Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

ABOUT SIX MONTHS AGO, MY husband and I got an idea to bless men in their first weeks after being released from prison. I read a study that said if something doesn’t go right for returning citizens soon after their return to public life—the recidivism

60 Days of Prayer

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Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this. PSALM 37:5 (NIV) SOMETIMES GOD’S HAND is evident, but do you trust the daily guidance of the unseen hand of God in your life? When you feel alone and become filled with doubt, pray. Beli

MEGA

1 min read

WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? This is probably the easiest question. It’s Hayden and of course Scarlet. I am also always happy when I see Hunter, Cristalle’s son. I think the secret to a happy life is a grateful heart. WHAT IS THE MOST DEFINING MOMENT OF YO

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

MY HUSBAND AND I LEAD short-term mission teams to Eastern Europe every summer. The teams’ mix of personalities and giftedness always makes us smile. Peggy B. has participated in our evangelistic family camps in Poland nine times. She’d been our daugh

The Atlantic

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It’s primal, it’s biblical, it’s the moral physics of the universe in action: The have meets the have-not. In the subway, on the street, at the traffic light, along the underpass, anywhere in America. What happens next? You, patently, have. Warmth, c

JOY Magazine

4 min read

We are continuing our ‘gatekeeper’ series. Last time we ended by briefly looking at Ezekiel 33. We saw the truth from the Word of Abba Father that the task of a gatekeeper is to sound the truth from the Word, and not to save. Ezekiel continues to say

JOY Magazine

2 min read

At least 49 Christians have died in six attacks since 28 April. The city of Kaya alone sheltered 82 pastors and 1145 Christians from 151 households, displaced from various parts of the north. In many cases it is men who have been killed, leaving wido

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

RECENTLY, I NOTICED THAT MY son, Pierce, was on his computer, flipping between two programs to do his schoolwork. The inefficiency made me both batty and curious, so I asked what he was doing. He explained he was fast-forwarding through a twenty-minu

Guideposts

1 min read

During the Christmas season, I hang a marquee sign across our carport that lights up the word PEACE. This year when I turned it on, it read ACE. I have another sign next to our fireplace that reads JOY, but the J was out, leaving us with only OY. So

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

I DID A LOT OF praying and research before we moved to Florida. Based on a few key criteria, we focused on a particular area where there seemed to be more jobs and services for my special-needs son. We had some misgivings about the housing costs and

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

JUST SAY “NO.” I REMEMBER this phrase plastered as a slogan on posters around my high school. Saying “no” was believed by authority figures to be a talisman that would ward off all manner of teenage vices. Later I built on the power of “no” as I incr

Who Do You Think You Are?

2 min read

JANET BOSWORTH got in touch for help with her brick wall: Oswald George Jones Q I can find no trace of my ancestor Oswald George Jones after the 1881 census. He was baptised on 7 March 1858 at Christ Church, Cobridge, and married Sarah Ann Hambleton

Saturday Star

2 min read

CHRISTIAN imposters are taking advantage of our desperate communities. The spiralling incidents of sexual offences emerging at places of worship around the country have exposed the vulnerability, naivety and desperation of our communities on issues r

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

“WALK THIS WAY,” THE BUTLER said. Then he proceeded to limp his way noisily across a foyer. The visitor who followed did the same, mimicking his limp/stomp/limp/stomp, hunched over, listing-to-one-side posture. A classic comedic moment. Most credit t

JOY Magazine

3 min read

Last month we looked at the subject of freedom, comparing Biblical freedom to man-made freedom. This month we go deeper in this series. So, what is the real meaning of freedom? I am not asking for a man-made definition of freedom that confuses the pe

JOY Magazine

2 min read

In 1999, I had to study a subset of family law termed, ‘The Law of Husband and Wife’. Had I enrolled in 2007, that section would have been replaced with, ‘The Law of Civil Partnerships.’ Much more than a name change, the law of the land reflected a c

Hope - A Testimony of Hope

2 min read

2020 has been a tough year. God created us to be in communion with others, but this year has denied us this privilege. No matter the advances in technology, video calls can’t replace a hug, leaving many people with a sense of disconnect. We were all

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

OUR SON, DAUGHTER-IN-LAW, TWO GRANDCHILDREN, and their dog all moved in with us this week. We’re thrilled to have this “close-up” time with them for a year while our son finishes his studies at a local seminary. In our daily interactions, I’ve notice

JOY Magazine

2 min read

The Christian Leaders’ Forum was started just over five years ago with founding members Michael Cassidy of African Enterprise and Dr Robin Stephenson. Many conferences and meetings, both physical and virtual, have since been held and many new leaders

60 Days of Prayer

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Gideon replied, “If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me.” JUDGES 6:17 (NIV) AT ONE TIME or another, almost everyone asks God for a sign or a message of reassurance. To hear God’s voice, continue to

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

YESTERDAY I DISCOVERED A COLLEAGUE of mine had been given a position I felt I deserved. I heard it from a friend. Struggling to maintain composure, I regulated my voice to hide my emotions. After the shock wore off, I spent time alone, stoking fires

Literary Hub

3 min read

Hyacinth of Caeserea (Cappadocia, d. c. 120) In prison, the only food he was given was meat that had been consecrated to idols, which he refused to eat, and he starved to death. The jailers saw him comforted by angels. He was twelve. Hyacinth of Port

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced. MARK 4:18–19 NLT AS

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” LUKE 23:34 (ESV) FORGIVING OTHERS CAN be difficult and can even test your faith. When you are finding it impossible to let go of past hurts, rely on God’s strength. Ask Him to help heal your b

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

AS WOMEN, WE CAN BE particularly adept at hiding our lights under a bowl, or a bushel, or under whatever might keep us from shining too brightly. Personally, I know that for every time I’ve found myself listening to a male coworker, friend, or relati

JOY Magazine

2 min read

During a recent church service our pastor asked, “Would you be willing to let the person next to you quickly scan through your phone’s search history?” Why did he use this as an example? Because our search history reveals much more about us than we w

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand. PSALM 37:24 (ESV) HOW DO YOU handle your mistakes? Do you hold them down deep or accept and release them as part of your growth? God weaves your failures into part of you

JOY Magazine

2 min read

Celebrating a bicentenary is an extraordinary privilege – it attests to longevity amid trials and setbacks. In gratitude, we praise God that the Bible Society of South Africa has the incredible privilege of celebrating 200 years of Bible work in Sout

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” ISAIAH 40:3 (NIV) WHEN THE COMING days seem like a desert, barren and vast with no clear path or direction, do not lose hop

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

JAMAICA IS MY FAVORITE CARIBBEAN country. The pristine beaches, crystal blue water, scrumptious food, and friendly people draw me back time and time again. On my first trip, I was like a wide-eyed kid, marveling at the waterfalls and lush vegetation