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Easter Message From Bishop Felix Orji, OSB - Anglican Diocese of CANA West.

Easter, 2016
"Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." Revelation 1:4-7, 17-18




This weekend we will join fellow Christians around the world in remembering and celebrating the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We will shout triumphantly:
"ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!
THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!"
This triumphant shout is not based on our feelings or on our philosophy about Jesus of Nazareth. Rather, our triumphant shout of joy is based on the fact that resurrection of our Lord Jesus is true. We have his empty grave and the testimonies of many who saw him alive:
* the women who went to his tomb on that first Easter morning, found it empty, and eventually saw him.
* more than 500 people who saw him after the resurrection
* Peter and the other apostles who saw him and whose lives were forever changed as a result.
* Paul the apostle who saw and heard him on the road to Damascus
* the men and women throughout the centuries who have experienced the miracles and transformation that faith in his living name brings. They've seen him by faith!
Jesus Christ our Lord is indeed alive!!!! Our faith rests secure on the truthfulness of God and the true testimony of godly men and women who saw him then and those who have experienced his transforming resurrection power over the centuries.
What is the significance and relevance of his resurrection for us? A straight and simple answer to that question is encapsulated in the words victory, life, hope, change, joy, and a glorious new world for those who believe in Him.

Most of us long for a better world – a world that is free from fear and evil, trouble and entropy, shame and pain, conflict and war, hypocrisy and hardness of heart, lying and cheating, disloyalty and betrayal, corruption and injustice, sin and death. We long for a world where there is hope and peace, hearty praise and worship of God, love and friendship, joy and wholeness, abundance and life, and more. Where can we find a world like that? Definitely not in this world! Our educators, our politicians, our courts, our doctors, our scientists, our self-help philosophies and religions cannot give us such a world despite all the good they bring. The world that we are longing for is the kingdom of God, the heavenly City made possible for us by the suffering and death of Jesus on the cross for your sins and mine and by his glorious resurrection from the dead. This is why we must celebrate this Easter season.
Christ through his resurrection has brought into being this new world, this great and glorious kingdom marked by hope, forgiveness of sin, new and eternal life, peace with God and peace within, victory over death and Satan, justification, glorification for those who believe in Him as Savior and Lord. We and the world are forever changed for good because of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. At present we groan in pain and hope knowing that we are pilgrims on this earth waiting for the full manifestation and realization of this heavenly city when the risen Christ returns to reign. And we know this is sure and certain because of His death and resurrection.
This weekend and for weeks to come let us sing and proclaim from our hearts that Jesus Christ is RISEN indeed and because of that we have that deep abiding joy of the Lord and that hope of glory in the new city of God that cannot be taken from us no matter what may come our way.


ALLELUIA! CHRIST IS RISEN!
THE LORD IS RISEN INDEED! ALLELUIA!
Happy Easter to you all!
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Felix Orji, OSB
Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of CANA West, USA/Canada.

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