Today is Good Friday, and it marks a celebration of six years of Joy in my life.

Why is it so Good?

I can’t say why today may (or may not) be so good for you, but I can share with you why today is so Good for me, and I would hope that you would be able to either share in or come to know the delight that this day brings to my heart and soul.

Today is Good Friday, and it marks a day in which, six years ago in 2003, the course of my life changed forever.

Today I celebrate my own rebirthday!   It was on April 18th (Good Friday), 2003 when I first openly acknowledged my transgressions to the Lord, understood the price of my iniquities that Jesus Christ paid in full on the Cross, accepted grace -- the free gift of forgiveness -- that God gave to me on behalf of Jesus’ offering, and began a lifelong journey of becoming the man that God had intended me to become all along -- a God-lover.

No longer would I be living a life that was all about me, striving for success in the rat race of life & failing to recognize love for what it truly is.
No longer would I be giving into the pressures of the world as it tried to define & mold me into something I was never meant to be.
No longer would I be fulfilling an American dream of freedom that, in the end, is a nightmare of slavery.
No longer… because now I live to love and give myself to others, my entire life as a sacrifice, that ultimately fulfills a greater purpose than I could have ever dreamed.

This is nothing of my own will or accord, but only by a miracle of God who deserves all the praise & glory for everything He has done and continues to do in my life.  Although I have not yet arrived, in fullness of humanity, at who God is molding me to be (and will not on this side of heaven), the Lord continues to lead me in arriving at that wonderful destination of freedom.  Numerous faults, failures, and fragments of character still exist in my life as a sinner, however the peace & joy that the Lord has brought into the entirety of my mind, heart, soul, and life is more than enough to overcome my shame and guilt.  He has blessed me with all things that make up my life, including a Family of brothers and sisters to share in my joy with -- PRAISE THE LORD!!!

This is why today marks six years of JOY.

Today is Good Friday, and it marks the beginning of a victorious revolution of joy, peace, and love.

Today we remember the arrest, crucifixion, and death of the Servant Jesus Christ.
Today we celebrate (yes, we are free to even celebrate what today is) the peace, healing, and joy that was brought through the Savior Jesus Christ.
Today we look forward to Resurrection Sunday and the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven in the return of the King Jesus Christ.

I have no words to write here that would do justice for today, but only the words of Isaiah in Isaiah 53 and 55…

Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our
transgressions;
he was crushed for our
iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement
that brought us peace,
and with his stripes we are
healed.
All we like sheep have gone
astray;
we have turned every one to
his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all…

…Yet it was the will of the Lord to
crush him…

For you shall go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and the hills
before you
shall break forth into singing,
and all the trees of the field
shall clap their hands.
Instead of the thorn shall come
up the cypress;
instead of the brier shall come
up the myrtle;
and it shall make a name for the
Lord,
an everlasting sign that shall
not be cut off.

We are Resurrection Sunday people living in a Good Friday world!
We can’t outlive Him and we can’t live without Him!
Death couldn’t handle Him and the grave couldn’t hold Him!

Today marks over 2000 years of JOY -- Hallelujah, praise the LORD!!!

THAT’S MY KING!!!