Shalom dear Brothers and Sisters. It is with great joy and thanks giving to Hashem to have such a time like this to mark the Passover of the Lord and Celebrate the Feast of the unleavened Bread. The seven festivals enumerated in the book of Leviticus Chapter 23 provide a blue print of God's plan of Salvation to Israel and Mankind. The countdown to the feast of the Lord begins with the first month of Nisan when the Passover lamb was eaten by the whole community of Israel to mark their delivery from the bondage in Egypt. The Passover and the unleavened bread were given as lasting ordinances to be celebrated for all generations to come (Exodus 12:14).

The seven festivals enumerated in the book of Leviticus Chapter 23 starting with the Passover and the feast of the unleavened Bread all point to Messiah. The first four are all about His birth and eventual suffering as Lamb of God to save mankind. The other three namely the feast of Trumpets, Atonement day and eventually the feast of Tabernacles are about His Second coming as King of all the Earth. The fulfillment of this is captured in Hosea 6:3 "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord; His going forth is prepared as the morning; and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain on to the earth" representing the Promise of the Holy Spirit. For Elohim so loved the World that He gave his only begotten son to redeem the world (John 3:16). Indeed Yahshua our Messiah observed the Passover and on the day of the last supper before he was betrayed, he taught his disciples on how the Passover would be taken in remembrance of Him until his return (1 Corinthians 11: 15-23) . In keeping with the teaching of observing the Passover and the feasts of the Lord in the new dispensation, Apostle Paul extorts believers to recognize the significance of Messiah in fulfillment of Gods promises of salvation ... "for Messiah our Passover lamb has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth." 1St Corinthians 5: 7-8.

It will be noted that Elohim's great purpose of freeing the people of Israel from the bondage in Egypt is that they may go and worship Him by keeping his law and the commandments. Today, we are reminded that our Father is looking for worshippers that will worship Him in spirit and in truth (John 4.23-24). Observing the law of Hashem and keeping his ordinances is a sure way of worshipping the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord, I welcome you to join us in Celebrating this year's Passover and the Feast of the Unleavened Bread from 14th day of the first month of the biblical calendar (14th - 21st Nisan 5777) or 22nd April to 29th April 2016.

May Hashem bless you and help you to do His will.

Hezekiah Kuria Karanja

General Overseer -Church of God 7th Day, Kenya