Free JOY! May 2020 Digital issue by JOY! Magazine

JOY! MAGAZINE

JOY ! Real Life Real People Real Christianity

DR MICHAEL MOL Leading a New Era in Christian Media

Volume 29 Issue 04

How did the

APOSTLES DIE? What

GOSPEL

are you sharing?

Dealing with our

CONSCIENCES…

FEAR or FAITH How should

Christians respond to the

CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC? May 2020

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FORESHOCKS OF REVELATION:

One Day Everything Will Be Shaken FROM PRISONER TO PREACHER

“Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you…” – Isaiah 41:10

Vision JOY! Magazine seeks to glorify God by educating and informing Christians of a Biblical Worldview and applying the Lordship of Jesus Christ to all areas of life.

Hold Fast to the Word of God “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12

here is tremendous power available to us in God’s Word – and we need to make use of this power in our daily lives. The Bible is full of extraordinary promises for every situation. While no Bible verse tells us explicitly what job or career to pursue, where to live, who to marry, or exactly what to do in every instance – it is full of exhortations, guidelines, commandments, and encouragement. This will give us very concrete and infallible insight into His Will. God’s Word is the source of life! It contains infinite help and wisdom.

Here are some practical tips that I apply in my life that may be useful to you: 1. Print out your favourite faith scriptures and promises that you have received from God. 2. Stick them up in a place where you can read them every day. 3. Confess, meditate on them, and quote them several times each day. 4. Pray for boldness from the Holy Spirit every day. 5. Speak the Word with clarity and confidence when talking to others. 6. Expect persecution, scoffing, and mocking – it will come. 7. When this happens, pray and thank the Lord for renewing your mind on His Word and ask Him to help you to overcome the rejection and any negative feelings. 8. Encourage others who are also trusting on God’s Word, as instructed in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron.” 9. Print out and pin up Psalm 91 – GOD’S INSURANCE POLICY

Don’t be afraid! By trusting in the Lord and His promises, we will get through this time of fear and disease that is currently gripping the world. Be strong and courageous.

God bless you,

Editor

Values Strive for excellence and integrity in all things • Provide interesting, accurate, and honest reporting at all times • Respect all Christian denominations • Encourage reader participation • Take personal responsibility • Always seek to unite the Body of Christ • Evaluate everything in the light of the Bible • Provoke readers to fulfil the Biblical mandate to be salt and light in society • Motivate readers to action • Be solution-focused

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Salvation Prayer Jesus, I believe that You died on the Cross for me. There You were wounded for my transgressions, You were bruised for my iniquities; and the punishment for my peace was upon You. I have been like a lost sheep, I have turned to my own way, but I believe that God laid my iniquity upon You. You died for me. Then You rose from the dead, You ascended into Heaven, and now seated on Your throne as Lord of all. Jesus, forgive me. I now turn away from my sin and put my trust in You. Fill me with Your Spirit, cleanse me, and take me as Your own.

Amen

Xhosa

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Yesu, ndiyakholwa ukuba wandifela emnqamlezweni. Apho walinyazwa ngenxa yeziphoso zam, Walinyazwa ngenxa yobubi bam, ubetho loxolelo lwam lube phezu kwakho. Ndifana nemvu elahlekileyo, ndiye ndalahleka, kodwa ndiyakholwa ukuba uThixo walibeka phezu kwakho ityala lam. Wandifela, Waye wavuka ekufeni, wanyukela emazulwini, kungoku nje uhleli esihlalweni sakho njengeNkosi yako konke. Yesu, ndixolele. Ngoku ndiyaguquka esonweni sam, ndibeka ithemba lam kuwe. Ndigcwalise ngoMoya wakho, ndihlambe, undamkele njengomntwana wakho.

Amen

COVER STORY

DR. MICHAEL

MOL

Leading a New Era in Christian Media —interview by Gillian Fraser

ou’ve heard his name, you recognise his face – but you might not know his heart. Michael Mol is not a new face in the South African landscape, he is well-known and well-loved for his appearances on Top Billing, Expresso, Mr South Africa, and Hello Doctor, just to name a few. What you may not know about Michael, however, is that he is not just a charming face, but a deeply rooted Christian with an inextinguishable fire for Jesus that shines through everything that he does. I had the privilege to chat to him during lockdown (online interview, of course) and find out about his passions and where he is focussing his time and effort.

You are a doctor, TV presenter, business man, author, husband, and a father, how do you find balance and make time to be present with your family?

I learnt a long time ago that work / life balance is NOT about time management, but rather energy management – and having unbiased clarity on what’s important and what’s not. As much as I’d like to run at 110% without stopping, I can’t. I manage my energy (not time) by building in short bouts of recovery in between activity. This allows me to keep up a blistering pace without sacrificing health, happiness, or a passion for life. Like Roxette used to say, “Just listen to your heart” (seriously!). Beat – relax – beat – relax – stress – recover – stress – recover … you get the idea. At the risk of being overly simplistic, when it comes to family and parenting, it’s about both time and energy. You can’t have quality time without quantity time – but it doesn’t matter how much time you spend with your kids if you don’t engage with them, and that requires energy and focus. Wherever you are with your kids, be there without distraction! Any distraction that takes your attention away from your kids is giving them the not-so-subtle message that there’s something more important in your life than they are. I never want my family, especially my wife, to feel that way. Sure, they can be exhausting – and there’s no magic pill for dealing with it. We simply think about life when they’re gone – and how much we’ll miss the chaos of having them around. That thought alone makes tripping over bikes, stepping on Lego, closed doors, grunts for greetings, and staying up until the early hours of the morning to make sure they get home safely … a cinch!

You are highly acclaimed in various different areas, and have seen your career path change many times. Do you feel that you are following God’s call into these new ventures? Absolutely. I wouldn’t move without a sense of God’s calling / nudging. Does He put up billboards and audibly tell me what the next season will be? I wish! The process of making a decision is much more a leap of faith

32 JOY! MAGAZINE

LEFT TO RIGHT: Rachael, Michael, Naethan, Jacqui, and Joshua Mol.

for me that involves pressing into Him, His Word, and the community of trusted friends He’s given to me. I really related to the approach that Ken Costa referred to in his book, Know your Why: Consider the options, consult (get good advice), clarify (engage our reason), and Courage! Doubt will be with us in every one of our choices until we have made up our minds to walk a particular path. Doubt is the travelling companion of wisdom, and God can use our uncertainty as the humility necessary to remain dependent on Him. We need to live through doubt, not just with doubt, and that takes courage. This was the prayer I was praying leading up to my decision to head up TruthTV: “It’s easier to not make a decision, but it’s not safer. Doubt should push me to dependency on you Father, rather than to paralysis. Let me live through doubt, rather than with it – knowing that when the dust has settled and the battle’s won or lost, You are the eternal Father – with eternity in Your hand and us by Your side. What have I got to fear?”

You have a zest for life, a passion for adventure. What are some of your favourite ways to pass time?

Time is something we cannot store or get back – which makes it really precious. So the idea of “passing time” scares me, I’d rather maximise the time I have (which means I’m exhausting to be married to!). Maximising time for me means spending it with those I love most, doing the things that we love most. For the Mol family – this often means surfing together. During lockdown, this has been impossible, so we’ve set-up a volleyball court at home, a slackline, and a bungee chord attached to our ankles (which means we can paddle a surfboard in our pool to stay in shape – I kid you not). But, the best times we share is over mealtimes – and to keep conversations going we’ve instituted specific days to different activities. “Memory Mondays” requires each family member to come to the table with a picture and a memory attached to it. For “So True Tuesdays” we »

Not only are you a TV sensation, producer, and presenter – but you also have a firm foundation in your medical roots. Please tell us about Hello Doctor, and the amazing ways in which you have provided access to all South Africans to personal, affordable, and quality healthcare.

Hello Doctor has launched a 24/7 doctor-based COVID-19 helpline. This is accessible anytime, anywhere, on any phone, for all South Africans, for free. The purpose is to essentially answer this question: Would you know what to do if you thought you had COVID-19? The message is simply: Don’t panic. Don’t ask ‘Dr Google’. Rather talk to a real doctor before you go to hospital or clinic. South Africa’s healthcare facilities are at risk of collapsing under the vast number of people descending on their doorsteps. A triage hotline will reduce the unnecessary load of patients turning up at healthcare facilities (those who don’t need to be there) and free up clinics and hospitals to care for only those who really need to be treated. Thus, we’ve opened our telemedicine service to everyone. The Helpline number *120*394# is zerorated, available in five languages, and doctors call patients back so there is absolutely no cost to any South African (no airtime / data needed) and no call back request goes unanswered. We have a small army of volunteer doctors focussed on reassuring and helping people manage COVID-19 at home. That’s how we curtail this pandemic, flatten the curve and make sure we don’t let COVID-19 devastate our healthcare system, our country, and its people. JOY! MAGAZINE 33

COVER STORY

DR. MICHAEL

MOL

Leading a New Era in Christian Media each share a scripture that has spoken to us. “Wacky Wednesdays” are a time to do something we’ve never done before – like avo, condensed milk, and crushed ice shake, or dinner in the dark and so forth. “Thoughtful Thursdays” are a chance to share an idea / concept / thought with the family.

You have been in the public eye for the majority of your life, how do you remain grounded and rooted in Christ?

Of all the advice I was given when I started to experience my first taste of fame many years ago – was one word of wisdom that helped me keep my head, heart, and feet on the ground. It came from a gracious old man (thanks Uncle Ted) who was the epitome of Jesus to me when I was growing up: He simply, quietly said: “Remember who you are.” I shared the same with my son when he turned 18 and wrote this to him: “You are a man of integrity, courage, and influence. You’re my son of whom I’m overwhelmingly proud, but most importantly – you’re God’s son… Loved, chosen, and delighted in by God. Remember that.”

What advice do you have for believers in South Africa who are struggling with a lack of hope?

There’s a prayer I’ve prayed for some time that goes something like this: “Father, help me to see the world the way You do.” If you pray that long enough, you realise that there’s really only one thing that really matters to God – loving people! So at this time, let’s share the hope that we have in Christ and use this unprecedented opportunity to show the world that the church is not bound by brick and mortar and not confined to four walls – but that WE are the church, and the church is the hope of the world.

34 JOY! MAGAZINE

You are adding a new exciting venture to your list, tell us about TruthTV?

TruthTV is an online video on demand service – just like Netflix and Showmax. A monthly subscription will give you access to the entire content library, which includes local and international movies, series, documentaries, kids shows, teachings, and original content – in both English and Afrikaans. You can watch it all online, on our app, on your smart TV, or on just about any online device that’s got a screen. So how is it different from Netflix? Our key differentiator is not the size of our content library, but the type of content in our library: content that will appeal to a viewer who shares our biblical worldview of values, and a viewer who wants a viewing platform takes full responsibility for what is aired on their channel, and finds the needle in the haystack when it comes to faith and family content. We’re losing our kids to screens and algorithms that have been instilling a different set of values and we don’t want to let that happen on our watch (pun intended!). This is why TruthTV is at its core a channel focused on faith and family inspiration and entertainment.

What is the vision for Truth TV?

A third of the global population call themselves Christians, as do a far greater proportion of South Africans – yet our value system doesn’t always reflect that. As a result, I fear we may be losing our saltiness, even within our own families. Media shapes culture. “The world today is what Hollywood said it should be 20 years ago” – so if we want tomorrow to be different, we need bring about cultural renewal. One of the most effective ways we do that as human beings is through story, just as Jesus did. Storytelling on mass media will impact culture, and the media channel of the future is without a doubt online streaming! Is there anything better than a good story? Stories are engaging, inspiring, motivating, and memorable. The great ones stay with us, move us, they influence how we think, how we behave, and they ultimately shape our values, for better – or for worse. So, is there anything better than a good story? There is. A true story – a story about the truth. That’s the DNA of TruthTV – handpicked stories that’ll inspire you and your family. As for me and my house – TruthTV.com 

FOUNDATIONAL TEACHING

DEALING WITH OUR CONSCIENCES Introduction to basic

he dictionary defines a religion as “the service and worship of God or the supernatural.” So, Christianity is obviously a religion. But what makes it different to any other religion? If the only thing separating it from other religions is a set of unique rituals, or a collection of unique buildings where Christians meet, then Christianity really does not have anything to commend itself at all. What then makes Christianity what it is, and why has it changed the lives of billions of people throughout the centuries? The answer is that Christianity is defined by its unique message. This message is called “the Gospel.” It is the good news that although all people are guilty of sinning and stand justly condemned, God – in His great love – became a man in Jesus Christ, fulfilling Jewish prophecy. On our behalf, He lived a perfect, sinless life. He then suffered the punishment for our sin through His death on the Cross, reconciling us to God. Three days later He rose from the dead, victorious over sin and death. God has ordained Him to be the judge of the living and the dead, and commands all people to repent and believe in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:16

n Sigmund Freud’s book, Totem and Taboo, he said that in his practice as a psychiatrist he had observed that most psychological disorders are caused by guilt. Guilt, Freud said, is caused by thoughts of God. Freud’s answer to this dilemma was simply to eliminate God from the mind of man and thus from the world. This, he said, would solve all the psychological problems of society.

Freud’s fatal flaw

Freud’s error, of course, was that he approached life with certain false presuppositions. A presupposition is an assumption that you make before you even enter into an argument. You simply assume it to be true and argue from there. Freud’s presuppositions, of course, were first that there is no God, and second that guilt is therefore a figment of the imagination. But what if Freud’s assumptions were false, because all people have to deal with the problem of conscience? The Bible says: “(All men) show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them” – Romans 2:15.

Your conscience is inherent

Our thoughts continually accuse us when we do wrong and excuse us when we do right. It’s like we’re all born with this internal moral monitor. But think about this: just because people feel guilty, that does not mean that they’re not! Freud’s solution to people’s feelings of guilt is the wrong solution, because what the conscience is telling the sinner is true! It is true that there is a God, and that He is righteous and just, and that there is coming a day of judgement. If you were standing on a railway track and you saw a train coming towards you, and you began to feel fear, the answer would not be to deny the existence of the train. The answer would be to deal with the problem — get off the tracks.

Seek God!

The same is true for our feelings of fear and guilt. The answer is not to deny God, or ignore Him. The answer surely is to seek His forgiveness! And so we preach the Gospel to the world: “To open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in (Jesus Christ).” – Acts 26:18

This is written by Steve Johnstone, the founder of Barleyfield Christian Ministries. Visit www.barleyfield.org

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of a new White House executive order. Some say it is one more sign of the president’s emphasis on employing the faith community to strengthen society.

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SERIES

Getting to Know God

Can We Know God? —by Dr Victor Kuligin

o you know Trevor Noah? The question is trickier than you might think. Some people will immediately answer yes, but if I asked instead, “Do you know Trevor Noah personally?” then most of them would have to say no. You see, you may “know” Trevor Noah in the sense of knowing something about him, without really knowing him personally and having a relationship with him. Similarly, I could ask, “Do you know God?” How you reply to this question may be the most important thing you ever answer. Once again, it all depends on what I mean by “know.”

special revelation of that person to us, and us to them.

What can we know about God?

The Bible says that everybody has a general knowledge of God. He has made certain aspects of Himself clear by what He has made. For example, King David says in Psalm 19:1-4, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth, and their words to the We can know God in a end of the world.” How can we know God? personal, even deeply The apostle Paul similarly writes in Typically, people use the word “revelation” intimate way. Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of to label this topic of knowing God. The the world His invisible attributes are clearly Bible teaches that there are two categories seen, being understood by the things that of revelation—two ways to know God. First, there is revelation about God that is clear to all people—what are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are we call general revelation. The other kind is special revelation— without excuse.” This means that something about God not only can be known, knowledge about God that only certain people have received. You can’t know this information unless someone expressly tells it to you. but is known, by everyone. The Bible leaves no doubt about this. We Let me use some examples to clarify what I mean. As I walk all know that a powerful and divine God exists because His world around, everyone can easily see my skin colour. It’s a form of general speaks of His intentional design and power. However, this general revelation about God is not enough for us revelation about me to the world. But what’s my favourite food? This personal fact about me is not generally plain. The only way others to have a loving relationship with Him. Other than knowing some can realise it is if I specifically reveal it to them. This is an example of general facts about God, creation does not tell us how to relate to our Creator. That is why God revealed more about Himself through special revelation. Our knowledge of God also works in these two ways. And, we a special revelation—His very own words. God spoke to us. And we can only have a meaningful relationship with someone through find this special revelation in the Bible. 04 JOY! MAGAZINE

Do you know God personally? He wants you to know Him. He’s written His existence in the skies and written Himself into our humanity so that you could have a relationship with Him. Will you seek Him today? It’s as easy as opening up the Bible.

An A–Z reference dictionary with quick access to Scripturebased answers to almost any question you can imagine.

How can we know God? We call the Bible God’s “self-revelation,” because in it God reveals things about Himself that we couldn’t otherwise know, so that we can have a relationship with Him. We can know God in a personal, even intimate way. The Bible makes it clear that this only happens through God’s Son, Jesus. Because God the Son became a human, Jesus the “God-man” perfectly represents the nature and being of God the Father to us in a way we can understand. Hebrews 1:3 says the Son is “the brightness of [God’s] glory and the express image of His person.” We need not only have a general knowledge of God. We can know God intimately by knowing Jesus.

Do you know God?

How do we know Jesus?

In a conversation Jesus had with His The best way to know followers, He makes this very clear: “I am Jesus is to read the Bible. the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him. . . . He who has seen Me has seen the Father.” – John 14:6-7, 9 How do we know Jesus? The best way to know Jesus is to read the Bible. A great place to start is the Gospel of John, where we are introduced to the works and words of Jesus. So let me ask you, Do you know God personally? He wants you to know Him. He’s written His existence in the skies and written Himself into our humanity so that you could have a relationship with Him. Will you seek Him today? It’s as easy as opening up the Bible. 

DR VICTOR KULIGIN is an international author and speaker who served as a missionary in Africa for 24 years. His book The Language of Salvation: Discovering the Riches of What It Means to Be Saved is available at CUM Books. He can be reached at v_kuligin@yahoo.com

Tackles traditional and 21stcentury issues without heavy theological language. Travel-sized

Now available from leading booksellers nationwide. Struik Christian Media

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DEVOTION

WHAT GOSPEL ARE YOU SHARING? Tell it like it is! —by Nico Bougas

seminary student turned in his copy of a sermon that he observing all sorts of rituals, ceremonies, and sacraments. Others, that had written to his preaching professor for grading. At a later the Gospel is a matter of negatives and the focus is on what we don’t conference the professor told the student how impressed he do rather than what we do. Then again there are those who make the was with his sermon, how well it was written, but that he was giving Gospel out to be one of uttering a secret formula in the shape of a him a D as his grade. Confused, the student asked, “Why a D if it’s as sinner’s prayer that becomes your open sesame to the Kingdom. All of these give a muddled interpretation of the way of salvation. good as you say it is?” “It’s because of your title,” the professor remarked. “Nobody will want to hear a sermon entitled: ‘The Pericopes of Jesus in Relationship to We need to be born again the Eschatology of the Apostle Paul.’ I tell you what I’ll do. You see if you Nicodemus, the Pharisee and a leader in his community, came to can come up with a better sermon title and I’ll reconsider the grade. Jesus secretly in the night, he was very confused. If any man knew the What you want is a title that will reach out meaning of God and His plans and purposes and grab people by the heart. Imagine that for man it should have been Nicodemus. title on the sign in front of a church making Jesus told him that he needed to be “born Sadly, many Christians such an impact that if a bus stopped in front again”. He was so accustomed to the today are sending out a of the church and the people on the bus saw Pharisaical pattern of carrying out the letter very uncertain message. the sign, it would be so powerful it would of the law. He took the words of Jesus literally. motivate them to immediately get off the bus Jesus had to explain to him that the new birth and run into the church.” was something spiritual, not legalistic. The student said that he would give it his best shot. He returned Jesus said that being born again means a new life, a new direction, with the title, “Your bus has a bomb on it!” That would certainly get and a new leadership. Jesus explains that He is the way, the truth, the attention of the bus passengers! and the life and nobody can come to the Father except through Him. Biological life is passed on to offspring by parents, but Jesus explains that God’s life is from above and He alone can give it. The message of the Gospel The Apostle Paul gets right to the heart of communicating the message of the Gospel, “And if the bugler doesn’t sound a clear call, Legalistic faith is not Biblical how will the soldiers know they are being called to battle? It’s the same Nicodemus represented the best that religion could offer, but it for you. If you speak to people in words they don’t understand, how speaks of the spiritual deadness, darkness, and ignorance that will they know what you are saying? You might as well be talking into characterises legalistic faith. What Jesus offered was new life, new empty space.” – 1 Corinthians 14:8,9 freedom, and a new purpose and direction. Don’t stand around. Get on the bus that is heading for Heaven and peace with God! 

Preaching with uncertainty

Sadly, many Christians today are sending out a very uncertain message. Some imply that the Gospel message is one of getting religious and 06 JOY! MAGAZINE

NICO BOUGAS is the International Director of Development of Hellenic Ministries. Email him on Nico@bougas.info, visit hellenicministries.com

“O Lord, You are my God. I will exalt You, I will praise Your name, For You have done wonderful things; Your counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.” – Isaiah 25:1, NKJV

etters to the Editor Midgey’s Moments

es, it’s me again, Midgey! I would like to tell you about my very best (four-legged) friend, Jack. I first met him when I was a teenager and we just hit it off! He was older and wiser, and taught me all the boy dog stuff, like marking my territory and receiving and sending pee-mails. Jack was always at his house or out walking in the park, but suddenly one day he wasn’t there. My Arnie (Aunty Trish) says that he had guardian angels looking after him because he would walk across the road without looking and would stay safe. She says that he has gone to live with them. We still go to look at his house, even after a year and a half, just in case. For me, it is not necessary to have a lot of friends, what matters is to have true friends. Thank you Jesus that I had Jack as my friend.

Woofs & licks,

Midgey

XX JOY! MAGAZINE

We need to respect Israel

Testimonies are faith in action

I would like to congratulate Desiree Mansfield on her wonderful and insightful article in JOY’s Feb/Mar issue, “Are We Cursed Because Of Our Government’s Decision On Israel?” This is an article nearer the truth than most people will realise and sadly, our government. If we are not careful South Africa will be become a ‘goat’ nation, with all its terrible Biblical consequences. Well done Desiree. Kevin Meineke

Dear Erin, it was good to read your testimony / dream and the advice that came out of it in your Feb/Mar issue. I agree with you that it was wisdom from God to protect you. Please publish lots of daily life testimonies as it increases one’s faith when we read them. The Christian life is all about faith and a testimony is faith in action. D Campell

God speaks through dreams Dear Erin, I was deeply moved and inspired by your Ed’s Note in the Feb/Mar issue of JOY, the account of your dream and God’s clear guidance in it. I once had a startling dream that saved me from an imminent and serious accident. I was overwhelmed by wonder and great humility at God’s indescribable wisdom and loving care in His clear message to me. Job 33: 14-15. “For God does speak – now one way, now another – though we may not perceive it. In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falls on them as they slumber in their beds... “ Thank you so much for your warm smile, encouraging messages, and adorable little dog Midgey with his big heart. The Lord bless and keep you. Marie Braam

Always share God’s truths I was fascinated to read the Editor’s letter in your Feb/Mar issue. God speaks to us all in the most amazing ways. He spoke to Erin about her circumstance in the dream, yet he spoke to me through you publishing it (and I am sure many other readers) reading it. That is the law of multiplication right there. I appreciated the advice and will be sure to share it with my wife and teenage girls. They face similar situations in our neighbourhood. Cyril Bazel

Vision JOY! Magazine seeks to glorify God by educating and informing Christians of a Biblical Worldview and applying the Lordship of Jesus Christ to all areas of life.

A prayer for those seeking reconciliation with God

Tap into God’s Wisdom

“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.” – James 1:5

If you have come to see your need for a Saviour, and you long to be reconciled with God through His Son Jesus Christ, then pray this prayer now from your heart:

want to share a prophetic dream that I had many years ago, as it could be very helpful and relevant to someone. In my dream I walked out of a building quite late at night (I had been working in this building). The street was deserted and dark, except for a few unsavoury characters standing across the road at a bus stop. They all had dark hoodies on. My car was parked in a parking lot about four blocks up the road. I froze as they all stared at me, I knew that I was in trouble. Immediately I prayed and asked the Lord for wisdom. I heard Him say to me, “Walk into the middle of the road and say ‘Excuse me, who is the leader? I want to speak to the leader.’ Then open your purse so he can see what is inside.” I did this and immediately a scuffle broke out amongst them as they debated who the leader was. Eventually one of them sauntered towards me, patting his chest and smirking. He said, “I am the leader.” I asked his name, he told me, then I stretched out my hand towards him and said “Nice to meet you, Darryl – I need some help.” I opened my purse in front of him and there was a R50 and R10 note visible. I took the R50 note, held it, and said, “I feel a bit unsafe to walk to my car down the road, if I give you this R50 will you please get me to my car safely?” He grabbed the money and said yes. He walked me to my car. When I got there I thanked him and drove off. Then I woke up. I knew this was a prophetic dream and the Lord had just taught me a very valuable lesson:

God, have mercy on me, a sinner. I have come to believe that You are the only God, the maker of heaven and earth. I have come to believe that Jesus is your Son, that He is the judge of the living and the dead, and the Saviour of the world. I have also come to see my own guilt before You, and I long to be made clean. I believe that if You are willing, You can make me clean. Jesus, I believe that you died on the Cross for me. There You were wounded for my transgressions, You were bruised for my iniquities; and the punishment for my peace was upon You. I have been like a lost sheep, I have turned to my own way, but I believe that God laid my iniquity upon You. You died for me. Then You rose from the dead, You ascended into Heaven, and are now seated on Your throne as Lord of all.

1) By boldly stepping into the road, it indicated that I was not scared of them. The Bible says we must not fear. 2) By calling for the leader, it caused a state of confusion amongst them, with one eventually emerging feeling empowered. He now had to prove he was a leader. 3) By introducing myself and stretching out my hand, it showed respect. 4) By opening my purse, it showed trust. 5) By taking the bigger note, it showed value in what he would do for me. 6) By being obedient to God’s instruction, it paid off.

Jesus forgive me. I now turn away from my sin and put my trust in You. Fill me with Your Spirit, cleanse me, and take me as your own.

God’s wisdom is available for each and every one of us, at any time, in any situation. I have never forgotten this dream, and over the years I have often had other incidences where it was necessary to apply this very wisdom. God doesn’t give to one and not to another, so I share this dream hoping that it will possibly save someone else in a dangerous situation.

Amen

God bless you,

As you seek a relationship with God, your next steps are very important, especially learning the foundational teachings of the Gospel. Barleyfield offers a free 5 Foundations course. Reach out to someone who is a Christian and do the course together. You can register online: www.barleyfield.org

Editor

Ed's Note Feb Mar 2020.indd 1

2020/01/28 2:18:55 PM

Ed's Note Feb Mar 2020.indd 2

2020/01/28 2:19:09 PM

If you would like us to send you a copy of our Editor’s prophetic dream, please email us on info@joymag.co.za and we will gladly email this to you!

Christians need to speak up! Why are evangelical Christians so silent in the public domain with regards to issues of the day? Voicing the teachings of the Bible regarding daily living seems largely confined to church buildings, Christian magazines, and Christian television and radio; which is seldom accessed by the mainstream public. Issues such as violent and destructive protests and labour strikes, murders and crime due to gangsterism and farm attacks, introduction of ungodly and unbiblical laws and regulations, frequent criticism of Christianity in public spaces, obsession with political correctness, market domination of foodstuffs offered to idols, and blasphemy against the name of Christ on public television, are just some of the things that continue unabated due to our indifference, and also result in a curse

Send your letters to editor@joymag.co.za and God’s judgement over our country. Even mega-churches of evangelical Christians are unable to use their huge congregations to positively influence mainstream South African society – whether it be on a local or a national level. Apart from mass evangelistic and prayer campaigns in stadiums and community halls in communities, Christians are rarely seen. Not even simple media statements are issued by godly Christian leaders, well-known televangelists, and evangelical churches to speak out against these things; as if they have been prohibited, like in communist countries. The voices of politicians are also heeded to, more than the Word of God. The church’s continual acceptance of ungodly practices and compromise of God’s standards undoubtedly contribute to the worsening of evil in our country. A spiritual war is raging in our country, yet believers are asleep and unable to stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ, as soldiers of the Cross. Perhaps an in-depth article on the different ways in which Christians as individuals and collectively can be more effective and practical in South Africa, would assist in spurring us on to action again. Awareness regarding how the Church can have a louder voice and become a stronger force, by also supporting existing Christian civil organisations in extremely large numbers; is definitely also a key aspect in this regard. This mass support for these groups who often have to battle it out in court will serve as an indication that whatever actions are called for are not merely the sentiments of an isolated part of the Christian community; and therefore have to be considered by errant authorities. Other religions may also feed and clothe the poor and needy, but it is only the church that can and must go out and contend for our precious faith in Christ (Jude 3). Let us therefore pray for God to open our spiritual

eyes and to empower us to put our faith in Him into more concrete action. R Bartes

Biblical advice and encouraging wisdom to help women overcome the issues that aﬀect their heart, mind and soul.

Opposing CSE Curriculum Christians should adopt the FSE (Family Sexuality Education). It is very important that there are alternatives to the liberal ideology that permeates the UNESCO / ITGSE content and curriculum (CSE). There is an evident need for parents (especially) to be engaged in the process of teaching their child/ren about sex and sexuality, which is something that will literally affect and impact them for their lifetime. This Family Sexuality Education curriculum a very timely initiative. Michael Swain | FORSA

Why do Christians bicker so much? Hi Gillian Fraser, regarding your article in the Feb/Mar issue about focussing on what unites us rather than what divides us – I totally agree with you. The state of the Church is sad! The bickering and disunity (often among Christians/the Church) – that breaks my heart! A former pastor at my church always used to say, “Let’s speak as one voice.” I totally agree. Christians (I would think), should stand together as one Body, and not bicker about the stuff that divides us such as doctrine/what is right/wrong, etc. If Scripture has the “clear” answers (as I have often been told), then this disunity should not take place. Your articles in JOY are really good and informative, and I guess that one cannot keep everyone happy. I have also seen many a debate and disagreement between Christians regarding Scriptural and other issues. Keep going with the great articles in JOY and trust in the still, small voice of the Holy Spirit – He will guide you. That is what I have learnt. May God Keep you safe and well. Best regards. Dan Roux »

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I trust that you well, and my appreciation goes out to the JOY Magazine team for putting together another insightful edition. We pray that this magazine excels in 2020. I refer to your article in the Feb/Mar issue, “Focus On What Unites Us.” Gillian, I would like to extend my sentiments on your column. There is so much reality that you echoed that is taking place in today’s churches. The concept of “we belong to one tree with various branches” is truly forgotten. Our 21st century churches are more inclined to the motivation preaching rather than the Saviour’s main focus of unity. The Bible is being chopped and interpreted to suit one’s need, and should the Word be comprised then acceptance is valid. This is becoming the era of Christianity. We fail to see that we are created in the image of God, and this should reflect us being a reflection of Him (Christ). Sadly, the principles of Christ’s teaching and what He requires us to do is either put on a shelf or simply forgotten. As a school teacher, we teach children to understand and apply their education in their chosen profession. Unfortunately, this basic principle has been lost in Christianity and as a result we face insults, disbelief, and mockery from the unsaved. I would be most appreciative if you and the JOY Magazine team could do more educational programmes of awareness in the 2020 publications. I thank you for taking the time in reading my letter. Have a fabulous day, knowing that God’s grace is upon you guys. Josha Daniel

JOY! Travel is wonderful! Dear Erin, I was a very fortunate pilgrim to go on a JOY Travel tour to Israel. What an enormous success, both mentally and emotionally for everyone who was lucky enough to be

with us. Jackie – our tour director and your daughter – received so many accolades for the most splendid job that she did arranging the tour and being the most incredible host to us all, but I also want to give you credit for the nurturing and development of the wonderful young woman that she has become. No child can develop without the guiding hand of their mother and you must be very proud to see the culmination of all your influence on this daughter of yours. Well done Erin, you shine out of her in everything she does. Well done Mum! After this tour, I am very keen to follow up with one of your other tours. Hoping God will provide. Nora Hill If you would be interested in joining one of our JOY tours to Israel or Turkey, please contact us today to enquire – info@joytravel.co.za

Interesting articles I thoroughly enjoy your JOY! Magazine, as it covers such a wide spectrum of everything. As an ex-military man, I found your article: “What does the Bible say about War” in your September 2019 issue extremely interesting. The fact that you laid out “war” in depth and justified this with Scripture was great! Louis Thackwray

The Bible in a Nutshell is amazing! I just want to congratulate you on your wonderful Bible in a Nutshell New Testament. It is so beautifully set out, and the illustrations and headings are amazing! The amount of work put into each page is mind blowing! And the content is fantastic! I was doing my daily reading in 1 Peter this morning, and afterwards, I turned to the book and read the Nutshell version! It is such a fantastic concept, and really pray that this will be a huge seller and will be put into the hands of every believer and even unbelievers! May the Lord bless this brilliant idea and use the books

Send your letters to editor@joymag.co.za mightily for His purposes! Congratulations! You have achieved something of great worth! May God bless you and give you days of great faith and strength, and a heart full of praise! LMC

think that this Scripture speaks directly of DNA! We serve an amazing God, who put all creation together and it works! From the smallest microbe to the biggest animal, all function and are able to reproduce after their own kind. Evolution and Creation are both based on impossibilities! It’s impossible for macro-evolution to have taken place, and it’s impossible for God to lie! Stanley Solomon

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The remarkable language of DNA Many thanks for your magazine! I really enjoyed the article on The Remarkable Language Of DNA in your November 2019 issue. Psalm 139 was quoted, but I think the most relevant verse was left out! Psalm 139:16 “Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them. In thy book all my members were written.” I

Hello Gillian Fraser. I write in response to your column in the January issue, Work Is Worship. My working environment is nonChristian. I work very hard and long hours every day. After a few months – through the mighty and powerful work of the Holy Spirit – I managed to start a prayer group at work. However, for the last little while I have doubted if this is the place where Jesus wants me to be. I prayed to God, asking for direction. I believe that through reading your article, God clearly answered my prayer. De Wet De Kock

Tough love is Biblical If we are to succeed as a nation, then there are certain truths that we should never overlook, such as “Behind every successful man, there is a woman.” Everyone we look up to had to pass through the hands of a woman in the early stages of their lives. Kids are supposed to be raised with a vision and passion, which moulds them to be assets in society. And to accomplish this, an ingredient called ‘’tough love’’ is necessary. This is not an easy task, and that is why weak men run away from helping women accomplish it. Behind any great man or woman there is a woman who has sacrificed herself and her resources. As a woman, never look down on yourself – you are the pillars of humanity. Norman V Mahlangu

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Howt the Apos les

APOSTLES DIED Perhaps this is a reminder to us that our sufferings are indeed minor compared to the intense persecution and cruelty faced by the apostles and evangelist after Christâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. Let us remember our brothers and sisters in Christ who still face persecution and death today for their faith.

Matthew was the former tax-collector turned evangelist. He suffered martyrdom in Ethiopia and was killed by a halberd (combined spear and battleaxe).

Simon the Zealotâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death is shrouded in uncertainty, yet early accounts record that he was either crucified in the Kingdom of Iberia, Samaria, or Persia.

Peter

Philip was believed to be martyred in the ancient Greek city of Hierapolis, where he was impaled by iron hooks and hanged upside to die. In 2011 his tomb was officially found.

John was boiled in oil, but miraculously delivered from death. He died peacefully while living in exile in Patmos (where he wrote the Book of Revelation).

James the Just, the leader of the church in Jerusalem, was thrown off the Temple wall when he refused to deny his faith. Having survived, his enemies killed him with a club.

14 JOY! MAGAZINE

was crucified upside down. Apparently, it was because he told his tormentors that he felt unworthy to die in the same way that Jesus Christ had died.

Although Paul, Luke, and Mark were not officially part of the original 12 Apostles (See Matthew 10:1-4 and Luke 6:12-16), their influence in the Bible holds tremendous importance. They, too, died significant deaths: Paul was tortured

Luke was a

then beheaded by the Emperor Nero of Rome. During his lifetime, Paul endured imprisonment, beatings and shipwrecks.

Greek speaking physician. He was hanged in Greece as a result of his tremendous preaching excursions to the lost.

Mark was the founder of the church of Alexandria, Egypt. He died in Alexandria after being dragged by horses through the streets.

Judas (Thaddeus) was martyred in Persia on his missionary journey where he was hewed with an axe by religious leaders (Magi).

Andrew was crucified in Greece. After being whipped severely, they tied his body to a cross. He continued to preach to his tormentors for two days until he expired.

James the Great

Bartholomew, also known as Nathaniel,

Thomas, of the doubting Thomas fame,

Matthias

was a missionary to Asia and present day Turkey. He was martyred in Armenia where he was flayed to death by a whip.

was stabbed with spears in India during one of his missionary trips where he established the church in the sub-continent.

was otherwise known as one of the Sonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of Thunder. He evangelised Spain and is the Patron Saint of that nation. He was beheaded by Herod.

was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot. Matthias worked amongst cannibals. Records of his death vary, some record stoning/beheading/crucifixion. JOY! MAGAZINE 15

rs of the Bibl e Characte

—by Dr Victor Kuligin

s we celebrate Mother’s Day this month, we’ll take a look at a Biblical character who benefitted greatly from the faith of two important women in his life, his mother and grandmother.

Timothy’s background Possibly a convert to Christ during Paul’s first missionary journey when he passed through Timothy’s hometown of Lystra (Acts 14:6), Timothy was a young convert by the time Paul visited the region again during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:1). Timothy came from a family where his Jewish mother and grandmother had converted to Christianity; his father was Greek (Acts 16:1; 2 Tim 1:5). This lineage

XX JOY! MAGAZINE

later gave Timothy access to both Jewish and Greek cultures during his ministry. He was even willing to get circumcised in order to not offend Jewish converts (Acts 16:3).

His mentor Paul The relationship between Paul and Timothy was like a father and son (Phil 2:22; 1 Tim 1:2). Prophetic words had been spoken about Timothy, perhaps relating to his ministry (1 Tim 1:18; 4:14), and he received a spiritual gift when Paul laid hands on him (2 Tim 1:6). Timothy must have been fairly young when he first became a believer, especially if Paul called him young some ten to fifteen years later while Timothy ministered in Ephesus (1 Tim 4:12). This may also explain why Timothy was somewhat timid and shy (2 Tim 1:7-8).

What can we learn from Timothy? Go to any typical church and ask people when they came to faith in Christ. You’ll find that the vast majority of them did so in their childhood. Raising children in a Christian home remains the best way to make disciples for Jesus. It is vital that Christian parents raise their children “in the training and admonition of the Lord” – Ephesians 6:4. Timothy had a mother and grandmother who modelled faith in Jesus. Paul says the Christian faith “dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice” – 2 Timothy 1:5. Godly women were instrumental in raising up what would be one of the chief leaders of the early church. Women are capable of doing the same today, teaching and training children to live their lives for Christ.

SERIES Ministry in Ephesus

The early church historian Eusebius reports that Timothy was the first bishop of Ephesus. The city was the most important city in Asia Minor (modern Turkey) and one of the foremost urban centres of the Roman Empire. It was situated at the intersection of major trade routes making it an important commercial hub. Because it was on a river, it had a busy harbour that made it a key shipping port. It was also home to the Temple of Artemis (also known as Diana), one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, and was at the heart of paganism in Asia Minor. Witchcraft, necromancy, and magic arts were commonplace (see Acts 19). Ephesus minted on its coins “servant of the great goddess.” Church history records that during the reign of the emperor Domitian (AD 81-96), Timothy was martyred for his faith when the 80-year-old bishop tried to preach the Gospel during a procession for the goddess Diana. He was beaten to death by pagan worshippers.

Dependability matters Dependability is something you want in a Christian disciple, and Timothy had it. Dependability isn’t something you learn overnight. It takes years to develop, and the best time to start is when your children are young. Teaching them to be responsible for their own actions, to be hardworking and dedicated, and to reliably serve others goes a long way once they profess faith in Jesus. Despite his youth, Timothy impressed Paul. He said no one was like-minded like him (Phil 2:19-20). The Apostle says more in his letters about Timothy than any other ministry partner, and for over a decade they ministered together.

Timothy’s reliability is seen in several ways:

• As Paul discipled Timothy, so Timothy discipled others (2 Tim 2:2). Timothy was willing to do whatever was necessary for the sake of the Gospel.

Teach your children God’s Word

We read in the Bible that Timothy learned God’s Word from an early age. “From childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.” – 2 Timothy 3:15 Mothers play a vital role in raising their children to become godly men and women. The examples of Lois and Eunice testify to this, and Timothy was willing to do from their godly example they raised a whatever was necessary man who for decades admirably served for the sake of the Gospel. Christ, even to the point of giving his life for his faith in Jesus.

• He accompanied Paul during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:2-4) and again during his third (Acts 19:22). • He often served as Paul’s envoy, for example, being sent to Corinth (1 Cor 4:17), Thessalonica (1 Thes 3:2, 5), and Ephesus (1 Tim 1:3-4). • He was willing to ‘get his hands dirty,’ coming to Corinth and helping Paul with his tent-making so Paul could devote his time fully to preaching the Gospel (Acts 18:5). • Timothy is mentioned as Paul’s co-author in nearly half of his New Testament letters: 2 Corinthians (2 Cor 1:1), Philippians (Phil 1:1), Colossians (Col 1:1), 1 and 2 Thessalonians (1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1), and Philemon (Philem 1). • Like his master, Timothy spent time in prison, but was later released (Heb 13:23).

Train your kids Teach the Bible to your children. Read it to them daily. Train them to read it for themselves. Let them learn about the faith of people who have gone before them, men and women who dedicated their lives to God. As Paul tells Timothy, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17 

DR VICTOR KULIGIN is an international author and speaker who served as a missionary in Africa for 24 years. His latest book Meeting Jesus is available at CUM Books. He can be reached at v_kuligin@yahoo.com

JOY! MAGAZINE 17

FEATURE

Foreshocks Of Revelation: One Day Everything Will Be Shaken

t’s true that the coronavirus has caused massive upheaval around the world. Whole countries are being quarantined (as South Africa recently was). Massive sports events were cancelled. Schools were closed. The stock markets collapsed. But this is a mere tremor compared to what is coming. One day the whole earth will be shaken. As the author of Hebrews tells us, the Lord “has promised, ‘Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.’ The words ‘once more’ indicate the removing of what can be shaken – that is, created things – so that what cannot be shaken may remain.” – Hebrews 12:26-27. Everything will be shaken on that day.

This is how Jesus described it:

—by Dr Michael Brown God sound mean.” To the contrary, that makes God sound just. He will judge unrighteousness. He will punish the wicked. He will bring retribution. That is good news for the righteous and the godly. As the psalmist said, “Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his faithfulness.” – Psalm 96:13

Judgement on the wicked also means salvation for the righteous The Book of Revelation also speaks of the pouring out of 7 bowls of divine wrath on the earth, resulting in horrific judgements on those who refuse to repent (see Revelation 16). There will be no vaccines or cures on that day. There will be no intervention by the government. There will be no way to escape – other than running to the Lord for mercy and to talk about taking refuge under His wings.

“There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Very few want People will faint from terror, apprehensive of God’s judgement today, what is coming on the world, for the heavenly even within the church. bodies will be shaken.” – Luke 21:25-26 Judgement is certainly coming! Or, in the vivid language of the Book of Isaiah put it like this (please read this slowly Revelation, “Then the kings of the earth, the and prayerfully): princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave “See, the Lord is going to lay waste the earth and devastate it; he will and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called ruin its face and scatter its inhabitants – it will be the same for priest as to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him for people, for the master as for his servant, for the mistress as for her who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day servant, for seller as for buyer, for borrower as for lender, for debtor as for of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’” – Revelation 6:15-17 creditor. The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. The Lord has spoken this word. The earth dries up and withers, the world languishes and withers, the heavens languish with the earth. The earth is Can you even imagine a scene like this? Very few want to talk about God’s judgement today, even within defiled by its people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes the church. Preachers choose to avoid it, and the congregants cheer and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the them on. “Give us sweet stuff! Give us happy stuff! Tell us nice stories. earth; its people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are Make us smile! We don’t want to hear about judgement. That makes burned up, and very few are left.” – Isaiah 24:1-6 22 JOY! MAGAZINE

Hope in Jesus

The righteous will not be shaken

Even if we understand that the prophets sometimes spoke in hyperbolic language, the overall meaning of these words is undeniable: one day severe judgement will fall on a guilty planet. Yet even in the midst of this terrifying description, there are words of hope for God’s people. In fact, there is a divine invitation to take refuge in Him: “Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut the doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until his wrath has passed by. See, the Lord is coming out of his dwelling to punish the people of the earth for their sins. The earth will disclose the blood shed on it; the earth will conceal its slain no longer.” – Isaiah 26:20-21

The whole world will be shaken, but God’s kingdom – and God’s people – will not be shaken. As the psalmist declared, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” – Psalm 46:1-5 “Surely the righteous will never be shaken; they will be remembered forever. They will have no fear of bad news; their hearts are steadfast, trusting in the Lord. Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.” – Psalm 112:6-8

Look to Christ

As Proverbs states, “The name of the Lord is Agents of love and mercy Judgement on the wicked a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and It is true that the coronavirus has taken many also means salvation for are safe” – Proverbs 18:10. And as Psalm 91 lives so far, and every life is precious. And it is the righteous. declares, “there is a place of protection, a true that many more lives could be lost, along hiding place, in God Most High.” with real suffering for hundreds of millions That’s why Jesus said this to His due to economic crises. But this is only a small followers, immediately after warning of the judgement that would blip on the radar compared to what is coming. Now would be a good be coming to the earth: “When these things begin to take place, time for us, as God’s holy people, to learn to trust Him in the midst of stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing crisis, putting our spiritual roots down deep. Now would be a good time near” – Luke 21:28. to realise that all life is transitory and that, at best, we are only passing through this world. Now would be a good time to take hold afresh of the beauty of the Cross and the gift of eternal life. And now would be a good The coming of the Lord is at hand And that’s why the very passage from Hebrews that we quoted at time to be used as agents of mercy and hope to a hurting world. In Jesus, the beginning of this article ends with this: “Therefore, since we are we have all that we will ever need. And in Him, we will never be shaken.  receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our God is a DR MICHAEL BROWN is an international speaker on themes of spiritual renewal and cultural reformation. Visit askdrbrown.org consuming fire.’” – Hebrews 12:28-29 JOY! MAGAZINE 23

FEAR or FAITH How should Christians respond to the

CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC? —by Dr Brian de Vries

pprehension, anxiety, and alarm – these are common responses to COVID-19. This new strain of the coronavirus is a global pandemic, and it is the underlying cause of much global uncertainty and disruption – even fear. Many people around the world have responded in fear. This is due to the real possibility of death, the highly contagious form of this disease, and the lack of a known cure. Responding with fear, in such cases, is a natural human reaction.

We also confess that God is sovereign

Nothing that happens in this world is outside of His total control. He even allows sickness, suffering, and destruction (Isa 45:8, Amos 3:6). Throughout history, God has allowed terrible plagues to cause much suffering and death. These pandemics are, in God’s all-wise providence, part of His ultimately good purposes in human history (Gen 50:20, Rom 8:28). For example, the plagues of Egypt were used by God to deliver His people who were suffering in slavery (Ex 7:3-5). God has, at times, allowed pandemics. For example, the Great Bubonic Plague around 1350 was one of the most devastating How should we as Christians respond to COVID-19? pandemics in human history, resulting We know that it is good and necessary in the deaths of an estimated 75 to 200 to take precautions. We, of course, try to million people in Asia and Europe. The follow all the advice of medical experts Our response to COVID-19 is Spanish Flu in 1918 infected about a half and our community leaders. We make a diagnosis of our spiritual billion people globally, causing more than every effort to prevent the spread of health: fear or faith? 20 million deaths. COVID-19 and do all in our power to So while COVID-19 is novel (new) to us contain and limit the problem. But, let’s in 2020, such global pandemics are not new also consider COVID-19 within the bigger picture of what God is doing in the world. What does the Bible in human history. And certainly COVID-19 is not unknown to our say about this pandemic? How should Christians think about sovereign God or somehow outside of His total control. COVID-19, and how should we live in response?

Our God is still in control We confess that God is our Creator, and that He made a perfect universe – a world without disease and death. We also confess what the Bible teaches about sin and its consequences: the world is cursed because of human sin (Rom 8:20-22), and this world – now under the curse – is decaying and swiftly approaching its final destruction (2 Pet 3:10-12). To use an analogy, all people are infected by the spiritual virus of sin, and the death rate of this virus is 100%. 24 JOY! MAGAZINE

Pandemics are the consequence of human sin

God had warned Adam in Paradise that death would be the outcome of his disobedience. But Adam sinned against God, and so “death spread to all [humans] because all sinned” – Romans 5:12. Sickness in the world today is part of the beginning of God’s judgment on sin. Thus, COVID-19 is part of God’s judgement upon human sinfulness. Like all other sickness and death in world history, it is the consequence of human sin. Note carefully, however, that there is not necessarily a direct connection between those who get sick and those who are

We must be clear: it is incorrect and unwise to say that COVID-19 is God’s judgement upon a particular person or group of people. But as with other plagues in world history, Christians should see this present pandemic as a consequence of decay and death in this world. We are encouraged by Christ to live in hope with a faith-ﬁlled perspective.

worse sinners (see Jesus’ wise teaching in Luke 13:1-5). We all have sinned, so we all will eventually die from one cause or another.

of their rebellion against Him. God, in His forbearance, is still giving time for human sinners to plead for mercy.

A consequence of death and decay

God’s judgements are righteous

We must be clear: it is incorrect and unwise to say that COVID-19 is God’s judgement upon a particular person or group of people. But as with other plagues in world history, Christians should see this present pandemic as a consequence of decay and death in this world. As a Christian, I confess that I am a sinner by nature and, therefore, like all other humans, I deserve God’s judgements because of my sinfulness.

God’s judgements will increase

We all have sinned against God, and all sinners deserve to be punished. It is fitting and fair for God to punish all human sin; His judgements are righteous. But this is the wonder of the Gospel: God, in His grace, proclaims a way for sinners to be saved from the judgements and eternal punishment they deserve. God the Father gave His own Son to suffer and die in the place of sinners. Jesus Christ bore the wrath of God against sin when He died in immeasurable agony on the Cross. Christ died so that we Consider COVID-19 within may live; He carried the curse of death so the bigger picture of what that we in Him and will be blessed by God. God is doing in the world. All who trust in Christ are made alive by the Holy Spirit, and God’s wrath no longer remains on them.

We, who study God’s Word and who know world history, are not entirely surprised by COVID-19. We grieve the suffering caused by such tragedies, and we work faithfully to circumvent and contain them. But we are not surprised, because God warned that calamities will come. The Book of Revelation speaks about judgements that God pours out upon a wicked world – upon a world living in rebellion against Him and His righteous laws. Many of the seven seals and seven trumpets describe major global disruptions that occur as the final coming of Christ approaches (Rev 6-9). Then, the seven bowls of God’s wrath describe massive global judgements that bring staggering destruction to the whole earth (Rev 15-16). As punishments for wickedness in the world, these judgements are also loud warnings: God’s time of mercy is soon coming to an end and eternal punishment looms closer. God, in grace, gives undeniable warnings to the wicked of pending death, so that they might repent

There are two categories of people in the world today: (1) Sinners who have been saved in Christ, and (2) sinners who remain under God’s wrath (John 3:36). Saved sinners respond to God by praising Him for His gracious salvation. Unsaved sinners continue to sin against God, even in the reality of increasing judgements. These two radically different responses to God’s righteous judgements are depicted in the Book of Revelation.

God’s people confess God’s sovereignty Revelation 15 describes a scene that is located directly before the fullness of God’s wrath against sin begins to be poured out upon the » JOY! MAGAZINE 25

FEAR or FAITH How should Christians respond to the

CORONAVIRUS

PANDEMIC? world. Here we see the redeemed saints before the throne of God, the Church in Heaven. Listen to what they are singing: “Great and amazing are your deeds, Oh Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, Oh King of the nations!” – Revelation 15:3 The perfected Church in Heaven worships God even while terrible calamities are increasing on earth. They confess God’s righteousness: “True and just are your judgements!” – Revelation 16:7. Note carefully: they do not get any joy from the pain or suffering increasing on earth; rather the message of their song is focussed on praising their sovereign God who is in total control: “All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” – Revelation 15:4

Sinful people respond with fear and rebellion

deeds” – Revelation 16:11. “They cursed God for the plague… because the plague was so severe.” – Revelation 16:21

Believers learn to respond in faith Why does the Bible give us this perspective? God, in His mercy, is calling us to live by faith. The Holy Spirit speaks to us through the Bible; He teaches us not to fear when God’s judgements come upon earth with increasing intensity. The Holy Spirit assures God’s people of His promises in order to calm our fears (Isa 41:10, Psalm 91, etc.). We are encouraged by Christ to live in hope with a faith-filled perspective: “Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” – Luke 21:28

But, the response of the sinful world is The Holy Spirit’s guidance Nothing that happens radically different. At first God’s judgements The Spirit gives us faith to respond in this world is outside resulted in great fear and even some differently to the world, even in times of of God’s total control. submission: “And at that hour there was a great calamity and global pandemic. By great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. God’s grace, we respond with loving service, Seven thousand people were killed in the displaying selfless deeds of compassion for earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of the suffering. Like Christ, we graciously warn the wicked and call heaven” – Revelation 11:13). Jesus had predicted this would happen: them to bow before God in repentance. In the Spirit, we faithfully “People fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the pray for those who are dying in their rebellion against God, while we world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” – Luke 21:26 do what we can to help all people.

The wicked curse God

How are you responding to the present pandemic?

As God’s judgements intensify, wicked people in the world also intensify their rebellion against God. They do not surrender to God or plead for mercy. No; it is the opposite reaction: “They cursed the name of God who had power over these plagues. They did not repent and give Him glory” – Revelation 16:9. “They did not repent of their

We, of course, make every effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to minimise the problem. But we all will eventually die, whether from one cause or another; and at the end of the world, we all will stand before the final judgement throne of God. The more important matter now is our relationship with the sovereign God.

26 JOY! MAGAZINE

Faith or fear? Our heart-response to COVID-19 is a vital diagnosis of our spiritual health: fear or faith? Fear is a natural human response, because we all are sinners. But God in Christ by His Spirit gives us faith. Christian believers are, by grace, learning to trust Christ even in “the valley of the shadow of death” (Psalm 23:4); they are learning more and more to walk by faith in Christ who saves us from the fast approaching destruction (1 Thes 1:10).

Show compassion to the lost By faith, we learn to follow Christ in showing compassion to the lost and perishing. By faith, we hope in our gracious God who

Let’s pray together for grace to respond to COVID-19 with faith and hope in our sovereign God! will soon destroy this wicked world and will create a better world without sickness and death, without tears and suffering. By faith, in Christ’s victory over death, we overcome our natural fears so that we can proclaim this Gospel of hope to dying sinners. Let’s pray together for grace to respond to COVID-19 with this faith and hope in our sovereign God! 

DR BRIAN A DE VRIES is the Principal and Senior Lecturer at Mukhanyo Theological College. He’s planted three churches in the Pretoria area and also serves as a visiting professor at a seminary in the USA.

BOOK EXTRACT

Church UNUSUAL Insight from Dr Jonathan David Dr Jonathan David is the Founder and Senior Pastor of All Nations Sanctuary, a governing kingdom church in Muar, Johor, Malaysia. He is also the Presiding Apostle of the International Strategic Alliance of Apostolic Churches (ISAAC), a network of governing churches in 40 nations. He has been recognised by apostles and prophets around the world for his contribution to God’s present move through his book, Apostolic Strategies Affecting Nations.

hurch Unusual lifts the paradigms of pastors and Christian leaders to see the church beyond its natural element and environment. It is the avenue and vehicle for the Kingdom of God manifesting here on earth as it is in heaven. When this happens, God can dwell in and manifest His power and glory through His church to rule over all His enemies.

life, leading to the fulfilment of every spoken word. The Lord is watching over His Word and will hasten it in time.

Righteousness over lawlessness

The Church Unusual will be built on the pillars of Zion and become the carrier to change lives and mature the spirits of righteous men, bringing them to a place of perfection. In the last days, church will be more than just a religious institute or an ordinary The Lord is watching over us In the next decade we will experience an open heaven, prophetic church having regular and predictable services. God is about to precision, strategic position, unleash upon the world the Church that He has birthed for the and Spirit demonstration joy that was set before Him. The Church Unusual is patterned when we are connected after the heavenly pattern, modelled after Zion. It is modelled and covered by the to bring the full manifestation of the Bride and the City of God down to the earth. This is the church of the first born who are enrolled in heaven. They bring an end to the sinful age and bring to The Church will move from birth the age of righteousness. Righteousness good to great for the glory will spring up everywhere. Those who desire of God in the highest. evil will be sidelined in many places. Cities will choose righteousness rather than lawlessness – we will see the end of lawlessness and the authority of heaven – increase of Kingdom governance in and through the church. when we are adjusted and aligned by the These are the pillars of Zion: accuracy of heaven with Strategic men will rise in strategic places and create significant the nation we live in. moves of the Spirit. Inevitable manifestation of the true sons of The accuracy of the God will become identifiable in the future of this final move of the prophetic and Spirit. Church reformation will inspire church restoration, leading to the activation city transformation. The next decade will be unusual times. Zion will of the latent manifest in and through the church unusual. The kingdom will go power of forth from Zion. God will help us to capture the vision of the church God’s Word without walls because God will be a wall of fire around them. The will bring depth of the work of God that will be done this year will be seen by internal all. He will bring His work to completion. 66 JOY! MAGAZINE

Church reformation will inspire church restoration, leading to city transformation. The next decade will be unusual times. What can we expect? The next decade will be a decade of change, a decade of quick maturing of the church. The next decade will see an end to the sinful age and the beginning of the age of righteousness and of the kingdom government. Mixture in the church will be exposed. God will begin to expose the spirit of error and help us to discern and destroy the spirit of darkness. There will be a rejection of the Spirit of Eli and the dimension of the Samuel type of anointing in races like you’ve never seen before. The counterfeits and the false prophets will be exposed, many of them will be chased out of town. To many of these an end will be put to their ministry. Some will leave this earth prematurely because the true prophetic word will flow across the nations of the earth.

God will move, His voice will be heard A new sense of intimacy is coming upon the Church, a new sense of grace. If you capture the vision of the church unusual and build on the pillars of Zion, then the sons of God will manifest. Strategic men in strategic places will create significant moves of the Spirit. Faith for the miraculous is going to become a portion in every church that even during times of worship, things will happen, the hand of God will come mightily upon the people – healing the sick and raising the dead. There will be a supernatural flow of revelation that will reveal the greater purpose of God for the Church. There will be an unhindered flow of the river of Life. The Spirit of The depth of the work of revelation, understanding, and wisdom God that will be done this will manifest. I can see the Spirit of God year will be seen by all. begin to move. The sound of His voice will be heard. God will move.

Get ready for what is to come! There is going to be the emerging of a Church and a people rising in a way you never seen before. There is going to be an exercise of dominion in every domain. God will give strategy, a plan that cannot fail, and the strategic plan is to bring us to a place of stature so that the anointing of the Lord will flow strong through lives to govern the territory. Obedience will set and generate many hearts that will be participating, so get ready. The grace and the apostleship for the nations of the world is to build so the fast-flowing river of revelation, healing, and deliverance will flow through the Church. The Church has received the source of life in every domain and every place, to be the answer, to be the solution people are looking for. God is the source of life in every domain and every place. Get ready, it is time to serve the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength. It is time to put your hand to the plough and don’t look back. It’s time to advance with a shout of praise, with the roar of a lion. Let the Lion of Judah roar. 

If you are interested in ordering CDs, DVDs, Books, and more by Dr Jonathan David, email: administrator@fountainoflife.org.za

Visit our website to keep updated with prophetic vision, upcoming conferences, courses, and more:

www.jonathan-david.org

MEET THE JOY! TEAM Fill up to pour out

ou cannot water a garden with an empty watering can. You can’t expect fruit to produce and flowers to bloom if you don’t spend time nurturing them. Similarly, you can’t expect godly fruit to be evident in your life unless you fill up your spirit with God’s Word and His promises. It is impossible to pour out God’s love without first filling ourselves with His love. This is why Jesus came to earth to instate a new commandment, that we love the Lord our God with all our hearts, our souls, and our minds (Matt 22:37), and that we love our neighbours as Christ has loved us (John 13:34). His two most important commandments can be summed up as this: Love Christ and share His love with others.

Love for one another The passage in John 13 then goes on to say, “By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” We cannot call ourselves Christians if we are not loving those around us. And, we cannot pour out this love without first filling up. We can’t expect to have strong, vibrant spirits without investing in them. We can’t think that one morning of church will fill us up for the week. We need to cut off distractions and intentionally dedicate time to spend time with the Lord.

Make time to spend in God’s Word It is like the principle of saving money, if you save what it left after spending, you will never save much money. But if you dedicate a certain amount of money to save each month and spend the rest, you will be better off financially. We need to intentionally set time to spend with God, singing His praises, reading His Word, and opening our hearts in prayer. If we wait until we have time, we will never really find the time.  GILLIAN FRASER is the Production Manager of JOY! Magazine. Email gillian@joymag.co.za

Feed your faith, not your fear

s a former gym junkie, I am reminded of the ‘101’ of building a great physique – the first rule is to burn more calories than you consume. The second rule is to ensure that the fuel (food) that you feed your body is healthy, so that you can see growth. The final rule is to get enough rest.

Be mindful of what you consume For the last few weeks, the Holy Spirit has been using this concept to remind me of how important it is to strengthen our Spirit Man. We tend to neglect this part of our Christian walk and are then surprised when we are not ‘strong’ enough to stand in difficult times. Philippians 4:8 reminds us to be mindful of what we put into our bodies so that we can experience peace in time of turmoil. To grow and be healthy Christians, it is imperative that we consume more of the Biblical Word than social media, secular news, or any other source of negativity.

As with building a stronger physique, you need to make sure that you train your spirit by: • Spending time reading the Word (Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.) • Praying as often as you can • Praising and worshipping regularly to enter into His presence and to find rest. Without this you cannot grow. “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” – 1 Corinthians 16:13, NIV. Let’s be the strong Christians God intended us to be so that we can be light in these trying times.  GAWIE DE LANGE is the General Manager of JOY! Magazine. Email gawie@joymag.co.za

28 JOY! MAGAZINE

The Great Exodus:

Truth and Reality Series

The historical event that marks our faith

n amazing thing about the Christian faith is that it is rooted in the historical reality of a Man who lived, was crucified, and resurrected from the dead three days later. The Apostle Paul therefore insists in 1 Corinthians 15 that were the resurrection not a historical event, the entirety of the Christian faith would be futile. Charles Colson, the Richard Nixon lawyer of Watergate infamy who then became a follower of Christ, made a compelling case for the resurrection when he wrote: “I know the resurrection is a fact, and Watergate proved it to me. How? Because 12 men testified they had seen Jesus raised from the dead, then they proclaimed that truth for 40 years, never once denying it. Everyone was beaten, tortured, stoned, and put in prison. They would not have endured that if it weren’t true. Watergate embroiled 12 of the most powerful men in the worldand they couldn’t keep a lie for three weeks. You’re telling me 12 apostles could keep a lie for 40 years? Absolutely impossible.”

With the resurrected Christ at our side, we can face the storms of life knowing that He has conquered death, and His victory can be ours as well. In 1 Corinthians, Paul reminds the church that this Good News is of first importance. This is true not only for them, but for all of humanity. If you are genuinely inquiring about the Christian faith, the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth is proof that He is the son of God, offering us a new life and validating all He said and did in the Gospels. For the wayward believer, it serves as a solid reminder that life is infinitely more than eating and drinking, and that whatever we do for Christ in this life is never in vain. Lastly, for all of us, with the resurrected Christ at our side, we can face the storms of life knowing that He has conquered death, and His victory can be ours as well. Then, if we grasp the significance of this Good News, it can outweigh all our troubles a hundred times over.  TENDAI CHITSIKE is the pastor of Every Nation Church in Makhanda. Email: engrahamstown@gmail.com

A Christian Response to emigration —by Tambu Ndlovu

opics around relocation and immigration protocols routinely cannibalise conversations at braais and dinner parties. The truth is we all know someone in the process of moving overseas, but what is the true Christian response to emigration? Lennie de Villiers, a passionate and faithful Christian for some 13 years, weighs in on the topic. Lennie has served as an elder at his local church whilst straddling the responsibilities of a serial entrepreneur. As the co-director of Induku Consulting Group he helps families find affordable methods to move to countries like the USA.

Migration is not unbiblical at all “Migration as a process is nothing new to the Christian faith. In his Sovereignty the Father has been nudging His people to move from place to place, to fulfil His purposes for their lives for years. In Genesis, Abram left His country and parents and started a journey to the Promised Land through faith and obedience to God. Jesus also left the place of His birth as a baby with his family during the tenure of King Herod. In the scriptures Paul calls Christians ‘sojourners’ – Acts 2:1” Lennie notes, “…citizens of heaven with an earthly purpose. Of course as churches when we see our fellow congregants leaving the country it leaves deep gaps in our spiritual families and people get disheartened. It is important therefore not to judge someone else’s path because it impacts on our individual vision and ideal for South Africa,” Lennie remarked.

God has given us freedom God has given us freedom of choice on matters like emigration: “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build-up” – 1 Corinthians 10:23. To all those seeking God’s voice and direction in decisions around emigration, let us take time to lay down our processing before God in prayer, and listen in for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Emigrating can quickly become all-consuming and an idol in our hearts. We need to interrogate whether our decisions to leave are birthed from a place of fear and insecurity or nobler reasons that connect back to glorifying God and increasing his fame in the earth!  This article is sponsored by Induku Consulting Group (indukugroup.co.za), a leading human capital firm committed to helping families invest in a green card and relocate to the USA.

The Lord uses our children

to reffii ne us

—by Lauren and Michael Miller

isher Miller, our precious little boy. The road that we’ve been on with him has been filled with many highs and lows, but God has helped us navigate through them all.

Under stimulated, but full of love Nothing about our son Fisher has ever been ordinary. Even my labour with him was nothing short of a marathon. He was four days overdue when my water broke, and then it took 31 hours from that point for him to make his grand entrance. The nurses told me that he was a very alert new-born. A foreshadow of the years to come. Since Fisher was our first child, we had no idea what was normal other than what we heard from friends and family about their children or read in articles. As a baby he was so active, so social, so awake, and seemed so discontent to just be a baby. To our dismay, he cried most of the time and rarely wanted to sleep. The only way he was quiet was if I was holding him and walking around. We used to say that it seemed like he was constantly frustrated because his mind was more advanced than his body and emotions at each stage. He began crawling at five months old, at eight months he began accurately using simple sign language to communicate what he wanted, and he comprehended most of the commands and questions we asked him. He spoke very clearly and formed proper sentences before any

of the other children his age. At three years old he learnt to ride a bike without training wheels and learnt to read the alphabet (and knew the phonetics of each letter). He’s now almost five, hasn’t even finished pre-kindergarten, and is reading simple books and can do simple math. It’s become very obvious to us through the past four and a half years that we have a gifted child on our hands, but the level of brilliance has been met with an equal level of strong emotions and challenges. Much of the challenge stems from us not being able to stimulate him enough to keep his busy mind satisfied.

The message of the Cross is our guide We came to have the revelation of the true Gospel around the time that Fisher was born, which is something that I have always been incredibly grateful for. Without the message of the Cross, we would have been completely shipwrecked and without hope a long time ago. The message of the Cross has helped me to accept every season that we have been through with him, and it’s allowed me to accept him for who he is – but at the same time be immovable as a parent who wants to raise children in the ways of the Lord, which can be extra-challenging with a child who is completely out-of-the-box and doesn’t function on the same grid as others.

A few things that God placed in my heart as pillars from early on with Fisher: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” – Galatians 6:9. Parenting a child who has meltdowns most of his waking hours (this has since changed for the better, I will go into detail further on) is emotionally and physically draining, and that’s an understatement. It takes a supernatural grace to be able to stand strong and say no to this boy and endure his wrath rather than just give him with whatever it is that he wants to

Because of Fisher, we seek the Lord with all our hearts and lean on Him every day.

TESTIMONY

Parenting a child who has meltdowns most of his waking hours is emotionally and physically draining.

keep the peace at home, and at the grandparents’ house, and at the grocery store, and at church, and so forth. I felt the Lord give me the conviction and endurance to not bow my knee to his meltdowns, even if it never gets any better, but to let my “no” be “no” and my “yes” be “yes,” come what may. Only by His grace has that been accomplished. I had faith that even if it took years to see the fruit of my labour in that area, it would eventually pay off and it would be a blessing to him in the long run. And it definitely has been!

Lockdown on all media Another area that the Lord brought conviction to me early on with was media. If Fisher watched one episode of a show, he wanted another and then another and so on. That’s all he would ask for all day long when it was off. So, I found that it was easier to say no TV or movies at all then to even give just 30 minutes a day. It was very hard at first. There was lots of crying and many fits, but after time he forgot about it entirely and found other things to do. This became easier as he got older because he became more imaginative and able to keep himself entertained on his own. It was also a sacrifice on my end initially because it meant that I had to spend more time helping him find things to do and playing with him myself, not to mention I had his sister to take care of as well who is 18 months younger than him. But I counted the cost and felt it was worth it. We also don’t allow him to play on phones or tablets or anything like that. He plays extremely well with his sister all day long these days, which I would never have believed back when we were in the thick of this.

And now for one of the biggest areas – food Since the day that Fisher was born, he has loved to eat. He would nurse about every 45 minutes to an hour the first few months of his life, and if I wasn’t feeding him, he was not content to just sleep or lie down. He wanted to be held and interacted with. He would nurse around the clock and didn’t sleep through the night until he was a year old. As you can imagine, I was not getting the rest a new mom needs to take care of such a lively infant. Then as he got older, he would cry and throw fits for food. We’ve always eaten healthy food, which is not what a child naturally gravitates towards – even if it’s all

he knows. It is like there’s something in them that desires sugar and junk food before they’ve even been exposed to it. Since Fisher was such a wild and energetic child already, I was terrified to give him sugar at all. I struggled to manage him as it was, so if I added fuel to the flame, I knew it would take a village to get him under control. My husband and I decided very firmly from day one, no sugar at all. Even with dried fruits, white breads (which breaks down to sugar in the stomach), and things of that nature, we limited them. This was another area where I had to stand immovably on my conviction and it was so hard. It continues to be hard because that temptation is constantly around with school, family, and elsewhere. We do make allowances on very rare occasions now that he’s older, but we know that it will make him extra wild for a little while until it’s out of his system.

Another drastic realisation One of the major things that we found out around the time he turned 4 was that he has a gluten intolerance. This manifested itself neurologically, rather than as stomach issues. He has always been very active physically and mentally. His mind thinks of ten things at once, at all times, which made it nearly impossible for him to focus before we changed his diet. Whenever he would think of something new (which was constantly), his curiosity would drive him to action before JOY! MAGAZINE 43

TESTIMONY

to refﬁine us

The Lord uses our children

he considered the consequences. He used to be so frustrated with us always stopping him from doing what he wanted to do or telling him “no” – which quickly led to tension and aggressive behaviours. It was beyond our experience level to know how to harness all that raw energy, emotion, and mental capacity. As a result, he was out of control and we were exhausted. It seemed like no matter what we tried, nothing helped him to be calm and content for more than a short span of time.

Seeking wisdom from elders We would regularly go to our elder, Neil, and his wife, Brenda, begging for wisdom and prayer, which by the way was probably one of the most helpful things we ever did during those earlier years – even just to have their support. Then when things were at their absolute worst and we were feeling like maybe medication would be the only solution (which I did not have any sort of peace about), Neil and Brenda met with us and we prayed and took the table of the Lord together. We asked God for supernatural wisdom and intervention because we were doing everything that we knew to do, but our child was still out of control and we couldn’t go on with it being like that anymore.

Trying something new Then, a few weeks later, I came across a medical journal where the doctor was talking about the neurological effects of gluten that he was seeing in his patients. Some patients were having

symptoms that looked like ADHD, anxiety, depression, aggression, and the list went on. I thought, “Why not just try cutting out gluten and see if it helps. We’ve tried basically everything else, so what can it hurt?” And within three weeks, our family members and people who were closest to us who knew Fisher intimately were asking us what happened with him, as he was so much calmer. My husband’s mom asked if we put him on medication because it was such a dramatic change! He was a different child. He was calmer, agreeable, wasn’t having meltdowns over every little thing, he had more control over his emotions, and was able to yield to our decisions in a peaceable way. It was completely unbelievable.

Answer to prayer We knew that the Lord had 100% answered our prayers and given us the wisdom that we had been praying for all his life. He is still Fisher. He will never be a perfect angel of a child, but his heart has been softened and he’s able to submit and learn and grow in ways that he couldn’t before, when he was so hardened by his overwhelming emotions. Don’t get me wrong, we are still walking on a road with him, but it’s nothing like what it was before. He has been our greatest challenges, but also our greatest reward. God has used him as a mighty tool to refine us and give us daily opportunities to choose to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and to pray to the Lord for help and wisdom constantly.

What a blessing! If we only had easy children who didn’t make a fuss, we would undoubtedly be proud and arrogant parents, thinking we know what we’re doing as ‘godly parents.’ But, because of Fisher, we have been broken and seek the Lord with all our hearts and lean on Him every day. I count it joy to have been chosen to be his mom for it has kept me close to the Lord. I hope this encourages all readers who have their own struggles as parents. 

I count it joy to have been chosen to be his mom for it has kept me close to the Lord.

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Walking in the footsteps of Jesus & His Disciples —by Jackie de Lange, JOY! Travel Director

n a world plagued with fear, drought, pestilence, wars, and rumours of war, there can be no doubt that we are living in the End Times. Of course, the Disciples themselves thought the same, and this motivated them to spread the Good News of Jesus with great urgency to all corners of the globe. And today – because of their relentless commitment – we are the recipients of their great sacrifices as martyrs of the faith.

Time is running out to visit the Holy Land If indeed the ‘World’s Clock’ is counting down to the return of Christ, we are all living on precious borrowed time. It is this pressing reality that motivated JOY! Magazine to arrange life-changing tours to Israel for our readers – so that each traveller may see their Bible come alive as they trace the steps of our Lord Jesus.

A passion for pilgrimages 13 years ago we commenced our first Holy Land pilgrimage. Little did we know, this ‘once off ’ adventure would turn into a life-long calling for myself and the JOY! Travel team. Having visited Israel 29 times, Turkey 12 times, and Greece, Egypt, and Jordan several more, I can truly say that arranging tours is a passion that gets stronger with each passing year.

Seeing your Bible come to life on a JOY! tour Many travellers ask me why I return to these Biblical sites multiple times each year, walking the same dusty streets, hearing the same historical facts over and over. My answer is always the same – I can never get bored of seeing children of God meet Jesus in a new and powerful way whilst on a JOY! tour. For some, a tour is the fulfilment of a life-long dream, ticking off their bucket list. For others, it’s a journey – one in which they hope to rekindle their Christian fire. On every tour we see miracles, whether they are physical healing, 48 JOY! MAGAZINE

spiritual awakening, or even an emotional breakthrough over a stubborn struggle.

The Holy Land is high in demand If you have never visited Israel – please don’t delay! Every year the price increases as hotels reach peak occupancy. Every year the country gets busier as a Heavenly urgency spurs pilgrims from all over to fulfil this Christian goal. And every year there is a global crisis making it more difficult to travel (did I hear you say COVID-19?).

Most of the New Testament was written in Turkey For those who have been to the Holy Land, Turkey is the next step – the New Testament in colour! Tracing the steps of the Disciples across Asia Minor is a privilege that we get to partake of in this life. Seeing the 7 Churches of Revelation in person gives one a sense of purpose and importance of the Gospel that no YouTube video could ever convey!

Please don’t be afraid to travel We are children of the most high God, promised peace and protection as our inheritance in Christ. Don’t let fear keep you from the resplendent joy of seeing the pages of your Bible come alive on tour. Sign up today – for you do not know what tomorrow holds. What a shame it will be for a believer to miss out on seeing Jerusalem or Ephesus in real life when we had the opportunity whilst on this earth!

Tour Israel and Turkey before it’s too late! “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” – James 4:13-14, NIV 

Condemnation Paralyses

SAVING LIVES BY BRINGING THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS TO THE PEOPLE OF AFRICA

—by Grant & Theunisina Neyt

here is an amazing account in the Bible between Jesus and a woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-12). In this story we see the grace of God in action. The aspect we want to focus on is condemnation. She was condemned because of sin – just as many people today feel condemned. Condemnation paralyses: it paralyses people’s destiny and faith. It ultimately causes people to feel that they are unloved by God, and as a result they feel they are unable to be used by God and they stop witnessing. “She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’” – John 8:11

We are not condemned Jesus Christ is the only one who could condemn us, and yet He chooses not to. He further tells this woman to stop whatever would be causing the condemnation. What really stands out is the word “go” “go”. Jesus did not tell her to stay or sit but “go”. These words ring true today because there is no condemnation to those who belong to Christ (Rom 8:1). Now “go”, accomplish everything Christ has for you and win souls for Christ! 

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SERIES

SPIRITUAL WEAPONS OF WARFARE Understanding the wiles of the devil Part lll

—by Dr Siva Moodley

o be subject to the wiles truth – that means you cannot fail if you use God’s methods. If only we of the enemy means to be will seek Him in every decision and obey His directions, then it will be deceived. The Hebrew word very difficult to be beguiled. for wiles is nekel. It basically refers to five things that often happen to us. As False prophets manipulate we have discussed in previous articles, Even in the church, there are some who beguile many with false the first wile is treachery. The second wile is teaching. The Bible warns us about giving under compulsion (2 Cor conspiracy. The third wile of the enemy, which 9:7). When we are manipulated to give, there is no blessing that we will study in this issue, is beguilement. There are comes from that. some people who enter our lives to guile or charm us. I believe that God has blessed us (Gen 1:28). I believe God wants These people are sent by satan to take something valuable every person to be financially prosperous (Due 8:18, Pro 10:22). I away from us. Sometimes people turn up with “too good to be true” believe no Christian should live in lack (Psa 23:1). However, God makes investment schemes, only to beguile us people financially prosperous, sometimes of our money. Even schemes that seem to beyond their wildest dreams, because He make business sense could beguile you of has a divine purpose for their wealth (2 Cor Many ignore seeking God’s your money. How do I know which is of God 9). Prosperity is directly connected to the direction or spending time and which is beguilement? advancement of the Kingdom. God only waiting upon Him. prospers givers into the Kingdom of God and not those who just want to be takers. You are God’s prophet “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” – Amos 3:7. God Always align with scripture will always speak to you when He has a blessing for you. He will However, in 2 Corinthians 9:7 people are compelled to give where even make you aware of it in advance, so that you can prepare. The promises are made that do not line up with scripture. Attractive problem is that many will ignore seeking God’s direction or spending schemes and promises are made on behalf of God. Foolish Christians time waiting upon Him. We live in a World where we want to progress pour money into these schemes of manipulation. I have seen people based on our education and experience. pay massive amounts of money into promises that they will be married in 30 days, and that God would bring their partner to them if they paid a certain amount of money. I have also seen people perform Now listen to what Joshua says: “This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall magic tricks where money suddenly burns. Did Jesus do any of these things? Where does the Bible instruct us to meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then do these things? We should always sow, even honour prophets and men of God, but only under instruction of the Holy Spirit. When a person tells you will have good success.” – Joshua 1:8 According to Joshua, the secret to financial prosperity and success you that you need to first sow into them, or even dictates how much you in life is to study the Word of God, speak (confess) the Word of God, need to give, or refuses to pray for you until you sow that seed, then that and obey the Word of God. This needs to be done daily. God’s Word is is not God. That is someone prostituting the gift or using witchcraft. 56 JOY! MAGAZINE

TREVOR HUDSON Trevor Hudson carefully explains the meaning of each part of the Serenity Prayer and its application to your life, helping you develop those attitudes that will enable you to find peace even in difficult circumstances.

Are you equipped to take on the enemy and live victoriously? For a very detailed teaching on topic, get the Spiritual Weapons of Warfare CD set. We are servants, not fundraisers In our church, the offering message is not allowed to go over 5 minutes. People give in our church because they see God working. They see the miracles and the grace of God. People experience His presence. God called me as His servant, not as a fund-raiser. I don’t believe in raising funds in my church. I walk with God. If my God cannot provide for a need, then it means I have not obeyed Him.

Promises of promotion and favour

How to apply the Twelve Step program developed by Alcoholics Anonymous to your life. Written for people who struggle with anxiety, addictive behavior, guilt, regret or self-condemnation; for those who battle with stress; and for people who need to re-energize their fath. There are others like you. It’s possible to experience a new depth, freedom and joy in your daily life.

I have also seen some people take others out of their destiny by beguiling them with promises of favour and promotion. I

Dig into the interwoven themes of friendship and personal transformation with Trevor Hudson as he explains that friendship is a helpful analogy for the intimate kind of relationship God wants with us. When we become friends with Jesus, we are drawn into God’s greater dream for the world.

God’s Word is truth – that means you cannot fail if you use God’s methods. Seek Him in every decision. have seen these “Absalom spirits” operate in the church and in the corporate world. The sad thing is that when this happens to someone, they often realise they have been beguiled, but are too proud to repent and seek forgiveness. As a result they now function outside their divine destiny. …this series will be continued over the next few issues of JOY! Make sure to pick up your copies to not miss out. 

Available from June 2020

Available from leading booksellers nationwide. Struik Christian Media

@StruikChristian

www.struikchristianmedia.co.za

SIVA MOODLEY is a pastor and author. Visit sivamoodley.com for info on daily TV programmes, upcoming conferences, prayer requests, bookshop details, and more.

TESTIMONY

Sam’s Story

From prisoner to preacher

esus is in the business of changing lives. The moment someone decides to follow Him is not only the end of their old life, but the beginning of a whole new life. And when someone really experiences that miracle regeneration, they can’t help but tell the world. There is a powerful, exponential multiplier effect when those who have received salvation become sharers of the Good News themselves. I want to share with you a story that demonstrates just what an impact your donation to and support of Christ for all Nations (CfaN) makes for individuals and for the Kingdom of God. It’s the story of a man whose life seemed to be a lost cause – and how a CfaN conference that he didn’t even attend changed his life.

A journey to nowhere

—by Daniel Kolenda door, he made sure he stood as far back as possible. As the pastor at the front preached, something miraculous happened. This man who had felt nothing for years found himself weeping, tears pouring down his face. Without knowing how he got there, he was suddenly standing right at the front. The preacher led him in the sinner’s prayer right there.

Born again! Samuel felt like he was floating out of that room. He knew he was free. That night, Samuel didn’t sleep. He prayed and wept, as his sins were brought before his mind’s eye. All the terrible, violent things he had done, all the blood he had shed. “Forgive me,” he cried, over and over. And as the morning dawned, incredible peace and joy washed over him. He was a new man.

In the year 2000, Samuel Murrombe was 23 The Gospel has a built-in years old and sitting in jail. He was already a Growing in Jesus hardened criminal, a gangster accustomed to Sam experienced a tremendous hunger for miraculous multiplication terrible violence. He wasn’t always that way. God. He couldn’t get enough of the Word. He effect that goes beyond He was brought up by parents who were started Bible study and prayer groups. Sam what we can imagine. extremely poor. As a teenager, he had hopes longed for more. He read and watched any and dreams powerful enough to make him spiritual teaching material he could get his leave his home country of Mozambique, and hands on. God saw the cry of his heart, and literally walk – without shoes – all the way to South Africa, in search of brought along a man called Marco Swartz, who had worked for CfaN a better life. When he finally made it to Alexandra, a poverty-stricken some years before. Now he had a prison ministry, where he distributed suburb of Johannesburg, he tried to find honest work. But he didn’t cassettes of Reinhard Bonnke’s sermons. He also wrote down the sermon speak English and no-one was willing to help him. No-one, that is, and made copies, so that those who couldn’t watch could read instead. until a local gang of criminals took him in. They quickly introduced him to drugs, and taught him how to handle a gun. Soon, he was A prison revival taking part in armed robberies. It wasn’t long before he became a One morning, after Sam had learnt about the baptism in the Holy Spirit, gang leader, known for his violence and hardness. When the police he and other Christian inmates prayed together – and the Holy Spirit fell. finally caught him and put him in prison, it seemed inevitable. Sam found himself praying in tongues. Marco brought another stack of CfaN video tapes. In that pile was one really old tape that Sam says he can never forget. It was a recording of a session that Reinhard Bonnke A new destination Life in prison was not much different from outside. He continued to take preached from one of the first Fire Conferences held in Frankfurt in 1987. and sell drugs. Then one day, another prisoner invited him to attend a In Sam’s words: “As I was watching, I felt something get fired up inside Christian meeting in the prison. He had no interest in the service, but me. Suddenly, I knew my calling. I knew that God was calling me to be an the promise of homemade sandwiches got him there. Once inside the evangelist. I said, ‘God, if that is how you can use people, then use me!’” 58 JOY! MAGAZINE

Join hands with us to bring Africa to Jesus

Through Sam’s ministry, tens of thousands have come to Jesus in South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Inspired and motivated, Sam and his friends began to preach to other inmates. They would invite men to come and watch these old tapes – and then they’d give an altar call. Hundreds of men got saved! Word spread like wildfire through the cells. Hardened criminals were getting saved, healed, and delivered all over the place. A revival was happening inside the prison. In faith, they prayed for the sick and saw wonderful miracles take place. God was doing amazing things in their midst.

Pack your bags and get ready to go! Samuel devoured all the tapes he could get his hands on, watching them over and over again. And then he heard God clearly say to him, “What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and get ready to go to the nations with the Gospel!” “Yes, Lord!” Samuel answered. But he was unsure of one thing. “Lord, what do you mean by ‘nations’? I can’t speak English, only Portuguese – so how am I going to preach out there?” In his heart, Samuel heard the Lord say, “I will give you a baptism of English.” In faith, he reached for a fellow inmate’s English Bible, and flipped it open. Out loud, he read John 3:16. Those were his first spoken words in English – and from that moment on, he began to preach in English. He was ready to fulfil God’s call upon his life.

Free in mind, body, and spirit Sam was already free in spirit, and then God freed his body. He received amnesty and was released from prison. In the years since, he has gone from strength to strength. Once a prisoner of sin, now he preaches the Gospel far and wide. Through his ministry, tens of thousands have come to Jesus in South Africa, Kenya, and Ethiopia. He loves to tell the story of how God called a young prisoner to be an evangelist through a video tape so old, it’s a miracle it still played.

We humans don’t really understand God’s arithmetic The Gospel has a built-in miraculous multiplication effect that goes beyond what we can imagine. One who gets saved today will share the Good News with others, who will share with others, and so on. Only in heaven will we truly understand the maths of eternity! What we know, with all our hearts, is that we have a job to do. Every effort that goes into our Gospel Campaigns and Conferences is part of this multiplication plan. Every donation, big or small, is sowing for eternity. In God’s economy, it is all multiplied beyond our imagination. Thank you for joining your faith with ours, and helping us to plant fruit that will last in Africa.  DANIEL KOLENDA is a missionary evangelist who has led more than 21 million people to Christ through massive open-air evangelistic campaigns in some of the most dangerous and remote locations on earth. As the successor to evangelist Reinhard Bonnke, Kolenda is the president and CEO of CfaN, a ministry that has conducted some of the largest evangelistic events in history.

Right now, God is moving supernaturally in Africa, with millions coming to Christ. But CfaN can’t do this alone. We need you!

Sign up for our weekly email newsletter, and you’ll be hearing great reports from our Gospel campaigns and receiving Bible studies and testimonies to build your faith. Come alongside us – and Africa shall be saved!

Contact

info@cfan.org.za

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For Christians who follow Jesus in secret,

Ramadan can be the most dangerous month of the year.

A secret believer from a Muslim Background

Many secret believers face intense hardships, isolation and the worst persecution during this time. Join Open Doors for 30 days of prayer for the Muslim World from 24 April to 24 May, praying for our persecuted family and that many others will find Christ.

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MISSIONS

GOSPEL WAVES

FOR AFRICA N

eedless to say, the technical aspect of media is quite vast, but by God’s grace TWR Africa is blessed with skilled and dedicated workers that keep our ministry relevant, applying new and advancing technology as it becomes available. TWR’s international media ministry is dependent on computer networks and the people who run them. Our dedicated Technical Services Department has two teams, namely the Technical Team and the IT/IS Team. Together, they keep transmissions running smoothly. Their tasks vary from preventive and corrective maintenance on curtain antennas, maintenance of equipment and transmission lines, to support of office networks, software, and hardware and ensuring

TWR Africa’s IT systems operate in a secure and stable manner. TWR has two transmitting stations that cover almost the entire sub-Saharan Africa; one in Eswatini and one in West Africa. In total, TWR Africa brings hope in more than 82 languages and dialects and engages millions of people in more than 50 African countries. In addition to short wave and medium wave, through new technology, we reach sub-Saharan Africa through internet streaming, the TWR Africa App, and Satellite. We also partner with FM affiliates in many African countries who broadcast TWR Africa content from their local radio stations in the heart languages of the respective country, city, or region.

Eswatini Transmitter Tower (ESWATS) TWR’s broadcast facility in Eswatini (formerly the Kingdom of Swaziland) has aired programmes to the people of southern Africa for more than 45 years. The Eswatini operation comprises three 100-kilowatt short-wave transmitters, and one 100-kilowatt as well as a 50-kilowatt mediumwave transmitter. These powerful transmitters ensure that the TWR broadcasts are heard way beyond the borders of that small country. This transmitter station went on air in November 1974, with programmes in English, Afrikaans, German, Zulu, and Portuguese throughout subSaharan Africa. The programmes addressed the needs of women, youth, emerging leaders, and more. Today the transmitter in Eswatini broadcasts in approximately 30 languages. The number varies as new productions become available and unsponsored programmes are revised. Practical information, daily advice, and most importantly, sound Biblical teaching reach the ears of a large portion of Africa 24 hours per day, every day of the year.

West Africa Transmitter Tower (WATS) On 1 February 2008, at 4 am, the first broadcast of the Gospel of Jesus beamed from the newly built TWR Transmitter Station in West Africa! The 100-kilowatt medium-wave transmitter broadcasts to nine countries in 27 languages, depending on available programming, with a total potential audience of approximately 190 million people. Reaching across barriers of darkness, fear, and hopelessness in the West African region, TWR brings hope and provides biblical guidance to the people in this region. With the recent installation of an additional powerful new 200-kilowatt medium wave transmitter, TWR Africa can now take the Good News further into Nigeria and strengthen the Church there, broadcasting hope into all of Nigeria, as well as to neighbouring countries Cameroon, Benin, and Niger. 62 JOY! MAGAZINE

Support Services The complex radio broadcast schedule across Africa is co-ordinated by the TWR Africa Support Services Office, located near Johannesburg, South Africa. The schedule features many internationally renowned broadcasters, as well as regionally produced and focused programmes such as Witness at the Water, Foundations for Farming, Women of Hope, Equipped for Life, and The Prophets. New programmes in more languages are added on a regular basis.

The TWR Africa Technical Services Department comprises of: IT/IS Technical Services Director, Global Systems admin/software development Global Systems admin – keep computer networks and servers running, maintenance of telephone systems Global PC help desk – support staff around the world when they have computer problems

Engineers Director – West Africa Transmitting Station (WATS) Chief engineer – Eswatini Transmitting Station (ESWATS) – Propagation and frequency management and monitoring Transmitter engineer – ESWATS – Ensure transmitter are fully functional and broadcasting programmes Project manager for Oasis Transmitter project and remote monitoring systems

Transmitter Senior Technicians Transmitter maintenance – ESWATS Transmitter maintenance and operation – WATS, Technical team leader

Transmitter Technicians Transmitter maintenance – ESWATS Transmitter maintenance and operation – WATS

Transmitter Operators Transmitter operations – ESWATS Transmitter maintenance and operation – WATS

Audio and Acoustics General maintenance of studios and managing of studio equipment

Please support TWR’s ministry: Visit our secure online giving page at

www.twrafrica.org/donate or you can give securely by EFT or deposit into our bank account: TWR | Standard Bank, Hatﬁeld, Pretoria Branch code: 011545 | Account number: 011932945 Please use reference: JOY Mag

he Voice of the Martyrs is a nonprofit, international evangelical faith Christian missions organization dedicated to serving our persecuted family worldwide through practical and spiritual assistance and leading other members of the body of Christ into fellowship with them. VOM was founded in 1967 by Pastor Richard Wurmbrand, who was imprisoned for 14 years in Communist Romania for his

64 JOY! MAGAZINE

faith in Christ; his wife, Sabina, was imprisoned for three years. In 1965 they were ransomed out of Romania, and soon thereafter they established the global network of missions of which VOMSA is a part. The Wurmbrands based these missions on Hebrews 13:3, which instructs us to â&#x20AC;&#x153;Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body.â&#x20AC;?

LEFT TO RIGHT: Theuns Pauw, Pearl Kupe, Carol & Michael Cassidy, King Zwelithini & Queen Nompumemlo, and Jacqui & Robin Stephenson

King Goodwill Zwelithini says

NO to CSE and YES to FSE!

—by Dr Pearl Kupe

n Tuesday 18 February, 2020 at around 10am I received a call requesting me to fly to Durban and meet with King Zwelithini to share with him the damaging effects of CSE (Comprehensive Sex Education) and our new programme, FSE (Family Sex education), that God had instructed us to establish and roll out with Christian educators throughout the nation.

and members of the IFP regarding the harmful and damaging effects of CSE, and talking about the FSE alternative that we were proposing. That presentation was made on March 5th in Parliament in Cape Town to selected members of Parliament who committed to tabling an urgent motion to discuss the CSE matter, and to support the alternative FSE programme that we were driving.

A promising partnership

Join us in prayer

That evening, along with Michael and Carol Cassidy, Robin and Jacqui We pray that many leaders will be as bold and uncompromising as Stephenson, and Theuns Pauw, we met with King Zwelithini and Prince Mangosuthu King Zwelithini and Queen Nompumemlo. Buthelezi. President Paul Kagame, in his It was very encouraging to witness King recent interview in the New Africa magazine, Join us in praying for Zwelithini take a firm stand against CSE and stated that there must be no compromise on righteous, bold, and embrace FSE as the preferred alternative. African values. We agree categorically. This is uncompromising leaders He was uncompromising in his stance in his a thought that has been echoed by our own who will take a stand for speech to the KZN legislature on Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa. There can be no March 3rd, where he outlined the dangers of compromise of any African values that are righteousness! aligned with the values of the Kingdom of CSE, and referred to FSE as the programme God and are morally and ethically upright. that he was backing and endorsing. King Join us in praying for righteous, bold, and uncompromising leaders Zwelithini not only gave his who will take a stand for righteousness! unwavering support, but committed assistance to Please take hands with us support the roll out of the I am so thankful to the team that I have the privilege of working FSE programme. We look with as #CSExploitation. Please follow our Facebook page forward to working with him #WeShallNotBeSilent for regular updates and information. The first to ensure this roll out in KZN roll out of our training for 100 Christian educators will take place and other provinces. on May 1st and 2nd in Pretoria. We look forward to rolling out this programme with our partners to all churches. For all interested ministries, churches, networks, and schools who are interested in Changes in Parliament Shortly after our meeting, this programme, please contact our FSE Co-ordinator, Ms. Maude another call came from Prince Crookes on fse@sexpolitation.co.za  Mangosuthu Buthelezi’s office requesting that a DR PEARL KUPE is an attorney and an international consultant to world leaders presentation be made to and international organisations. She is the international president of the Global Members of Parliament Forum for Women Entrepreneurs. Email pearl.kupe@gmail.com

Janet and Bill have a passion to see the church and marketplace working together in order for the Kingdom to be advanced.

Why does God use prophets?

n many circles, prophets have become known for their celebrity status, which is so far removed from the example of Jesus in scripture. For the church, the individual, and the nation to gain the full benefit of the function of the prophet, it is necessary to understand their call and commission. Ephesians 4:11-13 describes the five-fold gift ministries. The office of prophet is one who is called to equip the Body of Christ. Therefore, God uses the prophet to bring a message of hope and encouragement. A message that will equip the Body to fulfil its function on earth today.

The Holy Spirit’s words bring change The Holy Spirit’s words – spoken through the prophet – begin to affect change in the heavens. The revelatory insight that the prophet carries are his tools, which are the three revelation gifts: Word Of Knowledge, Word Of Wisdom, and Discernment Of Spirits (1 Cor 12:8-10). These gifts all have the power to reveal the hidden plans and purposes of God. This grace can only propel the individual, church, and nation forward into a new season. A place where men no longer visit psychics, fortune-tellers, or sangomas because the earth is filled with power of hearing from the God of heaven.

Prophets, take up your mantles At this present time in our nation, the church does not need an influx of celebrity prophets. South Africa needs the true office of the prophet to help train, prepare, and align prophets to be functional in every sphere of society. South Africa desperately needs local church prophets, prophets called to speak to a nation, and prophets called to the business community, so as to help transition our nation into a new dispensation. Understanding the time and season upon us, it urgent that each one who is called to this office take up the mantle and allow God to use you to speak a word of encouragement, hope, and purpose for all in South Africa. May the younger and the elder generation of prophets stand together, speaking and declaring the Word of the Lord for the Church, the individual, and the nation of South Africa. God bless you all! 

JANET BRANN-HOLLIS is a SA prophet based at Acts Church, Midrand. She is part of Harvest International Ministry’s apostolic network and the Regions Beyond Network. She is the founder of SA Back to God and Ruach Ministries. Email janet@ruachministries.co.za

The Kingdom in the Marketplace “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” – James 1:22 here are so many Christians in the marketplace who remain hidden or silent, despite so much teaching available from the church, internet, TV, and other media. Why are these believers and their faith so hidden? Here are a few pointers to assist you in the marketplace:

demonstrate the excellence of the Kingdom though our attitude and work ethic. The Lord will then bring about supernatural promotion and financial rewards. When we fail, we need to be humble enough to apologise and ask our superiors and colleagues for forgiveness.

Revelation without implementation – James 1:22

Transforming our workplace God’s love – 1 John 4:7-11

The Kingdom can only be advanced when we walk out the Word, and as Christians take up the correct posture in upholding Kingdom values in our daily work life. The Word of God needs to bring transformation in our lives to see the Kingdom advanced around us.

Jesus said that the Kingdom is within us, we therefore have the supernatural ability to bring justice where there is injustice, hope where there is hopelessness, peace where there is anxiety, and love where there is fear. No one can stop us from loving people and transforming our workplace with the love of God.

Internal victory before external victory – Romans 12:2 In the marketplace we have an opportunity to reach people that the church cannot reach, those who don’t know about Jesus. We need to let the Word of God and the leading of the Holy Spirit change us internally. This internal change will give the Kingdom a good reputation. It is so sad to hear “and they call themselves a Christian” echo in the corridors of the marketplace, with little fruit evident in the life of the believer.

Working as to the Lord – Colossians 3:23-24 When we have a revelation that we are working “as to the Lord,” we will

The Kingdom law of process: Everyone is on a journey; we are being conformed into the image of Christ. Understanding this process must motivate us not to quit even if we fail or face opposition. Our quest must be to press on to see the Kingdom established in the marketplace. May God raise you up to be an effective and powerful ‘marketplace minister.’ 

BILL HOLLIS is a businessman who has a passion and calling to develop men and woman in the marketplace. Visit ruachministries.co.za