ALFC Hope Herald December 2023 Edition

ABUNDANT LIFE FAITH CENTRE

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2023 YEAR OF:

FORWARD FLOW POWERED BY PRECIOUS PROMISES DECEMBER 2023 EDITION

Editor’s Note It is that time of the year when we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior. On the first Christmas morning, the cry of the little body of our Lord was heard and angels rejoiced greatly saying, “…on earth peace, good will toward men”. With those words, hope for the salvation of mankind was born. Realize that man lost his place with God when Adam (the first man) disobeyed God. His relationship with God was broken; and that condition passed on to the rest of mankind. As a result, mankind suffered separation from God. He lost his dominion, corruption befell creation, and toil and torment become the new normal.

Then came Jesus (the last Adam), God’s own seed, with a mission to reconcile man back to God and restore things to their original order. Stripping Himself of glory, He humbled himself, put on flesh and was born as a man. His life, death and resurrection made a way to restore man back to the glory of God that he once enjoyed in the Garden of Eden. This is the reason we celebrate and make merry of the birth of Jesus.

Surely a great light did come. This picture was well represented in the words of John Mason Neale in a Christmas carol often sung during the Christmas season “o come o come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile, until the son of God appear. Rejoice, rejoice Emmanuel has come to us o Israel o come thou rod of Jesse, free Thine own from Satan’s tyranny; From depths of hell thy people save, and give them victory o’er the grave o come, o Dayspring , come and cheer our spirits by thine advent here; and drive away the shades of night, and pierce the clouds and bring us light ” Only Jesus could save mankind and He did!! He is the only way into the kingdom of God (John 14:6). As we celebrate Christmas, let us keep abreast of these things. From the church family of Abundant Life Faith Centre, we wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.

For more of this and related content, visit our website: www.abundantlifefaithcentre.org. You are welcome to our weekly services: Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:00pm and Sunday, 10:00am- 1:00pm. Keep Hope Alive!

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FROM THE PASTOR’S DESK

Not too long ago, the mention of Christmas and the Christian faith went hand-in-hand. It did not matter that you were a Christian or not, it was common knowledge that Christmas is a time for the nations to pause their routine business and join the saints in celebration of their messiah.

Today we see a different story. Some are now referring to the Christmas season as merely a holiday season. In many corporate organizations, the mention of Christmas in seasonal greeting cards is considered politically incorrect. Why is that? There is an unseen power working overtime in the hearts and minds of mankind to remove Christ from Christmas.

If you know your Bible well, you will recognize that it was not until Jesus was anointed of God at the age of 30 years “with the Holy Ghost and power”, that he was able to step out into His ministry (Acts 10:38). That same anointing is what the apostle Peter, by the help of God, recognized as the true identity of Jesus when the rest of society was focused on the natural person of Jesus: “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13−17) When people fail to recognize Jesus as the Christ – the anointed One of God, they miss the Christ of Christmas. And that’s exactly Satan’s agenda: “Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son.” (1 John 2:22). The antichrist is at work to keep mankind occupied with “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Timothy 3:5).

The anointing of God is the greatest liberating force for mankind on planet earth. It is the most powerful force against satanic bondage and oppression. Speaking about the times we are living in, the Bible says “…it shall come to pass in that day, that [the devil’s] burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing”. The anointed One and His anointing is the solution for successful living, and that's what we celebrate on Christmas Day (and all-year-round). Keep your eyes and heart on the Christ of Christmas, and you’ll enjoy fullness and freedom in life as God intends for you.

Joseph ENYIMU

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Mission Week 2nd - 7th January 2024 What better way to start the New Year than by igniting hope in your community and city – one family at a time?

Your simple steps and gestures of kindness, generosity, prayer and evangelism is all it takes. Schedule to visit a soul in the first Mission Week of 2024, and count it your seed for solutions in the New Year.

20th January | 10:00 - 12:30pm

Are you a teenager on holiday or a young adult with a desire to fulfil your potential? You can set the rhythm change in the New Year by recharging your life in the presence of God. Join fellow youth for the January 2024 Youth Fellowship at ALFC for a time of instructions and worship

Do You Need Prayer?

There is power in the prayer of agreement. The ALFC prayer team is here to stand in agreement with you. Together, we will call on the Lord who is able to make us whole. Simply write us. You can also email us: prayer@abundantlifefaithcentre.org.

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Thanksgiving as a Lifestyle Thanksgiving is an outflow of appreciation, exaltation and recognition, first to God the source of all good things and to all those to whom it is due. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we are to give thanks in everything for it is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning us. It is God’s ordained way of acknowledging Him as the source of all blessings; and therefore an act of worship.

Prophet Jeremiah had a word from God, a vision about the children of Israel. In that encounter he saw great things happening to them but notably they would happen after thanksgiving. This indicates that multiplication and glorification was to be preceded by thanksgiving.

“And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry: and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.”(Jeremiah 30:19). It is the same with our destiny; giving thanks to God will propel us forward in life.

Circumstances often try our lifestyle of thanksgiving. It is easy to be thankful when life is going well. But it can be harder when you’re looking in the face of persecution or hard times. However, giving thanks in contrary situations attests to God’s goodness which is beyond what confronts you. That was the case with Abraham who staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief when it tarried; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God (Romans 4:20). He eventually saw its manifestation.

Prayer is incomplete without thanksgiving. In fact, scriptures repeatedly suggest that they are inseparable and complimentary to each other. To the Philippian church, prayers were to be intermingled with thanksgiving. It’s not after receiving but along with requests (Philippians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:1). Scripture says, for all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God ( 2 Corinthians 4:15).

Let the Spirit of God guide us in the understanding to live a life of thanksgiving.

Michael MATOVU

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TESTIMONIES Kyebando, Kawempe | Esther glorifies the Lord for granting her freedom. She was employed as a finance manager; and while executing one of her duties which was banking, tragedy befell her. She was conned and her bag, which contained her phones and about US$15,000, was stolen. She was in utter shock and immediately reported to a nearby police station. She made her statement and relayed the ordeal. On hearing that it was office money that lost, the police held her in custody and claimed that she too is a suspect in the case. Her boss, on hearing this news, was devastated and failed to show up at the police station. Esther spent that night and the subsequent days in a police cell as they sorted her case. Her family got her a lawyer and on the seventh day she was released on a police bond. Her bond however became tricky and she went back to court. She had out spent herself in legal fees and didn’t have enough money for a cash bond. Esther decided to sow a seed for a harvest of provision to settle the estimated cost of the cash bond as advised by her lawyer. Miraculously, the Lord rallied friends and family to her aid and she received the money for the anticipated cash bond. During the court session, the Lord favored her and the Judge ruled for a non-cash bond to the tune of the amount she had received. Esther continued to report to court over a period of four months. During this time, she immersed herself in prayer, asking the Lord to defend and vindicate her.

Early 2023, the court ruled in her favor. Her accusers failed to honour court sermons. This led to her case being dismissed. Esther walked off a free woman. Glory to God! Kungulutale, Wakiso | During one of the evenings of Worship and Wholeness at ALFC, Lillian received prayer from the pastor. He prayed for strength and peace over her life. This baffled her mind because she was at a good time in her life. A few months after, her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Her family was greatly disturbed, but she remained strong and clear headed throughout this process. She occasionally took her dad to hospital. She noticed that whenever she returned him home, the family testified that he was calm and peaceful. Lillian realized then that the peace in her life rubbed on to her father. She also prayed that her father would receive salvation and know the Lord personally and this happened in the subsequent weeks that followed. One night he got worse and his vitals were so bad. The doctor called and briefed her that her father was disoriented and hardly recognized any one. Lillian prayed that her father would recognize her. The next morning, she arrived at the hospital and her father called her by name. He was in a much better state. Though her dad eventually passed on, Lillian is grateful to God for a peaceful send-off of her father.

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YOUTH BITE

The Window Story A Bible Illustration A young couple moved into a new neighborhood. The next morning while they were eating breakfast, the young woman saw her neighbor hanging the wash outside.

"That laundry is not very clean," she said. "She doesn't know how to wash correctly. Perhaps she needs better laundry soap."

Her husband looked on, but remained silent.

Every time her neighbor would hang her wash to dry, the young woman would make the same comments.

About one month later, the woman was surprised to see a nice clean wash on the line and said to her husband, "Look, she has learned how to wash correctly. I wonder who taught her this time?"

The husband said, "I got up early this morning and cleaned our windows.

And so it is with life. What we see when watching others depends on the purity of the window through which we look.

Don't Fall Into the Comparison Trap It is easy to become so preoccupied with what others are doing that we lose sight of God's leading in our own life.

"But each one must examine his own work, and then he will have reason for boasting in regard to himself alone, and not in regard to another." Galatians 6:4 Source www.creativebiblestudy.com

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 of 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

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ABUNDANT LIFE FAITH CENTRE

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).

HOPE 2023

0785-807-650 / 0704-903-593

P.O Box 9905 Kampala, Uganda

Abundant Life Faith Center Seguku Hill

www.abundantlifefaithcentre.org

frontdesk@abundantlifefaithcentre.org

Seguku Hill, Entebbe road. Uganda