JOY! Magazine February / March 2019

I was chatting recently with some new ladies in my church and motivating them to use their gifts and talents as an evangelism hook in their community. We shared testimonies and I found myself recalling when I first moved into a gated estate in my area. I stood on the plot, gazed over the estate, and clearly heard the voice of the Lord say to me, “I am giving you this area for you to use your influence for Me”. I was so inspired with this and shared it with my cell group leader at the time, and he organised for our group to walk around the perimeter of the estate and claim it for Jesus. There were not many homes built yet, and thus we were able to do…

Heavenly Father, I come to you in the Name of Jesus. I acknowledge that I am a sinner and that I cannot save myself; I need your forgiveness and salvation. I believe that Jesus died on the Cross, and on the third day He rose to be with You. I confess Jesus as the Lord of my life. I invite Jesus Christ to be my Lord and Saviour and I surrender my life to Him. Thank you Jesus for your unlimited grace that has saved me from my sins. Please, Lord Jesus, transform my life so that I may bring glory and honour to You alone and not to myself. Thank you Jesus for the gift of eternal life.…

Mankind is putting too much trust in our own knowledge Reading your publication is so spiritually refreshing. It’s so satisfying to read something that promotes the undiluted Gospel. As an educator, I was really touched by Tendai Chitsike’s article “A World of Different Opinions” in the October issue. It was on whose view carries the most weight. As an educator, I have witnessed opinions of men replacing Jehovah’s principles in educating our children. This has not only brought disaster, but also confusion as opinions of men chop and change. God gave us Jesus as our authority, who is consistent and knows what we need. Mankind is putting too much trust in our own bodies of knowledge, such as sciences and so forth. Once again, thank you for reminding us as…

Did you make New Year’s resolutions? Were they of Spiritual importance? The new year often begins with many resolutions that are given up before February even starts. It seems that we need a spiritual solution. Take your resolutions and hold them up against what the Lord says, have faith in God and find out what He thinks about them. Why not also consider them in the context of the race that God has given you to run? The path to freedom and joy God recently asked me to reflect on my race. Is it His race that He has ordained for my life? We all have a race to run and it’s been given to us, not chosen by us. The question is: Will you embrace your race or keep…

After an intense debate for and against the proposal, the New York state Legislature passed a bill recently that makes it legal for doctors and other health care professionals, such as midwives and physician assistants, to perform abortions up until birth for any reason in the state. The so-called Reproductive Health Act that abortion advocates have been trying to get passed for 12 years and has been vehemently opposed by religious and conservative groups, passed with a 38-28 vote and thunderous applause in the state Senate chamber. Abortion was legalised in New York three years before the decision, but remained on the state’s criminal code, making it a felony to perform late-term abortions.…

Our men and women in blue are turning to a higher power to protect them as they risk their lives to keep us safe. Pictures posted by a Somerset West police captain show 10 police officers and one traffic official standing in a circle in the street, praying as they get ready for duty. The photographs are captioned: “Lord we pray for Your blood over our lives as we tackle the darkness!!! Let us be the best we can be.” Captain Charles Riffel, commander of the Crime Prevention Unit (CPU), has been in the police force for over 32 years and says he encourages his members to pray. “We always pray. We pray in the parade room and on this particular day, we had the lights festival in the area,”…