12:3-5. And then, the lamb was to be sacrificed on the
14th at twilight (sunset) ── Exodus 12:6.
“And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and
on the lintel of the houses where they eat it”
– Exodus 12:7.
And all those who did what they were commanded were spared death, when the
LORD passed through the land of Egypt on that night, striking all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt ── both man and beast ── Exodus 12:28-30.
Our Lord Jesus Christ kept the LORD’S Passover annually (Exodus 13:10) – from
the time of His youth (Luke 2:41-42), and throughout His entire physical life
(Luke 22:15). The LORD’S Passover was (and is) observed on the fourteenth day
of the month of the FIRST MONTH (Leviticus 23:5 – called Abib in Deuteronomy
16:1 or called Nisan in Esther 3:7). It occurs in the spring season of the
year.
Our Lord Jesus Christ changed the practices associated with it (Luke 22:19-22;
John 13:1-17), and He also told His disciples to observe it (Luke 22:7-13). It
is crystal clear in God’s living word that because of Jesus Christ’s
sacrifice, the killing of animals and placing their blood on an altar or
doorposts is not required anymore (cf. Hebrews 7:12-13, 26-27; 9:11-28).
The apostle Paul – under the divine inspiration of God’s Spirit – teaches that
true Christians are to keep the LORD’S Passover per Jesus Christ’s New
Covenant instructions (1st Corinthians 5:7-8; 11:23-26).
God’s living word says that Jesus Christ
“was foreordained before the foundation of the world”
(1 Peter 1:20) to be
“the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”
(Revelation 13:8). So then, Almighty God’s ultimate plan of salvation – the
redemption of all mankind – is shown to us through His Holy Days and His
festivals, including our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ being
“the Passover Lamb,” and was
planned by God the Father and Jesus Christ before there were ever human beings
on earth. This is one reason why the celestial bodies in the universe were
placed there – to be able to calculate His feasts! (cf. Genesis 1:14-15).
The greater majority of the churches of the world indeed recognize that God’s
living word does show that Jesus Christ fulfilled something associated with
the LORD’S Passover when He was sacrificed. We find that His great Sacrifice
was referenced in the garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15). The great LORD God killed
an animal and made for them
“tunics of skin” – was this
animal a lamb or a goat (Genesis 3:21)? We also see this principle – that
a blood sacrifice must be made for sin – when Abel sacrificed a firstborn
of his flock, a lamb, (Genesis 4:2-4).
In the Old Testament, the LORD’S Passover pictured the deliverance from the
bondage of Egypt through the LORD God’s intervention. Now prophetically this
pictured, of course, looking towards the time when Jesus the Christ - the
MESSIAH - would come and be the Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7), sacrificed
for all mankind for the sins of the world (John 1:29; cf. John 3:16-17).
On our Lord Jesus Christ’s last Passover as a physical human being, He kept
the Passover at the time of the late evening and told His disciples to
continue observing it (Luke 22:14-19; cf. John 13:2, 12-15) on the 14th of
Abib (cf. Luke 22:14; 23:52-54).
Our Lord Jesus Christ indeed changed several of the practices associated with
the LORD’S Passover. He made the unleavened bread and the wine an integral
part of the Passover (Matthew 26:18, 26-30), and added the practice of foot
washing (John 13:12-17).
Now, despite the very fact that Our Lord Jesus Christ turned water into wine
(John 2:3-10), along with the fact that the Greek term used in the New
Testament (oinos) refers to fermented wine (cf. 1 Timothy 3:8), there are
those which claim that it was grape juice – not fermented wine – that was used
for the LORD’S Passover (We have an additional article related to this
subject,
“Wine ── or Grape Juice?” ).
Indeed, true Christians are not to be
“drunk with wine, in which is dissipation”
– in other words, a dissipated living. A descent into drunkenness and sexual
depravity – cf. Ephesians 5:18, NKJV.
Only a very small amount of wine (preferably red wine) is normally consumed at
the LORD’S Passover (I personally use only about 30 – 44 ml. About “a shot”).
Passover – On the 14th. Not the 15th
Sadly, there are a great many people who are confused about the date of the
biblical Passover.
Back in 2021, I was invited by jw.org to join them locally for the Passover on
the 27th of March. God’s living word teaches us that it was to be kept on the
14th day of the first month of GOD’S CALENDAR at twilight – which is a lunar
calendar – (Leviticus 23:5).
In the Book of Exodus chapter 12, verse 6, God’s living word emphatically says
that the lamb is to be killed
“at twilight.” Now,
The Stone Edition Tenach – the Hebrew Bible – of which I have in my
library reads, “the afternoon.” The 8th verse says,
“they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened
bread …”
So, between sunset and midnight, the children of Israel ate the flesh of the
roasted lamb. And technically, they had until the morning (sunrise) to have
eaten it per Exodus 12:10. So, God’s living word is clear that the death angel
‘passed over’
“on that night” –
Exodus 12:12 – the very same night of the 14th of Abib.
Our Master, Elder Brother, and Savior Jesus Christ was only to be sacrificed
ONCE (1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:28; 10:10-14). Jesus Christ kept His final
Passover (Luke 22:14-16) and was then sacrificed. He was removed from the
cross before the 15th. Why? Well, because the 15th was a ‘high holy day’ –
John 19:28-31 – the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Leviticus
23:6). So, Jesus Christ indeed kept and fulfilled the Old Covenant Passover on
the 14th of Abib.
The greater majority of those who profess Christ do keep some version
of the Passover – though they have changed the name, the date, the time, the
meaning, the symbols – calling it EASTER – after an East Semitic, Akkadian,
Assyrian, and Babylonian goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. Hence,
Easter eggs and bunny rabbits. The name April ── the 4th month of the
Gregorian calendar was called ēastre-monaþ by the ancient Anglo-Saxons
── from which the name Easter is a derivative.
God’s living word is clear that Jesus Christ was (and is)
“our Passover” sacrificed for
us –
“the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
– 1 Corinthians 5:7; John 1:29, NKJV.
And that we are to keep the Feast with unleavened bread –
“ … Have you never heard the saying, ‘A little leaven 7) leavens all the
dough’? The old leaven of corruption is working among you. Purge it out, and
then you will be bread of a new baking. As Christians you are unleavened
Passover bread; for indeed our Passover has begun; the sacrifice is offered
– Christ 8) Himself. So we who observe the festival must not use the old
leaven, the leaven of corruption and wickedness, but only the unleavened
bread which is sincerity and truth [Jesus Christ]” – 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7-8,
NEB.
Notice – the festival is to be kept with the unleavened bread of sincerity and
truth!
The apostle Paul truly understood that Jesus Christ was the Passover Lamb and
had replaced and fulfilled the Old Covenant lambs which were sacrificed.
Under the divine inspiration of God’s Spirit, it was documented that our Lord
Jesus Christ “took [unleavened] bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it”
to His apostles to eat. He also likewise took the cup of ‘the fruit of the
vine’ after supper, passed it to His apostles to drink a small amount. We – in
the
Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries – ask God the Father and Jesus
Christ’s blessings, break and distribute the unleavened bread, and then ask
for Their blessings on the fermented wine, distribute to His followers, and
consume. Yet, the Roman Catholic Church – along with her daughter churches –
no longer breaks unleavened bread. Instead, they use what is called a
“sacramental bread” (often leavened; also called a host or wafer) along with
(and it is often optional) “sacramental wine” (which the majority of churches,
such as the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church, require that
sacramental wine should be pure grape wine. Other churches of the world, such
as the Methodist Churches, disapprove of the consumption of alcohol, and
substitute grape juice for wine.
What About … “’ This do, as often as you …’”
Just how often should the LORD’S Passover (or, the Passover, the Lord’s
Supper, or Communion) be taken?
I had once attended as a guest a Pentecostal Assemblies of God group which
insisted that the Lord’s Supper was to be taken the first Sunday of every
month! I’m not sure where they get this from.
The apostle Paul distinctly says,
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the
Lord’s death till He comes”
– 1 Corinthians 11:26 NKJV.
So, consider that it is our Lord’s death that this commemorates.
How often is a commemoration, an anniversary? It is annually. Like, as
an example – every year I commemorate and acknowledge the Attack on Pearl
Harbor (December 7, 1941), as well as D-Day (June 6, 1944), along with V J Day
(August 15, 1945), and even January 27th, 1945, the Liberation of Auschwitz! –
important dates in the history of the world!
Our Lord Jesus’ death has reconciled us to God the Father (Romans 5:10), and
He sacrificed His life for our salvation (John 3:16-17; Hebrews 5:5-11). The
New Covenant LORD’S Passover is an annual commemoration of Christ’s
death till He comes. □
Passover Service
For a step-by-step video for those baptized members of our Lord Jesus’ Church
without a local congregation or minister, here is a link:
COJCOM Passover Service 2022.
Again, the LORD’s Passover is to be observed at sunset on April 11th,
2025.
The LORD’s Passover and the Beginning of God’s Master Plan
The Lord’s Passover pictures the beginning of the LORD God’s (the
Elohim; the family of God ── which at this time consists of God the
Father and God our Savior) Master Plan from before the foundation of the world
(1st Peter 1:20). And that was to send the Word (Jesus of Nazareth) to be
sacrificed for our sins ── because God loves us, and that God can deliver us.
The LORD’s holy Passover shows us that we are freed from the bondage of sin by
His sacrifice and death, and that we should remain no more in sin (Romans
6:15).
Simply believing in Jesus is not enough! There is so much more to the
glorious and gracious plan of salvation that God the Father and God our Savior
has in mind!
Again, there are a great many of our peoples worldwide who keep and recognize
Passover and/or the Day of Pentecost, yet they NEVER grow in His grace and
knowledge ── to the
“depth of the riches” (cf.
Romans 11:33) just what they truly picture overall in God’s Master Plan.
Our Lord and Savior is not only the author of our eternal salvation to all who
obey Him, but He is also the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 5:9;
12:2). His true faithful and obedient followers keep and celebrate His spring
and fall holy days.
What Is Meant… ‘Nothing Leavened’?
The LORD God commands us ──
“’ In the first month, on the FOURTEENTH DAY of the month at evening, you
shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at
evening. 19) For SEVEN DAYS no leaven shall be found in your houses, since
whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the
congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land.
20) You shall eat NOTHING LEAVENED; in all your dwellings you shall eat
UNLEAVENED BREAD.’”
– Exodus 12:18-20.
Now the leaven here… Is the LORD God saying, “Go grab your box of baking soda
and throw it out of the house.” Is that what this here is saying?
No.
The word leaven here is referencing LEAVENED BREAD. And the only other
possible meaning is… I don’t know if you’ve ever been around people who make
sourdough bread. And I’m told you mix up a batch and then you keep a little
lump (the starter) in a moist environment (let it sit out on the cabinet with
a moist towel over it). And then you make the rest of the dough go into making
the bread–whatever it is, and however it’s shaped. And then the next day, when
you’re gonna make some more sourdough bread, you take the starter and mix it
in with the new flour and oil and everything else you put into bread. And what
happens, the yeast, which is in the starter, spreads throughout the loaf and
leavens the whole loaf. So then you also take a chunk of it (probably a little
round ball), put that in a moist towel, and save it for the next day. So, that
would be a type of leaven that the LORD God would not appreciate on His Days
of Unleavened Bread. And, if you’re not making leavened bread, there would be
no use in having that around.
Again, the LORD God tells us ──
“’ You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat
unleavened bread with it, that is, THE BREAD OF AFFLICTION … 4) And no
leaven shall be seen among you in all your territory for seven days,
…’”
– Deuteronomy 16:3, 4.
Now, if you look up in the Concordance, that word “affliction” ── it can mean
TROUBLE. The bread of trouble. If you keep the Way of God, you are
going to have some problems ever so often! And because of the problems other
human beings attempt to create for us, it can at times be very problematic and
difficult to be a follower of Jesus Christ. They’ll go out of their way to
sort of put things in your path. But our LORD God here is still speaking of
physical leavened bread – no leavened bread shall be seen among you in all
your territories for seven days.
Our Lord Jesus did speak of leaven metaphorically ──
“Now when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to
take bread. 6) Then Jesus said to them,
‘Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the
Sadducees.’
7) And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘Is it because we have taken
no bread.’
8) But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them,
‘O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you
have brought no bread?
9)
Do you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five
thousand and how many baskets you took up?
10)
Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you
took up?
11) How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning
bread? ── but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and
Sadducees.’
12) Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven
of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”
– Matthew 16:5-12.
He was speaking to them metaphorically.
We, brethren, need to continually purge out of our lives the old leaven ──
that being the false doctrines of the churches of this world.
But sadly, most of our peoples will not. They are
TRADITIONALISTS.
PRIDE CAN PUFF PEOPLE UP, just as physical leaven puffs up bread.
Notice what the LORD God truly wants of us ──
“He has shown you, O man, what is good [referring to God]; And what does the LORD require of you …”
– and he lists three things –
“…But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?”
And Jesus says virtually the same thing in Matthew chapter 23, verse 23 – He
talks about,
“…’ the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith.’”
– He said, ‘You know, we’ve got these bean counters up there, their tithing of
all these little seeds.’ He said, ‘Yeah, you do that, but you forget the
weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith.’ I think about the
fact that even today there are individuals who get hung up on weird little
doctrines, and they forget the weightier matters of the law – judgment, mercy,
and faith, to walk humbly before God. □
Additional Ministerial Equipment
It was time for a new computer. The ministry's last computer was also a Lenovo
brand ── which was purchased in 2016. It was still operating, but becoming
slower. This new computer has the new Windows 11, along with plenty of storage
and speed!
Thank you for your continued support with your donations, in allowing us to
upgrade the ministry with this badly needed equipment. God Bless!
Suggested Sabbath Day Service
Here is our suggested Sabbath day service for our scattered brethren and
friends around the world:
• TWO songs of praise. (Our songbook,
The Bible Hymnal, is suggested; there are some
Instrumental Accompaniments to the Bible Hymnal
available on our website.)
• Opening prayer.
• Announcements – from the deacon or pastor.
• Sermon – from the pastor or guest speaker. The one suggested for this week
is
“The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”
delivered by Minister Leonard V Johnson.
• Closing song.
• Closing prayer.
Now, in case one or more of our video channel platforms are down ── remember
that we do have multiple video channel platforms.
UGETube channel ──
https://ugetube.com/@cojcom.
BitChute channel ──
https://www.bitchute.com/channel/U3xLiHjo9y45.
Some World News Concerning Biblical Prophecy
In the United States of America ── and around the world ── President Donald
Trump is dominating much of the news, including his statements concerning the
autonomous territory of Denmark ── Greenland. (See: Newsmax ──
Trump: ‘We’ll get Greenland, 100 Percent’; Military Force Not ‘off
Table’
as well as CBS News ──
Danish foreign minister scolds Trump administration after Vance trip to
Greenland).
The Trump/Vance Administration is appearing to upset many nations, countries,
and provinces around the world. Truly ── and I believe that this is an old
saying, although I may be thinking of a Ralph Waldo Emerson quote ── one thing
that is often not so obvious is that our strength can also be the source of
our weakness. The USA is no longer the world’s only superpower!
In Dennis Ross’ Time article, he wrote ──
“Over the past several decades, the world order has shifted. Today, the United States is no longer a unipolar uber-power, and this shift has dramatic implications for those inside and outside of our borders. …Back then, the world was a unipolar one. American power dwarfed all others. We had no real competitors. China was using the institutions we built internationally—like the World Trade Organization—to accelerate its economic growth even as it did not always play by the rules for mutual trade and investment. The U.S. tolerated China’s violation of those rules, in no small part because we very much dominated the world. Russia was not challenging us yet—though in 2007 at the Munich Security Forum, Vladimir Putin signaled what would be coming …But the reality is different today. Internationally, we face China and Russia as global competitors …”
And, more than ever before, we are facing them as military threats.
God’s living and immutable word says in an important biblical prophecy that a
great nation will be destroyed by its supposed friends ──
“the princess among the provinces Has become a slave!”
── Ecclesiastes 1:1-2; Daniel 11:39.
Earthquakes rock Myanmar and Thailand! (See: Reuters ──
Powerful earthquake kills more than 140 in Myanmar, death toll likely to
rise
along with euro news ──
More than 140 killed, 730 injured in Myanmar after magnitude 7.7
earthquake).
Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers ── all those affected by these massive
quakes should be in our prayers! They are in our prayers. 😢
Sadly, Taiwan and Tibet were also struck by large earthquakes earlier this
year.
We should all keep in mind that our Lord Jesus Christ prophesied of massive
earthquakes occurring in various places, growing ever stronger towards the end
of this present evil age ──
“ …
‘And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be
famines and troubles. …
33)
Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.
34)
It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave
authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the
doorkeeper to watch.
35)
Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is
coming ── in the evening, at midnight, and the crowing of the rooster, or
in the morning ──
36)
lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.
37)
And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!’”
– Mark 13:8, 33-37.
ATTENTION ── our Lord Jesus listed
earthquakes as one of the signs of His glorious and powerful coming and of the
end of the age! As His disciples asked Him privately, “Tell us, … what will be
the sign?” And He lists several grave troubles occurring ── what He has
called, “the beginning of sorrows.” We are told to WATCH! WATCH WORLD
EVENTS!
Besides just watching ── what else did our Lord Jesus admonish us to do? ──
“’ But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with
carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come
[speaking of the dreadful and terrible Day of the Lord; the most prophesied
event to occur in all of God’s living word!] on you unexpectedly. 35) For IT WILL COME as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole
earth. 36) Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape
all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of
Man.’” – Luke 21:34-36.
And I’m sure that if ── God willing ── we are blessed to be born into
the glorious family of God, we will not be standing before the Son of Man ──
we will be on our knees in full humility and reverence.
LET US WATCH, PRAY, REPENT, AND BE SPIRITUALLY READY!
Concluding Comments
Under divine inspiration of the Spirit of God ── our beloved apostle Paul
wrote ──
“For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the
Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24) and
when He had given thanks, He broke it and said,
‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.’
25) In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying,
‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink
it, in remembrance of Me.’
26) For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the
Lord’s death till He comes.
27) Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an
unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28) But let
a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
29) For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment
to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30) For THIS REASON many are weak
and sick among you, and many sleep. 31) For if we would judge ourselves, we
would not be judged.
32) But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be
condemned with the world.” – 1 Corinthians 11:23-32.
“For you are all [children] of God through faith in Christ Jesus. 27) For as
many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28) There is
neither Jew nor [Gentile], there is neither slave nor free, there is neither
male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
29) And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according
to the promise.” – Galatians 3:26-29.
Remember, Brethren, we are baptized into Christ, and we should be
imbibing daily our Lord Jesus Christ. We should examine ourselves before the
LORD’s Passover to see whether we are worthy to partake of the LORD’s
Passover.
Why do we consume a small portion of unleavened bread every day of the
seven days of Unleavened Bread? We are partaking of the Bread of sincerity and
truth! – cf. 1 Corinthians 5:8. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! □
In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,
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