JOY! Magazine

Happy new year! I wish you everything of the best for this year ahead. Each day is a blessing from the Lord, let us use 2023 wisely. Dedicating yourself to God’s service Have you ever ‘consecrated’ yourself to the Lord? I am not talking about when you got saved and invited Jesus into your heart, but rather the deliberate act of dedicating yourself to the service and worship of God. This normally happens when you realise that you have a set time on earth and that you have been given gifts by the Holy Spirit to use to glorify God. It’s a time when you discover your purpose for being alive and then decide how you want to use this time and talent to build up heavenly rewards. Bowing before the Lord When this…

Dear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to editor@joymag.co.za for a chance to be featured – please try to keep letters to 150 words as we have limited space. WOW! WHAT A BEAUTIFUL CHRISTMAS COVER! GOD BLESS YOU. Joanne Hathrill My new favourite magazine! Since I found your informative and educative magazine on the shelves, my life totally changed for the best! I have grown in my understanding of the Word of God. As I write this letter, I am busy with my theological studies at a college that I learnt about through this magazine. JOY! assisted me in finding the best Christian college to study at.…

ACTS 25 ACCUSEAGRIPPAAMBUSHAPPEALEDAUTHORITYBERNICECAESAREA COMPLAINTSCONCERNINGCONFERREDDESTRUCTIONELDERSFAVORFELIX FESTUSHIMSELFINFORMEDJUDGEDJUDGEMENTOFFENDEDOPPORTUNITY PETITIONEDPRISONERREMAINEDROMANSSERIOUSSUMMON This word search was crafted by Theresa Jones, a Cape Town-based author. Theresa has recently brought out her own fun book of Biblical word searches and multiple choice questions. If you would like to order a copy for only R90, email holyspiritinspirations@gmail.com Test Your BIBLE KNOWLEDGE See how many of these you can fill in before checking the answers on page 25. After you test yourself, try reading the questions aloud to a friend or family member and see how they do! 1 What did King Solomon ask God to give him? 2 Whose weapons were ‘trumpets, pitchers and lamps’ when he fought the Midianites? 3 Which prophet was lifted up in a whirlwind in a chariot of fire and horses? 4 What does the name Jesus mean in Hebrew? 5 Which disciple did not want Jesus…

It breaks my heart to see so many homeless people begging on the streets. I can’t help everyone, but what can I do? My resources are so limited. The Bible encourages us to give generously, cheerfully, and according to our ability to those in need (Pro 28:27; 2 Cor 8:12; 2 Cor 9:7,8; Rom 12:8). This doesn’t mean that we should thoughtlessly give money to someone whose next stop may be the corner liquor store. We must always remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leadership in these matters. Pray fervently for those you can’t afford to support, as well as those you do. Keep in mind that specialised agencies can receive our donations and spend them wisely. A practical way of helping the poor is to give them gift certificates for…

I will be honest – I struggled towards the end of last year. I felt like I was rushing, stressing, and constantly thinking about the future, never really living in the moment or cherishing the ‘now’. This led to me feeling burnt out and exhausted in December – in desperate need of a break. Even over the Christmas time… I usually LOVE Christmas decorations. I have boxes and boxes of décor in my garage, and over the years I have always gone all out – it brings me so much joy. But not last year. I am embarrassed to admit that I didn’t decorate my house, I didn’t even put up a tree. I felt like my house was already too cluttered, and I knew that adding more goodies would…

What a wonderful opportunity to have a new beginning every year, a fresh start. I am not talking about New Year’s resolutions – those good things that we should do, but that we all know that we never actually end up doing. Let us do something different this year. Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, so we may get a heart of wisdom” – Psalm 90:12. Every second, minute, hour, day, week, and month of 2023 is God’s gift to each of us. Let us redeem it wisely. 1 Close the chapter Consider this. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past” – Isaiah 43:18. We need to put the good and the bad of last year behind us in order to embrace the new things that God…