JOY

We’ve all heard these expressions before...JOY to the world...jump for JOY...a JOY(ful) noise...count it all JOY! Should you decide to find a dictionary and look up the word, you will find that it is explained as a noun and maybe even a verb. You will also find that joy is explained as an emotion. It is said that we feel joy – it is explained as a feeling or a sensation of happiness or contentment. I have even met a girl once by the name of Joy...her mom’s intention was for her to have a happy life...hence the name. To me the best explanation yet is - High Spirited Delight! To me joy is a result of spiritual freedom, a sense of peace from within. It’s more a state of being than it is a result of; or a reaction to...

When we give our lives to following Jesus, He gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit in return. And the Holy Spirit becomes and gives many things to us. He becomes our teacher, counsellor and friend. Through the Holy Spirit we are able to bear spiritual fruits.

Galatians 5:22 ...but the fruit of the Spirit is ...joy...

So then, joy is more than a reaction to an action (or event). Since I have given my life to the Lord, I have felt a sense of peace about it all. Peace about my past, present and my future. I know who I am and where I am going with my life since my salvation – with the result I feel a sense of joy – always! Yeah, always...even when days are rough and times seems bleak, I have a joy within. This is not a joy that I can force or pretend, as it is from inside.

I have learned that this joy is contagious or infectious. It attracts all sorts of people to me. I am now able to relate to broken people, sad people, happy people, prosperous people, and all other kinds of people. I guess, because of the joy I have within me I am more approachable now. The Holy Spirit has gifted me a real and true confidence. True as apposed to false, pretentious, “put on” kind of confidence. People want some of my God given joy! I am happy to share it too.

May it be true to say, that joy is available to all. However, those without the Lord in their lives lack Godly joy. Their joy is usually short lived or perverted joy. Real joy, pure joy we can only know when we know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. I know this from personal experience and I can witness to this by who I associate with saved and unsaved. I am not suggesting that it’s moon shine and roses all the time, but we can count it all joy in the Lord. Like James sais in his book – James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.

As Christians we must tap into the joy that we find in the Lord. Lets build on the joy God has gifted us with through the Holy Spirit. Paul in his letter to the Philippians (4:4) says; rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice. We can show this joy and build on it through worship, serving others (especially the least of these), prayer, witnessing to others about the Lord’s love and kindness. We can apply joy by living righteous and moral lives, by working excellently in all we do, making sacrifices and offerings to the Lord and His people. Call on Him daily in song – make a joyful noise – sing His praise!

Joy from inside will effectively show outside too. You will become more radiant to others, your skin glows in a supernatural way. You will live a more blessed life, it will be such a joy to bless others with the blessings you have received by choosing to tap into your god given joy!
Lord in the name of Jesus I pray, that Your Holy Spirit overcome me with joy this very moment and for all the days of my life. Amen!

Love - Based on Galatians 5:22

Galatian 5:22
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Love:
It has arrived...the month of Februaury is most known for Valentine’s Day. A day set aside on the calendar to celebrate the love we have for our partner or even send tokens to the one we secretly admire.

When you go to town or walk in malls all you see is windows dressed in red and white. Fun looking balloons, cuttings of red painted heart and shaped figures, bouquets of flowers, posters of a couple in love, etc. This of course creates a warm fuzzy feeling in all of us – even those with broken hearts. Why, because we all want to feel loved by someone, we want to belong. It our mind’s eye we have created the perfect fantasy image of our romantic life. This picture is influenced by the media’s (sometime’s warped sense) creativity.

Love and being in love is such an awesome phenomenon though. It is so clear, yet such a mystery. All my life I was faced with the question; what is love? In my opinion, the word love has been perverted and made to confuse us.

Love originates from God – the Bible says: “God is love...”When Jesus was born, He was born of God’s love for us. When He was brutally chastised and crucified, He became a sacrifice for us out of love. John 3:16 says it so eloquently – for God so loved the world that He sent His only son...

God wants us to be filled with His love which is a clean and untainted love – and we have been successfully confused by lust...oh yeah I said it – lust is not love! The enemy in his plight to move us from God has made us believe that love is more about physical attraction and physical action than it is by gestures of respect for self and others.

We can only truly know pure love if and when we receive the Lord Jesus as our Saviour. Only then will we be open and in return exposed to the truth.

When Jesus was out and about doing His thing and teaching the ever engrossed massed, the following happened:
Matthew 22: 35- 40 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question:
36"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'[a] 38This is the first and greatest commandment. 39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'[b] 40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
There you have it, straight from the Lamb’s mouth. One of the greatest teachings I am experiencing at the moment. The Holy Spirit is really cleaning our my heart in a big way. All the junk in the form of misconceptions, misunderstandings, lies from satan, self-induced belief systems, they’re all being eradicated. What I once believed to be a fact is now being replaced by the truth. Facts may change, but the truth will remain. The word of god in the form of the Bible is truth to me!

When I read 1 John 4:7-21 I was compelled to open my heart and look into it and to find my true understanding of love. Denying the word of God is denying God. Denying God is denying His Son Jesus Christ. Denying Jesus means you’re against Him, an anti-Christ in other words! The truth is that simple.
We must love all people, love must be imbedded in us. We must love, those who hate us, even more. We must allow our hearts to be open to receive the love of Christ, so He may fill us with a love that is strong and pure.
Romans 12:9-10 - 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Hate what is evil – what not who! Hate the things, love the people.
Matthew 7:12 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.

If I speak in tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and I have faith that can move mountains but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but do not have love, I gain nothing.Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.(1 Corinthians 13:1-7 NIV);