JOY! Magazine is one of the premier Christian Family Magazines in the world, covering a range of content including breaking Christian news, relevant current affairs, articles on marriage and family, devotional teachings and much more!
ED’S NOTE From the EDITOR “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 I am so excited to work with and see all the wonderful young rising ‘shining stars’ (the Bible says that soul winners will be like shining stars in eternity). Both men and women, these dynamic, enthusiastic, driven evangelists are carrying out the Great Commission in our country and beyond. Pray for evangelists Over the past few years, more and…
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. A gem I received your magazine in one of the goody bags that was given at a ladies empowerment event last week. I’m really enjoying all the insightful articles and encouragements. Wow, your magazine is really a gem. Tania Swart Love your new style! Your new magazine format, and especially the ‘Who’s in the News’ section, is very interesting and informative. JOY! Magazine is such a winning, powerful magazine. My favourite. Seleby Lekota Phenomenal…
In his classic on the spiritual life, author Richard Foster wrote that “Superficiality is the curse of our age.” Foster wrote this in 1978. One can only wonder what he would think of the state of Christianity four decades later. If we are honest, it is safe to say that the symptoms of a superficial faith abound. We have feelgood preaching without substance, congregational worship that is emotive but lacking in depth, and weekly Bible studies that often do not contribute to Christ-likeness. A quote from John Stott Looking back over the last century, John Stott made the following statement on the state of the Church: “As we face the new millennium, we acknowledge that the state of the Church is marked by growth without depth. Our zeal to go…
POETRY • Psalm 111 is an example of an acrostic psalm. Each line begins with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet from beginning to end (22 letters). • Other examples of acrostics can be found in Psalms 9, 10, 25, 34, 37, 112, 119, & 145. * acrostic = a poem or other composition in which the first letter (or syllable or word) of each line spells out a word or message. City on a Hill Why does the Bible say that people were always “going up” to Jerusalem? Because Jerusalem sits upon a hill, and no matter what direction you approach from, you will always be going up to it. TWO GLOBAL FLOODS THE EARTH HAS BEEN COMPLETELY COVERED WITH WATER TWICE: • At the beginning of creation…
JAMES 1:1-16 APPEARANCEBRETHRENBURNINGCONCEIVEDCOUNTCROWNDECEIVEDDESIRES DOUBTINGDRIVENENDURESENTICEDEXALTATIONFIELDFLOWERGLORY HUMILIATIONLACKINGLIBERALLYPATIENCEPERISHESPURSUITSPRODUCESPROMISED REPROACHTEMPTATIONTESTTOSSEDTRIALSUNSTABLEWISDOM 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 16. After you test yourself, try reading the questions aloud to a friend or family member and see how they do! 1 Name the demon Jesus cast out in the region of the Gerasenes? 2 How many people saw Jesus after he came back from the dead? 3 True or False: Ananias and Sapphira died after lying to the apostles…
In today’s world, gentleness is one of the least evident characteristics or virtues. It is extremely rare, and some even deem it a weakness. But what exactly is gentleness? Gentleness comes from having humility and an outpouring of love. It’s being courteous and sensitive to how you come across to others. Being gentle is being selfless and patient. Gentleness is neither weak nor fragile. Guided by love Being gentle doesn’t mean that you are weak. It means that your strength is completely in control and that a form of love and compassion is guiding your actions. A gentle person still speaks the entire truth, even truth that can be hard to hear, but he/she does so in a way that is absolutely loving. Gentleness is meekness. It is possessing strength…
