What is the greatest joy for humankind in the world? Receiving the Spirit of God. It is the greatest joy for humankind in the world. Humankind receives joy from different aspects. Successfulness of works, receiving any thing one is longing to possess and earning good name. A man who was elected to hold the highest office of the country as the President of India was seen wept out of joy. Men and women who win championship in different games and sports weep out of joy. Such things are really matters of great joy in the world but joy in the world and heavenly joy are different.
Jesus said to his disciples, “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete”. (John 15:11). Joy in the world cannot be complete without joy in Christ. Believers of Jesus who receive the Holy Spirit receive the joy of Christ.
The people who are in sin live in darkness without knowing the truth and they do not know what joy really is. But those who repent of their sins and believe in Jesus Christ receive forgiveness of their sins, become sons and daughters of God and have assurance of eternal salvation through their faith in Jesus Christ for his crucifixion and resurrection for them, they have peace and joy which they did not know before. It is the work of the Spirit of God. But Jesus said to his disciples, “I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high”. (Luke 24:48)
The vast difference of the lives of the disciples of Jesus Christ before they received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and after it is the real instance of receiving power. After Pentecost if a disciple of Christ was asked a question, “Have you received power?” Will he answer, “I think so”? His experience of receiving the power of the Holy Spirit will be to him unspeakable; his joy will be indescribable. Today if you are asked this question,” Have you received the power of the Holy Spirit,?” what will be your reply? The joy and wonder experienced by the disciples of Jesus Christ when they received the power of the holy Spirit is meant for all believers of Christ. “Until you are clothed with power from on high,” is inclusive of you.
If all of the contemporary believers are who say, “We have personally experienced the true and wonderful fulfillment of the promise made by the Father to send the Holy Spirit after the ascension of Christ,” how far the world will change Joy in the Holy Spirit is the taste of heavenly joy. Those who have the joy, self-glory and praising become filthy matter. (Phil. 3:7-8). The Pleasure of the flesh and the joy of the Holy Spirit are opposite and inimical. (Rom. 8:5-7)
Formerly when we were in animistic religion, the joy of the people in observing festivals was for nothing other than for time of recreation, special preparation for eating and drinking, entertaining one another, singing and dancing and putting on new dresses. Even today if the same festivals are to be observed, the enjoyment will be for nothing other than such things. The believers of Christ who have real joy in the Holy Spirit which is the joy of Christ, their mindset abhor such practices though it may not be an open protest. If Nagaland is aflame with Holy Spirit Revival, the people will not participate in the festivals such as Sekrenyi, Moatsü, Tuluni and the like even preparations are made. When outpouring of the Holy Spirit was going on in Ao area, the cinema hall at Mokokchung was said to have been empty. The professed believers of Christ who do not taste the joy of Christ are leaders of pagan festivals. They are not to be blamed because they do not know it.
NBCC had celebrated Platinum with highly modern preparations. We praise God because it projected the advancement of the Nagas in many ways. A sad thing is that for the participants whether nationals or foreigners the objective should be in such a way that the people can receive spiritual nourishment and go back with new blessing but besides that the precious time was interrupted with performances of forefathers’ cultural programmes. I wish that such practice is not a tradition of the Church.
God gave his Son Jesus Christ so that he died and rose up from death for all. It is because those who are redeemed and saved may reign together with him in heaven. “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” (Rom. 14:17). Joy in the Holy Spirit is the greatest joy in the world.
Rev. L. Suohie Mhasi
