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 What If We Had Been There?
By Pastor Larry Bennett
What if you had been there on that first Easter morning? What would it have been like to walk with the women to the tomb of Jesus?
Luke 24 describes it for us.
As we walk with the women to the tomb, we are carrying spices to help prepare the body of Jesus for burial. Our thoughts would be upon the events of the last few days. We still can’t figure it all out. Why did Jesus have to die? We had such hopes and dreams. We thought He was the Messiah, the Savior. Now, as we walk to the tomb on that Sunday morning, it’s still dark outside, but also dark in our hearts. Dark from thoughts of death, disappointment and fear.
We reach the tomb and to our amazement, the stone that had covered the entrance to Jesus’ tomb has been moved. We enter the tomb but there is no body. We can’t figure out what happened. Suddenly two angels appear. They are gleaming like lightning. They question why we are looking for the living among the dead. Then they make that great declaration, “He is not here; He has risen!”
Is it true? Can we believe it? Suddenly, the darkness is gone from our hearts. It IS true! Christ is alive! Suddenly it’s okay to dream again, to believe again, to hope again. Christ is risen!
Oh, this Easter season, let’s not just pretend as if we were there that first Easter morning. Instead, let’s live like it. Let’s dream again, hope again and let’s tell others about the resurrected Jesus, just as the women did that day. Most of all, may we live as if it is true.
Happy Easter!
Pastor Larry Bennett
 Daylight Saving Time Begins
SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2004
Don’t forget to set your clocks ahead one hour before you go to bed Saturday night (April 3). It is also suggested you use this benchmark date as a reminder to change the batteries in your smoke detectors.
Spring Events at The Chapel in North Canton
 Palm Sunday
Service
April 4, 2004 - 9:00 and 10:30 a.m.
Message by Pastor Bennett - “History’s Most Memorable Day”
Baptism at 9:00 service
Good
Friday Service
April 9, 2004 - 12:00 noon
In
the Main Sanctuary
Easter Sunrise Service
April 11, 2004 - 6:30 a.m.
Join us for coffee, juice and muffins following the service
 Easter Services
April 11, 2004 - 9 & 10:30 a.m.
HE IS RISEN!
Invite family and friends to celebrate our Savior’s Glorious Resurrection!
“Evidence of His Grace”
- A Musical Celebration by The Chapel Choir
Sunday, April 25, 2004 - 9:00 and 10:30 a.m.
 Mother-Daughter Banquet
Saturday, May 1, 2004 - 11:30 a.m.
Chateau Michele, 2231 44th Street NW, Canton
 Bloodmobile Coming to The Chapel
Tuesday, May 18, 2004, 4:00-7:00 p.m. in the Family Life Center
Since this Bloodmobile is being held here at The Chapel, we will be asking as many people as possible to donate blood as well as volunteer to help with coordinating all the necessary activities. Easy tasks include telephone reminders, setting up chairs, baking cookies, serving refreshments and assisting donors. We will also need RNs, LPNs and/or EMT personnel to assist with taking vital signs that day.
If you would like to sign up to donate blood or if you would like to volunteer at the Bloodmobile, please call the church office at (330) 494-3419. Walk-ins are always welcome on the day of the Bloodmobile.
Chapel Missions: News from the Field
The Privilege of Serving Jesus Christ Among
Muslims
The Chapel Missions Board recently received the following letter from missionaries that, among other things, are currently ministering to native Muslims. We cannot disclose their location or names of individuals as it will put them at tremendous risk. Please pray for them and the intense persecution faced by Muslims who have come to love and accept Jesus Christ. (The letter is too lengthy to present in its entirety, so we have edited it to fit in this
newsletter.)
To serve the Lord Jesus Christ among Muslims is a privilege. At the same time, it is probably one of the greatest adventures life on earth has to offer. We have been experiencing the vivid reality of the spiritual conflict behind the visible dimensions of Muslim outreach and have often turned to Psalm 91, one of the most comforting chapters in the Bible. God’s set of promises: His presence, protection, peace, perspective, provision and power, have been a steady source of encouragement.
While our circumstances have been frustrating and stressful, by God’s grace, our
multi-dimensional ministry has been most satisfying:
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We were surprised to see Granny “J” knock on our door one day, with a plate of sweets and cakes. We could not go and visit her because we do not have a car yet, and she decided to come to our house, which she had never done before. She loves us, but because we are not Muslims, our home could never be “clean” enough for a devout and orthodox Muslim like her. Oh, how we long for her to believe that God did not just reveal His will, but that He revealed Himself through Christ!
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At the beginning of the year, we caused an uproar in the Indian Muslim community. Granny “J” and her husband celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. We sent them a congratulatory message with Bible verses, which was read on the Muslim radio. Soon after, Granny “J” got several calls from upset members of her community who wanted to know which one of her granddaughters became a Christian and changed her name. Their reaction was swift. They postulate the superiority of Islam and do not tolerate Muslims who presume to have second thoughts about their religion. This incident reminded us that the cost of discipleship for ex-Muslims is far higher than the cost for converts from any other backgrounds. Following the Lord Jesus Christ and His cause may mean, to the Muslim Background Believers (MBBs), going with Him to death if necessary.
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One Muslim enquirer, let’s call her Miss X, wanted to unwrap God’s gift of salvation but was not prepared for the cross-shaped price tag. Miss X saw Christ’s redemptive sacrifice and understood that His call overrode her family obligations, business commitments, and the Islamic customs. As a lawyer, she was ready for the legal implications of her conversion and got restraining orders against her relatives. However, when she met a MBB who was severely beaten by her family, she realized that she was not prepared to risk limb and life yet and to endure the same kind of suffering. Please pray that Miss X may understand that the God who calls her has the ability to take care of everything!
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Another person who needs your prayer is “Zu”. She is looking for work. She was fired from her previous job at a pharmacy and is feeling down. During Ramadan, the month of fasting, the Muslim owner noticed that she did not fast and confronted her. He was shocked to discover that despite her Arabic name, she was a Christian. A few weeks later, she was dismissed. Her former boss, who is a “born-again Muslim” could have tolerated Zu if she was just a “born-Muslim” (a derogatory term for non-practicing Muslims). But he implied that, as a Christian, Zu made his Muslim pharmacy “unclean”.
We are currently involved in an organization which is seeking to bring together missionaries, organizations, churches, and individual Christians reaching out to the Muslims in the country. Our responsibility is to encourage local churches, which have often turned their backs on the evangelization of Muslims claiming it is too difficult, too dangerous, or even impossible. Our God is the God of the impossible. Wherever Christians choose to believe in the great God of the impossible and push forward in faith, He is doing amazing things among Muslims.
Please pray for us as we challenge Christians to lift their faces confidently towards heaven instead of lowering them in submission towards Mecca. Where the Lord Jesus Christ is made to retreat by His followers, Allah advances!
We are participants with you in our Lord’s plan to bring His saving rule to the Muslim world! With our gratitude, love and prayers!
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