2023 Year of:
P O WERED B Y PR E CIOUS PROMISES
Editor’s Note
We are created in God’s image, and He equipped us to work and be productive in the Kingdom. We are to be fruitful and creative, and we do this by equipping ourselves with both natural and spiritual knowledge. “For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them”. (Ephesians 2:10 KJV)
In natural terms capacity-building is the process of developing and strengthening the skills, instincts, abilities, processes and resources. In spiritual terms, the equivalent of capacity building is summed up in these words: "Building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost” (Jude 20). In both cases it is a process of attitudeand behaviour change, and it all starts with your mindset.
Capacity in Greek is ‘hikanotés’, which means sufficiency, competence, ability, power, qualification or fitness. In order to make this achievable in your life, you have to make a decision to commit to change, and to seek God for insights. He alone is able to show you exactly what to do. Stop comparing yourself to others and start believing that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. (Philippians 4:13)
In this edition, you will be ignited as you feed your mind and heart by reading the articles in the pages that unfold. You will also be encouraged by the marvelous works of God in the lives of His children. Be inspired with the Ministry activities happening in ALFC community.
For more spiritual upliftment and inspiration, we encourage you to visit our website: www.abundantlifefaithcentre.org. You can also sign up and get included in our mailing list to receive a copy of the Hope Herald delivered to your email every month. We are delighted to invite you to join our services on Wednesdays (6:30pm to 8:00pm) and Sundays (10:00am to 1:00pm). As noted by Dr. Leslie, “Your best days are ahead of you and not behind you”. You are blessed and highly favoured!
Spiritual Maturity: Growing from the Inside Out
Has this question ever been put to you or to someone in your hearing: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” Many people use this expression when they are uncertain about the direction of change of a given situation or condition.
This same question is often asked in different ways by Christians when it comes to spiritual maturity. Many Christians around the world are asking themselves, “Which comes first, righteousness or holiness?”
To get out of that confusion, you need to understand that the moment a sinner says yes to Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, he immediately gets born-again and becomes a child of God. For most people however, you can’t tell that change has happened in them by simply looking at their conduct. That is the reason the Bible gives us the following instruction concerning the way we should think and act as believers:
“…I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind…that you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” (Ephesians 4:17,22-24)
Have you noticed from the last sentence in those verses that the child of God is created in righteousness and true holiness? That means righteousness and holiness are not the same thing; and you need to know the direction of change between the two when it comes to everyday practical living. We need to know which one leads to the other in terms of their manifestation.
Thank God we don’t have to guess the answer to that matter. The New Testament gives it to us plainly. ”Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness? But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you…for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.” (Romans 6:16,17,19)
Notice the order of change for spiritual maturity in those verses – it is from the inside out. Our obedience to the gospel turns us into the righteousness of God in Jesus Christ; and our righteousness in God, in turn, causes a release of holiness in our lifestyle. It does not work in reverse order. Don’t get fooled by the devil to try and attain the righteousness of God by living a holy lifestyle. Start by simply obeying the gospel. That will enlarge in your soul the consciousness of your righteousness in God, and bring about a greater release of the holiness God deposited in your born-again spirit. That’s how you “…awake to righteousness, and sin not” (1 Corinthians 15:34)
Joseph ENYIMU
MISSION WEEK
2nd- 8th July, 2023
It’s an honour and privilege to be part of those that are going forth to be a blessing to our generation. Join us in the journey to bring the light of God and hope to friends, families and communities as we release the love of GOD in word and deed.
Youth Fellowship
15th July, 2023
10: 00am- 12:30pm
on path to a life of signi cance. Yes, God wants to reveal to you His perfect plan for your life – not when you reach your sunset years but early in your sunrise years. Join us for our Youth Fellowship to experience and get grounded in the timeless truths of God’s
Evenings of Worship and Wholeness
Did you know that soundness can visit your life any day, anywhere? That’s what happened to a man in Jerusalem who was expecting something good to happen in his life (Acts 3:16).
Bring an expectant heart to our next Evening of Worship and Wholeness, and exper ience the reviving flow of soundness – spirit, soul, body, financially and socially.
26th July, 2023 | 6:30 - 8:00pm
Entebbe, Wakiso | Lydia thanks God for her life and her marriage. The Lord beautified her journey in marriage. He blessed her with a God-fearing husband who made the Bible more real to her. When she met her husband, all she had was a Diploma in her studies but he has educated her to the level of acquiring a Master’s degree. The Lord has blessed them with four biological children and many others that she and her husband have graciously adopted. At one point, she was working in Mukono (about 48 Kilometres away from their residence) but her husband would drive her to work every morning before heading to his office and pick her up in the evening. He has loved her immensely and made her shine. She also thanks God for being planted in Abundant Life Faith Centre Church. She is a recipient of the grace from a team of dedicated Pastors and Ministers. Lydia notes that there has not been a single day she has attended church and not been impacted by the revelation from the Word preached.
Nakawa, Kampala | A few weeks ago Wycliffe took one of the office cars to the garage to be fixed, hours later he picked it with the assurance that the mechanic had fixed it. He then got into the car to run an errand. As he embarked on his journey, he sensed that something was not right with the car but he continued on his way. He drove a distance of about 21 kilometers and arrived at his destination safely. On his return, as he was driving downhill, the car failed to stop. He got to a particular spot and heard the voice of God saying do not go all the way down in this car, so he applied the brakes, but to no avail. The car continued to roll down by itself. By God’s grace, the car skidded off the road and moved towards a heap of marram that was by the roadside. The impact brought it to a stop. And that is how he and his colleague were saved. When the mechanic appeared at the scene, he attempted to move the car in his wisdom, but he also lost control of it. The car skidded back to the heap of marram, and he admitted to its malfunction. Wycliffe gives thanks to the Lord for his protection!
Katale, Makindye Sabagabbo | Lillian is grateful to the Lord for divine healing. Last year tests were carried out on her body which revealed that she had an auto immune disorder, a condition where her body’s immune system was fighting the healthy cells. Though this sounded devastating, it didn’t shake her because she had given herself to the Word and believed that” healing is the children’s bread”. She intentionally separated herself and sought the Lord about this matter. Then a second test was done. The results suggested that there were signs of improvement in the condition. This was of great relief as the condition has no definite treatment. The results of the third test, indicated that the condition was totally no more. Her body was normal. Glory to God!
BUILDING CAPACITY FOR FORWARD FLOW
Did you know that God deposited something great in you? Yes, everyone on earth has a gift on the inside(1Peter4:10). Now, this is an important truth to know and believe. This unique gift is your pathway to greatness once you develop and refine it to benefit your world. However, it gives us a duty to grow it and nurture it to its full potential thereby enlarging our capacity.
Building capacity engages a series of methodologies and actions in order to accomplish specific goals. As a believer, you should submit yourself to the greatest teacher - the Holy Spirit. Allow His wisdom to show you how to extract what is in you. Then discipline yourself to rigorous training, acquire knowledge and skills relevant in areas of respective disciplines. Submit yourself to learning and understand how to excel in your ability. Build your mental capacity to serve before kings. Is this necessary? Yes! because an underdeveloped version of your gift/skill will not meet certain demands in an ever-evolving world.
Arise in your determination as one working with God. Like David the skillful player in 1Samuel 16:18 whom God anointed and was able to drive away an evil spirit. Add value to what you have and you will attract greatness and experience Forward Flow in your life. Everyone can celebrate what you carry if you simply work on it. Brush off all excuses and come alive to what you carry. Your value will determine your possibilities.
Simon Kaziba
Prayer Of Salvation
Are you ready for a relationship with Jesus as your Lord and savior? It begins with a simple prayer in faith. Here is one you can repeat out loud enough to hear yourself;
“Dear God, I accept your forgiveness for my sin. I believe with my heart that you raised Jesus from the dead for my benefit, and I now declare Him to be my savior and Lord.” Amen
Lessons From My Younger Self
One of the best decisions you can ever make as a youth is to have a personal relationship with God. Your relationship with Him can help you navigate through the pressures of the world that continually come at us. Whatever you need is in God and not in the world.
I urge you to commit every detail of your life to Him. Even things like decisions on what career path to take or who to marry. I remember when I was still dating, I committed my relationship to God and He revealed to me the heart of my boyfriend in a dream. This gave me rest and assurance that he was the one for me.
For every step of your life, you should be able to hear from God. Keep your spirit alert and you will actually hear Him. If we allow, fear and unbelief can cloud our judgement and we miss what God has prepared for us. You can however drive away such clouds through continued fellowship with the Lord. The Bible says the Holy Spirit in us searches the deep things of God. All you have to do is ask Him for help. Keep abreast of the promises of God over your life. Believe and speak them over your life.
At times we get into bad situations because of casual talk with friends. When I was younger, I often said that I won’t get pregnant in my first year of marriage. And indeed, when I got married, I conceived after 3 months but miscarried the baby after 3 weeks. A few months later I conceived again but still miscarried the baby. The gynecologist who examined me said there was nothing wrong with my body. I later remembered what I used to say in the light of Proverbs 18:21: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof”. Even at that point, I still held on to the promises of God and it paid off. After one year, I conceived and carried the baby to full term and gave birth. God has never failed and won’t fail you. But you can only go as far as your faith can take you!
There are many questions in life that only God can answer, and it takes prayer agreement to receive those answers. Reach out to us and for prayer agreement by phone: +256 785 807 650 or email: prayer@abundantlifefaithcentre.org
Dinah Musoke
JOIN US FOR SERVICE
Abundant Life Faith Centre is a non-denominational church with a mission to proclaim hope for a better tomorrow. If this resonates with you, consider joining our church family.
Our services take place every Wednesday (6:30 to 8:00pm) & Sunday (10:00am to 1:00pm).
0785-807-650 / 0704-903-593
Abundant Life Faith Center Seguku Hill
f rontdesk@abundantlifefaithcentre org
www.abundantlifefaithcentre.org ww .abu fait c e org
Seguku Hill, Entebbe road. Uganda ebbe o nda