"JOY and the FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT"

Good Evening To All!

Have you ever thought about the word Joy? Here is some of what the Bible says about it. As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. (10) If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love ; even as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. (11) These things I have spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
John 15:9-11 KJV

The Message Bible says it beautifully as well. (9-10)I've loved you the way my Father has loved me. Make yourselves at home in my love. If you keep my commands, you'll remain intimately at home in my love. That's what I've done -- kept my Father's commands and made myself at home in his love. (11) I've told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.

Webster's Dictionary defines it as the emotion of great delight or happiness caused by something good or satisfying; keen pleasure. 2. A source or cause of keen pleasure or delight. It goes on to state definitions along these same lines. This type of "joy" in the Bible is called "rinnah" it means a "shout of rejoicing; shouting, loud cheering in triumph; singing. It describes the kind of joyful shouting and singing at the time of a great victory such as in Proverbs 11:10 at the jubilation of righteous when the wicked are eliminated. Zephaniah 3:17 literally says that God will dance over His beloved people with singing or a shout of joy. There are many other examples of elation or "joy" in God's Word.

Of course these are all true. Even God says He will dance at the The joy that God's Word talks about is much deeper. When people use the word "joy" what's the first thing that pops into your mind? Happiness, the sound of laughter, and excitement, right? Having joy in our heart doesn't mean we have to be giddy and giggly all the time.

While I am the first to admit that I would think the same thing. God's joy goes much deeper than just an emotion. It is a deep sense of contentment, and fulfillment in the Lord. That is why "joy is one part of the fruit of the Spirit.

My Pastor brought up a point last night that I had never thought of. When I speak of the Fruit of the Spirit, I never realized it but I have always misspoke. I always ended it with an "s", because there are 9 of them. NOPE! I have been wrong all these years. God's Word specifically says "FRUIT of the Spirit. He (my Pastor) explained it as an orange or grapefruit with all those little "compartments", but it is ONE thing.

He also made another observation. Of course I understand that not every one believes in the use of the "gifts of the Spirit today, but just for a matter of information, a person can be saved without having used the "gifts of the Spirit", but we ABSOLUTELY CANNOT BE SAVED without having the Fruit of the Spirit in our lives and that means ALL compartments. They are: love, joy, peace, long-suffering (patience), kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

(I love the end of that verse). It says, Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. It could not have been stated more plainly as to what we need to be to enter into His Kingdom.

Last night our when our Pastor was "teaching on this subject, he would call out a part of the fruit and say how are you doing in this area. Of course he didn't really expect us to answer out loud, but he came to "long-suffering", and I being my hardest critic spoke up and said "I flunked". There are several of these that I truly need to work on if I am going to be ready for my Savior when He comes. I definitely do not want to be the one left of the two in the field, or sleeping or whatever else we will be doing. I definitely want my spiritual eyes to be looking upward and be able to hear the sound of the trumpet when it sounds. If I am not constantly working on becoming more Christlike (developing the fruit of spirit better), I'm afraid I will miss it.

I hope this will give everyone something to think about, because this is so important. Not just because His time is drawing nigh, but tomorrow is not guaranteed. I learned that last Saturday attending those two funerals. Granted, they were all up in age, ( the husband of the couple in the car accident died a couple of weeks before), but they were "still alive and well until the accident took their lives. The other lady was ill, but still we never know when our time will come to leave this earth, and we won't be able to tell God to wait while we "repent", or change our ways.

Well, I'm about ready to see cross-eyed, as I have been typing pretty much all day on a Fundraiser Business List for my church. I hope this post gave you some things to ponder and even maybe look up. If you want to read more about the Fruit of the Spirit, it is in Galatians 5:22-25. Really I love the whole passage of "Walking In the Spirit" -- Galatians 5:16-25.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!