JOY Magazine

EDITOR: Erin Georgiou – [email protected] GENERAL MANAGER: Gawie de Lange PRODUCTION MANAGER: Gillian Fraser DESIGNER: Marina Hofmeyer RETOUCHING: Megan Van Der Berg ■

What a beautiful scripture above – this is a solid motivation to meditate on God’s Word. Yet, believe it or not, there are some Christians who deem this Scripture to be an ‘arrogant’ or ‘self-righteous’ declaration. I am so grateful that I’ve had str

D ear readers, we love to hear your thoughts on the stories that we publish, what is going on around the world, and what the Lord has placed on your heart! Email your letter through to [email protected] for a chance to be featured – please try to k

To one person the world is desolate, dull, and empty; to another the same world looks rich, interesting, and full of meaning. “Eyes that look are common. Eyes that see are rare,” says J. Oswald Sanders. If you look at life the wrong way there is alwa

My wife, Jackie, and I have just returned from leading an extremely blessed 7 Churches of Revelation tour with our JOY! travellers. Every time we lead a Turkey trip, I am acutely aware of the presence of the Holy Spirit and the impact this trip has o

People ask me why I am so crazy about a God I can’t see. I attended church since young and knew of a God who is holy, but I did not understand how people could serve and obey Him with such fire. I would only find out for myself many years later. Alth

How would you react if I told you that I had a heart condition? You would probably feel sorry for me. But the truth is, I do have a heart condition… and so do you! The older I grow, the more I realise the value of self-examination and reflection. As

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba, head of the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, has graciously and with immediate effect assented to taking up the position of Patron of the Institute for Accountability in Southern African, which campaigns for accountabilit

After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, all of His disciples “forsook Him and fled” (Mt 26:56, Mk 14:50). John and Peter returned (Jn 18:15-16), but Peter denied Him (Mt 26:69-75, Mk 14:66-72). Only John was there at Jesus’ crucifixion

On the 27th of October, many celebrate International Religious Freedom Day. In South Africa, this most fundamental of all rights is recognised and protected by section 15 of our Constitution. Our Constitutional Court has further confirmed this protec

My 11-year-old son came home from school a few weeks ago and said, “Dad, I saw something weird on a friend’s phone today.” Upon further conversation, he shared that while this friend watched TikTok videos, he stumbled upon some inappropriate content

The beauty of using my phone as my alarm clock is that when I reach over to turn it off, I’m only a few more taps away from the rest of the world. Before I’m even fully awake I’ve checked my Twitter and Facebook and my emails, and then returned to Tw

1 In essence, “hypocrisy” refers to the act of claiming to believe something but acting in a different manner. The word is derived from the Greek term for “actor”—literally, “one who wears a mask”—in other words, someone who pretends to be what he is

One of the most widespread arguments against Christians is that they are “judgemental” or “always imposing their views on others.” Often, this criticism comes in response to Christians who speak out against behaviours and lifestyles that God judges a

The Bible reveals that the motivation behind our giving is what matters to God. Some Christians worry that claiming a charitable gift as a deduction on an income tax form goes against biblical teaching. If a Christian makes a charitable donation stri

The Bible is full of answers, but there are some pretty important questions in there as well. Here are five that stand out to me. They were asked by the likes of Cain, Paul, and God Himself. All of them speak to some of the issues we’re facing today.

The Word of Abba Father is indescribable and undoubtedly true. It is a love story about a Groom and His bride. When we study the feasts of Abba Father, it is unavoidable to see His perfect salvation plan that has been there from the beginning and wil

In January 2022 Mergon Foundation’s communications manager Ilse Burger and her husband embarked on a six-month adventure where they traversed 14000 kilometres, six provinces and countless challenging roads, recording inspiring testimonials of benefic

Living in Iraq is a life of uncertainty: In the last centennial, there hasn’t been one decade of peace. The occupation of large parts of the country by Islamic extremists of the so-called Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) between 2014 and 2016 h

With the visitation of Covid – which transformed our personal space, the world’s economies, and the destinies of nations – the question needs to be asked: What can we expect next? “And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not tro

Through the eyewitness testimonies we find in the Bible – written by people who lived and travelled with Jesus – we see exactly who Jesus is. Not who He was – but who He is! He hasn’t changed at all. His interaction with us is just the same as it was

Our biological fathers, whether they are present or absent, play a major role in shaping our lives. It is true that our childhood experiences have a significant impact on how we parent our children and love our spouses. The imitation of our parents i

According to the Bible, God Himself put mankind in charge of every work of His hands, gave us dominion, and put all things under our feet. “You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet” – Psa