Table of contents for Feb/March 2017 in JOY! Magazine

“MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY OPPORTUNITY IN THESE EVIL DAYS.” - EPHESIANS 5:16 January is over, yet I still marvel at what an exciting year lies before us. As Christians, we need to rejoice that the spirit of the anti-Christ has taken a huge blow worldwide, particularly with the defeat of the ultra-left wing Democratic Party in the USA. Liberals are screaming, “what happened” and “what is happening” as their lofty plans crumble and their wicked ways are being exposed and challenged at every turn. We need to pray more than ever before that the scales will continue falling off the eyes of the elect, so that we will all arise and boldly proclaim the Gospel, salvation, and the Lord’s Will for governments and societies. Christianity has been under severe…

A heart of gold Viva! for promoting women and especially Jo Swart – she has a true heart of gold. We are told to love and care for the lost but we don’t always do this – she is an example to us. Thanks for publishing these ladies. Lucy Mabula Credit where it is due Fiona Des Fontaine is one of the most incredible women of God in this country. Her personal testimony and love for our Father is beyond comprehension. JOY! should publish her personal story as it brings and will bring victory to those who suffer persecution from the devil. She understands the deliverance ministry and had helped many to find freedom. Name withheld Best present ever! Best Christmas present ever – a subscription to your magazine –…

Officials of New Mexico are standing up for their Christian faith and are poised to defy a local court ruling declaring a holy Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of their city hall as unconstitutional. The controversial monument was built in 2011 after a resolution was approved allowing private citizens to place historical displays at Bloomfield City Hall. Although the resolution was approved by the city council, the construction of the monument was funded by private money. Now 6 years later, a group of citizens are calling for the monument to be torn down as they say it makes them feel alienated from their community, as they are not Christians.…

On the first Saturday of the year, in the dynamic business district of Sandton, over three hundred individuals could be found at the Times of Ascension conference: a one-day event featuring Pastor Theophile Kiluba, founder of the worldwide evangelical movement: Jesus Christ to all Languages (JTL). The programme consisted of electrifying musical renditions by choir Voices of Heaven, internationally acclaimed saxophonist Ayo Solanke, and singer Aniete Ezeimo, an interview with Pastor Kiluba, and preaching. In his interview, Pastor Kiluba illustrated how the mind of God for this nation is that no sinner shall perish but all may come to the knowledge of truth. The preacher in him was awakened by his passion for salvation of souls as he stood up and declared, “Ezekiel spoke to the dry bones! If you…

Dr. Gottfried Martens, a pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Berlin, says the government is rejecting almost all applications for asylum from most of the church’s Iranian refugee members and many Afghan refugee members as well. Many have waited years in Germany for the government to hear their cases and are now receiving deportation notices. In a recent letter to friends and supporters, Martens called the hearings “kangaroo courts in which our congregational members and candidates for baptism have absolutely no chance of presenting what is important to them.” Martens also said that Muslim translators are falsely translating the refugees’ comments about their faith. In Germany, converting to Christianity means persecution if a refugee is sent home. That likelihood greatly increases their chances of winning asylum. Martens is also concerned…

The UN has reported that taking children to church violates their human rights. A highly controversial new report by the U.N. Committee on the Rights of the Child expresses “concern” that pupils in the U.K. are legally required to take part in a daily act of collective worship, which is “wholly or mainly of a broadly Christian character.” Conservative MP David Burrowes described the criticism as “ludicrous” and said the government can “respectfully put those kinds of reports in the bin where they belong.”…

Open Doors’seeks to equip churches to offer holistic help to persecuted Christians. We welcome you to a training session in a secret location in East Africa… All the people present are former Muslims who continue to follow Christ despite severe persecution. Most of them have faced threats and attacks, through which they have pressed on. But the constant pressure from their families and communities has been the most difficult to survive. Churches are unable to help What makes it even harder for them, is that churches are often unable to help with their practical needs because they don’t have the finances, and also because they view economic activities as worldly, unimportant, and unrelated to church ministry. This has left many new believers feeling despondent and struggling to provide an income…

This is a question for which there is definitely a clear and explicit Biblical answer. First John 2:19 declares, “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.” This Scripture makes it abundantly clear – there is no such thing as an ex-Christian. If a person is truly a Christian, he/she will never depart from the faith “…for if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us…” If a person who claimed to be a Christian denies the faith, he/she was not truly a Christian. “They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us…their going…

“IN CHRIST” MEANS THAT YOU CAN’T FAIL. “You must be willing to implement God’s ways and methods in every aspect of business.“ – Graeme Reynolds Sometimes walking between the wheels of the enormous Caterpillar bulldozers and trucks that are stationed on my property, I remember the words of my late father. Always principled and scrupulously fair in his business dealings, he taught me to question the motive behind a ‘good deal’ and told me to always have the courage to walk away from any deal that was corrupt, with even a hint of underhanded business practices. The construction and mining industry can be a ruthless and difficult environment. The rules are different. This became more obvious to me after I committed my life and this business, which had been formed…

This ISOM programme is currently the largest video Bible school on earth. There are millions of Christians who need to be equipped to accomplish God’s purposes. In my last article I shared about why I had developed the International School of Ministry (ISOM). I was, for more than three years, the television producer for Reinhard Bonnke. This position allowed me to witness millions of decisions for Christ. Realising that many pastors were floundering in discipling this harvest, I developed a church-based video Bible school using the best teachers that I could find.These were people like Reinhard Bonnke, John Bevere, Joyce Meyer, and Jack Hayford. This ISOM programme is currently the largest video Bible school on earth, with over 330 000 students in 147 nations and has more than 17 000…

Marilyn Hickey, 85, preached to over a million people in Karachi, the largest city in Pakistan, earlier in November. The momentous meeting came during an eight-day missions trip to Pakistan. But that trip and the millions reached for Christ were the fruits of seeds planted years before. In 1995, Hickey said she felt called by the Lord to minister in Muslim co u nt r i e s, specifically in Pakistan. She held healing meetings in Lahore, the capital city of the Punjab province, and attracted thousands. “It was absolutely a destiny time,” Hickey said.“So I went. The first night, I remember we had 4 000 people. By the fourth night, we had over 20 000. Lots of people were saved. Lots of people were Spirit-filled, delivered, healed. So in…

In his final speech as Vice-President, delivered at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Switzerland, Joe Biden lamented the recent losses faced by the “progressive democratic movement”. Pointing to Russia as the cause of much of the threats to Western globalist interests, he suggested the New World Order is now facing imminent collapse. “Whether we reinforce the ties that bind us, or whether we unravel under current pressures—those choices must be made in every nation, and they will determine what kind of world we leave to our children,” he said. “For the past seven decades, the choices we have made—particularly the United States and our Allies in Europe—have steered our world down a clear path. “Our careful attention to building and sustaining a liberal international order—with the United States…

For the last four-and-a-half decades, Tom Selleck has inspired, romanced, and captured the hearts of countless viewers. Whether in his influential roles in Magnum P.I. or Blue Bloods or The Closer, Selleck has drawn on an uncanny acting ability that he credits to one thing and one thing only – his faith in Jesus Christ. While you’ve probably always liked Tom Selleck, you’ll find an even deeper respect for the actor after learning about his humble beginnings and his faith in Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour. Selleck shared, “I try very hard to conduct myself in an ethical way, because that’s important to my stability now. We’re a culture that’s so centered on the individual,” Selleck complains. “The culture says that basically nothing is more important than the…

A small Christian community in Paharaiya, a village in northwestern Sri Lanka, say they won’t be seeking revenge against a group of radical Buddhists who destroyed their local church, and will continue to worship and pray – even if only under a tree. The 12 Buddhist attackers, led by a monk, have been freed on bail after they destroyed the Kithu Sevana (House of Christ) in Paharaiya, which was used by over 15 families and 20 other worshipers as a place to come together and pray. “No attack can stop us. We shall continue to love God and pray under a tree,” said Kamal Wasantha, a local farmer who is a member of the Christian community. Wasantha insisted that despite the loss of their church, the Christians have no desire…

Israel’s tourism industry is experiencing record-breaking numbers, with November’s income from tourism almost matching the annual Israel tourism marketing budget. Some 287 900 tourists entered Israel in November last year, consisting of a 38% rise as compared with November 2015. During the first 11 months of 2016, a total of 2651400 tourists entered Israel, an increase of approximately 2% when compared with the same period the previous year. November’s numbers represent the highest ever total for tourists for that month of the Year. “The intensive marketing efforts that we have invested in new markets such as China and India, together with focused campaigns for the winter season, have led to a record-breaking number of tourists entering Israel during November,” stated Tourism Minister Yariv Levin. In August, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism…

Mike Pence (Vice President) “My Christian faith is at the heart of who I am”and“I’m a Christian, a conservative and a Republican, in that order.” Betsy DeVos (Education) Has“deep ties to the Christian Reformed community”. She sees education as“one of the ways that God advances His kingdom.” Reince Preibus (Chief of Staff) “At Grace Church, Reince Priebus is known as a principled and devout Christian.” Rex Tillerson (Secretary of State) It has been reported on the radio that Tilerrson is a devout Christian who attends Church weekly and teaches Bible Study. Jeff Sessions (Attorney General) Sessions has served as a lay leader at a Methodist church. He served as the Chairman of his church’s board. Scott Pruitt (Env Protection Agency) The Pruitts are members of the First Baptist Church of…

THE FOUNDATION OF OUR FAITH–Johan Lombard 10 years ago the Lord caused me to connect with a wonderful man, who became a dear friend. I was privileged to introduce him to the Lord and to the family of God, and for many years we walked together in the faith. Then one day he informed me that he no longer believed in God. I was devastated and I asked God many questions as to how this was possible. I could not understand how this had happened, and because of all the questions in my heart, this event took me on a journey of studying faith for myself. I asked the Lord to give me a better understanding and a clearer perspective on faith. Allow me to share with you that which…

TAMRYN KLINTWORTH When John the Baptist baptised Jesus in the river Jordan, God the Father was not going to be left out. He was eager to baptise Jesus as well. But, not with water. Rather, with the Holy Spirit! (Matt 3:16-17). By being filled with the Spirit Himself, Jesus set a pattern for His children to follow. Once saved, the next step for the believer is this marvellous infilling. Before Jesus was filled, He did no mighty works. After He was filled – He became unstoppable. The Holy Spirit baptism is the most essential, empowering, and necessary experience that a born-again believer can have. When you accept Jesus as Saviour, the Spirit does indeed come and make His home in you. However, being baptised with Him involves far more than…

Evangelism • The Final Authority (Why Evangelise Children?) • 1, 2, 3, Jesus Loves Me (Helping Children Understand the Message of Salvation) • Guiding the Child to the Saviour (Counselling the Unsaved Child for Salvation) • Inside—Outside (Ministering to Children Through the Local Church) Child study • From a Child’s Perspective (Understanding Children) • Discover Your Child’s World (Age-group Characteristics) • I’m Not Too Little! (Taking the Preschool Challenge) Teaching God’s Word • Life-changing Evangelistic Bible Lessons (Bible Lesson Preparation and Presentation) • Life-changing Growth Bible Lessons (Bible Lesson Preparation and Presentation) • Drawing in the Net (The Salvation Invitation) Class hour • Foundations for Life (Bible Verses—More than Memorising) • I Will Sing a New Song (Singing—Music with a Message) • Around the Corner—Around the World (Missions—Bringing the World…

Jimmy has a fire inside of him to unashamedly preach the Gospel and reach out to those around him. Jimmy Crompton, also known as James Richard Crompton, is the senior pastor and visionary of Word of Faith Christian Centre in Port Elizabeth. Jimmy went into ministry in 1967, and celebrates 50 years in ministry this year. Family history Born on the 21st of May 1943, Jimmy grew up in Cape Town in his parents’ missionary home during the 2nd World War. He was named after his father’s best friend, James (Jimmy) Salter, who was the son-in-law of Smith Wigglesworth, the great British Evangelist. A fire inside Raised in a home where prophecy, miracles, and evangelism were part of everyday life, Jimmy loved Jesus from a very young age, yet his…

A six-year-old boy from Florida, Jacoby Enge, amazed his parents when he told them he not only wanted a superhero birthday party, but he also wanted the Gospel preached at his party so his friends would accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour. Megan Enge, Jacoby’s mom, said her son first mentioned the idea on the way home from daycare. She said Jacoby wanted to invite Peter Vandenberg, vice president of Christ For All Nations, to his party. That’s the ministry founded by evangelist Reinhard Bonnke and where Jacoby’s dad works. Jacoby’s birthday wish was granted as Vandenberg agreed to share the Gospel at the party, and his dad, Rob, said more than 15 children and adults accepted Christ.…

President Donald J. Trump invoked the Creator and how God will protect America in his inaugural speech as the 45th President of the United States of America. “The Bible tells us, how good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity. We must speak our minds openly, debate our disagreements honestly, but always pursue solidarity. … There should be no fear. We are protected, and we will always be protected by the great men and women of our military and law enforcement – and most importantly, we will be protected by God.” President Trump has instilled a lot of faith in the American people as he constantly looks to and refers to God as being the only hope for the USA. May the next few years be…

Seven Baptist families are living in a wine cellar after being expelled from their village because of their faith. The townspeople of Tuxpan de Bolanos, in the western Mexican state of Jalisco, voted to kick the families out of the village after they refused to recant their faith. Rosa Blanca Vázquez de la Rosa remembers that fateful day. “They put us in the vans and abandoned us right there outside the village,” Rosa told World Watch Monitor. “{We had} nothing at all but the clothes we had on when they came.” The plight of these families is just another example of the decades-long struggle that evangelical Christians in rural parts of Catholic-majority Mexico have experienced. For the past year, Rosa and the other families have been living in temporary shelters…

Israel’s Miraculous Ultrasound Brain Treatment Cured 50 Patients! Haifa’s Rambam Hospital has used non-invasive focused ultrasound brain treatment to cure patients of essential tremor. This process invloves advanced non-invasive brain surgery using the focused ultrasound technology (FUS). High intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is an early stage medical technology that is in various stages of development worldwide to treat a range of disorders. HIFU is typically performed with real-time imaging via ultrasound or MRI to enable treatment targeting and monitoring (including thermal tracking with MRI).…

TWR’s founder had a positive influence in ‘Thru the Bible’ becoming a phenomenon. Many thousands of TWR Africa’s listeners across our continent can attest that Dr. J Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible programmes have meant more to them in learning and understanding God’s Word than has any other source of Biblical training! Over 100 different languages What makes this immensely popular Bible teaching series so phenomenal is that the same in-depth study heard by listeners in North America each week is also heard by millions of people around the world in more than 100 different languages. Decades after Dr. McGee’s passing, his programmes continue day-by-day to inspire and disciple listeners around the world towards a better and systematic understanding of the God of the Bible. For millions of African listeners,…

1 Corinthians is important for the Church today – so many of the difficulties and struggles the Corinthian believers experienced in the first century still occur in the twenty-first century. Paul’s productive missionary journeys Paul founded the church in Corinth during his second missionary journey, where he met fellow tentmakers Priscilla and Aquila (Acts 18:2-3). Once Silas and Timothy joined Paul, he was able to devote himself entirely to preaching and teaching. Many were converted, including the synagogue ruler and his household (v. 8). Paul remained in Corinth for 18 months. On his third missionary journey, Paul spent considerable time in Ephesus, where he penned several letters to the Corinthian believers (1 Cor. 16:8). Most New Testament scholars surmise that this is not Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians, as…

An important feature of wise decision-making is valuing good counsel. Making choices is never easy, whatever stage of life we might find ourselves at. Whether we’ve just left college and are seeking that first step on the career ladder, or whether we’re well established in our job and contemplating moving to a new ladder altogether, it can be difficult to know the right way forward. But there are steps that we can take if we want to make good choices. 1. The first step is to consider We must stop, pause, and weigh the options, making sure that we understand the facts and the risks. It’s important to take the time to cultivate wisdom, refraining from rushing headfirst into rash decision-making. For me as a Christian, that time of consideration…

“Greatness is not a function of circumstance. Greatness, it turns out, is largely a matter of conscious choice and discipline”– Jim Collins Q: Are all your processes running without drama and driving industry-leading profitability? A: Even if you have a well-developed strategy, without an execution plan there is no guarantee of success. There are three disciplines fundamental to execution: • Set priorities: Less is more in driving focus and alignment. • Use objective data: Qualitative and quantitative feedback from accurate data provides clarity and foresight. • Set up meeting rhythms: Give yourself time to make better/faster decisions by creating regular opportunities to meet, review and agree on action, with the appropriate stakeholders. “Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before men.” – Proverbs:22:29.…

YOUR COMMON SENSE PERSPECTIVE WILL GUIDE YOU The world we live in is not exactly in a great way right now. A look at the news will highlight numerous serious social, religious, environmental, political, and economic disasters. With the ongoing enhancements to social media, these challenges are just heightened and exacerbated. It is seldom possible to make sense of it all and the more we seem to look into matters the more confusing it is. Keep perspective The world seems very polarised, with ongoing flare-ups of violence and destruction. Being able to keep perspective in these kinds of environments is what enables us to sleep well at night. Our personal faith helps to put matters into perspective. For as long as we live in this world, the economy will have…

“For God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit , who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:5 LILLIAN VAN DER WESTHUIZEN A RELATIONSHIP OF LOVE What kind of a love relationship do you have with God, with yourself, and others around you? “For God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” – Romans 5:5. I never realised that you could have a relationship with yourself until I faced a major situation in my life. Romans 5:5 became a revelation to me in that He poured out His love in my heart. It was never something that I had thought of until God began teaching me how to love. I had to look…

We broadcast a mix of local and international content on DStv channel 343. South African award-winning artist Loyiso Bala is not only loved locally, but is quickly becoming an internationally acclaimed artist. Loyiso has the rare ability to cross over and interlink the secular and Christian markets, across multiple media platforms, transcending cultural boundaries which makes him a true example of the scriptural “Jew to the Jews”– 1 Corinthians 9:20-22. JOY! caught up with Loyiso to pick his heart, after one year of being involved with TBN in Africa. Q. What has been your involvement at TBN in Africa? A. I am the presenter and co-producer of one of TBN’s flagship shows called TBN Meets, a premium lifestyle programme that celebrates the best that Africa and the world has to…