JOY! Magazine July 2021

I recently heard a pastor’s wife share a powerful testimony when giving the offering message in their church. She told the story of when she had stopped at a shopping centre to buy some groceries. She had parked in the basement and quickly dashed upstairs to the store. When she got back to her car, she looked around and did not see a car guard. She shared how she felt quite relieved, as she didn’t have any small change on her (and one feels so bad and cheesy to say “sorry I don’t have any money today” – it can be quite irritating for both parties). A change of perspective The pastor’s wife packed her groceries into the boot and got in the car. She quickly glanced at her phone…

So now its winter, a time for nature to sleep as the days are shorter, the temperatures lower, there is frost in the air, and maybe even snow in some places! I am pleased as it’s a good time for my family to stay at home with me, keeping warm and rested! Some people may think us doggies sleep a lot, but it’s a natural instinct for us – we know when we need to rest our bodies. Most people work during the daytime when they can see what they are doing, and sleep at night when it is dark. My Arnie (Aunty Trish) says that God made the seventh day specially for resting. She says rest is important, as without sleep and rest our minds and bodies will not…

JOY is edifying I’d like to let you know that I’m reading JOY Magazine (Easter Issue) and just can’t put it down. Your Christian material is extensively informative and edifying. I just can’t wait for the forthcoming copy. May God bless you immensely. Dr. Tony Mphahlele (PhD) Perhaps Jesus wasn’t always serious? With both understanding and sadness, I read one of the letters to the editor in your May issue – “A Deadly-Serious Mission”. I fully understand the stance of the writer, who criticised JOY for depicting Jesus as happy and laughing. It reminds me of one article that talked about how many people mistake child-like faith with childishness. I fully understand again why the writer cited John 15:20, “If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.” However,…

Lord, thank You forYour invitationTo come and dine with You.I feel so very humbleCan this really be true? That You, the King of KingsShould invite a sinner like meTo dine at Your banqueting table,To come and dine for free? Thank You for the bannerDisplayed upon the wallThat says “I am yoursand you are mine”and makes me feel so small. “My banner over you is love”Are Your amazing words to me.I am so very gratefulTo be Yours for all eternity.know that my sins are forgiven.You have sealed that factwith Your Blood.You have clothed mewith Your righteousness.No longer do I live in the mud.…

Most South Africans take religious freedom for granted. After all, our Constitution specifically guarantees religious freedom, and we love to state that 80% of our population claim to be Christian! Church vs State Our Constitutional Court has defined religious freedom as the right to believe, but also to freely speak about and live out your religious convictions and beliefs. Far from being incidental, religious beliefs are an inherent part of human dignity. No one should ever be forced to choose between obeying the state (with penalties and sanctions if you do not), or God (with potentially eternal consequences if you do not). The history of the Church shows that – if faced with such a choice – sincere Christians will choose to die rather than to disobey God. A well-organised…

Understanding the concept of the Fear of God is a good and noble thing to do. It will help us in our own daily walk with God, and will also assist us to share the Good News with others. A definition There is a lot to say about this topic, but a brief description will suffice. There are different ways in which the Bible uses the word that denotes fear, but I want to mention only two of them: If we ignore Christ, we ignore the only One who can bring us to God. 1 The first is a HOLY FEAR. According to Martin Luther, humans cannot fear God perfectly due to their sinful fallenness. Theologian Rudolf Otter suggests that we cannot even shudder or feel horror in the real…