Easter Celebration

April 16, 2006

Jesus carried the cross and was beaten on the way to Calvary, where he was crucified. A group of Christians were dancing joyfully on the stage on April 16, 2006. What is the relation between the two scenes? Actually, it was the opening of our Easter Sunday Service this year. 359 brothers, sisters and friends came to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ together at the Sheraton Hotel.

After a powerful praise and worship, three sisters shared their testimonies of a bouncing new life after they received Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. Sister Amy was once troubled by her family problems and used to be an introvert. She didn’t feel like talking to others. However, after she accepted Christ, her character began to change. She becomes more cheerful and smiles always. She even shares a lot in her CareGroup. Sister Teri comes from a broken family. Her life had been unhappy and her mind used to be filled with negative thoughts. But God saved her and now she has become a joyful and hopeful person. Sister Ivy is a flight attendant. Because of her working schedule, she could not attend church regularly, which greatly affected her spiritual growth. Therefore, she desperately asked God to open a way for her. After praying for half a month, there was a new shift plan announced by her company which allowed the staff to choose their working days. Now Ivy has a day-off on every Sunday. Thank God for His faithfulness!

Pastor Gavin shared about how the lives of Jesus’ followers changed tremendously, from mourning to joy and from aimlessness to purpose-driven, through Matthew 28:5-10. Three days after Jesus was crucified, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb to anoint Jesus’ body but they could not find the body. They were very upset. Then, Jesus came to greet them. When we seek God with all our heart, we will find Him. Jesus is always here for us and He has even come to us. Moreover, He wants to relate to us personally. God knows each and every one of us by name. Jesus’ disciples witnessed the resurrected power from the Lord so they were willing to devote their lives to the fullest for God’s kingdom. In this way, they experienced the life changing power of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As Jesus carried our cross and sacrificed his life for us, we are no longer bound by sins. With His resurrection, death is not the final end for us. We have hope and can live a bouncing new life because Jesus has even conquered the death. Praise God for the 16 new believers,they are undergoing a great transformation as they accepted Christ on this special day.