Table of contents for May 2022 in JOY! Magazine

“Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.” There are few biblical promises that appear as open-ended as this one. Unfortunately, Psalm 37:4 is consequently plucked out of its context and made to mean whatever an individual wants it to mean. But context is so very important in understanding this promise, as the “also” hints. Some Christians read this verse as if it says, “God will give you anything your heart desires.” But the second clause of verse 4 is rooted in the opening clause, “Delight yourself also in the Lord.” Once we understand this, we should recognise that a transformed heart is the real goal of this promise, not every greedy little thing I desire. Driven by envy Psalm 37 contains…

Email questions to: joyquestions@valwaldeck.com Can a Christian be demon-possessed? Satan walks around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet 5:8), but he cannot cross the bloodline. We have been transferred from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light (Col 1:13) and the best that he can do is shout over the fence in an attempt to intimidate and oppress believers. That is why the Bible says that we must resist the devil and he will flee (Jam 4:7). We are not at the mercy of satan and his demonic hordes unless we allow ourselves to be manipulated and influenced. Demons can never fully possess a believer in body, soul, and spirit – but the devil is not slow to take “squatting rights” when we…

Newly-minted Masters champion Scottie Scheffler said he’s “trying to glorify God”through his golf career, giving all the credit to the Lord as he spoke with reporters about his stunning victory at the 86th Masters Golf championship in April. “That all goes back to my faith,” Scheffler said after being asked how he balances his desire to golf competitively without letting it define him as a person. “The reason why I play golf is: I’m trying to glorify God and all that He’s done in my life.” An identity rooted in Christ The 25-year-old champion golfer didn’t stop there. He went on to say his “identity isn’t a golf score” and shared how his wife, Meredith, recently offered an encouraging reminder of that reality. “Like Meredith told me this morning, she…

We were reminded of an important truth at one of our recent village outreaches in Ewsatini. We were accompanied by a young man. It was his first time on an outreach. We asked him to pray for someone for healing. The person was instantaneously healed. This reminded me that God does not look at our ability, He is looking for our availability. He will empower us to do the work when we are available for His service. Look at the Words of Jesus and the Apostle Paul: “Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words I speak are not my own, but my Father who lives in me does his work through me.” – John 14:10 (NLT) “But by the grace…

My wife, Theresa, used to work as a secretary on a college campus. Most of the staff were young married women at that stage in life when they were having babies. Each time a baby was born the mother would come show it off as soon as possible. You can imagine all the oooo’s and awww’s and declarations of cuteness. Jesus created us, and we are beautiful and precious in His sight. Theresa remembers one young mother named Sue. Sue’s little girl wasn’t as cute as all the other babies. She was born with a cleft palate. But that didn’t seem to matter to Sue. Theresa was amazed as she watched Sue sharing her little one with the office crowd. Sue looked so proud and in love—as if her child…

Remaining on the top ten countries of Open Doors’ World Watch List, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation, dubbed ‘The Giant of Africa’, and remains one of the world’s most persecuted countries. Open Doors states that “Persecution in Nigeria is, simply put, brutally violent.” According to recent media reports, Christians continue to suffer incessant attacks in Nigeria. Staggering statistics “Persecution in Nigeria is, simply put, brutally violent.” – Open Doors The numbers are staggering. An estimated hundred thousand Christians have been killed over the past 20 years, while over two million have been displaced. More than on hundred girls, reportedly abducted by the terrorist group Boko Haram, have yet to be found, as well as hundreds of other children who have been captured. For decades, Fulani militants have attacked Christian…

We live in a dysfunctional and broken world. Many nations are at war, or the threat of war looms largely over their existence. The Church is in a fight for religious freedom; just as the family unit is. For Biblical values to remain a vital part of society, many have to fight the resistance to these values. A spiritual war of note The existence of Covid has heightened the intensity of this war, a spiritual war of note. Spiritual war is not something new; there are many Biblical examples of warfare. David fought for the existence of Israel when Goliath tried to annihilate the nation. With one word and a handful of stones as part of his arsenal, Goliath was conquered. Jehoshaphat fought against the enemy with a directive prophetic…

Fapaneng: They Dance Differently This poetry anthology focuses on minorities and other issues society chooses to ignore. The author aims to motivate people who feel as outcasts in society or do not fit the ideals of the “perfect” human being, or are what society deems as “acceptable”. There are more than 50 poems that do not shy away from expressing Eyethu’s opinions and truths on topics, and seeks to speak for those that don’t have platforms to voice their situations – be it homelessness, religion versus relationship, physical appearance, or the emancipation of African people. The book is deep, insightful and full of literary devices that colour and capture pressing issues in the readers’ mind. Pursuing Christ-like Character: a 52-week Devotional This Devotional Book comprises 52-weekly devotions that encourage people…

SHORT MIRACLES FROM JOY! READERS: If you would like to have your short miracle featured – no matter how ‘big’ or ‘small’ – please email info@joymag.co.za and keep your word count to 400 words. Praise to our Lord Jesus Christ, who daily bears our burdens and answers prayers. I am Ranjith Ramlochan of Morningside, Durban. I want to testify that Jesus Christ saved me on the 2nd July 2021. I was admitted for major surgery, as I had a blockage in my intestine. Normally, anyone with this condition only has 3 to 4 days to live without the surgery, but the Lord kept me alive for 9 days before I had my surgery – He moved heaven and earth for me to live through this ordeal. All I remember is waking…

When Terry Jo Duperrault was 11 years old, she and her family were going by boat on vacation to the Bahamas. But their dream holiday would soon become a nightmare… Her father had saved money for years to afford the trip. He wanted to give his kids the adventure of a lifetime. But little did he know, tragedy awaited. Things started to go terribly wrong Arthur took his wife, Jean, and his three kids, Rene’, Brian, and Terry Jo, and went down the Florida where the voyage would start. He had chartered a 60-foot sailing boat, but Arthur didn’t have much boating experience himself. So he hired a man called Julian Harvey to be the captain of the boat. Captain Julian also brought with him his wife of four months.…

Walking on that now-famous Emmaus road after Jesus’ death, two disciples of Christ bemoaned the fact that their hopes of Israel’s redemption remained unfulfilled. Believing they were speaking to a visitor from Jerusalem, they described the ministry of the Lord and with it, their deeply held aspiration: “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel…” – Luke 24:20-21.This hope that Israel would be delivered and set free was then repeated to Jesus by the apostles in the Upper Room, as mentioned in Acts 1:6, “When the apostles were with Jesus,…

Her day is like most days. She goes to the well to draw water for her daily chores, for cooking, and for bathing. Why at noonday, though, when the typical first-century practice was to go in evening’s coolness, is anybody’s guess. Some scholars surmise she was a social outcast, given her scandalous life. Here she chances upon a stranger who she immediately discerns, perhaps by His clothing and accent, to be a Jew passing through the area. Thus begins the incredible encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. This interaction in John 4 is one of Jesus’ longest conversations in the Gospels. It also appears early in John’s Gospel, no doubt because he thought this was an important episode in Christ’s early ministry. The encounter between Jesus…

We are continuing our series on gatekeepers and watchmen in the Word of Abba Father, learning about their roles and responsibilities. In our previous articles, we have looked at the differences between the two and how we have to stand our ground in these roles. In this article, we will be studying the position from which a gatekeeper was appointed in biblical times, and the relevance thereof in the modern world we live in. Gatekeepers and watchmen were appointed from a position of trust by the king of a nation. Just by hearing these words, can you see the danger of placing your trust in the hands of the wrong person? An example in the life of David Gatekeepers are supposed to keep out the “bad” and guard the “good.”…

I was so privileged in 2021 to be featured in JOY! Magazine’s October issue, sharing my testimony about my recovery from multiple sclerosis (MS). I am still immensely grateful for the feedback that Johan, from Go Natural, and I received afterwards. In the time that followed, I realised that many people are on a similar journey. It was powerful to hear their testimonies and I would like to encourage each of them to please continue sharing their testimonies. Our stories are powerful in overcoming the enemy (Rev 12:11). Confirm previous cause For those who have not read my testimony: In 2015, as a 23-year-old, I was diagnosed with MS. Almost five years later, we discovered the cause of my MS. It turned out to be a tooth that had root…

The heavenly prophetic clock is ticking. I saw the time sitting at 11:55 in the throne room, I knew that the window for bringing in the final harvest is fast closing, and Abba is calling us to win the lost at any cost in this season. A recent prophetic vision In a recent vision, I was with the Lion of Judah. He was running through the harvest fields in the nations. I saw the harvest, golden wheat fields stretching to the skies, they were full and ready for harvesting. He ran through the field and I flew with Him as an eagle (the prophetic). As the remnant army of God joined us, their swords transformed into golden sickles (Isaiah 2:4) as they reaped the harvest, angels co-laboured with us to…

Founder and businesswoman Nthabi Mokitimi-Dlamini has created and launched an African beauty product start-up named Byu-ti by Popz – a brainchild and dream that launched a range of locally infused make-up and beauty products that uplift women and help them to build new careers and new lives. Nthabi wanted the new make-up brand to be proudly African, inspired by her home country of Lesotho. The Byu-ti by Popz brand is much more than a range of products, it’s also about giving back and leaving a legacy of positive social impact. The products contain extracts from the blue agave, aloe vera, and prickly pear plants from Lesotho, and include a range of foundations, setting spray, removers, and primers, with more products to follow. These products are locally manufactured – and some…

Some of the “First” and “Second” books were divided after they were written In the old days, they couldn’t print massive tomes for each book of the Bible. It was hard to fit the very lengthy works on one scroll—and even if the scroll was big enough for all that content, it would be too heavy to manage. They broke some of the longer books down into two volumes. So the book of 2 Samuel is really more like the book of Samuel, part two. *tome = a book, especially a large, heavy, scholarly one. Biblical life expectancy 969 Out of all biblical characters, Methuselah lived the longest, finally passing at 969 years of age. But Adam, Seth, Noah, and a few other characters apparently also made it past 900.…

Christine Caine Feeling a little overwhelmed? “It’s easy to lose hope when you’re feeling overwhelmed. It’s hard to keep trusting, hoping, or believing when you feel like you’re being crushed by the pressures of life. The enemy of our souls loves to take advantage of those time of weakness, confusion, disappointment, or grief. He wants you to believe that it is all over, there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, and that you should give up. I’m here to remind you that this is not the end. This thing will not take you out. God loves you, sees you, hears you, and is with you. He has not left you. He has not forsaken you. You can trust God even when you can’t trace Him. Jesus is trustworthy.”…

In my column last month, I decided to open up about a topic that was extremely personal to me, my journey with Type one diabetes. I shared a little information about diabetes, and answered some common questions that I often get asked (What does low / high blood sugar feel like, what can / can’t I eat, what different factors impact my blood sugar, and some surprising info on what foods have ridiculously high sugar content). I wasn’t sure how this content would be received, as it is a little different to our usual JOY! articles, but I was pleasantly surprised by the feedback I got from some readers who said that it not only informed them, but also encouraged them (Reader feedback means so much to our writers, if…

Durban church shares Gospel with giant billboard “Live for me. I died for you,”proclaims a striking, giant, illuminated billboard depicting Jesus on the cross to hundreds of thousands of people on Durban’s busy M4 Southern Freeway. This billboard was an Easter project of The Worship Tabernacle (TWT) church in Shallcross, Durban. The 18 x 5m billboard was erected with the aim to evangelise day and night, said Julian Tharmiha who handles the church’s media. Pastor Silas Lutchman came up with the idea of the alternative evangelism project, which was embraced enthusiastically by the congregation. He said that the project has been getting a lot of positive attention on social media. “We wanted to get the message out. But we honestly didn’t think it would go national. That’s all to the…

Today, few topics are as hot as justice. Terms like retributive justice, social justice, restorative justice, even vigilante justice regularly feature in the news. With such emphasis on justice, can we assume that justice is taking place in our world? While that question is probably best answered in the negative, perhaps a better question to ask is why justice is so often absent. It may be that we are suffering the consequences of turning away from a just God. Just God The Bible says a lot about justice, and it expects us to behave justly because we were created by a just God. For example, here is what Moses says about God: “He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice, a God of truth…

Wouldn’t it be thrilling to be introduced to the star runner in the athletics club? Or to the most valued employee in a successful business? Or to the top student at a college? But would you listen to one who is described as the “chief” (NKJV) or “foremost” (ESV) of sinners? Yet, that is precisely what Paul calls himself in 1 Timothy 1:15. Consider, for a moment, a well-informed first-century Jew. If you asked him who the greatest sinner was, he might have guessed Antiochus IV Epiphanes. About 200 years earlier, he entered Jerusalem by treachery, looted the city, killed many Jews, took the gold furniture from the temple – even from the inner shrine – sacrificed a pig on the altar, forced the Jews to sacrifice pigs, and mercilessly…

My mother taught me to love God and to pursue my redemptive purpose in God with my gifts, with passion, and with purpose. She encouraged me to serve in the community, to be a transformation agent wherever I went, and to be an impassioned and emboldened nation builder. Q You are currently involved in the #JusticeForBongani movement. Can you tell us a little more about this? Bongani Mbonani was a South African citizen who was in the creative arts and entertainment industry. He worked with many artists, one of whom was the well-known rapper Siyabonga “Slikour” Metane. On March 4 of this year, Bongani travelled to Botswana to attend a creative arts workshop. On entry to Botswana he was vaccinated by force and, within a few hours, he started to…

In Southern Africa we have the privilege of practising our faith freely – by celebrating religious holidays, attending church services, and gathering with other believers to worship openly. Unfortunately, our family of faith who are living in countries where Christianity isn’t welcome, live in sharp contrast to this. It’s hard to imagine that some of our brothers and sisters in Christ aren’t able to experience the same freedom in their faith. They often live in constant fear of persecution, and are forced to serve the Lord secretly… Underground Church Azamat, an underground church leader in Central Asia, has firsthand experience of being persecuted because of his faith. Azamat came to faith in the early nineties after God healed him from severe health problems. He was inspired to start a network…

Well, after the past ten years of Mega Oxygen being on sale in the public domain, through online and retail outlets nationwide, we have decided that it’s time we handle some of the “myths”. There was some speculation towards our products at the start of the pandemic, with Mega Oxygen being revered for the astounding results it produced in the market. Let’s clear this up, it wasn’t Mega Oxygen that produced these results. It was you, your body – the pinnacle of God’s intelligence and creative spark! A path of faith I can imagine you wondering, but why would I buy this product then? Why am I taking this? Why is my whole family taking this? Today we are taking you down a path of faith – yes, the one…