The Presence of God Is The Infallible Proof of Joy

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The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT

Podcast Episode: The Fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT – JOY #3

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, AND SELF-CONTROL. There is no law against these things.” [Galatians 5:22-23 NLT]

We need to understand that love is the first characteristic of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is well placed at the head of the list, for it permeates all the rest of the attributes. Somehow, if we live a life of love, the other virtues will attend us all the days of our lives. Love is the key that unlocks the entire fruit basket of Galatians 5:22-23, as well as permeating 1 Corinthians 13.

The Fruit of Faith

In Habakkuk 3:16-19 NLT says, “16  I trembled inside when I heard this; my lips quivered with fear. My legs gave way beneath me, and I shook in terror. I will wait quietly for the coming day when disaster will strike the people who invade us. 17  Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, 18  yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! 19  The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer, able to tread upon the heights.”

The “people who invade us” (Habakkuk 3:16) referred to the Chaldeans who invaded Judah in 605 B.C. after Nebuchadnezzar defeated Egypt at the battle of Carchemish. In Habakkuk 3:17-19 Habakkuk expressed his quiet trust in the Lord’s sovereign purposes. Although judgment would come to Judah (Habakkuk 3:17), Habakkuk determined to rejoice in the Lord (Habakkuk 3:18), for the One who led His people into trial would enable them to bear it (Habakkuk 3:19).

How ironic in our culture here in the United States that most parents seem to want to show their children how to succeed – how to get ahead in the world. What children need their parents to show them is how to prevent failure (proactive) and if they fail, encourage them when they are in a delay by these following advices:

Don’t fear, don’t fret (don’t worry), don’t faint (don’t give up) and don’t forget what God has done good things for us in the past. We have so few lessons on that. And if possible, good Christian parents need to show their children how to sing in times of failure. Have faith in God. We have almost no one giving lessons on that.

Joy is not dependent on the sumptuousness, lavishness, or luxuriousness of our circumstances but on the richness of Him who orders all our lives. When God is present in our lives, we show our joy to others, no matter what our situation in life.  Amen!   

The Jeremiah’s Call and First Visions – The Commission

In Jeremiah 1:4-5 NLT says, “4 The Lord gave me this message: 5  “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations. 6 “O Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I can’t speak for you! I’m too young!” 7 The Lord replied, “Don’t say, ‘I’m too young,’ for you must go wherever I send you and say whatever I tell you. 8 And don’t be afraid of the people, for I will be with you and will protect you. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 9 Then the Lord reached out and touched my mouth and said, “Look, I have put my words in your mouth! 10  Today I appoint you to stand up against nations and kingdoms. Some you must uproot and tear down, destroy and overthrow. Others you must build up and plant.”

In Jeremiah 1:4-10 two key thoughts dominated Jeremiah’s commissioning as a prophet: (1) his divine appointment (Jeremiah 1:5), and (2) the provision of God’s word (Jeremiah 1:7, 9). The word “young” (Jeremiah 1:6) was used to denote a person from the age of infancy to early manhood. The words “I knew you” (Jeremiah 1:5) speak of God’s intimate awareness and purposeful affection. While yet in his mother’s womb, Jeremiah was set apart by God for his prophetic ministry. Jeremiah’s mission was described in terms of judgment and edification (Jeremiah 1:10). The four synonyms used for destruction, in comparison to the two used for building up, indicate that the prophet’s message was to be predominately one of warning about Judah’s coming judgment.

In Israel, the almond tree is the first tree to blossom, and thus it announces the coming of spring (Jeremiah 1:11-12). As spring always follows the blossoming of the almond, so prophetic fulfillment would follow Jeremiah’s predictions. The boiling pot (Jeremiah 1:13-16) was tilted from the north, the direction from which Babylon’s invasion would come (Jeremiah 3:18). Soon the scalding contents, the Babylonian invaders, would flow south over Israel.

Getting “dressed” involved tucking the end of a man’s long outer robe into his belt in preparation for walking or working (Jeremiah 1:17). The command signified a readiness for work, and for Jeremiah it meant the work of preaching. The prophet had to expect opposition (cf. John 15:18-25), but he would not be overcome by it (Jeremiah 1:18-19; cf. Romans 8:31-39).

Jeremiah counsels us to remember that before we were born, the plan for our lives already existed. Long before we were in utero or uterus God already ordained us for a calling so magnificent, so grand, that the scope of God’s confidence in us should thrill us.            

A sense of calling is the single greatest and most lasting impetus to seeing meaning in our lives. So often Pastors hear their frustrated parishioners, congregations, worshipers, or flocks struggling to answer life’s most basic questions: “What am I here for? Why am I in the world?“

Salvation is a great gift. But our sense of spiritual security can be magnified into great joy when we see what our Lord Jesus Christ wants us to do with His marvelous gift of eternal life. For Jeremiah, the purposes of God for his life were rooted in the ages before he was born. He felt dwarfed by all that God had called him to do, but he never doubted why he was in the world.  

Chosen People – Know and Experience Resurrection

In 1 Peter 2:9 NLT says, “Sing to the Lord, all you godly ones! Praise His holy name.”

In Philippians 3:10-11 NLT says, “10 I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. I want to suffer with Him, sharing in His death, 11 so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

This 1 Peter 2:9 verse contrasts the privilege and destiny of believers with that of unbelievers (described in 1 Peter 2:8). Born-Again Christian believers are a chosen people, a distinct group from the rest of the world, unified by the Holy Spirit. Just as the nation of Israel had been God’s chosen people, Born-Again Christians have become God’s people, not by physical birth into a certain race but by spiritual rebirth into God’s family through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Born-Again Christian believers also are a kingdom of priests, God’s holy nation (Exodus 19:6). Being part of a “priesthood” is a high honor for believers. Christians speak of “the priesthood of all believers.” In Old Testament times, people did not approach God directly. Instead, a priest would act as an intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With our Lord Jesus Christ’s victory on the Cross, that pattern changed. Now Born-Again Christian believers can come directly into God’s presence without fear (Hebrews 4:16). Also, they have been given the responsibility of bringing others to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21).

United with our Lord Jesus Christ as members of His body, believers join in His priestly work of reconciling God and people. “Holy nation” refers to Christians as a people who are distinct from all the others because of their devotion to God.

Born-Again Christian believers are God’s very own possession. Similar language is found in Exodus 19:5 and Malachi 3:17. God’s people are those who are faithful to Him; thus this refers to Christians.
God’s special people are to show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light. Born-Again Christians were redeemed with a special purpose – to glorify and praise the one who has called them out of the darkness of sin and of their hostile surroundings into the light of eternal life.

For Philippians 3:10-11, Verse 10 describes the word for know here is the same form used in Philippians 3:8, referring to personal, experiential knowledge. To know our Lord Jesus Christ is more than merely to know facts or doctrine about Him. It should be the goal of every Born-Again Christian believer to know our Lord Jesus Christ more fully and personally, and that can be a lifelong process.

Paul also wanted to experience the mighty power that raised Him from the dead. The power of the Holy Spirit that brought our Lord Jesus Christ back from the dead is available to all Born-Again Christian believers to raise them from spiritual death now (Ephesians 1:19-20) and from their physical death in the future (Romans 8:11). Paul wanted to know this power, personally and experientially, for that power assures Born-Again Christians of their justification (Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:17) and of their regeneration as they identify with our Lord Jesus Christ in resurrection (Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; 3:1, 10).

Paul also wanted to learn what it means to suffer with Him, sharing His death. Paul was not referring to sharing our Lord Jesus Christ’s death on the Cross; that suffering could not be shared because it was our Lord Jesus Christ’s alone. But Paul wanted to participate with our Lord Jesus Christ, as a believer, in suffering for the Gospel (Philippians 1:29). Even as Paul had already suffered greatly for the Gospel and was suffering in prison at the writing of this letter, he still wanted to know, firsthand, what it meant to suffer for our Lord Jesus Christ. He was willing to experience more in order to serve our Lord Jesus Christ, who had suffered so much for him (Colossians 1:24).

Born-Again Christian believers share His death as they “die” to sin and to the old nature. In a transaction we cannot completely understand, when our Lord Jesus Christ died on the Cross, we died to our former life. Our Lord Jesus Christ took our punishment on Himself, so God looks at us as though we have died to sin and then have been raised, along with our Lord Jesus Christ, to newness of life.

When we are united with our Lord Jesus Christ by trusting in Him, we experience the power that raised Him from the dead. That same mighty power will help us live morally renewed and regenerated lives. But before we can walk in newness of life, we must also die to sin. Just as our Lord Jesus Christ’s resurrection gives us His power to live for Him, His crucifixion marks the death of our old sinful nature. We can’t know the victory of the Resurrection without personally applying the Crucifixion. Amen!

A Song of Deliverance

In Exodus 15:19-21 NLT says, “19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots, and charioteers rushed into the sea, the Lord brought the water crashing down on them. But the people of Israel had walked through the middle of the sea on dry ground! 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine and led all the women as they played their tambourines and danced. 21 And Miriam sang this song:
“Sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously; He has hurled both horse and rider
into the sea.”

In Verse 20 describes Miriam the prophetess – “the prophetess” (Hebrew hannevi’ah), the masculine form of which is the primary word in the OT for “prophet.” Miriam is the first woman in the OT who bears this title; others include Deborah (Judges 4:4, 5), Isaiah’s wife (Isaiah 8:3), Huldah (2 Kings 22:14-20) and Nodiah (Nehemiah 6:14).

In the early stages of Israelite prophetism, the prophet(ess) seems to be closely linked with worship, and musical instruments are occasionally mentioned (cf. Numbers 11:24-29; 1 Samuel 10:5, 6). Miriam leads the women with timbrel (tambourine less the metal disks) and dance and singing the song of Exodus 15:1-18. (Only the opening verse of the song is recorded, since it would be redundant to repeat the whole song.) It was an ancient practice for the women, with timbrel, dance and song, to meet the warriors returning from battle (cf. Judges 11:34; 1 Samuel 10:5).

Miriam, caught up in the rapture of victory, begins to praise the God who defends the defenseless. And her burst of joy leads all the other women in dancing and praise. Her joy is contagious. Her response to God’s work strikes a universal nerve that leads to corporate worship.

Joy erupts from all who observe the victories of God. When John Newton saw all that God was doing in his life, he sang, “Amazing grace! How sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.“

When Miriam of Israel saw the victory of God, she sang, “Amazing grace … He is highly exalted. The horse and its rider He has hurled into the sea.” When others see our worship, they too are amazed by the work of God. And their response is to join us in praising God for the evidence of His presence.

Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself has taught the world to sing in perfect harmony. In a world torn by racial prejudice and civil injustice, this message of harmony is one that we can share with others through our praise and joy. Amen!

A Universal Call to Praise – A Psalm of Descriptive Praise

In Psalm 150:1-6 NLT says, “1  Praise the Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heaven! 2  Praise Him for His mighty works; praise His unequaled greatness! 3  Praise Him with a blast of the ram’s horn; praise Him with the lyre and harp! 4  Praise Him with the tambourine and dancing; praise Him with strings and flutes! 5  Praise Him with a clash of cymbals; praise Him with loud clanging cymbals. 6  Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!”

The writers of the psalms recognized the importance of music as an instrument for praise. The listing of the various instruments (Psalm 150:3-5) suggests that all resourses at one’s disposal are to be called upon to exalt the great name of God. Praise is the essence of the redeemed person’s life. It shows continual appreciation for the redemption God gives believers and continual appreciation of their frailty and need for God’s strength. It shows continual appreciation of His desires to right the world.

Strings, percussion, and brass: none can begin to tell the world how the orchestra really feels about worshipping the King of the universe. The psalmist says we should praise both in the sanctuary and in the heavens. Born-Again Christians gather in God’s holy house, and from this local address, we enter the heavens. When we praise, we are caught up in such lightness of being that we belong more to the heavens than to our dull and plodding earth.

We see the presence of God through the miracles that take place in our lives every day. He has done so much in our lives that we would sin in the very act of keeping such wonderful works to ourselves. Anyone with a pulse is required to praise God. Let us praise God with all sorts of instruments. Those who have no instruments must give themselves to singing or dancing – even in assemblies and/or fellowships that are more traditional. Further, our praise should neither be quietly done nor hesitantly done. We should praise and worship God in Spirit and in Truth with such force of our soul that we are transformed by the force. Amen!

Prayer is the key that unlocks and reveals faith. Effective prayer needs both an attitude of complete dependence and the action of asking. Prayer demonstrates complete reliance on God. Thus, there is no substitute for prayer, especially in situations that seem impossible.

So, let our hearts and minds in tune with God, in the power of God, the Holy Spirit. Let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. We as Born-Again Christians have been tried and cleansed, we have moved freely into a relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that is more powerful than it was before our trials. We are at home in the presence and fellowship of God, for we are heirs with our Lord Jesus Christ, more like Him that we could ever have dreamed possible. So, let’s continuously and persistently pray for God’s perfect will be done. Amen!

The principle is that no one has anything of value to bring to God in order to deserve salvation, mercy, justification, or even a second glance from God. The proud will be humbled, but the humble will be honored. Acceptance before God cannot be achieved by good deeds, piety, or any amount of self-proclaimed righteousness.

Let’s never get over the effect of God’s saving transformation on people’s lives. People who were lost in sin, filled with anger and bitterness, give up their hatred and become approachable as we have studied and learned last time. That is, of course, why we minister to others. Those of us who minister are not people to whom love, gentleness and self-control comes naturally. We are people who have been remodeled by grace. We thankfully leave our old natures far behind as we embrace gentleness and self-control, the agape love of God, and in our treatment of others. Amen!

Sunday by Sunday as we come to worship, let me encourage our brothers- and sisters-in-Christ, and I want my readers and listeners to be both strong in the faith and sensitive to others’ needs. Because all, we as Born-Again Christian believers are strong in certain areas and weak in others, we constantly need to monitor the effects of our behavior on others.

In these JOY Series of Podcast, we will learn the following PURPOSES of this fruit of the HOLY SPIRIT:

• The Joy of God’s Creativity – Podcast Joy #1 – To understand and appreciate the creation of God
• A Positive Attitude Is Joy – Podcast Joy #2 – Learn how to acquire a positive attitude
• The Presence of God is The Infallible Proof of Joy – Podcast Joy #3
• The Reward of Endurance is Joy – Podcast Joy #4 – To receive and experience the reward of endurance
• Focusing On A Higher Reality is Joy – Podcast Joy #5 – To focus on the higher reality and experience God’s presence
• The Reveling of Angels is Joy – Podcast Joy #6

Three (3) Questions we can answer from these Sources: The Bible and Guidance of the Holy Spirit

Observation: What do these passages say to you?

Interpretation: What do these passages mean to you?

Application: How do the meaning of these passages apply to you or to your situation?

If you are not sure that you are Born-Again Christian believer, please take a look of one of our ministries, “An Invitation To Meet Our Lord Jesus Christ” at https://homefellowshipchurches.org/an-invitation-to-meet-our-lord-jesus-christ/

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Suggested Prayer: Father God, we come into your presence in our Lord Jesus Christ name, and in the power of the Holy Spirit. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Your agape love and forgiveness you have done on the Cross of Calvary, and continue to intercede for us in prayer. Thank you Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter. Thank you for the wisdom, knowledge, understanding, courage and strength. We cling, yield, plug-in and tune-in to you Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s Words, obey them, receive Your divine revelation, know the Truth that sets us free, and apply them in our lives, in our Lord Jesus Christ name, Amen!

God bless you all and our families!

In Malachi 3:10-12 AMPC says, “10 Bring all the tithes (the whole tenth of your income) into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and prove Me now by it”, says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” [Malachi 2:2.] 11 “And I will rebuke the devourer (insects and plagues) for your sakes and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground, neither shall your vine drop its fruits before the time in the field,” says the Lord of hosts. 12 “And all nations shall call you happy and blessed, for you shall be a land of delight”, says the Lord of hosts.

If the people would obey God, giving as they should, God would flood His people with blessings. There would be an overabundance of God’s blessing if He was given what He requested.