"Christ arose!!"

Do you know the right answer? It's stlll used in Ukraine today by Orthodox, Baptist and atheist alike in honor of the Easter holiday, April 27th, 2008.

"Indeed He is risen!"

Among other things that make Easter, Easter to this country is a special bread called "Easter." Easter and Passover are the same word here. Easter eggs have a more major meaning that make some believers refuse to dye them. Eggs were painted, blessed and placed in parts of the home where the family wanted a special blessing. People will get up in the middle of night to stand in line at the Orthodox temple for a blessing on their bread and eggs the first thing in the morning.

Here is the Ukrainian Easter bread and eggs in front of little Angelina.

I'm so glad Jesus let the corn of wheat of His life fall into the ground and die. I'm glad He endured the emotional pain when His very best friends, deserted Him, denied Him and sold His life. I'm glad He endured the public pain when the crowds He had fed and maybe healed cried "Crucify Him!" and the soldiers He came to save, mocked Him and whipped Him with the metal studded thongs. I'm glad He endured the overwhelming spiritual weight of our sin. I'm glad that in the midst of all that pain, He still heard the one cry for help from the cross beside Him and reached out to rescue, beyond His own pain.

Our group this Easter morning.

I'm glad for the hope the Resurrection represents for those trapped in the living grave of sin. . . We saw a man walking on the shoulder of the highway, his face covered with blood. Probably he had fallen in his drunken state and the gravel in the shoulder did the damage to his face. He could have a beautiful new life, no matter how strong the chains of sin. I'm glad for the hope represented for those who surrender their life's essence to Jesus' hand to see it wither, turn brown and completely die and then rise again in flowering, fruit-bearing beauty. I'm glad that even death could not hold our Saviour! What can hinder His glorious power? Nothing except our unbelief! Even then, God declares He will be faithful when men are unfaithful.

Our Easter memory verse.

He is risen!! I don't know how to convey the meaning of the resurrection to other people. I'm praying that the same God will give the annointing needed for others to thrill with the victory, the hope and the new life of the resurrection. Happy Easter!