Dear Friends, Brethren, and Co-Workers around the world in Christ Jesus:
Greetings from West Central Florida.
The WORK of GOD
Back in 2019, we stressed this importance – and we can’t stress it enough -
Our Lord Jesus' ANNOUNCEMENT of the Kingdom of GOD in Mark 1:14-15 was the very BEGINNING of the WORK OF GOD for the NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH!
Now, the Worldwide Church of God, and in truth, many descendants of the (WCG), continue to teach that Matthew 24:14 says, “And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a WARNING and a WITNESS unto all nations, and THEN shall the end come.” It DOES NOT say that! Jesus Christ says, “’ And this gospel of the Kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.’” He just said the TRUTH OF GOD will be preached, but human beings incorrectly came up with the idea that THEY would be the ones doing the preaching!
And in TRUTH – in the end-time – that Message will come from JESUS CHRIST and His very few (possibly 12) chosen “end-time prophets.”
It’s not referring to printing presses, radio stations, T.V., or even the internet, and all of that, which the (WCG) convinced its members to believe – surely for financial gain. Well, Jesus Christ isn’t going to rely upon the sometimes-half-hearted efforts of human beings! He’s going to take care of that job Himself!
In one of the many visions that the Apostle John saw on the Isle of Patmos he explained – “Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven [the atmosphere], having the EVERLASTING GOSPEL to preach to those who dwell on the earth── to EVERY NATION, TRIBE, TONGUE, AND PEOPLE──” – Revelation 14:6. Truly, in connection with what our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 24:14.
Beginning with possibly twelve ‘end-time prophets’ (because there were twelve original apostles at the beginning of the New Testament Church; surely adhering to the rules of logic, there possibly could be twelve end-time witnesses) – will be given power from God Almighty and Jesus Christ to begin prophesying – testifying - to kings, to world rulers, to the captured elect of God, to a great religious leader and political leader – standing before the god of the earth (Satan the devil) – WARNING for 3 ½ years! Having the power from GOD to heal, to ‘shut up the atmosphere from rain, to turn waters to blood, and to strike the earth will all plagues as often as they desire. Notice this very thing is taught to us occurring in Revelation 8:7-12.
Sadly, the majority of the descendants of the (WCG) continue to propagate the theory, the idea, and the doctrine, that THEY would be the ones doing the preaching!
They falsely claim that “billions can read only one language, and for most of them, English is not the language that they can read.” I’m not sure where they got their statistics, but they are factually wrong! In fact, according to Our World In Data, “Literacy and access to education have increased around the world. … More than 4 out of 5 people are now able to read.” 1 And, according to Improving Your English, “There are an estimated 380 million native English speakers worldwide, and 1.5 billion people who speak English as a first or second language. … This means that approximately 19% of the world’s population speaks English, making it the most widely spoken language around the globe.” 2 Literacy means – being able to read and write.
Now, it is true that we have published several online booklets and books – along with some audio articles – in various languages. As we stated in the last Letter to our Friends – we do this to better the effort to bring the message of the gospel to the world –
“’ Whom will he teach knowledge? And whom will he make to understand the message? Those just weaned from milk? Those just drawn from the breasts? 10) For precept [rules; moral rules] must be upon precept, precept upon precept, Line [think of biblical Scriptures] upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little.’
11) For with stammering lips and another [language] He will speak to this people, 12) To whom He said, ‘This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest.’ And, ‘THIS IS THE REFRESHING’; Yet they would not hear.” – Isaiah 28:9-12.
We are commissioned to ‘go therefore and make disciples [to teach the nations, the tribes, the people, and languages] of all the nations, …’ and to witness and testify of the soon-coming kingdom of God and of everything concerning Jesus Christ ─ even though most would not hear.
The word “teaching” is the key to this understanding. The New King James English more accurately translates the word “teaching” to “make disciples.” And, this is not that teaching is wrong as long as you understand that teaching means a process. All the teaching required to make disciples doesn’t take place merely in making a witness. There are huge differences between the two. At best, preaching the gospel of the coming Kingdom begins the process of teaching. Disciples are created through steady ‘feeding,’ a believing response in those who hear, combined with overcoming sin.
Restored Truths
“’ Sanctify them by Your truth. YOUR WORD IS TRUTH.’” – John 17:17.
While the true Church of God always held to certain beliefs (doctrines of our Lord Jesus Christ), over time, some truths were lost or abandoned – such as the Sardis church – cf. Revelation 3:1-3.
In our Beliefs of the Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries, we list some of the restored truths of which the Sardis church at least partially has lost or abandoned. In this Letter to our Friends, we would like to go over 7 essential truths of the LORD God.
Here are only a few works that we have published on the restored truths of the LORD God – along with some increased knowledge of said subjects ─
- True Gospel
The very word “gospel” means good news. The Gospel is the wonderful, good news Message of God’s Master Plan of salvation for all mankind through the life, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ – “the Christ, the Son of the living God” – cf. Matt. 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20.
2. Purpose of God
3. God’s Plan Through the Holy Days
Scripture teaches that there are seven annual feasts and holy days, which were ordained by God to be observed as specially commanded convocations. These feasts and holy days portray God’s plan of salvation for mankind. The observance of these holy convocations is a sign between God and His people. God’s annual feasts and holy days were observed by His people during Old Testament times.
In the New Testament, Jesus Christ’s entire ministry was centered around the spiritual meaning of these holy days. The New Testament apostolic Church faithfully observed these annual feasts and holy days. Scripture reveals that they will be observed by all mankind after the return of Jesus Christ.
4. Government
The kingdom of God is the government of the family of God. The kingdom of God is ruling the universe. However, the kingdom of God is not now ruling over the earth. All beings who have the Spirit of God are under the rule of God the Father through the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God will be instituted on the earth at the glorious and powerful return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. At that time, the Millennium will begin and the immortal spirit saints – the sons and daughters of God – will co-rule as kings and priests with Christ Jesus in the kingdom of God. So, after God the Father and Jesus Christ bring the New Jerusalem from the upper heavenly realms to earth, the kingdom of God will be established and begin to spread throughout the nations of the earth.
5. Who and What Is God?
DOES GOD EXIST? – also PDF
6. What and Why is Man?
7. Born-Again
After being baptized by full immersion in water, the believer is granted the gift of the Holy Spirit through the laying on of hands. The believer then begins a new life of obedience to God through faith, working out his or her own salvation by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit and in harmony with God’s Word. It is a lifelong process of spiritual growth. Scripture reveals that there are three distinct stages in the process of salvation:
- The believer has been saved from past sins and from Satan the devil (Eph. 2:1-10).
- The believer is then being saved as he or she continues in the Word of God — the Gospel — in loving obedience by faith (1 Cor. 1:18; 15:2).
- The believer will ultimately be saved at the First Resurrection (Rom. 7:24-25; I Cor. 15:12-57; 1 Tim. 3:14-16).
The believer’s salvation will not be completed until he or she is resurrected from the dead through the power of God and is born again as a spirit being into the Family of God. In God’s time and plan, everyone will have an opportunity for salvation.
The Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day – 2024
The LORD God’s Feast of Tabernacles and the Last Great Day runs from sunset October 16th through to the Last Great Day which ends sunset October 24th in 2024!
I have been invited to attend this year the Church of God Ministries (CGM) in Orange Beach, Alabama – which is only about 6½ hours from our location. If you wish to attend this year at this location, please contact Minister Scott Hoefker at tshoefker@cogministries.org for additional information, or log onto their website https://cogministries.org/feast-of-tabernacles/
That said, everyone should be saving the ‘second tithe’ so you will be able to afford to travel to a festival site around the world.
Information concerning all of the ‘feasts of the LORD’ can be found on our website at Holy Day Info.
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 Accompaniment to the Bible Hymnal available on our website).
• Opening prayer.
• Announcements – from the deacon or pastor.
• Message – from the pastor or guest speaker. The one suggested for this week is “The Feasts of the LORD” which Minister Leonard Johnson gave on the 4th day of the Feast of Tabernacles 2020. One of my first public messages.
• Closing song.
• Closing prayer.
Brethren and Friends, to receive a Letter to our Friends via email, please be sure to log onto our website https://www.owensborocojc.com/. At the bottom of the home page click on “comments or suggestions.” Be sure to leave us a comment or suggestion. We NEVER collect or transfer emails or data for nefarious use. And, as stated at the bottom of our home page, “We only collect data in compliance with legal obligation, contractual requirements, for vital interests, and public interests, legitimate interests of the church and data supplier, consistent with the consent of the person supplying and consenting to the providing of such data.”
Also, IN CASE YOU DO NOT RECEIVE A ‘LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS.’ REMEMBER WE POST THEM ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER “CHURCH LETTERS” AT THE TOP OF THE HOME PAGE. We also have many audio sermons, audio articles, books, and booklets available on our Soundcloud Radio channel. Along with several translated into Spanish, Swahili, Dutch, and Khmer. Also, remember that our website can be translated (using Google Translate) into roughly 129 different languages! It is conveniently located for you at the top right of the home page.
Additionally, for sermons that are in English ──
The Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries YouTube channel. Minister Leonard Johnson has produced video sermons for this channel.
Also available are our UGETube channel and our BitChute channel.
Audio Articles in Spanish.
Audio Articles in Kiswahili.
There is additional information on our Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries Multimedia page.
Some World News In Relation To Biblical Prophecy
In the tiny nation of Judah (modern-day Israel), the grave situation with Persia (modern-day Iran) remains extremely ominous. Many of Iran’s terrorist proxies want a major war with Israel, but Iran says that it is not in a hurry. (See: Israel365News - Yemen’s Houthis planned mass attacks on US warships, Israeli ports also The Guardian - Fighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah despite diplomatic drive).
Truly, in the end-time of this present evil age, God’s living word points to IRAN (which is called Elam below) and her terrorist ally SYRIA (which is called Kir below) who will cause massive and catastrophic damage to the nation of modern-day Israel ──
“Elam bore the quiver With chariots of men and horsemen, And Kir uncovered the shield. 7) It shall come to pass that your choicest valleys Shall be full of chariots, And the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.”
“He [Almighty God] removed the protection of JUDAH. You looked in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest; 9) You also saw the damage to the city of David, That it was great; …” – Isaiah 22:6-9.
The LORD God’s immutable living word tells us that after Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria took over ancient Damascus, he moved SYRIANS to Kir. Notice 2nd Kings 16:9-10. Now certainly, this does not necessarily mean that ancient Kir must only be a reference to modern Syria, the fact remains that Syria is indeed a terrorist ally to modern day Persia. It’s certainly interesting – to say the least. Also, it is of interest that God’s living word uses the phrase, “the Syrians from Kir” – Amos 9:7. The “House of the Forest” was anciently located in Lebanon. The terrorist organization Hezbollah (which the Leftist Wikipedia apparently refuses to call “terrorists”) is based out of Lebanon.
A regional war in the Middle East is on the horizon. Question: Could Iran’s terrorist proxies strike before the United States of America’s presidential election!? Because truly, the resident basement hiding Joe Biden and his left-hand useless “Border Czar” are weak and fickle. President Donald J. Trump exudes strength.
Notice also something directly from the Faravahar’s mouth ──
Waiting period for Iran’s retaliation against Israel ‘could be long’, Revolutionary Guards spokesperson saysDUBAI, Aug 20 (Reuters) – There could be a long wait for Iranian retaliation against Israel, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards spokesperson Alimohammad Naini said on Tuesday, according to state media.The Middle East has been bracing for Iran’s avowed retaliation over the killing of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on July 31. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied that it was behind the killing.“Time is in our favor and the waiting period for this response could be long,” Naini said, referring to retaliation against Israel, and reiterating that “the enemy” should wait for a calculated and accurate response.
I, personally, believe that Iran’s proxies (because Iran on it’s own greatly fears the awesome military power of Israel) will attack when they believe Israel will not have the full support of Western powers.
There are some things that Iran is engaging in that mirror some passages from an ancient book called The Art of War. Also called the ‘Sun Tzu's Military Method’. It’s an ancient Chinese military treatise dating from a period of roughly the 6th century B.C. Notice this from its very first chapter ──
MASTER SUNA military operation involves deception. Even though you are competent, appear to be incompetent. Though effective, appear to be ineffective.MASTER SUNWhen you are going to attack nearby, make it look as if you are going to go a long way; when you are going to attack far away, make it look as if you are going just a short distance.JIA LINFor the weak to control the strong, it is logically necessary to wait a change.MASTER SUNUse anger to throw them into disarray.LI QUANWhen the military leadership is often angered, its strategy is easily thrown into confusion, for its nature is unstable.MASTER SUNAttack when they are unprepared, make your move when they do not expect it.
Could the number one terrorist nation, Iran, be using some of these Sun Tsu tactics!?
Also in the news ── in the United States of America the Democratic National Convention (DNC) just wrapped up their fourth night in Chicago. And, Anti-American/Israeli protestors violently protested outside (when you burn an American flag – that is considered a deliberate act to cause a violent response) (See: Fox32Chicago - Chicago DNC protest: Video shows moment security fence breached outside United Center as well as The Guardian - Pro-Palestinian protesters march before Democratic convention: ‘This is about morality’).
Truly, these violent American/Israeli hating protestors will please IRAN. Surely, Iran’s Islamic government would prefer the weak and fickle Harris-Walz administration over a strong and commanding Trump-Vance administration!
Just a few months ago, Iran’s dictator Ali Khamenei praised the Anti-American/Israeli and Pro-Palestinian/Hamas protestors in the United States of America ──
Iran’s Khamenei tells visiting Hamas chief that Israel ‘will one day be eliminated’… “The divine promise to eliminate the Zionist entity will be fulfilled and we will see the day when Palestine will rise from the river to the sea,” Khamenei told Haniyeh during a meeting at his office.The Hamas politburo chief responded: “God willing we will see that day together.”The Iranian leader also commented on the anti-Israel protests that pro-Palestinian students are holding on university campuses in the United States and elsewhere.“Who would have believed that one day, slogans in support of Palestine would be raised in US universities and that the flag of Palestine would be raised there? …”
So, Iran’s dictator has been overjoyed that there are people IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA in support of TERRORISM and TERRORIST ACTS! It’s certainly enough to make you vomit! The terrorist organization Hamas (which, no surprise, the Leftist Wikipedia appears to refuse in naming them as a terrorist organization! The site actually has the unmitigated gall to quote a Tobias Buck (a “journalist” with the liberal Financial Times – “listed as a terrorist organisation by Israel, the US and the EU, but few dare to treat it that way now.”) actually has this in their terrorist manifesto ──
The Day of Judgment will not come until Muslims fight the Jews, when the Jew will hide behind stones and trees. The stones and trees will say, 'O Muslim, O servant of God, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.' Only the Gharkad tree would not do that, because it is one of the trees of the Jews.
— Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj.
The original, 1988 version of the charter emphasize four main themes:
- Destroying Israel and establishing an Islamic theocracy in Palestine is essential.
- Unrestrained jihad is necessary to achieve this.
- Negotiated resolutions of Jewish and Palestinian claims to the land are unacceptable.
- Historical anti-semitic tropes that reinforce the goals.
Truly, the terrorist organization Hamas needs to be completely annihilated from off the face of the planet! And, you can take this to the bank!
Think not that we hate the Iranian people – we hate the terrorist administration and their evil way!
“The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.” – Proverbs 8:13.
“YOU WHO LOVE THE LORD, HATE EVIL!” – Psalm 97:10.
“You [the LORD God] love righteousness and hate wickedness; …” – Psalm 45:7.
Concluding Comments
Brother John was inspired by the Lord our God to write the following:
5) “This is the Message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that GOD is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6) If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” - 1 John 1:5-7.
Friends, let us always walk in the light of truth. Let us NEVER practice darkness. Believe that our Lord Jesus can cleanse us from all sin.
“Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. 30) And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31) Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32) And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as GOD in Christ forgave you” - Ephesians 4:29-32.
Remember always our Lord Jesus tells us, “ … ‘love your enemies, bless those who curse you [for the sake of our Lord Jesus], do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.’” – Matthew 5:44.
In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,
── Leonard Johnson
Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries
Sources:
1 Roser, M., Ortiz-Ospina E., Literacy, ourworldindata.org, This article was first published in 2013. The last revisions were done in March 2024.
2 Amanda N., 215 Fascinating English Language Statistics for 2024 – US and Worldwide, improving-your-english.com, 4 March 2024.
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