WITCHCRAFT IS NO LONGER EVIL

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Deeply disturbing reality purportedly at center of new Disney film ‘Hocus Pocus 2’

The film has an unexpected twist: Witchcraft is no longer evil. When “Hocus Pocus,” directed by Kenny Ortega, was released in 1993, “satanic panic” had been running wild across the country for more than a decade, as witches and Satanists were blamed for harming young children and corrupting teenagers

Flash-forward 29 years. Satanic panic is ancient history and modern witchcraft has fully emerged from the proverbial broom closet, legally recognized and accepted as a spiritual path and religion. Pentacles appear on gravestones even in veteran’s cemeteries. Prison chaplains host Wiccan circles and Satanists fight openly for religious equality.

Belissa Escobedo as Izzy, left, and Whitney Peak as Becca in Disney’s “Hocus Pocus 2,” exclusively on Disney+. Photo by Matt Kennedy. © 2022 Disney Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved

Occult practices, such as tarot, are now openly practiced by teens from all walks of life and all faiths.

The portrayal of witchcraft and the Sanderson sisters in the new film had to change to meet the times.

Disney’s writers did this by injecting a prototypical “Sabrina” teen witch into the narrative. “You’re a witch,” exclaims Izzy (Belissa Escobedo) to Becca (Whitney Peak), two of the three teenagers who make up the new movie’s new coven and learn to combine their girl power to fight evil magic. The writers add crystals, herbs and moon pendants, all available at the local metaphysical store. The teens banish a curse with counterclockwise movements and use salt as a means of protection. 

In the new film, witchcraft is just a tool that can be used as its practitioners see fit. “Power is meant to be shared,” Izzy says. 

Director Anne Fletcher (“The Proposal”) includes a glimpse of the 1993 Marshall scene as tribute to the original, but Satan is no longer the source of the witches’ magic — nature is. The forest, where the teens’ rituals are held, is called sacred and, as shown in a flashback to the witches’ childhood in old Salem, the spell book they use is given to them by another woodland witch, not the devil. 

This is just more evidence we are in the prophesied “last days” prior to Jesus return. As I have mentioned many times on this website there were 300 plus prophecies of Jesus first coming to earth as given in Isaiah 53.

“But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds 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.” Isaiah 53:5-6

But there are 2000 prophecies about Jesus second coming to earth so we cannot say Jesus has not warned us beforehand.

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short… For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:21-22, 24-25

MANKIND AND CREATION’S VASTNESS

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God in His Word reveals why He created human beings. We are meant to be in a relationship with Him.

Genesis 1:27 states: “God created mankind in his own image.”

Psalms 8:1–5 says: “O Lord … What is man that You take thought of him … Yet You have made him a little lower than God, And You crown him with glory and majesty!”

John 3:16 explains God gave humans His son to redeem us out of His love for us.

The vast expanse of space

These texts show that God is human-oriented: human beings are like God, and he values us highly.

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands” Psalms 8:3-6

Note the contrast between vv. 3–4 and v. 5. Looking at the stars causes the psalmist to ask why He (God) cares for us. And yet in verse 5, He crowns us with glory and honour. The psalmist is clearly capable of meditating on his own insignificance in the light of the sky, and yet he also acknowledges God’s care for us in the way He made us.

Solomon makes a similar observation, this time concerning God dwelling in the temple he has just built.

“But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built! 1 Kings 8:27

Solomon prayed these words after God had manifested his special presence in the temple (1 Kings 8:10–11), so he wasn’t questioning whether God would care enough to dwell in the temple. Rather, he was marvelling that God would condescend so far and fill the temple with His glory. This is even more evident in the Incarnation, where the eternal Word of God “tabernacles among us” (John 1:14) as the human Jesus of Nazareth.

The vastness of the universe impresses on us God’s sheer immensity. Even the cosmos, as large as it is, can’t contain God! But we’re so small. Little dots on a single speck of a planet floating in some nondescript place in the vast cosmic dark. Does it make God feel immense? Of course, it does!

And yet, we are right at the centre of God’s spiritual concerns. The Incarnation proves that. But this disjunct is precisely what we’d expect of God.

“For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: ‘I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.’” Isaiah 57:15

God is a God of loving condescension. He voluntarily descends from His transcendent dignity to care for us “mere specks of dust”. What better way for God to create a context for that impression than to create a vast universe in which we’re alone on a tiny speck in the vast cosmic dark? He fills all things, yet concerns himself with us so much that He sends His eternal Son to become one of us to bring us into eternal communion with Him by making it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the eternal Holy Spirit to indwell our spirit.

“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Our spirit was always meant to be indwelt by the Holy Spirit, as this verse shows, our spirit is the lamp of the Lord which needs the Holy Spirit to function as God intended.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

Extract from the article “Why did God make such a big universe?” by Shaun Doyle 19th July 2022 http://www.creation.com

ITALIANS HAVE MADE A WISE CHOICE

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Italy has elected Giorgia Meloni, its first female prime minister, whose focus on protecting the institution of the family and national identity has caused some media outlets to compare her ideology to “fascism.”

The 45-year-old firebrand insists she’s no fascist, just a proud conservative and nationalist, comfortable nevertheless with some of the hallmarks of Italian fascism, like this motto: God, fatherland and family,” CBS’ Chris Livesay reported.

Meloni’s previous strategy of rejecting any participation in government and remaining true to being the only opposition party through three different governments now seems to have paid off. Dissatisfied with all the other parties, many Italians seem prepared to vote for her.

The politician’s supporters see her as committed to upholding the values of God, family, and country as European leaders increasingly embrace cosmopolitan and secular values of supranational organizations like the European Union as opposed to individual nation-states. However, mainstream media outlets have tied Meloni and her party to fascism. As conservative political commentator Ann Coulter pointed out, a New York Times article used the word “fascist” or “fascism” 28 times when discussing the possibility of a Meloni victory.

Meloni has elaborated on her philosophy in multiple speeches over the past few years. In a speech at the World Congress of Families in 2019, she asked, “Why is the family an enemy? Why is the family so frightening?” “There is a single answer to all these questions,” she suggested. “Because it defines us. Because it is our identity. Because everything that defines us is now an enemy for those who would like us to no longer have an identity and to simply be perfect consumer slaves.”

Meloni lamented what she viewed as attacks on “national identity,” “religious identity,” “gender identity” and “family identity.” She expressed concern that “I can’t define myself as Italian, Christian, woman, mother” but instead must define herself as “citizen x, gender x, parent 1, parent 2.”

“I must be a number. Because when I am only a number, when I no longer have an identity or roots, then I will be the perfect slave at the mercy of financial speculators,” she added. Meloni stated that her opposition to serving as “the perfect slave at the mercy of financial speculators” is why “we inspire so much fear.” Meloni vowed to “defend the value of the human being,” stressing that “each of us has a unique genetic code that is unrepeatable.” “That is sacred. We will defend it. We will defend God, family and country, those things that disgust people so much,” Meloni said. The Italian politician cited the defence of God, family and country as necessary to “defend our freedom” and ensure that “we will never be slaves and simple consumers at the mercy of financial speculators.”

DEMONIC DECEPTION IS REAL, SAYS EX-PSYCHIC

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An ex-psychic whose encounter with tarot card reading as a child led her on a journey into new-age practices and the occult is offering a dire warning about the “deception” and dangers she encountered.

Jenn Nizza spent years doing readings and communicating with what she believed were the dead loved ones of her clients — until she had an encounter with Jesus that changed everything.

The hidden dangers of alternative spirituality in contemporary America and its churches.

Nizza recently told “The Playing With Fire Podcast” about how her journey into the occult unfolded at a “very young age” when the “door was open” inside her home. Despite being culturally Catholic, she said paranormal discussions were a regular occurrence with her family.

“In my home, it was very acceptable to talk about paranormal activity, what people commonly call ghosts, which, of course, were demons,” she said. “I had my very first tarot card reading [at the age of 13].”

Around the same time, Nizza said she had already begun experiencing what she now believes was demonic oppression. She started having dreams about events that would essentially come true. Rather than flee from these practices and experiences, Nizza became enamored and dove in even deeper after her first tarot reading.

“That’s when I really walked through the door, because I was so intrigued by it, and I started seeking it out. … I went full-in,” she said. “It was a rabbit hole of destruction. … I had my own tarot cards. I kept going for readings; I became addicted to it.” Nizza found herself exploring numerology (the occultic practice of exploring the relation of numbers to events) and astrology (divination that involves celestial objects), among other techniques.

At the same time, she faced struggles with depression, as well as an eating disorder.

Still, Nizza forged on and started doing readings for friends, family, and eventually other clients. She said she eventually believed “every single lie the New Age,” told her.

She Believed She Was Helping

Nizza said she really believed she was helping people through her “abilities” and made an important proclamation about many of the psychics and mediums she has known. While many Christians might assume these individuals have diabolical plans, most believe they’re assisting others.

“This is part of the destruction that happens,” she said. “I think it’s the first line of deception … I’ve always been a compassionate person and these psychic mediums, for the most part, are nice, compassionate people that really do want to help other people.”

But people engaging in such things, she said, have become spiritually vulnerable, believing the evil they’ve allowed in is somehow a form of good.

“Satan masquerades as an angel of light,” Nizza said. “You think that you’re a servant of righteousness.”

“For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” 2 Corinthians 11:13-14

A Warning About Demons

Rather than receiving information from sources of good, she said demons, whom she described as fallen angels, are “giving psychics information.”

“Demons are real and they hate us, and they hate God, and they’re on a mission to get us away from the Lord,” Nizza said, adding they predict what will unfold but can’t know for sure.

As a former medium, she believed she was communicating with the dead but now acknowledges the spirits she once channeled were demonic.

“There is no good spirit talking to a psychic. … They masquerade as your deceased loved ones,” Nizza said. “When it seemed like mom or dad or grandma, and you’re crying with your client … that seems good and comfortable.” But the ex-psychic said mediums are actually convening with evil.

Finding Jesus in the Mess

As for Nizza’s own journey away from the occult, she said she eventually hit her absolute lowest point and found herself calling out to Christ.

“When I was 36, I first cried out to Jesus,” she said. “I was at the lowest of the low, the lowest moments of my life — one of the darkest moments. … My soul, my spirit, knew to cry out to Jesus. I needed Him.”

By the time she turned 37, her Christian journey had finally begun.

Reflecting on all that unfolded, Nizza — who believes she was oppressed throughout her life but not possessed — found it fascinating she turned to Christ rather than the spirits she spent years adoring.

“I didn’t cry out to a deceased person, a spirit guide, an angel, anybody who I thought I was communicating with all those years,” she said. “I cried out to Jesus Christ and He really did show up.”

Nizza continued, “The Gospel is what saves.”

She also offered a warning to anyone considering or in the midst of pondering occultic and New-Age practices: beware of the dangers. “If you go down the wrong road — it just takes one tarot card reader on TikTok, one person in the new age, one ‘love and lighter’ to tell you that you are gifted,” she said. “And you are going to go down the rabbit hole of destruction.”

DEMONIC ACTIVITY PREVALENT IN THE LAST DAYS

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From the author that brought you 6 New York Times best-selling books including The Harbinger, The Book of Mysteries, The Oracle and The Harbinger II

Jonathan Cahn joins Erick Stakelbeck on TBN’s Praise to discuss his new book, The Return of the Gods. Cahn takes his readers on an unforgettable journey into the mysterious secrets of Biblical and ancient Middle Eastern parables and inscriptions — information that sheds light on the cataclysmic occurrences taking place right now in America and across the earth. These ancient prophecies and mysteries hold important clues to both the wickedness assaulting our world today and who is involved in initiating it, from the evil and troubling images that confront us on our computer monitors and television screens, to the breakdown of society and culture, the attack on our communities, families, and children, and the alarming present-day transformation of America and the world?

Biblical prophecy reveals; Jesus told us beforehand (Olivet Discourse in Matthew and Luke) that prior to His return it will be like the days of Noah when lawlessness abounded and indeed demonic activity was rife.

A BIBLICAL WORLDVIEW IS CRITICAL

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A biblical worldview is critical because that’s what enables you to become a true disciple of Jesus Christ. Romans 12 talks to us about, ‘you have to have your mind renewed’, you must be ‘transformed’ by that ‘renewing of your mind’ with God’s principles at the core of all of your thoughts so that you can in fact live like Christ.”

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Romans 12:2

Moreover, this is impossible unless we have been born again with the Holy Spirit now indwelling our spirit. Proverbs tells us that the spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord and of course a lamp needs oil to function which is, of course, the Holy Spirit. To function as God intended we have always needed the Holy Spirit to be our counsellor, our comforter, and our teacher.

“The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all his innermost parts.” Proverbs 20:27

 Also, according to Barna, the only way to achieve cultural transformation is if people choose to “believe God’s truths,” which in turn will allow them to “act upon those truths based upon those things that you believe.”

“We are here to be salt and light. That’s what transformation is: changing the world around us forever based on God’s truths. But in order to do that, we need a healthy church. We need believers who get it, believers who are willing to put their lives on the line. Today’s traditional church and leadership model has veered far from Christ’s New Testament model of disciples making disciples typically in house churches.

In fact, a study released earlier this year by the Cultural Research Centre of 1,000 pastors found that only 37% of Christian pastors in the United States have a biblical worldview. The majority possess the hybrid syncretism worldview.

“As you read the Scriptures, you find that biblically, it is the role of the community of faith, i.e., our churches, to be supporting families and particularly parents in that process, equipping them for raising up their children to be dynamic followers of Jesus Christ,” Barna advised. Only the church model Jesus established, as described in the Book of Acts, will achieve that goal. I a convinced that the House church model is Jesus model and the institutional church will not survive the prophesied “end times” tribulation.

TIME TO BE COURAGEOUS AND SPEAK OUT AGAINST EVIL

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Pastor John MacArthur of Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, delivered a scathing open letter to California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) this week, accusing the leader of “rewarding evildoers and punishing the righteous.” More leaders need to be courageous and speak out as MacArthur did regardless of the outcome or cost.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom

The Sept. 29 missive, seemingly sparked by Newsom’s decision to place pro-abortion billboards in conservative states, takes aim, among other grievances, at the liberal governor’s use of the Bible on those placards.

As Faithwire recently reported, Newsom employed Jesus’ words in Mark 12:31, placing the following message on billboards advertising abortion in at least two states: “Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment than these.”

MacArthur took explicit aim at this action and called the governor’s use of Jesus’ words an “act of gross blasphemy.” He then summarized the campaign as sheer “wickedness.”

“In mid-September, you revealed to the entire nation how thoroughly rebellious against God you are when you sponsored billboards across America promoting the slaughter of children, whom He creates in the womb (Psalm 139:13–16; Isaiah 45:9–12),” MacArthur wrote. “You further compounded the wickedness of that murderous campaign with a reprehensible act of gross blasphemy, quoting the very words of Jesus from Mark 12:31 as if you could somehow twist His meaning and arrogate His name in favor of butchering unborn infants.”

And he wasn’t done there. Earlier in the letter, the popular preacher went on to cite the Prophet Isaiah’s warning against calling good evil and evil good, claiming many of Newsom’s policies reflect an “unholy, upside-down view of honor and morality.”

MacArthur said the “diabolical effects” of Newsom’s beliefs are being seen in crime, homelessness, and other cultural consequences in California.

The pastor wrote that his goal in penning the letter — rather than political posturing or arguing — was to “plead” with Newsom to listen to the Lord.

“My concern, Governor Newsom, is that your own soul lies in grave, eternal peril,” MacArthur wrote. “You will stand in the presence of the Holy God who created you, who is your Judge, and He will demand that you give an account for how you have flouted His authority in your governing, and how you have twisted His own Holy Word to rationalize it.”

MacArthur offered hope Newsom might come to know Christ and turn from the aforementioned actions and said he and others are praying for the governor’s “full repentance” and reliance on Christ.

AMERICA IS A NATION IN CRISIS

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Prominent Evangelical pollster George Barna says that most Americans blend their beliefs to create “a customized worldview” that is far from biblical as the country is in a spiritual “crisis.” The founder of The Barna Group, who now leads the Cultural Research Centre of Arizona Christian University, spoke recently at the Family Research Council’s (FRC) Pray Vote Stand Summit, a Christian conservative voting rally held in Atlanta. Barna told those gathered that he believes one of the “brilliant strategies of the evil one” is luring people into believing that they can combine and adopt as many worldviews as they want. Barna warned that “America is a nation in crisis” because its citizens do not hold a biblical worldview and will instead add their own “worldly ideas.”

He said, only 2% of U.S. parents with children under the age of 13 have a biblical worldview. “Why does that matter?” Barna said. “Because you can’t give what you don’t have. And here we have 98 out of every 100 parents in America who cannot give their children a biblical worldview because they don’t have one.

Barna cited research conducted by the Cultural Research Centre showing that there are seven major worldviews that Americans are most influenced by: biblical theism, Eastern mysticism, Marxism, moralistic therapeutic deism, nihilism, postmodernism and secular humanism. “As we look at America today, we know that there are a number of competing worldviews competing for the heart and the soul of the nation,” Barna said. “Each has a different understanding of everything that takes place in the world, a different explanation for why things are happening, a different concept of how you might best live your life.” The most common worldview isn’t any of the eight main adopted ones, according to Barna, who noted that the primary worldview dominating America is “syncretism,” or varying combinations of all eight worldviews into one belief system.

make sure you subscribe to Creation magazine – http://www.creation.com

Australia is not much different from America in the speed with which it is moving away from a Biblical worldview. As mentioned, Barna believes one of the “brilliant strategies of the evil one” is luring people into believing that they can combine and adopt as many worldviews as they want. The way Satan has done that is by getting the teaching institutions, schools, and universities, to teach evolution, not creation, is how this world came into existence. The Bible’s account of Creation, the Fall, and the worldwide flood of Noah’s day is all myth, hence Genesis the foundational book of the Bible is not true so why should any of the Bible be true.

God has raised up many ministries to correct the attacks on God’s Word. One that was birthed in my country but now worldwide is Creation Ministries International: http://www.creation.com. One of the two founders of this ministry Ken Ham also birthed Answers in Genesis in the USA: http://www.answersingenesis.org.

BE ON THE WINNING SIDE: JESUS AND THE SAINTS WIN

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Bible prophecy reminds us that Jesus, the King of Kings, will have the last word in the end, because only He is “the ruler of the kings of the earth” Revelation 1:5

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,” Daniel 2:44

“And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’” Daniel 7:27

“Now, therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.” Psalms 2:10-12

The final battle of Armageddon when Jesus and the resurrected Saints come against the Antichrist and his army is a one-sided affair as the following Scripture shows

“And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Revelation 19:14-16

Note Jesus gives authority to the resurrected Saints to rule with Him on this earth with a “rod of iron” during His Millennial reign. Jesus’ Millennial reign (people being born and people still dying) is a transition period before the cosmos is destroyed. What follows is a second resurrection, the White Throne judgement, and a new heaven and earth where only the righteous dwell.

“The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” Revelation 2:26-29

“They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:4-5

Despite the fact that Satan is bound for most of the thousand years, Jesus and the Saints still need to rule with a rod of iron which shows that many will still rebel against God’s commandments and rule. We are also told that when Satan is released he is able to raise an army “their number is like the sand of the sea”.

“And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him so that he might not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be released for a little while.” Revelation 20:2-3

Whose side will you be on during the coming tribulation will you submit to the Antichrist and take the “mark of the beast” in order to survive or will you trust God no matter what comes your way?

WHAT IS YOUR GREATEST SOURCE OF JOY?

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What is our greatest source of joy? Paul pointed to the Holy Spirit:

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23

Sadly, many church people believe they are saved but have never been born again of the Holy Spirit. Unless a person has truly repented of their sin and rebellion against God and understood and accepted what Jesus Christ has achieved for them by dying on The Cross and then given testimony of dying to self by being baptised then they have not received the Holy Spirit to enable them to live the Christian life.

Jesus made it possible for our Heavenly Father to send the third person of the Trinity to be our Counsellor, Comforter, and Healer. He provides the gifts of the Holy Spirit for ministry. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are not for you to use how you want. They have specific purposes for God’s Kingdom. They are intended to glorify God by revealing more of who He is and displaying His sovereignty and power over all things.

“To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another, the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another, gifts of healing by the one Spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another, various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.” 1 Corinthians 12:7-11

Back to JOY: commenting on chara, the Greek Word usually rendered “joy” in this passage, the United Bible Societies’ translation handbook advises, “In some languages, joy is essentially equivalent to ‘causes people to be very happy.’ In order to indicate that this joy is not merely some passing experience, one may say ‘to be truly happy within their hearts.’ In some languages, joy is expressed idiomatically as ‘to be warm within one’s heart,’ or ‘to dance within one’s heart.’”

The beauty of God’s creation is a major source of joy

If it seems that the translators are taking liberties by saying “happy” instead of “joyful,” note that the other eight adjectives perfectly correspond to the nouns used in the English Standard Version and the New American Standard Bible. Chara is the only Greek word in this passage rendered differently by the CEV translators. Their goal was faithfulness to the original language. “Joy” is a good translation of chara, but so too is its synonym “happiness.”

Some suggest that the order of the ninefold fruit of the Spirit is significant and that love is named first because “the greatest . . . is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13). If this is true, then joy’s position as the second listed might imply it’s the second greatest.

Why does Paul emphasize joy and the other eight components of the Spirit’s fruit in the context of his attack on legalism in Galatians? Reading between the lines, we might surmise that joy was too rare among the Christians there, as it often is today.

Joy, along with the fruit of the Spirit, stands in contrast to the works of the flesh (see Galatians 5:19-21). Only new life in Christ equips the believer to walk in the Spirit (see Galatians 5:16-18, 24-25).

The permanence of the Holy Spirit’s indwelling in our lives allows us to continually access supernatural joy/happiness. To be robbed of the ability to rejoice or of the source of joy, a believer would have to be robbed of our joyful God’s indwelling.

adapted from an article “The Fruit of the Spirit Are Ingredients of Happiness” August 3, 2020, by Randy Alcorn – http://www.patheos.com