One of the most vital questions in Christian theology is this: Is the Holy Spirit merely an impersonal force, or is He truly God? Scripture and the witness of the Church testify with one voice that the Spirit is not a created energy, but the Third Person of the most Holy Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son. To deny this is to unravel the very fabric of the Gospel, for salvation itself flows from the Triune God.

The Bible leaves no ambiguity. The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal force or an angelic minister, but God Himself – the third Person of the Trinity, worshipped and glorified with the Father and the Son…

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In 2024, the US Surgeon General issued a public health warning for parents, saying, “As technological and economic forces have reshaped the world at a dizzying pace, it has also become harder for parents to prepare children for a future that is difficult to understand or predict.” The Surgeon General found enough challenges facing modern-day parents that he felt he needed to issue guidance in the form of a public health warning. You know how you’ve always thought it was so much harder to parent nowadays? You’re probably right.

Obviously, it’s difficult to compare one generation to the next. You weren’t in your parents’ shoes, and so you can’t say unequivocally that it’s harder to parent now than it was yesterday. However, I would argue that the pressures facing parents are more complex than those of the generation that came before us. Yes, parenting is harder. Here are five ways I see that to be true and how we can begin to respond Biblically…

…for the full article, pick up a copy of the latest issue of JOY!

It was the feast of Passover in Jerusalem, and the city was more crowded than normal. Five days earlier, Jesus had ridden into the city on a donkey. Crowds were waving palm branches in the air and laying their outer garments on the ground as a type of “red carpet” entry for their King, their Messiah. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord”, because they truly thought that He would take up David’s throne as King of Israel, banish the Roman presence in their country, and establish the kingdom of Israel once again.

But this was not Jesus’ plan, and five days later this same crowd was shouting, “Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” after He had been arrested and sent to stand trial. Pontius Pilate – the Roman governor in Judaea at this time – could find nothing against Jesus that warranted His arrest, but wanting to remain in the good books of the Jews, Pilate asked the crowd what they wanted, and they shouted, “Crucify Him!”

…for the full article, pick up a copy of the latest issue of JOY!

This month, we celebrate 20 years of ministry at JOY! Magazine, publishing the Word of God every single month and distributing through supermarkets nationwide. Though the journey has not always been easy, it has been incredibly blessed.

As I reflect over the past 20 years, so many profound and happy memories flood my mind. Remembering the calling, the wonderful people, the spiritual mentors, the challenges and the opportunities that arose – all so incredible. How can anyone ever question God’s goodness, support, guidance, strength, and faithfulness?

…for the full article, pick up a copy of the latest issue of JOY!