Tabla de contenidos para April 2023 en JOY! Magazine

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths.”– Proverbs 3:5-6 I am so grateful that I was taught to always seek the Lord first, no matter how trivial an issue. I know that the Lord cares for even the tiniest details in our lives. I also know that true intimacy with our Father gives us access to Him anytime, anywhere, and with any issue. Struggling to remember The other day, I went to an appointment with a physiotherapist. As I came out of her practice, I bumped into a lady who looked extremely familiar – yet I had no idea who she was. I smiled at her, and she smiled back…

Daily provisions The daily provisions for Solomon’s palace were: 150 bushels of flour, 300 bushels of meal, 10 stall fed cattle, 20 pasture fed cattle, 100 sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks, and choice fowl (1 Kings 4:22-23). When David ordered Joab and the army commanders to count all of the fighting men of Israel, it took them 9 months and 20 days. There were 1,300,000 men (2 Sam 24:1-9). Fish Jesus used "fish" to perform a miracle four times in His earthly ministry: 1. Feeding 5000 (Matt 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17, John 6:1-13) 2. When a coin appeared in the mouth of a fish to pay taxes (Matt 17:27) 3. When Jesus told Simon Peter to let down his nets again, then they were filled…

Asbury University revival – tens of thousands of students gather to worship Last month, tens of thousands of Christians gathered at a university campus in the USA to worship the Lord, share their testimonies, and praise His holy Name. This unplanned explosion started as part of a scheduled chapel service on the morning of February 8 at Hughes Auditorium at the Christian institution in Wilmore, Kentucky. The service transformed into a constant impromptu gathering, generating international attention and expanding outside of the walls of the chapel. For weeks, Christians from other states travelled to the campus, and Christians from across the world even flew in to be a part of this movement. New churches and worship sites opened their doors to accommodate the influx of worshippers. “The hunger of people…

In an initiative to create an environment where every South African child can receive a basic education free from unfair discrimination, harassment, and bullying, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) has drafted guidelines for socio-educational inclusion of Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, Expression and Sex Characteristics (SOGIESC) in schools. These guidelines are still in draft form and, at the time of printing, were not yet open for public comment. Once finalised, they will be for public schools’ consideration. Non-binding recommendation Important to note is that the guidelines are not Departmental policy. Rather, they are the Department’s recommendation to public schools about how to address issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity and how the school’s policy (if any) should look. Schools remain free to use their discretion. Department’s engagement with…

Perhaps you’ve been in a situation where you have required help from a stranger. It may be that your car broke down on the roadside, or you were in need of quick medical help and someone came to your aid. We often call such people “good Samaritans” after the parable we’re studying this month. However, such a “do something good for someone else” moral doesn’t quite hit the point that Jesus originally made with this story, and leaving our interpretation at such a shallow level will miss His deeper meaning. Helping your neighbour Indeed, this parable has an altruist angle. The Samaritan goes out of his way to help the wounded man, even putting himself in extreme physical difficulty (he allows the wounded man to ride his own donkey down…

TESTIMONY I recently went onto a Christian dating site. Those who know me well would either start laughing, or ask me if I prayed about it. That is because they know about the promise God gave me. My outlook on online dating sites – even Christian ones – has not really changed, and I am still holding on to God’s promise. I just acted out of overwhelming curiosity to see what it was all about. Creating my profile I had to create a profile. So even though I had no intention of finding my husband on the site, I answered the questions for my profile honestly. Not being sure what to expect, I just answered what I was comfortable with. Taking an interest This site shows you potential matches based…

There are few topics more sensitive to discuss than money—or more necessary. Have you had “the money talk” with your children or grandchildren? I hope so, because money—and everything that money can buy and represent—is the number one competitor for your children’s hearts. Money is the root of evil Remember the story that Jesus told of the rich man whose philosophy of wealth Jesus described as foolish (Luke 12:15-21)? Instead of guarding “against all kinds of greed” because “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (v. 15), the man relied on his riches to be able to “eat, drink, and be merry”. Unfortunately, he died before he could. The rich man sounds like someone the writer of Ecclesiastes was picturing when he wrote that “whoever loves money never…

D ear 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. A happy subscriber! Hello, you amazing JOY! folks. Joy comes in the morning! What a blessing it was to find the latest JOY! Magazine delivered to my doorstep today. Thank you for such a delightful magazine. Love and blessings to all of you. Yvonne Miles International reading How can I get a copy of your magazine in the US? I love Joshua Aaron and would love to read his story! Joshua baptised me…

Herman Mashaba prioritises God The founder and leader of Action SA is confident his party will benefit hugely from a silent revolution among fed up South Africans who had previously never bothered to become registered voters. Mashaba tweets a Bible verse to his followers every single morning. In an interview with BizNews he mentioned, “There’s no way we’re going to make it as a society if we take God out of our lives, out of our spirits.” Speaking of the failed ANC government, Mashaba exclaimed, “The ANC is determined to destroy our families. Show me any ethical leaders in the ANC who are actually committed to doing the right things. They don’t have God in them. They know God will prevent them from doing the wrong things. Whereas in my…

You’ve heard of the Lord’s Prayer and the Apostles’ Creed, but have you ever heard of the Apostles’ Prayer? Actually, the “Apostles’ Prayer” is not a technical term, which would explain why you’re not familiar with it. Instead, it’s my description of the one and only time that the Bible records a prayer prayed jointly by these early Church leaders. We can learn a lot from it for ourselves today. Persecuting Jewish apostles In the book of Acts we read that there was government persecution of the believers, in this case, the Jewish leadership imprisoning the Jewish apostles. This persecution was the result of powerful miracles being performed in Jesus’ Name and thousands of Jewish people putting their faith in Him as Messiah and Lord. In order “to stop this…

This testimony follows the life journey of Jordyn, a 28-year-old digital marketer, podcast producer, and musician based in Cape Town. Growing up in a family of pastors, she was introduced to Jesus at a young age, but struggled with perfectionism and an eating disorder. Through her journey, Jordyn learnt the power of dying to self and trusting in God’s divine plan. Q Tell us more about your family background I grew up in Pietermaritzburg. My parents, grandparents, and the majority of my aunts and uncles are pastors – so we ‘grew up’ in church. What a privilege to serve and go on missions as a family. We’re very close and very loving. Q Navigating to find Jesus yourself, what was that journey like? What an adventure! My parents led…

Unfortunately, we will all experience grief at some point in our lives. I don’t know about you, but I often feel like I need to know exactly how to respond when someone is grieving, and I need to know the exact right words, or I am failing somehow. But the thing is – people who are grieving just want love and support. And in an effort to help you find the right things to say or text, here are some tips. How to respond to someone who is grieving: 1. “I’m so sorry. I don’t have words, but I’m here for you, whatever you need.” 2. “I don’t know what to say, but I love you and I’m here for you and with you.” 3. “What do you need in…

Here at JOY! Magazine, we start each morning with prayer and devotion. These sessions often turn into interesting conversations on differing worldview matters, and what the biblical view should be. Recently, we discussed a topic that challenged me: men and their roles in society. As a man, I have been aware of the recent onslaught on men and their identity in Christ. The Bible encourages men to live with integrity and to be examples of righteousness. Looking to the Bible While studying this topic and looking at examples in the Bible, I find much wisdom when studying the life of Joseph and his character, which helps me to measure my own life. Joseph’s story teaches us about the importance of forgiveness, integrity, humility, and wisdom. These are all valuable qualities…

WORD SEARCH MARK 8:1-21 ASSUREDLYATEBASKETSBEWAREBREADCOMPASSIONDALMANUTHADEPARTED DISCIPLESDISPUTEEARSEYESFAINTFISHFILLEDFORGOTTEN FRAGMENTSGENERATIONHEARHEEDHUNGRYLOAVESMULTITUDEPERCEIVE PHARISEESREASONEDSEESEVENTHOUSANDUNDERSTANDWILDERNESS 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 77. After you test yourself, try reading the questions aloud to a friend or family member and see how they do! 1 There were two men who never died in the Bible. Elijah was one, who was the other? 2 Samson used a donkey’s jaw bone to kill how many men? 3 How old was Jesus when the…

No obstacle will ever leave you the way it found you. You will either be better or worse. Problems are the price of progress. The obstacles of life are intended to make us better, not bitter. Adversity has advantages. The truth is that if you like things easy, you will have difficulties. If you like problems, you will succeed. The biggest successes are the ones who solve the biggest problems. The Bible is a book of problems filled with stories of men and women who faced incredible challenges and, with God’s help, overcame them and found themselves at another level. The Chinese have a proverb that says, “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.” It seems that great trials are the necessary preparation for greatness.…

Do you remember emotion flooding over you when, in his song about Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, Don Francisco’s vibrato voice proclaimed, “He’s alive! He’s alive! He’s alive!”? Or what about Carman’s iconic song“The Champion”, which paints the scene of Jesus crushing death and sin? For many of us who walked a lonely path as born-again teenagers, these gospel artists were our friends and mentors. How many of us have been encouraged and strengthened to persevere in our faith by their albums and songs? With this feature we would like to pay tribute to the contemporary gospel artists who helped to shape the faith of many Christians. It is impossible to name them all, so if we left out one of your favourites, email us and tell us who your pick…

FEATURE A leading ministry stated that its vision was “creating churches that unchurched people love”. This is a highly commendable goal. Seek to present the real Jesus Let us present the real Jesus, the Jesus to whom the crowds swarmed, the Jesus who ate with despised tax collectors and prostitutes. And let us demonstrate real, New Testament love, the kind of love that embraces the outcasts and meets people where they are. After all, Jesus said that He came “to seek and save the lost” (Luke 19:10). By all means, let us have this same philosophy, avoiding religious hypocrisy, self-righteousness, and “holier than thou” attitudes. Every community of believers should strive to live this out, be it in home Bible studies, on our jobs, in our neighbourhoods, or in our…

Have you ever wondered whether you are living your life’s true purpose? This is a question with which many of us struggle, only about 25% of adults claim to know what their true purpose is. When I began my happiness journey ten years ago, I took a step back to re-evaluate my life and ask myself some important questions. “Am I happy in the life I am living?”, “Is this all there is to life?” and “Am I living my life’s true purpose and full potential?” I felt as though something was missing. There was a void within me that I could not fill, no matter what I did, bought, earned, or achieved. The thought occurred to me that perhaps this void was linked to me not living my true…

Over the last few issues of JOY!, I have been sharing insights about the day of Pentecost in the Bible (Acts 2). In my previous writings about a “new day of Pentecost”, I laboured the need for oneness in the Body of Christ if we want to experience a fresh visitation of the Holy Spirit. If we truly long for an open heaven, then we must take up the responsibility to fulfil the necessary conditions for heaven to manifest in our realm. Heaven will respond to our oneness. If the Church of Jesus Christ expresses unity of faith, then heaven will not be a shock to our system, and we will not offend the Holy Spirit who has been mandated by the Father to bring heaven to us on earth.…

Secret believers in Central Asia often face a big challenge regarding the issue of honour and shame, as upholding the honour of the family is one of the most important duties, particularly when it comes to women. Samida*, a 26-year-old Christian woman from Central Asia, is bringing shame on her family in two ways: She is still single, and she has strayed from her family traditions and culture by adhering to a ‘foreign religion’. You can empower abused women to remain steadfast when persecuted. A shame to be single In Samida’s culture, not being married and having children by the age of 21 is considered unusual – never mind the age of 26. Marriage is viewed as a way for women to achieve a respectable status – a level of…