Warrior Church Home Fellowship Study

Dr. Kevin Zadai 03-12-2023

The Joy of the Lord

"If you have the Holy Spirit inside of you, you have joy because it's just a part of Who God is."

~Kevin Zadai

Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
—Nehemiah 8:10b

DISCUSSION:
This week I want to share the revelation I received about joy. We have heard and quoted Nehemiah 8:10, which expresses that the joy of the Lord is our strength. I want to encourage you with the revelation from the Holy Spirit regarding joy as one of the fruits of the spirit that Paul lists in Galatians 5:22-23. Joy is not one of the gifts of the Spirit; it's actually a fruit of the Spirit, which means it's a characteristic or a character trait of God himself. Also, it's a supernatural endowment.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JOY AND HAPPINESS
Joy is not the same as happiness. Happiness is an emotion from the soul, which means that it is fleeting. One moment a person can feel happy, and the next, they may feel sadness. I've seen people change from being happy to sad in a moment like a lightning flash or lights turning on and off; they shifted that quickly. So happiness is not a gift of the spirit, a character trait of God, or an impartation.

It is essential to understand that the spirit and soul of a person are two different parts that are connected. When I was in Heaven, this is what the Lord showed me:

• Joy is a fruit or a characteristic.

• Joy is a part of Who the Holy Spirit is.

• The Holy Spirit produces joy within your spirit.

• Joy is spiritual; it flows from Spirit to spirit, from the Holy Spirit to your spirit.

• On the other hand, happiness is an emotional feeling of the soul.

• Emotions change all the time. One moment, you could be happy you passed your test, then sad because something terrible happened.

• In contrast, the fruits of the Spirit or God's character traits are supernatural, such as joy, love, and peace.

• These traits are all endowments that come from the other realm, the spirit realm.

o Discuss the difference between how a person's spirit and soul are influenced.

What is the difference between joy and happiness?

JOY IS AN ATTRIBUTE OF GOD
If you have the Holy Spirit inside, you have joy because it's just part of Who God is. You must learn to think this way. I realized that if I have the joy of the Lord inside of me and that joy of the Lord is my strength, I can tap into that. Now I encourage others with this revelation because I noticed how many people base their happiness on superficial things.

When I worked full-time at Southwest Airlines, I observed how people's feelings were affected by how things were going and whether they had certain things. Many were unhappy because they could not afford what they wanted. I noticed how the emotional state of individuals would change during the day, for example, when flights were canceled, or airplanes broke, causing delays. They would be upset until they were suddenly informed that they could take the rest of the day off with pay because the airplane would not be able to fly. As soon as they realized they could go home, they were immediately happy because the problem worked in their favor. The Lord encouraged me, saying, "You must yield to joy so that you're consistent all the time."

Joy is not based on circumstances; it's an attitude that impacts how you approach situations. I want to encourage you with the reality that the fruit of the Spirit, the joy of the Lord, is your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). This strength-giving joy will always be there, no matter what happens to you.

CONNECTED TO THE SOURCE OF JOY
Be cheerful with joyous celebration in every season of life. Let joy overflow, for you are united with the Anointed One!
—Philippians 4:4 TPT

We should be encouraged by Philippians 4:4 because we are actually attached to Jesus. He is the Anointed One, which means He has an unlimited supply. John 15 teaches that Jesus is the Vine and we are the branches; we receive our life flow from the Vine. Note that we are not the source; we are connected to the Source. You cannot base your happiness on events or situations because they change. God wants us to be more consistent and on a higher level, which is a spiritual level.

But the fruit produced by the Holy Spirit within you is divine love in all its varied expressions: joy that overflows, peace that subdues, patience that endures, kindness in action, a life full of virtue, faith that prevails, gentleness of heart, and strength of spirit. Never set the law above these qualities, for they are meant to be limitless.
—Galatians 5:22-23 TPT

The Holy Spirit has different characteristics of love, peace, and joy, which are all fruits of the Spirit that Paul talks about in Galatians 2:22-23. These traits of the Holy Spirit are supposed to be transferred to you in your Spirit. The Lord's joy gives you strength; as mentioned, it is a supernatural endowment.   

Warrior Church Home Fellowship Study

Dr. Kevin Zadai 03-12-2023

THE STANDARD INSIDE OF YOU

You have to have some sort of standard within you so that you don't bend no matter what. Many people wonder why I don't get upset when bad things happen. We should all be leaders who understand that people are always observing us. When something happens, they always look to us.

When I worked for the airlines, and we experienced turbulence on a flight or heard a strange sound, everybody would look right at me. They would always look at the flight attendants to see our reactions. When other flight attendants would joke around, acting alarmed and pretending to be afraid, I would correct them, reminding them the passengers were looking to us. When there was an emergency on a flight, such as someone having a heart attack or some other physical problem, the passengers would all look to me and my reaction to it. So I would always smile and be calm.

I always made sure to complete my training, no matter what it was. I understood that if I were trained, every situation would work out; and every time, it always did. In all 30 years, I had many times where we had suspected heart attacks, yet none of those people died on the airplane. They all came back. We were able to revive them.

DRAW FROM A HIGHER STANDARD

You must learn to draw from a higher standard than what you're going through at the time. The people at work saw my strength and would draw from that. So I would always be joyful and tell my teammates, "Listen, you're a leader." You have to have a higher standard because people are looking for someone to lead.

My co-workers used to ask me why I was so happy, even when our flight was canceled, or something negative happened. I answered, "Because there's nothing we can do about it." Everybody really will follow you. So if you are a certain way, it seems like everybody else follows the same way. If you want to lead the pack, you must set the standard and have a positive attitude.

Though I taught others to have a standard of joy, I wasn't always perfect; sometimes, I would get caught up in my circumstances, too. I learned through my years, being in a job where everything was volatile and changed. There was nothing predictable about an airline, weather, maintenance, and dealing with hundreds of people.

Nothing is solid except the way that you handle it. You have to be a leader.

AN UNLIMITED SUPPLY OF THE OIL OF JOY

But to the Son He says, "Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. You rule with a scepter of justice. You love justice and hate evil. Therefore, O God, your God, has anointed You, pouring out the oil of joy on You more than on anyone else.

—Hebrews 1:8-9 NLT

Remember, as believers, we are connected to the Vine, and that joy comes from

Jesus, the Anointed One (John 15:1-5). There is an unlimited supply. There were times when I was being tested and could have easily yielded to contrary circumstances and negative emotions. The only way I could survive was to think about the flow of the oil of joy. I would envision the oil of joy flowing out from Jesus in and through me. It took a while to learn. I'm not going to tell you it happened instantly, but I was able to help a lot of people because I remained stable. That's what a leader is, and that's what God has called us all to do.

I want you to truly understand that there is a difference between happiness and joy because joy is something spiritual that comes from God. Happiness is a human emotion that can be altered by circumstances or even the chemical reactions in your body. People all around you could be happy, and you could be completely depressed and not even know why. It may be a result of a chemical imbalance in your body.

Happiness is a momentary feeling, but the joy of the Lord is supernatural, and that's your strength. Make sure you understand that God is consistent in the Spirit; He doesn't change. One of those unchanging characteristics is that He has joy and wants to give it to you.

PRAYER:

Father, in the name of Jesus, thank You for all our family all over the world. Thank You that the power of the Holy Spirit has anointed everyone and that they are receiving an impartation of joy. Thank you, Lord, for causing it to bubble up within them. Let that supernatural impartation be released right now, in the name of Jesus. May joy reign in their lives. I break the power of the devil. I drive out every depressing spirit and break every demonic power in the name of Jesus. Demons, I break your power, and I send you out. You let go of God's people right now! And I believe, Lord, that right now You're releasing joy right now in everyone's heart, in the name of Jesus, amen.

1. We are not the source of our own joy; we are connected to the Source (John 15). Discuss how this revelation helps us to be more consistent in our response to circumstances.

2. Discuss the characteristics of the Holy Spirit described in Galatians 5:22-23. How are these traits transferred to your spirit?

3. The joy of the Lord is a supernatural endowment that you can always tap into. Discuss ways you can access this unlimited supply when you need

strength.

4. According to this Bible Study, what does it mean to be a leader? Why is it so important for a godly leader to maintain the joy of the Lord?

5. When facing challenges, are you usually unshakeable, trusting God, or do you allow emotions to dictate your reaction? What does it mean to "draw from a higher standard" when facing difficult circumstances?