Dear Friend,
There is a certain type of happiness – we will call such joy – that is truly divine. While Christians are often warned not to be driven by feelings, this heavenly emotion is one that the believer can draw strength from, without being suspicious of its origin or trustworthiness. Such is not dependant on outward circumstances or emotional highs, it is neither neutral, fleshy nor fickle in its nature. On the contrary, this joy is holy, powerful, steadfast and enduring, a gift given freely from the hand of God.
Listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5 v 22, joy has a divine character. Indeed, all emotions and qualities listed herein are divine. For, how can the Holy Spirit of a holy God produce anything in us that is not perfectly good and righteous? This would be impossible. Joy is nothing less than a heavenly impartation. Furthermore, it would seem that joy is a favourite gift of the Spirit. Indeed, at our Fire Conferences, believers who receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit frequently testify of an irrepressible joy that bubbles up from deep within. “I have never felt such joy,” said one lady at a recent event. “I want to jump up and down over and over again!” In fact, the Bible frequently describes the anointing of God as the oil of gladness. Joy and the Holy Spirit go hand-in-hand, Scripture makes this abundantly clear! In Luke 1 v 39 – 56, an encounter between Elizabeth, pregnant with John the Baptist, and Mary, pregnant with Jesus, beautifully connects the filling of the Holy Spirit with the sublime emotion of joy.
Just as joy is evident in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, so it is also evident in the receiving of salvation. This is the story of a 19-year- old girl who gave her life to Jesus at our Bophelong Crusade in November 2011.
Yours in Him,
Tamryn Klintworth
Evangelist
DIVINE JOY
This is the story of a 19-year-old girl who surrendered her life to Jesus at a crusade held by In His Name Ministries in Bophelong, South Africa.
Weary and confused, young Julia Mkhwanazi was searching for direction and purpose. Rocked by peer pressure, confused by varying opinions of the truth, her world threatened to implode. Surely, what she was experiencing could not be the sum total of what this world had to offer? Julia was far from giving up on life, however, happiness evaded her like shadows before the rising sun.
Deep inside, Julia longed to know the truth – the absolute truth. She longed to feel a peace that could not be shaken, she longed to encounter the Jesus she had heard so much about but had never met. Upon receiving word of the upcoming In His Name Crusade from a friend, she felt something inside her say, “This is it!” Knowing that her moment had come, she attended the event. “I so badly wanted to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I wanted to be happy,” the young high school student said. “I felt touched by the Word of God and it made me want to get saved.”
By the time the altar call was made, she could no longer contain herself. Julia was ecstatic! Running to the front, she accepted Him as her Lord. “I felt like something was being lifted off of me as the Holy Spirit entered my heart,” she explained. Then, out of the blue, she experienced an emotion she had never felt before. “I was so happy, I felt extreme happiness, I felt – joy!” In a single moment, the life of this precious young woman was entirely transformed. Elation replaced sorrow, certainty overwhelmed confusion and fear dissipated before her newfound Saviour. God was real. Jesus loved her. A heavenly joy flooded her soul. Oh, how He loves us! The joy of our salvation is so precious. Surely, nothing can compare!
Tamryn is the founder of In His Name Ministries, an evangelistic organisation dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ throughout Africa and the world. Find her on Facebook under Tamryn Klintworth or visit the ministry website at:
WWW.INHISNAME.ORG.ZA