We pray you a
ll had a blessed Resurrection Sunday…a special time to look beyond the cross and focus on the empty tomb! Praise the Lord, He has conquered death and is risen! This day has come to mean different things for people around the world. Like other cultures, the celebration in Cebu begins earlier in the week but there are some very distinct differences in the way they celebrate. The most unique example being their Black Saturday. Black Saturday is a day of death and superstition. On this day they believe Christ is dead so they keep their children home, afraid that if they are hurt there is no God to heal their wounds. Our busy metropolis becomes quiet and almost completely shuts down. Throughout the week, men beat themselves and are crucified, with hopes that God will forgive their sins. That really is the emphasis of their celebration, death. But as we look at the Bible we see that God emphasized something even more important….Christ’s resurrection. If Christ had died as other men and remained in the tomb, there would be no power in the cross. We would have no promise of heaven, no hope beyond the grave. But because Christ rose, He proved that He truly was the Son of God! He was more than a mere man, He was God. That is what makes Him so different from any other man or religion. Our God is alive today, waiting patiently for men to realize this truth. Salvation is offered freely to all who would believe and repent of their sins! We pray you all had a wonderful day as you celebrated the resurrection of our Savior!
Matthew 28:6 “He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.“
