JOY Magazine

1 min read

According to a recent state of dating report from ChristianMingle.com, the largest Christian online dating site, only 13 percent of respondents said that they would not have sex before marriage. And, only 13 percent said that they would move in toget

JOY Magazine

7 min read

As we start 2022, I’d like to share about God’s vision for your future. Let’s start with Paul giving his courtroom testimony to King Herod Agrippa, an official of the Roman Empire. Paul explains how Jesus transformed him from being a religious terror

JOY Magazine

2 min read

Large crowds. Stadiums. Mass crusades. Millions of people. Loud speakers – perhaps this is what comes to mind when you think of uncle Angus Buchan, South Africa’s great evangelist responsible for the many It’s Time Prayer Gatherings and Mighty Men Cr

JOY Magazine

4 min read

As Christians, we are called to be salt and light in society. We are called to be history-makers and world changers. We are called to be fruitful in our lives, to achieve much for the Kingdom of God. Our mandate on this earth is to go out into all na

NPR

7 min read

Linda Kay Klein grew up a devout Evangelical Christian. She broke up with her high school boyfriend after being convinced the joy she felt around him made her impure.

JOY Magazine

3 min read

Garin was born and raised in Johannesburg. Today he lives in Alberton with his beautiful wife, Shetel. The couple has been married for just over 1 year. In 2012, a turning point occurred in the authors’ life after encountering the love of God through

JOY Magazine

2 min read

A seminary student turned in his copy of a sermon that he had written to his preaching professor for grading. At a later conference the professor told the student how impressed he was with his sermon, how well it was written, but that he was giving h

JOY Magazine

1 min read

An animated video outreach called The Bible Project has been successfully reaching millions of people with the Gospel of Jesus Christ on YouTube. “We want people to experience the Bible as the unified story that leads to Jesus, a big meta-narrative t

JOY Magazine

3 min read

A‘believer’ is a child of God, born again by faith in Jesus Christ (see Acts 2:44); and an ‘unbeliever’ is someone who does not believe in Jesus. In the New Testament, the Greek word apistou is translated as ‘unbeliever.’ Its adjective form literally

JOY Magazine

1 min read

Use every moment to give thanks and to testify to the greatness and goodness of God. Record the work of the Lord in your life. When you got born-again, the old you died and you became a new creature. Your spiritual eyes were opened. You can recognise

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had. ROMANS 15:5 (NIV) DO YOU EVER wonder how you wound up in the life that you have? Maybe you feel like you’re in the wrong pl

JOY Magazine

2 min read

In my pursuit of looking for people whom I can impart the life of Jesus Christ in, I met a young man in his late twenties in one of the gang-ridden communities near to my church. Through my engagements with him I began to realise that he was one of t

The Atlantic

4 min read

The rapper’s Christian album is not a departure from his values but an intensification of them: boldness over coherence.

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

I’VE BEEN MARRIED TO MY husband, John, for twenty-six years, but for many years I didn’t think that would be the case. My doubt was due to the fears and mistrust I carried into my marriage. I didn’t know my biological dad, and my stepfather was uninv

JOY Magazine

4 min read

Fame, wealth, status, notoriety – these are all attributes that generally go hand-in-hand with an acclaimed cricketer such as Peter Pollock, a man credited with establishing the work ethic and style of play that led South Africa to become the greates

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

Then he took the body down from the cross and wrapped it in a long sheet of linen cloth and laid it in a new tomb that had been carved out of rock. LUKE 23:53 (NLT) HOLY SATURDAY REPRESENTS an anxious, in-between state. Jesus’ life had brutally end

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

OUR CHURCH HAS A COMFORT dog, Gideon, who visits shut-ins and others who need a lift. This morning Gideon helped teach the children’s message and demonstrated how well he obeys. His example showed me three truths that I can apply to following Jesus.

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

MY HUSBAND FILLS OUT OUR tax forms each year with organized files of receipts and computer spreadsheets. I try to stay involved, but my head throbs on the first page: subparagraphs; special exclusions; rules, and more rules. According to some sources

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

SHE ENTERED THE ROOM, WAVING. Her personality grated on my nerves. I didn’t like her and had no plans to love her. Sitting down beside me, she smiled. “Can we talk? I trust you.” She wanted to talk to me? Jesus’s words slammed into my thoughts, hitti

JOY Magazine

3 min read

There are few encounters that Jesus has in the Bible that are more important than the one He has with Nicodemus. Perhaps that is why in John’s Gospel, this encounter is Jesus’ first extended conversation in the book. In it we find valuable lessons to

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

MY HUSBAND, GENE, AND I train and lead short-term ministry teams to Eastern Europe, where we host evangelistic family camps. As part of our morning routine, we break into small groups to discuss a Bible lesson based on the parables of Jesus. Team mem

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

MY GUIDEPOSTS EDITOR INVITED ME to write about my divorce, both to help others and to explain my name change. I agreed because I knew readers might be curious, and I’m always motivated by a desire to comfort and encourage others—but the divorce is st

Chicago Tribune

3 min read

Sister Stephanie Baliga no longer runs for herself, but for her community and for God. So she was undeterred as the predawn thunderstorm rolled in. The thunder roared, the sky flashed a bright blue and the obliquely falling rain whipped across her gl

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

IT’S SOMETHING A PARENT PRAYS for. My husband, John, and I dropped off our daughter, Leslie, at camp when she was fourteen years old, and when we picked her up she was different. The messages and worship times at camp truly made a difference deep ins

JOY Magazine

2 min read

Nicodemus was as good a man as you could get in those days. He was a deeply religious man who was highly respected in his community and amongst his peers. If ever a man deserved to qualify for heaven, it was Nicodemus. He was a model citizen, a stron

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

“THE CLOCK WILL START WHEN I leave the room. You’ll have one hour to escape,” the game guide told us. I looked around at our group and the elaborate set and props surrounding us, my heart beating fast. Our youngest daughter worked at this new facilit

60 Days of Prayer

1 min read

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. ROMANS 10:17 (ESV) THE MORE THAT you listen for Jesus and make time for your devotional practice, the more able you are to hear His guidance. Sit quietly with Scripture and wait t

JOY Magazine

6 min read

Greetings in the Holy Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. In your July issue of JOY! you asked what we are grateful for. I’m grateful for the fact that Jesus Christ saved me and my family. My third born son suffered severe burns on his body, and my last b

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

“MAKE A U-TURN AND CONTINUE to the route,” my husband’s smartphone insisted. The GPS was angry with us because we’d pulled off the freeway to get gas. We appreciate the electronic map, but often our GPS misses the point. To reach our destination, we

Mornings with Jesus

1 min read

I’VE JUST RETURNED FROM TEACHING at a writing retreat. As I reviewed my interactions, I was delighted by the way Jesus moved in the hearts of the attendees, bringing healing, encouragement, inspiration, and direction. But I also replayed many of the