CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST ONLINE MINISTRIES
SPRING HILL, FLORIDA 34606
Leonard V. Johnson
Pastor/Overseer
Greetings Friends from Spring Hill, Florida, USA.
For 2021, the LORD’s Passover is to be observed after sunset on March 26th. And the Days of Unleavened Bread run from sunset March 27th through sunset April 3rd.
Deleaven?
Friends, this Passover season a great many people will be scrambling to “deleaven” their home!
Here is something that Minister Michael C. Garrett wrote regarding leavening:
Now, the Jewish Talmud is a collection of teaching points handed down through the centuries among millennia by leading Jewish rabbis and scholars. And the Jewish Talmud, I think, actually means more to Jewish people than the Bible. Which right there tells you something. But you’re never EVER going to learn about Jesus Christ looking at Jewish religious documents! You do understand that – don’t you!? And if you don’t understand Jesus Christ you cannot understand the holy days - the holy days have no true meaning. And you end up telling people, “You got to go around your house and find old leavening!”Now folks, what is leavening? It’s some type of agent. And what’s the number one leavening agent in the history of the world and always will be!? Yeast. You can take a nine-month-old piece of bread, and you can put it in some fresh dough, and nothing will be leavened. Because that nine-month-old piece of bread – for all intents and purposes – is on its way to becoming dust or carbon. It’s not leavening anymore. …Now, the idea that you can “deleaven” your house is ridiculous! There are right now in this room trillions and trillions of yeast spores. They’re in your hair, they’re on your skin – you could take your finger, right now, and put it under an electron microscope and there would be thousands and thousands, probably millions, of yeast spores. You can’t “deleaven” your house! It’s impossible! So, if your idea of Unleavened Bread is to thoroughly “deleaven” your house – God created a commandment that no human being (except for a NASA worker in those special climate control rooms) could keep! It’s impossible!(Garrett, M.C., “Christ In You (Unleavened Bread Day 1) 2017”).
So, just what are the very plain and simple words of the Eternal our God!?
If you would, go to the Book of Exodus chapter 12 - which gives us the account of the very first official Passover and the first official Feast of Unleavened Bread.
Verse 15 – “Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses.”
The word “leaven” is a shortened contraction meaning what – leavened bread. The whole idea was that for seven days you’re going to have in your house, and on your person, unleavened bread, and for seven days you are NOT going to eat leavened bread.
Now, does leaven picture sin and hypocrisy!? It certainly can be used symbolically – cf. Matthew 16:6-12; Luke 12:1. Having a show of piety, without true holiness, is like leaven in that it gradually increases and spreads corruption, puffing up a person with vanity. Indeed friends, the very nature of leaven (or, rather yeast) is to change whatever it contacts. Yeast does its job slowly, secretly, and silently, but no one can deny its effect on bread. Yeast is microscopic in size, and only a little is kneaded into the dough. Yet, given time, the yeast will spread through all the dough. The same can be said of CHRIST IN US!
Yet, many people this time of year make it their mission – their campaign – to go about their house doing a “ritualistic housecleaning.” Or, rather “deleavening.”
Again, Minister Michael C. Garrett:
Folks, I have something very disturbing to tell you – you can huff, and puff and you can blow on that wall all you want, but you’re never gonna blow it down! You are incapable – you – are incapable of putting sin out of your life! Because the natural human mind is enmity – is against God, against Jesus Christ – is rebellious by nature, hardheaded, thick-headed – however you wanna put it! The only way that you can put sin out of your life is to have your life filled up with Jesus Christ – and He changes you from the inside out! That’s how you overcome sin! Because Jesus Christ becomes your champion. He’s the One that causes you to go through that metamorphosis – He causes that new creature to be created in you, which Paul talked about.(ibid.).
The apostle Paul, through the inspiration of God’s Spirit –
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20 NKJV.“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6) For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life [ETERNAL LIFE] and peace. 7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. 8) So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” – Romans 8:5-8 NKJV.“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump [an unleavened lump], since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8) Therefore let us keep the feast [again, two-and-a-half decades after the human existence of Jesus Christ on the Earth and he’s still teaching them], not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth [which is JESUS CHRIST].” – 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV.
Obviously, the apostle Paul fully acknowledged the idea that ‘you are all supposed to keep the Passover, and you are all supposed to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread!’
Also, in 1st Corinthians chapter 11 – we all should be reading and reviewing this very chapter for the LORD’s Passover – the apostle Paul says –
“But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.” – the symbols of the Passover. Verse 29 – “For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body [not appreciating what Jesus went through]. 30) For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.” – 1st Corinthians 11:28-30 NKJV.
So, it’s not something you wanna full around with! You want to get it right and then have that right attitude. Paul is clearly teaching that to take this unleavened bread and this wine, one MUST examine oneself. Last week I gave a short sermon on this very subject (“Passover - Let Us Examine Ourselves”). Also, be sure to read our 7-part series “Christ In You (Unleavened Bread) 2017.” If you wish to watch the sermons, they are on our website - http://www.owensborochurchofjesuschrist.com/holy-day-sermons---2017.html.
Holy Day Calendar Update
We have shared our Holy Day Calendar for some time now. Here is an extended Holy Day Calendar through to 2033 –
Indeed, knowing just when the Holy Days are does assist with planning – particularly on matters related to work, school, and travel.
* In biblical reckoning, days begin in the evening (Genesis 1:5), when the sun goes down (Joshua 8:29; 2 Chronicles 18:34; Mark 1:32), and are counted “from evening to evening” (Leviticus 23:32). Thus, all God’s festivals begin the sunset just before the dates listed in this table. In 2021, Passover is observed on the evening of March 26th after sundown, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins the following evening, March 27th through to the evening of April 3rd.
Suggested Sabbath Service
Here is this weeks suggested Sabbath service:
● 2 hymns. (a free printable “Old Time Gospel” hymn site is “The Old Time Gospel”).
● Opening prayer.
● Announcements (if any; you may also use this letter).
● Sermon. The one suggested is “’ Behold! The Lamb of God!’” by Leonard V. Johnson (sermon will be available on our YouTube channel 3/19/21 @ 7:41 p.m. EST.).
Additional sermons are available at:
● Final hymn.
● Closing prayer.
IN CASE YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED A ‘LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS’ FOR ANY WEEK, REMEMBER WE HAVE OUR CHURCH LETTERS ON OUR WEBSITE - www.owensborocojc.com.
World News Items
Switzerland narrowly voted to essentially ban the Islamic burqa (See: ‘Switzerland to ban wearing of burqa and niqab in public places’). There are bans on wearing burqa-type face coverings in public places also in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, and the Netherlands. Now, while there are some temporary religious compromises with Islam, there will come a time when Islam will be forced out of Europe (cf. Revelation 13, and Daniel 11). Be sure to read our free online PDF booklet “Prophecy Series – The Last Crusade.”
In the United States of America, the Satanic Temple is suing the State of Texas to prevent women in the state from being made to view an ultrasound of their unborn baby before having an abortion (See: ‘The Satanic Temple sues Texas for regulations that ‘interfere’ with their abortion ‘destruction ritual’). Also, in the U.S.A. the Biden Administration has once again changed the policies in regards to having the government fund some abortions in the nation and abroad.
Again, Minister Michael C. Garrett:
God is highly principled. With a system of equity, judgment, and justice. One of the most fundamental teachings in the entire Bible is this – and this is my paraphrase – ‘In the end, when it’s all said and done, everyone will receive exactly what they deserve!” That’s one of the main messages of the Bible! …Ezekiel chapter 7 – and I want to place this into context – why the Day of the LORD!? Why is it going to happen!? What’s the higher-level working here!? And in God’s world, He sees things differently. He says, ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts. My ways are not your ways.’ Verse 1 – “Moreover the Word of the LORD came to me, saying, 2) ‘And you, son of man, thus says the Lord GOD to the land of Israel: ‘An end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land.’” – and we know who we think Israel is! Verse 3 – “’ Now the end has come upon you, And I will send My anger against you; I will judge you according to your ways, And I will repay you for all your abominations. 4) My eye will not spare you, Nor will I have pity; But I will repay your ways, …’” – ‘you will, in the end, get what you deserve.’ And I again have to wonder what the issue of abortion – how that fits in God’s mind!? I do not believe He looks upon it kindly! He did not look upon – in ancient days – when what He called ‘heathens’ would sacrifice their children to their so-called god! He destroyed people because of that! And I don’t think He’s very happy with what we are doing in our so-called Western civilized world, where millions upon millions of unborn babies have never had a chance to live – perfect innocence – destroyed before they ever had a chance to live! … Ezekiel chapter 16, verse 43 – “…’ surely I will also recompense your deeds on your own head,’ …” – and then He says over in Verse 59 – “…’ I will deal with you as you have done, …’” – ‘I’m just gonna deal with you as you deserve.’ And there are many other Scriptures.(Garrett, M.C., “The Day of the LORD – part 2”).
God’s living word – the Holy Bible – emphatically says, that those who shed innocent blood are evil – cf. Isaiah 59:7.
Earthquakes are at an increase! New Zealand had an 8.1 earthquake as well as some other major ones!! There has been an increase in earthquake activity in 2021 (See: ‘2021! The highest number of major quakes ever recorded in the first 65 days of a year! In all 42 major quakes, mag 6 or higher have rocked the planet: Astonishingly 26 have rocked the eastern margin of the Australia plate since the first day of 2021’). Our Lord Jesus Christ certainly said, “’ And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.’” – Matthew 24:7b.
We should expect to see an even greater increase in earthquakes. Also notice: ‘Kermadec and New Zealand Earthquakes’).
Concluding Comments
God’s living word says –
“’ This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.’” – Exodus 12:2 NKJV.
Now, this year, the new year began March (called Abib in Hebrew) the 13th at sunset.
Now, all over our yard here in Florida are brown and stringy catkins or tassels. The male pollen structures produced by oak trees. They release their pollen in the wind to fertilize female flowers. After all the pollen is gone, they fall to the ground (and into our pool), creating a mat of mess. Spring is here! It is a time considered to be a spiritual renewal, in which we should indeed examine ourselves before the LORD’s Passover.
The apostle Peter wrote –
“You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, BEWARE lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked; 18) but grow in the GRACE AND KNOWLEDGE OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.” – 2 Peter 3:17-18 NKJV.
This year let us all continue growing in God’s grace and knowledge.
In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,
