Table of contents for October 2016 in JOY! Magazine

“FOR JUST AS THE BODY IS ONE AND HAS MANY MEMBERS, AND ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY, THOUGH MANY, ARE ONE BODY, SO IT IS WITH CHRIST.” - 1 CORINTHIANS 12:12 I am delighted to share Nico Bougas’ article on encouragement on page 58. We all need encouragement, some more than others. Every week I hear of someone that I care about having problems, physically, financially, or relationally. Only Jesus can help us – I am always led to first pray for their faith and that it will hold up in the trying circumstances. We must guard and build our faith by reading Scriptures and putting them into practice every day. Your faith in God’s promises is what will make you whole again. It gives us great pleasure to…

God bless Noupoort My sister was sent to Noupoort Christian Care Centre to recover from alcohol addiction and has just returned home a new person. A public “thank you” for all the hard work and nonsense they have to put up with. She is clean and very grateful for the help you gave her, and for the opportunity of a new life. We stand in faith that her recovery will be permanent. God bless all the staff there. Alice Empowered by your August issue Thank you JOY! Magazine for your latest issue with a black woman on the cover. I am black, Christian, and also a businesswoman and so found this issue particularly interesting. We businesswomen are the role models to millions of young girls who think they have no…

Film maker Ray Comfort, whose movies have been seen by millions, claims to destroy atheism with one scientific question, which he reveals in a new movie called The Atheist Delusion. This new film dismantles atheism and proves Christianity “beyond any reasonable doubt”. ‘The Atheist Delusion’ pulls back the curtain and reveals what is going on in the mind of those who deny the obvious. Follow a number of atheists as they go where the evidence leads and display an honesty that is rarely seen on film. A pre-release of the movie is available at AtheistMovie.com…

A number of Chinese Christians and the lawyers that represent them are being detained by the country’s national government, with little or no word on their status. They are taken away, put in black detention centres or unregistered places. Nobody can get to them, their families can’t, they can’t get legal support. They’re put under continual pressure and in some cases, including Christian lawyers, they are tortured. Please keep our brothers and sisters in prayer.…

Another discovery coming out of Israel is fulfilling Bible prophecy before our very eyes! Nearly 10 times saltier than the ocean, nothing can survive in the Dead Sea’s hyper-saline environment – or so scientists have previously thought. But now, according to new findings, scientific research has proven the existence of life at the bottom of the Dead Sea, and due to a unique set of circumstances, signs of life have begun appearing on its very shores, precisely as it was foretold in the Book of Zechariah: “On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the Dead Sea and the other half to the Mediterranean Sea. This will happen for the summer as well as the winter” – Zechariah 14:8.…

Songs of praise fill the air under a bridge near downtown Kansas City in an effort to reach the city’s most unreached people. “Worship Wagon” serves the city’s poor and homeless. Those who attend the church on wheels participate in a weekly, non-denominational service each Monday night and are encouraged to come just as they are. Bruce McGregor and Joe Ratterman came up with the idea for Worship Wagon. Each week, volunteers from local churches fill the wagon with equipment that will be needed for the service. Worship Wagon plans to continue bringing church to the down and out, in need of hope and healing. “God works with us where we’re at and I think that’s the biggest story here. Worship Wagon is bringing God and being his eyes and…

Evangelist Support Network (ES Network) would like to invite you to join us on Saturday, 29 October from 9am to 1pm for our annual Evangelism Expo at the West Coast Christian School in Table View, Cape Town. Join us for an exciting morning of networking with evangelists and other ministries from around South Africa who all have a passion for soul-winning and advancing the Lord’s Kingdom. In addition, Erin Georgiou, the Editor-in-chief of JOY! and JUIG! Magazines shall share an inspiring word with attendees. Food and drinks will be on sale as well as a kid’s area for the little ones to enjoy. For more information please contact our offices on 082 729 7117 or email info@esnetwork.org. Kindly RSVP to assist our preparations. We look forward to seeing you there!…

TWR recently launched the Refugee Bridge, a smartphone app designed to meet the needs of displaced people by offering practical and Biblical content in the Arabic, Farsi, and (soon) Dari language. With downloadable content – tailored to their language and needs – users can easily access practical and relevant programmes on the go. Even without WiFi access! WHY THE APP? By providing programmes that address issues of trauma, loneliness, and societal marginalisation, the Refugee Bridge app provides emotional and spiritual support beyond physical needs. TWR is on its way to tailor-make a variety of app content for different types of refugees: Muslims, Christians, Syrians, and those who live in the Middle East or who travel through Europe. The app currently supports off-line mode and storage on a SD card, for…

At least one suicide is committed every hour in South Africa and 20 more unsuccessful attempts are made in the same time span. Suicide has risen 48% over the past 10 years in South Africa and one third of all non-fatal attempts were recorded among children. Up to 8000 South Africans commit suicide annually. Between 6893 and 8000 South Africans commit suicide every year, which translates into 667 deaths a month, 154 every week, and 23 every day. The investigation also found that the most suicides occur between the ages of 25 and 29 and that whites (26.7%) are the group in which the most suicides are committed. Over 20% of teens in South Africa have thought about suicide. Approximately one third of all patients admitted to hospital after attempted…

FINDING NEW BEGINNINGS BY JANET H MILLS Set in its historical and political context, this is the gripping account of one man's journey from a life of gangsterism, crime, and years spent behind bars to his discovery of a new identity, rooted in faith.The book highlights for us the challenges of growing up on the Cape Flats in a dysfunctional family. Furthermore, it gives an insight into harsh life in prisons in South Africa, dominated by the Number. www.findingnewbeginnings.co.za JESUS 15 FOR YOU BY JUDAH SMITH The heartfelt and honest stories in these pages reveal what it means to experience Jesus and discover the real life He promises. With insight from New York Times-bestselling author Judah Smith and backed by Scripture this book will allow you breathe deeply the profound…

Donald Trump has become the first presidential candidate to sign an anti-pornography pledge, promising to crack down on obscenity after an eight-yearlong hiatus at the federal level. “Mr. Trump’s leadership and commitment to uphold the rule of law is demonstrated by his signing of the Children’s Internet Safety Presidential Pledge,” said Donna Rice Hughes, the president of the anti-porn group Enough is Enough, which drew the vow up. “Making the internet safer for children and families is a critical step in making America safe again.” The heart of the promise requires the president to prosecute existing obscenity laws by “appointing an Attorney General who will make the prosecution of such laws a top priority in my administration.” President George W. Bush founded the Justice Department’s Obscenity Prosecution Task Force in…

The remains of an unusual structure that served as a synagogue during the Second Temple era have been unearthed at an archaeological excavation underway at Tel Rechesh in lower Galilee. The synagogue is one of only eight synagogues discovered in Israel that date back to the Second Temple era. This is the first synagogue discovered in the rural part of the Galilee and it confirms historical information we have about the New Testament, which says that Jesus preached at synagogues in Galilean villages. In the first century B.C., a large farm was built on the tel (a hill comprising layers of archaeological remains). The farm buildings include one structure containing a large room that measures 8 metres by 9 metres.…

Hillsong South Africa’s annual Men’s Conference is on 28-29 October (starts on Friday evening and ends on Saturday afternoon), hosted in Cape Town and Pretoria. It’s 24 hours for men to be encouraged and inspired to grow into all God has called us to be. We have an incredible guest speaker this year, Jentezen Franklin who is a brilliant communicator. Join us for a great time as we hang out with good friends, great food and take time to invest into ourselves. The goal is to go out from here to better lead our families and every sphere of society, ready to build a better future for South Africa. Event details: Date: 28-29 October 2016. Time: Day 1: 6pm–9pm, Day 2: 9am–5pm. Venue: Cape Town – 1 Kinetic way, Century…

Westminster Abbey and Westminster Cathedral will both be back-lit red in November to raise awareness for Christian persecution around the world. The effort is being spearheaded by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN). Lord Alton, an advocate of the effort, wrote: “In November, ACN is arranging for Westminster Cathedral and Westminster Abbey to be floodlit in red to commemorate the persecuted. If every parish in the country did the same it might at last wake up our political classes to the scale of the suffering.” Alton hopes that churches around the country will join in the effort to raise awareness of the plight of Christians around the world, but especially in countries like Iraq and Syria where persecution is severest.…

Chinese scientists have discovered new evidence that points to the Biblical account of Noah’s flood from thousands of years ago. Archeologists uncovered the bones of children believed to have been trapped by a flood that ripped through the Yellow River Valley nearly 4,000 years ago. Their bones are dated back to time of Noah, leading some to believe these remains are evidence of the Biblical story. If the newly discovered flood is the one of Noah’s times, it may shake what scientists originally believed about the Bible. The discovery points to a massive flood that sent rocks and tons of sediment rushing into the Yellow River Valley. The flood was so big, it created a 660 foot dam that scars China to this day. Some are not surprised by this…

Urgency not only compels us to take action, but also prescribes what action is to be taken. The Bible is absolutely full of stories of men and women who succeeded when they took critical action and failed when they avoided it. Importance of critical action When David showed up on the battlefield where the Israelites were at a stalemate with the Philistines, he saw Goliath defying the armies of Israel and hurling insults at her God (1 Sam. 17). He knew immediately what action needed to be taken. He could have chosen to start a petition or lead a protest. He could have asked that a formal statement be issued from the government condemning Goliath’s insensitivity toward the Israelites’ religious beliefs. He might have even organised a prayer meeting to…

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Our Father in Heaven, we bow in reverence as we pray. Thank You for Your great Love, may we love You and Your children always. May every reader of JOY! be encouraged, yielded to You, and drawn closer to You. • Suicide Help us to be sensitive to those who are hurting, enable us to minister Your hope, love, and truth to them. There is a void within us that only You can fill, so help us not to look to people, things, or circumstances, but to You, for in You alone we find strength, security, hope and comfort. • Barnabas – Son of Encouragement May we all be true sons and daughters, encouraging others with generosity, words, and acts of kindness. Help us to offer true friendship and welcome others…

ASwedish church plans to use drones to drop small Bibles in Arabic to areas controlled by the Islamic State in Iraq. The Livets Ord (Word of Life) in Uppsala says that it is important for Christians to remember that love can reach anyone, even those cut off from the outside world. “Our ambition is to pass on the hope and love of the Christian Gospel to a population living in closed areas where they are being denied human rights,” Christian Akerhielmm, project director, said. “The Bible has been found in all its forms through time, and we want to spread the message to those who need hope, for the Bible’s message gives hope,” he said. The project will begin in the near future with the goal to drop “thousands of…

U.S. Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps is celebrating after earning his 20th gold medal in the 200 meter butterfly at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. But just two years ago the gold winning medalist was in a much darker place. Phelps recently revealed that he suffered an identity crisis and wanted to end his life. “I thought the world would just be better off without me,” Phelps told ESPN. “I figured that was the best thing to do — just end my life.” After a second DUI arrest in 2014 and an image surfacing of Phelps smoking from a bong, he said he felt his reputation was ruined and there was no way he could bounce back from those mistakes. “This is the end of my life… How many times…

Franklin Graham has warned Christian parents that the public school system is attempting to “brainwash” their children into embracing the pro-LGBT transgender agenda using a seemingly innocent “Gender Unicorn”. They are using this unicorn to grab the imagination of children and make this seem acceptable. Their new school policy includes very concerning gender neutral bathroom/locker room policies and more. The new policy says that staff should no longer use the terms “girls” and “boys” anymore, rather the terms “scholars” or “students” that do not specify gender.…

The Slavic Centre for Law and Justice, an affiliate of the American Centre for Law and Justice, said a new manner of carrying out missionary work in Russia will have to be established. The anti-terrorism law requires those who want to share their faith with others, even on the internet, to obtain authorisation documents from a religious association. It also imposes a fine of $75 to $765 if the violator is a Russian citizen, and a fine of up to $15 265 in case of an organisation, while foreigners would be deported. Thousands of churches across Russia came together in prayer and fasting against Putin’s law, which effectively punishes any kind of religious evangelisation outside of churches. The law is aimed at stopping the spread of terrorism and extremism, but…

Our politicians keep telling us that our battle with ISIS is not a “religious war,” but to ISIS it most certainly is. ISIS has a new focus. They are very clear about the fact that they intend to kill as many “citizens of the Cross” as they possibly can, and they plan to bomb churches wherever they can find them. Religious targets now appear to be a top priority for ISIS, and that means that every church and every Christian in the Western world needs to start thinking differently about security. In Africa, Boko Haram’s brutality has made headlines all over the planet, and the infamous terror organisation has pledged complete loyalty to ISIS at this point. In the past, Boko Haram has hit both Christian and Muslim targets, but…

India is a nation located in lower Asia. Its population is about 1.2 billion people. They have a large military and is a vital world ally for those seeking to gain an advantage. Their economy and production ability commands the attention of all nations. A nation this large is going to have a huge impact on world events in the last days. It is mentioned in the Bible! How we find India in Bible prophecy is interesting. It is only mentioned by name twice in the Bible (Esther 1:1, 8:9) Interestingly enough, it is mentioned in the same sentence with Ethiopia. This is not by coincidence! The Hebrew word “Kush” or “Cush” is typically thought of as referring to Ethiopia. Another related country, Libya, is usually thought of as being…

“But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” –Acts 1: 8 The author of the Acts of the Apostles is the same author of the Gospel of Luke. Both books are addressed to Theophilus, and the latter (Acts) refers to the former (Luke). Luke the Physician was the author of Luke-Acts. The structure of Acts. Acts 1:8 summarises the progression in Acts: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” This book records the “Acts of…

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JESUS worship character leadership missions love trekking grace serving endurance challenge life Skills hiking fearless vision passion courageous daring sold out adventure radient lead risk identity purity forgiveness perspective humble zest fun integrity experience people prayer fasting commitment valiant learning journey generations joy confidence discipline minister dream follow disciples intimate freedom grow persevere transparent beauty tools testimony faith The concept of a greenhouse is simple. With the right light, temperature, and humidity, you can grow nearly anything, even when it is not in season. We strive to create an atmosphere and climate where we can disciple, train, and develop tomorrow’s leaders. The Greenhouse is a 9-month discipleship school for young adults who would like to set apart a year of their life for Christ. It is an intense year of…