Handel - Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus

Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed. Have a blessed Easter

The Meaning of Messiah: Messiah 1.MOV

At Grace Baptist Church of Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, ECBC's own seminarian Jeff Snyder preaches on the meaning of Messiah and how our understanding of the term impacts upon everyone we meet.

Weekly Bible Verses: John 20: 1-18: "I Have Seen the Lord."

John 20Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. ²So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” ³Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. ⁴The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. ⁵He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. ⁶Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, ⁷and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. ⁸Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. ¹⁰Then the disciples returned to their homes.
¹¹But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; ¹²and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. ¹³They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” ¹⁴When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. ¹⁵Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” ¹⁶Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). ¹⁷Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Jesus The Easter Sunday Resurrection

May you have a blessed Easter. Jesus Christ is risen. He is risen indeed!

Weekly Bible Verses: Matthew 21:1-11: This Is the Prophet Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee

Matthew 21 When they had come near Jerusalem and had reached Bethphage, at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, ²saying to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to me. ³If anyone says anything to you, just say this, ‘The Lord needs them.’ And he will send them immediately.” ⁴This took place to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet, saying, ⁵“Tell the daughter of Zion, Look, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” ⁶The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them; ⁷they brought the donkey and the colt, and put their cloaks on them, and he sat on them. ⁸A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹The crowds that went ahead of him and that followed were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” ¹⁰When he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was in turmoil, asking, “Who is this?” ¹¹The crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus from Nazareth in Galilee.”

Bridge of Hope event Saturday, April 16, 9AM to Noon

Bridge of Hope Lancaster & Chester County, in partnership with The Peacemaker Center and United Methodist Church of the Open Door, will host a community workshop, Love Thy Neighbor: A Ministry of Friendship, at Messiah Lutheran Church, Downingtown, Saturday, April 16, 9:00 – 12:00. The focus will be on the purpose of relationships, developing healthy relationships, and the importance of friendship to those in need. Admission is $20, $10.00 for each additional person from the same group. All Bridge of Hope mentors are free. Please register by April 8 by calling 610-380-1360 ext. 100 or by visiting www.bridgeofhopelcc.org.

Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter Services

You are invited to the services on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Easter. Please come and help us celebrate the passion and resurrection of Jesus Christ!


Our Palm Sunday service, April 17, will include baptisms, which make the service very special.
The Maundy Thursday Tenebrae service begins at 7:30 PM on Thursday, April 21.
The Good Friday Meditation and Communion will occur throughout the afternoon on Friday, April 22.

The sanctuary will be open all afternoon for those who would like to stop by for a time of personal meditation and private Communion with Pastor Jay. 

Easter Sunrise Service will begin in Miller Park at 7:30 AM on Sunday, April 23. This is always a moving service. The address is:

Miller Park

220 Miller Way

Exton, PA 19341

Easter Sunday Service will begin in the Sanctuary on Sunday, April 23, at 11 AM, and will include special music from our bell choir. 

If you are in the Exton, Pennsylvania, area on these dates and feel drawn, please come by and worship with us. Share in our joy in the risen Christ.

Birthday Party for Our Missionary Sue Hegarty

A REMINDER:
From The Cuba Connection
Join Us to Celebrate Sue Hegarty’s Birthday!!!

April 7, 2011 at TGI Friday’s Restaurant in Exton, Pennsylvania
Hand the coupon sent via email to your server for either lunch or dinner and 25% of your bill will be credited toward support for Sue’s ministry.

Sue will be there in person for dinner that evening. If you are unable to join us but would like to remember Sue on her birthday, you may send a card and/or a special financial gift to help with her support needs to:

Susan Hegarty
International Ministries
PO Box 851
Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851

Checks should be made payable to “International Ministries”
Thank you for your faithful prayers and financial gifts that enable Sue to serve as a missionary with International Ministries.

Blessings,
The Cuba Connection

First Baptist Church of Norristown Successful in Prom Dress Giveaway

First Baptist Church of Norristown held their second-annual prom dress giveaway, which we mentioned here some time ago, on Saturday last, and received over 600 gently used and new dresses to use. They sent 110 of them home with young ladies from the area. As Reverend Kelly Legg says, "Talk about seeing His love in action! That leaves us with 500 more dresses remaining. And we figure Jesus has a reason for bringing that many -- there must be many more young ladies He wants to prove His love to. So we are going to open the church again on Saturday, April 2, from 1-3 pm for any and all middle and high school girls to come and select the perfect dress (or dresses!)"

We hope this second prom dress giveaway was as much a blessing to the young ladies in the area as the first and look forward to an update.

Greenville, Pennsylvania, Baptist Church Home Mission Project

Keeping track of churches conducting outreach in their neighborhoods, here's some information out of Greenville, Pennsylvania. They may be looking for help. It might be worth a call.

 

First Baptist Church will be doing a HOMETOWN MISSION TRIP right in Greenville, Pennsylvania, on June 12-18th 2011.  Plans are to seek those who need work done at home such as dry wall, electrical work, visitation, landscaping, VBS for the kids in the area, as well as, visitation with the elderly.  The group is even willing to run errands for those without transportation.  

Currently, approximately 80+ people that have signed up for this MISSION TRIP - just from First Baptist Church.  First Baptist will partner with another local church in the area.  

Housing:  Volunteers are welcome to pitch tents in the church yard.  There is also plenty of space for campers on the blacktop parking lot. 

Meals:  Three meals a day will be provided to all volunteers.

There will be Bible study and Praise and Worship for the workers and adults from the community.  Each volunteer will be given a t-shirt and journal to use to help document their experiences on a daily basis, as well as bible study. What a way to record memories of an event such as this. 
        

The ball is rolling for this great adventure and we are excited about this opportunity to serve in our Hometown.  The scriptures say “charity begins at home” it doesn't just mean in our house.  It includes the town you live in as well. 

THEN I HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LORD SAYING” WHOM SHALL I SEND? AND WHO WILL GO FOR US?” AND I SAID, “HERE AM I, SEND ME!” Isaiah 6:8  

Please keep First Baptist lifted in prayer as they prepare to do the Lord’s work right in their hometown of Greenville, Pennsylvania.

Weekly Bible Verses: John 9:1-41: Do You Believe In the Son of Man?

John 9: As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. ²His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” ³Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. ⁴We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming when no one can work. ⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” ⁶When he had said this, he spat on the ground and made mud with the saliva and spread the mud on the man’s eyes, ⁷saying to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which means Sent). Then he went and washed and came back able to see.
⁸The neighbors and those who had seen him before as a beggar began to ask, “Is this not the man who used to sit and beg?” ⁹Some were saying, “It is he.” Others were saying, “No, but it is someone like him.” He kept saying, “I am the man.” ¹⁰But they kept asking him, “Then how were your eyes opened?” ¹¹He answered, “The man called Jesus made mud, spread it on my eyes, and said to me, ‘Go to Siloam and wash.’ Then I went and washed and received my sight.” ¹²They said to him, “Where is he?” He said, “I do not know.”
¹³They brought to the Pharisees the man who had formerly been blind. ¹⁴Now it was a sabbath day when Jesus made the mud and opened his eyes. ¹⁵Then the Pharisees also began to ask him how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put mud on my eyes. Then I washed, and now I see.” ¹⁶Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not observe the sabbath.” But others said, “How can a man who is a sinner perform such signs?” And they were divided. ¹⁷So they said again to the blind man, “What do you say about him? It was your eyes he opened.” He said, “He is a prophet.” ¹⁸The Jews did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they called the parents of the man who had received his sight ¹⁹and asked them, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?” ²⁰His parents answered, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind; ²¹but we do not know how it is that now he sees, nor do we know who opened his eyes. Ask him; he is of age. He will speak for himself.” ²²His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jews; for the Jews had already agreed that anyone who confessed Jesus to be the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue. ²³Therefore his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.” ²⁴So for the second time they called the man who had been blind, and they said to him, “Give glory to God! We know that this man is a sinner.” ²⁵He answered, “I do not know whether he is a sinner. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” ²⁶They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” ²⁷He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” ²⁸Then they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. ²⁹We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” ³⁰The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. ³¹We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. ³²Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. ³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” ³⁴They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.
³⁵Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” ³⁶He answered, “And who is he, sir? Tell me, so that I may believe in him.” ³⁷Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and the one speaking with you is he.” ³⁸He said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped him.
³⁹Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” ⁴⁰Some of the Pharisees near him heard this and said to him, “Surely we are not blind, are we?” ⁴¹Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now that you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.