Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries

March Stats ── 2025

2025-04-01T06:04:00.000-04:00

GREETINGS! Welcome to a brand new civic month ── April. April on the Gregorian Calendar is commonly associated with the spring season in the Northern Hemisphere on Earth, even though on God's calendar the first day of the new month actually began the 1st of Nisan (March 30, 2025).

We are looking forward to the most important holy day of the whole year ── the LORD's Passover, which is April 11th, beginning at sunset. And then, the Days of Unleavened Bread, from the evening of the 12th to sunset on the 19th.

We have a new website ── https://www.churchofjesuschristonlineministries.org. We'll have it up and running as soon as humanly possible. This website will continue to be available for our older articles and any additional educational material.

God Bless.

AVERAGE MONTHLY PAGE VIEWS: 224.0

AVERAGE MONTHLY UNIQUE VISITS: 217.0

AVERAGE MONTHLY FIRST TIME VISITS: 211.0

AVERAGE MONTHLY RETURNING VISITS: 6.0

Locations:

Traffic:

Systems:

TOP FIVE ARTICLES LAST MONTH

● Unequally Yoked ─ by Guy C LaMar

● True Christians SHOULD NOT Celebrate "St. Patrick's Day"! ─ COJCOM

● Should Christians Celebrate St. Patrick's Day? ─ COJCOM

● A Morning Bible Study ── What Is Repentance? ─ by Leonard V Johnson

● Lent, Ash Wednesday, and Easter ── Did the [Early] Christians Celebrate These? ─ COJCOM

YOUTUBE

The Church of Jesus Christ Online Ministries is pleased to present our YouTube channel's analytics for the month of March 2025.

Views for March ── 228. Watch Time (hours) ── 11.1

Additionally: Impressions ── 10.1k (105% more than previous 28 days). Impressions click-through rate ── 1.6%. Average view duration ── 2:55.

Returning Viewers ── 6. Unique Viewers ── 110

Device Type

Mobile Phone ── 48.1%

TV ── 38.1%

Computer ── 12.8%

Tablet ── 1.0%

TOP FIVE VIDEOS DURING THIS DURATION

(March 4 - 31, 2025)

● ¿Por qué estamos llamados ── ahora? (Spanish translated) by Leonard V Johnson

● Why We Are Called ── Now? by Leonard V Johnson

● Arrepentimiento Real (Spanish translated) by Leonard V Johnson

● Sed Fuertes en el Señor (Spanish translated) by Leonard V Johnson

● Think About This... What is meant, 'Rise, Peter; kill and eat'?

Brethren, Friends, and Co-Workers in Christ ── have a most wonderful and Spirit-filled April! Thank you for your continued love and support for this work of God! We love you and are always and continually praying for you. May our mighty LORD God bless you and keep you this year! ── 2025.

Yours in Christ Jesus,

Does the LORD God Truly Want To Forgive You?

2025-03-31T09:05:00.000-04:00

by Leonard V Johnson

Will all your sins be forgiven? Is forgiving all your sins part of God’s Master Plan… From the Beginning?

Does the LORD God genuinely want you to be saved?

Yes!

Notice what the apostle Paul was inspired to write ──

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made FOR ALL MEN, 2) for kings [for presidents, prime ministers, and the like] and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all goodness and reverence. 3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4) WHO DESIRES ALL MEN TO BE SAVED and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” – 1 Timothy 2:1-4.

Nearly 6,000 years ago Lucifer (now known as Satan the Devil) began his deception of mankind (cf. Genesis 3:1-4; Revelation 12:9), and from that point mankind was cut-off from the LORD God (the Elohim; the family of God which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) ──

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16) For ALL that is in the world ── the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the PRIDE of life ── is not of the Father but is of the world. 17) And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does THE WILL OF GOD abides forever.” – 1 John 2:15-17.

“Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 3) as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, 4) by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of THE DIVINE NATURE, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” – 2 Peter 1:2-4.

All of us have sinned and fallen short of God's glory ── Romans 3:23.

And when the time was fulfilled ──

“’ For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes [on] Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’” – John 3:16.

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9) If we confess our sins [to God our Father and God our Savior], He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” – 1 John 1:8-9.

Yes! The LORD God will forgive you if you truly repent and confess your sins to Them!

The’Unpardonable’ Sin

Now is there a sin that WILL NOT BE FORGIVEN?

Our Lord Jesus says, “Yes!”

What is the unpardonable sin? Well, simply put ── it’s the blasphemy against God’s Spirit. Rejecting God’s Spirit. Those who have turned their back on the LORD God, having driven out the Spirit of God out of them ──

“’ Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men. 32) ANYONE who [commands] a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but WHOEVER [commands] against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.’” – Matthew 12:31-32.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by [which] you were sealed for the day of redemption [the resurrection of all the saints].” – Ephesians 4:30.

“If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not lead to death [speaking of the second death], he will ask, and He will give him life [eternal life] for those who commit sin not leading to death [speaking of the second death]. There is sin leading to death [again, speaking of the second death]. I do not say that he should pray about that [meaning, he should not make a request for this!]. 17) All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death [speaking again of the second death].” – 1 John 5:16-17.

Notice what happens to those who do commit sin leading to death ──

“ …’ He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels … 46) And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’” – Matthew 25:41, 46.

I cover what is meant, “everlasting punishment” in our Letter to our Friends – July 2, 2021.

The fire is everlasting, the execution is the second death, it’s instantaneous.

The LORD God’s immutable word is clear that They are willing to forgive us our sins ── if we confess our sins to Them and REPENT ── Acts 2:38; 3:19.

But what if you do not repent?

Well... Satan the Devil told Eve ──

“ …’ You will not surely die. …’” – Genesis 3:4.

Yet, the LORD God says ──

“ …’ Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17) but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.’” ─ Genesis 2:16.

And, under divine inspiration, the apostle Paul ──

“For the wages of sin is death [speaking of the second death], but THE GIFT of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23.

They are not speaking of a first death ── our physical death that is caused by the second law of thermodynamics, also known as the law of increasing decay. Because, and I’ve mentioned this several times now ── that even if Adam had taken of the tree of life, he was going to die anyway, no matter if they were to choose the tree of life or the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Had they chosen the tree of life, they would still have lived out their days and died. But, like what the apostle Paul wrote, “at the twinkling of an eye,” they would have been resurrected wholly spiritual beings. Have you ever thought of this before? They were speaking of a second death ── a death in which you are not resurrected again. A permanent death.

Again, the LORD God ──

“’ I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you [the very day that you hear His message], that I have set before you LIFE AND DEATH, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, …’” – Deuteronomy 30:19.

“’ Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.’” – Ezekiel 18:4, 20.

On our Statements of Belief page, we wrote ──

Baptism of Fire

The baptism of fire is NOT a baptism to be sought by spiritually begotten children of God – as some teach. It is a baptism that is reserved for the incorrigibly wicked. The Scriptures reveal that the baptism of fire is the eternal destruction of the vile wicked in the “lake which burns with fire and brimstone.” Those who are cast into this lake of fire will NOT be “tormented day and night forever and ever,” but will be burned up. This is the second death – the permanent death – and God’s final judgment for the unrepentant and for those who have committed the unpardonable sin – those who have rejected God’s Way of salvation through Jesus Christ. All who have hardened their hearts in their iniquities and their rebellion against Almighty God and who have committed the unpardonable sin by knowingly resisting and blaspheming God’s Holy Spirit – therefore making it impossible to now be led to repentance. They together will be destroyed (“perish” – cf. 2 Peter 3:9) together in the “lake which burns with fire and brimstone.”

The LORD God gives men time to repent of a sin which does not lead to death. Notice what our Lord Jesus says ──

“ … ‘A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. 7) Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ 8) But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. 9) And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that, you can cut it down.’” – Luke 13:6-9.

Cf. ──

“’ Nevertheless, I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21) And I GAVE HER TIME TO REPENT …’” – Revelation 2:20, 21.

Our Lord and Savior is teaching us that while the LORD God may grant the unfruitful some time to repent and begin producing fruits fitting for God (and this certainly applies to everyone who has been called by Father God), there is a limit to the amount of time that is allotted. We MUST OVERCOME AND PRODUCE FRUIT FITTING FOR GOD!

Notice some additional Scriptures basically teaching us what the unpardonable sin is ──

“Therefore, we MUST give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, LEST WE DRIFT AWAY. 2) For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, 3) HOW SHALL WE ESCAPE IF WE NEGLECT SO GREAT A SALVATION, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, 4) God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” – Hebrews 2:1-4.

“For IT IS IMPOSSIBLE for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and become partakers of the Holy Spirit, 5) and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, 6) if they FALL AWAY, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame.” – Hebrews 6:4-6.

So notice that the only sin that will not be forgiven in this age or the age to come is the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit ── which is knowingly and willingly rejecting/neglecting the glorious Holy Spirit, which is gifted after true repentance and true baptism.

Notice this warning for those who have been called by Father God, have properly repented and have been properly baptized, having hands laid upon them, and receiving the glorious gift of the Holy Spirit ──

“For if we sin WILLFULLY after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin, 27) but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries.

29) Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant [the New Covenant] by which he was sanctified a common thing, and INSULTED THE SPIRIT OF GRACE?” – Hebrews 10:26-27, 29.

While this sounds like an unjust God, notice what God’s living word says ──

“For judgment is without mercy to the one who has shown no mercy. MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGMENT.” – James 2:13.

God’s living word in the Old Testament confirms the living truth of the unpardonable sin ──

“ … ‘if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity [speaking of the first death here]; … 20) Again, when A RIGHTEOUS MAN TURNS FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND COMMITS INIQUITY, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die [speaking of the second death here]; … he shall die in his sin, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS WHICH HE HAS DONE [previously] SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED; …’” – Ezekiel 3:19, 20.

“’ But when A RIGHTEOUS MAN TURNS AWAY FROM HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND COMMITS INIQUITY, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, SHALL HE LIVE?

ALL THE RIGHTEOSNESS WHICH HE HAD DONE SHALL NOT BE REMEMBERED; because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed, because of them he shall die [speaking of the second death here].’” – Ezekiel 18:24.

Our Friends, Brethren, and Co-Workers in Christ ── those who worry about committing the unpardonable sin, it is most likely that you have not committed it. The fact that you are concerned about it shows that you have not WILLFULLY turned your back on the LORD God and God’s Way!

The LORD God will indeed forgive you if you REPENT and confess your sins to Them.

Truly, truly, the LORD God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth, and does not want anyone to commit the unpardonable sin ── this explains why the LORD God is only calling a few in this present evil age (Matthew 20:16b), while nearly everyone will be forgiven in the age to come! □

What Is Meant... 'Nothing Leavened'?

2025-03-29T11:04:00.000-04:00

by Leonard V Johnson

For 2025, the Days of Unleavened Bread begin at sunset on April 12th and run through sunset on the 19th of April.

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.

But that is what our LORD God is talking about! He is not talking about going through your house and looking for nine-month-old cookie crumbs! And that’s what the Worldwide Church of God taught. They actually made it into what I call a period of ritualistic – as in Jewish traditions – housecleaning. And in doing that, they totally missed the mark, they missed the AWESOME SIGNIFICANCE of the TRUE MEANING of the glorious Days of Unleavened Bread!

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.

The ‘doctrine’ of the Pharisees ──

The importance of keeping rituals.
The need to convert Gentiles.
The Way to God was by obeying the physical Law.
Extending Jewish practices into life outside the temple.
Instilling greater piety in “the common people.”

To name but a few.

Additionally, they put significant weight on the “oral tradition,” or the traditions of the elders, believing this interpretive framework helped clarify the written Law. Ancient rabbinic sources and later compilations, such as portions of the Talmud, reflect the Pharisaic influence in codifying and teaching these traditions. This oral tradition functioned to address practical questions about Sabbath observance, dietary laws, ritual purity, and other facets of devotion. 1

Our Lord Jesus is showing us that His New Covenant does not match the old rites of the Pharisees, which required a lot of fasting. Our Lord Jesus taught against syncretism ── which is the mixing of beliefs, such as Judeo-Christianity.

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 ’doctrine’ of the Sadducees ──

Rejection of the Resurrection and Afterlife.
Adherence to the Written Law.
Temple Worship and Sacrificial System.

The Sadducees’ interactions with our Lord Jesus were marked by theological disagreements, particularly concerning their rejection of a resurrection. In Matthew 22:29-32, our Lord Jesus addresses their unbelief by affirming that there is a resurrection unto life and correcting their misunderstanding of His living word ──

“ …’ You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30) For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. 31) But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, 32) ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.’”

Our beloved apostle Paul wrote to the brethren there in ancient Corinth ──

“Your glorying is not good. …”

Speaking metaphorically involving leaven, concerning piety.

“ … Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7) THEREFORE purge out the old leaven [the leaven of piety; of glorying], that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” – 1 Corinthians 5:6-7.

True Christians have kept UNLEAVENED BREAD for Passover, and they have kept the Days of Unleavened Bread. So, in every generation the true Church of God is not called to be leaven. Christians are to strive to be spiritually unleavened, and Jesus Christ is “the unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth”!

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.

Our Lord Jesus ── the Savior of all mankind ── has warned us that the overall majority of professing Christians believe that they are “just fine and dandy, thank you!” And, He has told many of us, brethren, that He has a few things against us ──

“ ‘… that you have left your first love. … repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place ── unless you repent. … I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews [or rather, ‘the chosen ones’] and are not, but are a synagogue [or a church] of Satan. … you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam [those who are greedy for power!] … Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. … you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess [some self-proclaimed prophetess; think of Ellen G. White who was the head of the Seventh-day Adventists, also a Jezebel spirit is running rampant within many woman of this present evil age] to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality [Fornications, as in the worship of a false god or goddess] and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. … I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. … So then [and He says to some of us, brethren], because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. … I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.’” – Revelation 2 & 3.

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.

Our physical and spiritual enemy, Satan the Devil, refused to walk humbly before God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ! He was an “anointed cherub.” He was “perfect” in his ways from the day he was created, until iniquity was found in him ── Ezekiel 28:14-15. He allowed his heart to be lifted up because of his beauty. He corrupted his wisdom for the sake of his splendor ── and he was therefore cast to the Earth – Ezekiel 28:17.

Sadly, a great many people allow the wrong kind of pride to get in their way ──

“A man’s pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor.” – Proverbs 29:23.

Do you honestly trust Almighty God and our Lord Jesus Christ? Are you able to humble yourself before God and work on changing your faults?

Yes!

With the LORD God’s merciful help!

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13.

The LORD God wants you to forsake piety and the wrong kind of pride, and humble yourself before Them! Sadly, a great many will not humble themselves before Them ── even on the glorious and holy day of the Day of Atonement!

Millions believe in Jesus, but are unwilling to prostrate themselves before the God of gods! To humble themselves before the King of kings and Lord of lords! Such humility takes faith ──

“’ He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.’” – John 12:25.

Brethren, this time of year, we are to examine ourselves ── are we living by the standards put forth by the LORD God? Are we placing before us anything before the LORD God?

Let us search for any old leaven, before the LORD’s Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread ── and let us put on “the unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth”! □