SABBATH ANNOUNCEMENTS & REMINDERS 

United Church of God, an International Association

North Canton & Youngstown, OH; Pittsburgh, PA; Wheeling, WV Congregations

SABBATH, APRIL 6, 2019

Church services this Sabbath:

Youngstown – 1 p.m.                                                                                   Wheeling – 10 a.m. 

North Canton – 2 p.m.                                                                                 Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.

THE DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD – NOT FOR LOAFERS

A very small percentage of people know anything about the annual festival called the “Days of Unleavened Bread” that follows on the calendric heels of the Passover. 

Outside of practicing Jews, statistically no one (technically that would be less than 3.5 percent of the world’s population) has any certain awareness of that biblical festival. Modern, traditional Christianity has never been taught it even though it’s found in both Old and New Testaments of the Bible (see Exodus 12 and 1 Corinthians 5). 

As one of God’s annual, religious festivals the “Days of Unleavened Bread” were instituted through Moses at the time of the Israelite Exodus from Egypt (approx. 1445 B.C.). It follows on the heels of the Day of Passover every year. The ancient nation of Israel was to keep the festival annually, and sometimes they did. 

However, there were times in their history when they ignored all of God’s commanded, annual festivals. For good reason God Himself described His people the Israelites as “stiff-necked” at least 17 times in Scripture. In this context, “stiff-necked” means stubborn, unwilling to morally and spiritually turn in the right direction. 

It’s a human condition, but the modern nations that descend from the twelve Tribes of Israel (including the peoples of the USA, the British nations and certain other northwest European countries) excel in their stubborn refusal to keep the Ten Commandments—with special emphasis on the seventh one forbidding sexual adultery.

One key principle in overcoming sin and evil is to get at it and keep at it! Yet look at this classic example where the Israelites (ancient and modern) definitely dragged their spiritual feet:  “Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body” (1 Cor. 6:18).

Take the time to read chapters five and six of that epistle. The congregation in Corinth showed themselves to be “loafers” about dealing with adultery in their midst. But there was subsequent good news.

At the apostle Paul’s exhortation the local ministry and church members stopped loafing and did their duty. The adulterer was removed from the congregation. 

But events didn’t stop there! Read 2nd Corinthians chapter two. Removal from the fellowship deeply sobered and spiritually motivated the offender. He repented, seeking God’s personal forgiveness and then sought to be restored to the fellowship. This the apostle Paul granted and the man was restored to the true faith and Church. 

This real life drama unfolded in and around the Days of Unleavened Bread. The sinning brother in the faith learned the lesson: the Days of Unleavened Bread is not for loafers—it’s for those who urgently and persistently seeking the true meaning of urgently overcoming sin!

Keep the true faith—and spread it,

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Randy Stiver, Pastor 

Pastor’s contact information:  PO Box 1474, Massillon, OH  44648.  Home phone: 330-809-0566, cell phone: 740-739-7248. Email addresses: randy_stiver@ucg.org  or rpstiver@gmail.com (both come to the same location). For emails regarding scheduling (church events, visits or counseling), please copy my wife Linda ldstiver@gmail.com. Announcements should be sent to my email and copied to our daughter Amanda at anstiver@gmail.com as she helps process them each week.

1.    Church Circuit Calendar :  (please note three Youngstown time changes underlined)

April 6	Sabbath	Wheeling – 10 a.m.; Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.; Youngstown – 1 p.m.; North Canton – 2 p.m.
April 12	Bible Study webcast	7:30 p.m. EST  –  Title to be announced (only Bible Study this month due to how the spring holydays fall)  https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast
April 13	Sabbath	Youngstown – 11 a.m.; North Canton – 2 p.m.; Wheeling – 11 a.m.; Pittsburgh – 2:30 p.m.
April 18	Passover service	After sundown just past 8:00 p.m. in each of the four churches
April 19	Day of Passover	Night to Be Much Remembered meal just after sundown
April 20	1st Day of Unleavened Bread	Annual Sabbath/Holyday, 2:00 p.m. service for North Canton & Youngstown combined at Global Gateway, Pittsburgh & Wheeling combined at Chartiers Township Com. Ctr.
April  26	Last Day of Unleavened Bread	North Canton & Youngstown combined at Global Gateway 10:30 & 2:30 Pittsburgh & Wheeling combined at Chartiers Township CC 10:30 & 2:30
April 27	Sabbath	North Canton – 2:00; Youngstown – 11:00; Wheeling – 11:00; Pittsburgh – 2:30

 

2.    LOCAL PRAYER REQUESTS: (*new or updated) – some of these may be updated in the past week so please listen to the verbal announcements for those.

·         *Libby Dezso – after her illness and recuperation at a care center, Libby is happily back at home. 

·         *Dale Harman – (North Canton):  Skin cancer and other ailments, asks for prayers for general health and strength for an upcoming prostate procedure.

·         Linda Ritter – (North Canton):  Continues to have lung congestion complications.

·         Jenny Luchitz – (North Canton):  Severe bursitis and other symptoms.

·         Mitch Showers – (North Canton) diagnosed with prostate cancer, surgery scheduled for late April.

·         Freeman Kuhns – (North Canton) Doing much better his illness last week and thanks everyone for their prayers.

3.    PASSOVER & DAYS OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

·         Passover service – after sundown Thursday evening, April 18, services at each of our congregation locations. Please arrive and be seated by 7:45 that evening (at all four congregations). The Passover service will begin just after sundown and is for baptized members only. The North Canton Passover service will be webcasted at https://www.ucg.org/congregations/north-canton-oh/webcast, in case you need to access it.

·         Day of Passover – Friday, April 19 – (complete the de-leavening of our homes by sunset)

·         Night to Be Much Remembered – Friday evening, April 19 – gather together with other brethren for a special fellowship meal commemorating Israel’s exodus from Egypt – and our spiritual exodus from sinfulness of this world into the freedom of spiritual conversion in God’s true Church.

·         First Day of Unleavened Bread – Sabbath, April 20 – an annual Sabbath. North Canton & Youngstown at Global Gateway. Pittsburgh & Wheeling at Chartiers Community Center. A single service with the holyday offering.

·         Days of Unleavened Bread – (avoid eating any leavened bread or leavening in other food products for the 7 days of the festival from sundown April 20 through sundown April 26)

·         Last Day of Unleavened Bread – Friday, April 26 – an annual Sabbath, a double service holyday with the holyday offering at the morning service. North Canton & Youngstown meet at Global Gateway. Pittsburgh & Wheeling meet at Chartiers Community Center.

4.    KINGDOM OF GOD SEMINARS 

Plans are afoot to conduct a Kingdom of God Seminar in each of our four church areas. Your fervent prayers will greatly and positively impact our effort!

 

READ THE PSALMS BY PASSOVER!

2019 Bible reading and fellowship project for all four of our upper Ohio River congregations.  If we’re all reading the same Psalms each week from now to Passover they will provide excellent discussion points during Sabbath fellowship. Song leaders, when possible please select one or two hymns from the assigned reading list for the week.

DATES / PSALMS / HYMNS

Jan. 13-19:  Psalms 1 - 10   (Hymnal pages 1-9, 117, 137)

Jan. 20-26:  Psalms 11 – 21   (Hymnal pages 10-12, 118, 131, 136, 144, 145, 161) 

Jan. 27- Feb. 2:  Psalms 22 – 32   (Hymnal pages 13-20, 119 - 121, 125, 127, 144, 180) 

Feb. 3-9:  Psalms 33 – 43   (Hymnal pages 21-25, 91, 119 - 121, 127, 138, 183) 

Feb. 10-16:  Psalms 44 – 54   (Hymnal pages 26-32, 118, 122, 127, 129, 168, 183) 

Feb. 17-23:  Psalms 55 – 65   (Hymnal pages 33-35, 123, 138, 180) 

Feb. 24 – Mar. 2:  Psalms 66 – 76   (Hymnal pages 36 - 39, 92, 144, 180) 

Mar. 3-9:  Psalms 77 – 87   (Hymnal pages: 40-45, 47, 117, 124 – 128) 

Mar. 10-16:  Psalms 88 - 98   (Hymnal pages 46, 48-56, 127, 129, 130, 144, 162) 

Mar. 17-23:  Psalms 99 – 109   (Hymnal pages: 57-66, 113, 114, 126, 131, 135, 136, 145) 

Mar. 24-30:  Psalms 110 – 118   (Hymnal pages: 67- 70, 143) 

Apr. 1-6:  Psalms 119 – 128   (Hymnal pages: 71-77, 93, 98, 118, 130, 143)

Apr. 7-13:  Psalms 129 – 139   (Hymnal pages: 78 - 81, 129, 132, 187) 

Apr. 14-19:  Psalms 140 – 150   (Hymnal pages: 82 87, 95, 120, 134 - 138, 159) 

INTRODUCTION: The Psalms are divinely inspired songs. Many were written by King David and the rest by other leaders and priests in ancient Israel. Summaries are written by your pastor (lifted from his ABC Writings Class handout). Note that Ps. 129 to Psalms 134 are the remainder of the “songs of ascent” that faithful Israelites sang going to and returning from God’s three annual holyday seasons in Jerusalem.

Psalm	Type or types	Commentary
Ps. 129	(ascent) – Trust, lament, imprecatory, Zion	A multi-tasking psalm in call-and-answer form. The priest would call “Let Israel now say…” and then the people would answer – 1.
Ps. 130	(ascent) – Penitential	Calling out to God in times of trouble, seeking His merciful forgiveness and being heroically redeemed by Him.
Ps. 131	(ascent) – Trust	An anti-arrogance – 1 song of humble faithfulness and calmness “…I have calmed and quieted my soul...” – 2. Paints a word picture of the latter quality.
Ps. 132	(ascent) – Royal	History-prophecy song remembering the great reign of David – 1-5, but as a type of when the LORD, that is Jesus Christ, rules from Jerusalem during the Millennium – 13-18, and David lives and also rules again – 17. Purpose of going up to worship at God’s Temple – 6-7.
Ps. 133	(ascent) – Praise	The great and magnificent psalm of true unity and prophetic picture of the Millennium and the Kingdom of God into eternity – 3. The unity is true religious in nature – 2. Foreshadows Christ’s prayer in John 17:11, 20-23 for unity or oneness of God’s people.
Ps. 134	(ascent) – Praise, Zion	The last of the psalms of ascent. A farewell to the Temple and Jerusalem at the end of each of God’s Feasts. Written in call-and-answer form with the departing worshippers singing to the priests – 1-2, followed by the priests singing back God’s blessing from Zion – 3.
Ps. 135	Praise, wisdom-history, Zion	Considered to be post-exilic (likely due to the emphasis on the priesthood – 1, 19), reciting elements of Israel’s history and God’s choosing of the nation – 1-4, 8-12. Praises God’s sovereignty – 5-7 – “Whatever the LORD pleases He does…,” including choosing Israel as his model nation – 3-4. Satirical denouncement of idolatry – 15-18. Millennial prophecy of Zion – 21.
Ps. 136	Praise, Passover (also Wisdom-creation and Wisdom-history)	This psalm is known as “The Great Hallel” or praise psalm. Written in call-and-answer with the Levitical choir singing the first line of each verse and the people answering “For His mercy endures forever.” Theme of the wisdom of knowing God as Creator – 4-9, and the wisdom of remembering God’s interventions in history – 10-22. Reprise of both themes in conclusion – 23-25.
Ps. 137	Zion, Imprecatory	Exilic psalm composed while being taken into captivity in Babylon – 1. Example of powerful, positive defiance of evil – 7-9 and of longing for Jerusalem—and in that sense, for God’s Kingdom – 1-6.
Ps. 138	Praise (with sub-theme of Trust)	Declaration of praise to and trust in God no matter what the dire circumstance. Millennial prophecy of when all “kings,” i.e., nations will praise and trust God also – 4-5.
Ps. 139	Praise, wisdom	Praising God producing wisdom is a common theme in the Psalms. God’s omnipotence of knowing everything about us, always where we are, and our every thought – 1-12. God knows our every genetic and cellular detail, thus we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” – 13-16. We should therefore value God’s thoughts, Word, law, etc. – 17-18 and hate any and all evil 19-22. All this produces true repentant humility in our lives – 23-24.

End