Weekly Bible Verse: Mark 11: 1-11: Hosanna!

Mark 11: When they were approaching Jerusalem, at Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples ²and said to them, “Go into the village ahead of you, and immediately as you enter it, you will find tied there a colt that has never been ridden; untie it and bring it. ³If anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say this, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here immediately.’” ⁴They went away and found a colt tied near a door, outside in the street. As they were untying it, ⁵some of the bystanders said to them, “What are you doing, untying the colt?” ⁶They told them what Jesus had said; and they allowed them to take it. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks on it; and he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, and others spread leafy branches that they had cut in the fields. ⁹Then those who went ahead and those who followed were shouting,

“Hosanna!
Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!
¹⁰Blessed is the coming kingdom of our ancestor David!
Hosanna in the highest heaven!”

¹¹Then he entered Jerusalem and went into the temple; and when he had looked around at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve.

Our Chance

Electronic outreach is within your grasp. You can spread the joyous news of Jesus Christ around the globe from the keyboard of your computer. Will you?

This short film is provided by ABCUSA as part of their effort in evangelism through the social media.

If you wish to try your hand at this, here's a strategy. Simply tell readers a story of what Jesus has done in your life. People love to hear other peoples' stories.

Internet Evangelism Day Coming April 29: ABCUSA Promotes. YOU Are Invited!

 

Internet Evangelism Day resources

The amazing growth of digital media is transforming the world and changing the way we communicate and even think. There are growing opportunities for digital evangelism. Internet Evangelism Day is an annual focus day, scheduled for 29 April 2012. It creates a space for churches, ministries and individual Christians to investigate the many options for sharing the good news online.
The Internet Evangelism Day website is also a year-round online resource guide to help Christians understand these varied opportunities. Topics covered include: how to build a church website that is 'outsider friendly', using Facebook and Twitter in evangelism, and the growing options for using your mobile phone.
For many of these opportunities, you need no technical knowledge at all. And there are many opportunities to volunteer to be an email mentor to inquirers who have visited outreach sites operated by several online ministries.
Internet Evangelism Day is an initiative of the Internet Evangelism Coalition, based at the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton. It is supported by a wide range of Christian leaders and groups. "I am glad to commend Internet Evangelism Day," said the late John Stott.
More information: www.IEDay.net

Weekly Bible Verses: Psalm 51: Have Mercy On Me, O God ...

Psalm 51: ¹Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
²Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
³For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
⁴Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment.
⁵Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me.
⁶You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
⁸Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
⁹Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.
¹¹Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.
¹²Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.
¹³Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.
¹⁴Deliver me from bloodshed, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance.
¹⁵O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
¹⁶For you have no delight in sacrifice; if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
¹⁷The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
¹⁸Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
¹⁹then you will delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

When Anxiety Can Do You Good

Whenever you are struggling with a thing, you are journeying with God, possibly to more maturity. Let yourself stay with your discomfort and trust that something is happening. Anxiety is always the seed for growth. Something is fermenting, God is bringing something new. Don't run away or hide or you will go through this again! 

Wisdom from a Spiritual Formation class.

Avoid Self-Rejection

One of the greatest dangers in the spiritual life is self-rejection. When we say, "If people really knew me, they wouldn't love me," we choose the road toward darkness. Often we are made to believe that self-deprecation is a virtue, called humility. But humility is in reality the opposite of self-deprecation. It is the grateful recognition that we are precious in God's eyes and that all we are is pure gift. To grow beyond self-rejection we must have the courage to listen to the voice calling us God's beloved sons and daughters, and the determination always to live our lives according to this truth

Henri Nouwen, Bread for the Journey

Weekly Bible Verses: John 3:14-12: For God So Loved the World...

John 3:¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. ¹⁷“Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. ¹⁸Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. ¹⁹And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”

A Challenge For Us All

Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion, its message becomes meaningless.

Abraham Heschel

Jewish Rabbi, Theologian

Choose to be faithful, worshipful, loving, engaged with the crises of today, and all the rest mentioned here. Let all who meet you know you for the joy and life your faith brings to you and that you extend to them. Have a blessed day!

Weekly Bible Verse: John 2:13-25: Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!

John 2: ¹³The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. ¹⁵Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” ¹⁷His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” ¹⁸The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” ¹⁹Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹But he was speaking of the temple of his body. ²²After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
²³When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone.

ECBC Missionary Sue Hegarty's Birthday Is Coming and YOU Can Make It Happier!

As you know, Sue’s birthday is coming up on April 8^th… Easter Sunday!  Your greetings can be sent to her c/o International Ministries, Box 851, Valley Forge, PA 19482-0851.

 Once again, we will be celebrating with a fun food fundraiser.  We plan an all-day fundraiser on

           

            Monday, April 9^th  at the Bob Evans Restaurant in Exton, PA. 

Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner sales will qualify for the fundraiser.  Bob Evans will give 15% of the value of sales to our participants on that day to Sue’s ministry.  Look for the coupon for this event with the March issue of Sue’s News.

Weekly Bible Verses: Mark 8:27-38: Who Do You Say That I Am?

Mark 8: ²⁷Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ²⁸And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” ³⁰And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
³¹Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
³⁴He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. ³⁵For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. ³⁶For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? ³⁷Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? ³⁸Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Come Celebrate Easter With Us: Our Easter Services Schedules, 2012

April 1 - Palm Sunday - 11:00 AM worship with baptisms
April 5 - Maundy Thursday - 7:00 PM service with Communion
April 6 - Good Friday - 

• The sanctuary will be open for prayer from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. You are invited to stop by anytime to pray for personal needs as well as the needs of others.
• 7:00 PM - Good Friday Service.

April 8 – Easter Sunday

• Sunrise Service at Millers Park – 8:00 AM
• Pancake Breakfast at the church.
• Easter Worship - 11:00 AM

Please extend an invitation to your family and friends to attend these services. All are most welcome.