Joy of the Lord
A few days before I
received into manifestation the Holy Spirit and was flooded to
overflowing, the Lord had given me a word, shantabfabulabalibalaba.
I laughed and I laughed and I laughed.
When I told Bev (my
wife) that the Lord had given me a word, she asked what it was. When
I told her, I began to laugh and laugh again, but she began to cry
immediately. A friend of ours, Carolyn Pelsis came over shortly
after that day and wanted to know what was going on, I told her and she
too wanted to know what word was given me. When I told her, she also
began to cry immediately as again I began to laugh and laugh.
I believe it was the
next day or so, I finished reading the Bible. As I was turning to
begin in Genesis, I glanced at the book of Jeremiah. My attention
was drawn to verse 15:16. Thy words were found, and I did eat them;
and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of my heart: for I am
called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts. I knew this verse by memory
from Seminary days. I laughed and I laughed and I laughed.
That night I attended a
Christian motorcycle meeting held in New Haven, Connecticut. When
Linda Taylor came in there was this affinity or spiritual connection
towards her. Then Walt Twohill came in and the same thing happened.
After the meeting, I said hello to Linda and her husband Dave who is the
President of the Chapter. I wanted to meet Walt, but they said he
had left. Some one ran and brought him back in. We met and he
said to me, “Bruce, I have a word from the Lord for you. The joy of the
Lord is your strength.” I started to laugh again. Then Linda
told me that she too had a word from the Lord for me. The joy of the
Lord is your strength. I laughed and said that I knew where it was
from. Nehemiah 8:10. Then I shared with them about the passage
from Jeremiah 15:16 that morning.
Outside they prayed for
me for almost an hour. I laughed and laughed until I thought I would
die. I thought there was a bright street light above us the whole
time. When they stopped, I discovered there was no light at all.
A short time later I was flooded to overflowing and spoke in the tongues.
Oh yes, everyone asks what does shantabfabulabalibalaba mean? I
asked the Lord and it came up, the joy of the Lord is your strength.
So I wrote this song.
Bruce