ABUNDANT LI F E F AITH C ENTRE HOPEJULYEDITION
You can also connect with us on our YouTube channel @Abundant Life Faith Centre. We welcome you to join our services in-person on Wednesdays starting at 6:30 pm and Sundays at 10:00 am. You are blessed! Editorial Team 1
Read on, as we bring to light what a disciplined life effects in you in the articles that follow. Be encouraged in your Christian walk. Let hope come alive as you read of the good reports of what the Lord has done in the lives of men and women like you. Also get to know what is happening in our church family and ministry in the events section. For more inspirational material, visit our website: www.abundantlifefaithcentre.org.
Self-discipline produces the strength of character to persist over all obstacles until you ultimately succeed. You will require it to continue in the pursuit of your dreams and goals. It is a daily decision! It takes discipline to keep on trying and remain consistent! Eventually this builds in you the stamina and staying power that yields the desired results. Discipline is the practice through which you create and establish a habit.
Would you want to live successful in life? In this edition, we share a few concepts to make success a reality in your life, if you so desire it. You see, success leaves a trail, if you follow it you are headed to its direction. Its road is marked with consistency, persistence and discipline. Allow these to be a guide to your success.
The Bible teaches us in Hebrews 12:11 that living a life of discipline is worthwhile. For every disciplined effort, there is a multiple reward. It takes consistent self-discipline to conquer the negative voices in our minds and the various opinions that the world throws at us.
Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 (ESV) states, “So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control…” Discipline births commitment and persistence which help us accomplish the assignment that God has entrusted us with.
Editor’s Note
Speaking about our labour and rest as believers in Jesus, the Scriptures say: “Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, they do always err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. So I swore in my wrath, they shall not enter into my rest… Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. For we which have believed do enter into rest…There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God. For he that is entered into his [God’s] rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from his. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief” (Hebrews 3: 8-11, 4:1-3, 9-11).
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Have you noticed that whenever we think about committing ourselves to any form of labour, we also begin to think about the rest that comes with that labour? We see this happening in many areas of our lives. We all look forward to being able to take a night’s rest after a day’s labour. Students look forward to a holiday break after a term of demanding study. Young parents look forward to the later years of parenting during their early years of parenting which are often very demanding. No matter the sphere of labour, people expect and look forward to a time of rest from their labour. That tells us labour and rest cannot be separated.
LABOUR TO ENTER GOD’S REST – PART I
Entering the rest of God requires that we exercise our faith in the gospel that has been preached to us. It means having confidence in the truth that the grace of God is more than able to keep us out of the cares and fears of life that wear out and overwhelm many people.
As far as the grace of God is concerned, many believers have no problem believing that they will go to heaven when their bodies die. As a result, they are rested about their eternal future. Not many of the same believers however, believe that the grace of God that guarantees their eternal future also guarantees their salvation from the troubles and challenges of life here on earth. God, by His grace, has provided for our salvation from sin and the hell that’s ahead for the sinner. Likewise, He has provided for our victory over the cares of life, and the hell-on-earth that it brings to many people. With faith in the gospel of the grace of Jesus Christ, we can, and we should, enjoy rest from toiling for salvation from a life of hell-on-earth just as we enjoy rest from having to labour to attain salvation from sin and the hell to come.
A life of rest in God
From The Pastor’s Desk
Joseph Enyimu
We see from Hebrews 4:2 above that our forefathers in the faith missed entering into the rest of God because they failed to mix the gospel that was preached unto them with faith.
What is discipline? “It is the ability to make yourself do, what you should do, when you should do it, whether you feel like it or not” says Kop Kopmeyer. It is creating order in one’s life. When you serve the God of order and follow after his leading intently, you become orderly in every area of your life. (1 Corinthians 14:40) The Bible says, “…thou shall Love the Lord thy God with all thy heart” (Luke 10:27). Many a time we serve God expecting to get something in return. Discipline calls for a selfless service to God, not seeking reward but being assured of it. Looking unto Him as Lord and Master of all.
Consistency refers to being steadfast and immovable even when the storms and floods come (1 Corinthians 15:58). Child of God, the Lord has got you covered, regardless of what’s around you. You and I are called to keep on serving God in ministry until He returns. I urge you therefore to press on to the mark of His high calling. Remember, God is the Master that we serve. 2022 is your year of the Unusual Angelic Activity.
Be a beacon of hope to those in your community and spheres of influence through the message of Christ. We invite you to join us during our August 2022 Mission Week from 1st- 6th August as we share the love of Christ with those in our communities in word and deed. Mission Week 1st- 6th August
INSIGHTS ON DISCIPLINE & CONSISTENCY ~Emmanuel. M 3
Success never resides in the world of weak wishes, but in the palace of purposeful plans and prayerful persistence. William Anthurward.
Feature
June 2022, Makindye Ssabbaggo, Wakiso: Viola sings praises to God for her life. One day while at home going about her business, she begun to experience sharp pains in her lower stomach. She ignored it initially, thinking it would vanish the same way it had appeared but the pains grew fiercer and eventually brought her to her knees. Viola then begun to call on the name of the Lord. Her neighbor joined her in prayer but the pain persisted. At this, point she decided to seek medical help from a nearby health center. She underwent a CT (Computed Tomography) scan to establish what the problem could be. The doctor’s report revealed that she had an ovarian cyst and was at a risk of being infertile – news that Viola wasn’t prepared to receive or accept. The doctors counselled her regarding this condition. They advised that she go for an operation at Mulago National Specialized Hospital. She declared that this wasn’t her portion before leaving. She informed her husband about the findings. Together, they sought a second opinion from another hospital. The doctors there also confirmed the same condition. However, they opted to take medication for a month then observe the situation to decide on the next course of action. Viola told the doctor that the cyst will be gone by then. She started the medication, first with injections then the tablets. Viola maintained her trust in the Lord for the manifestation of her healing. She joined her faith in prayer with a few saints at church and in her cell group. At some point she begun to testify by faith in the cell meetings that she was healed. As the month of June 2022 begun, the Women of Faith from ALFC declared a fast. Viola, joined in the fast by faith and opted to stop taking her medication. By then not even her husband understood her actions. When she reported back to the doctors for review, she was put through the scan. The results returned and not a trace of the cyst was found. The doctor asked another colleague to verify the results and he too confirmed that she was free of the condition. Glory to God!
June 2022, Kiira, Kampala: Michael hosted a visitor at his home. While there, the visitor noticed the construction of his servant’s quarters was incomplete. The visitor inquired why that was the case. Michael replied that he had not devoted time and resources to finish the work. The visitor noted this and left. A week later, the visitor returned with One million Uganda Shillings (US$280) to aid completion of his servant’s quarters. Michael reflected on these events and concluded by saying, “God is after finishing the incomplete things in our lives.” Completing his servant quarters wasn’t on Michael’s priority list. He hadn’t even asked for help for it but God surprised him through his friend. Michael wasn’t sure if his friend had that money, but God used him anyway.
June 2022, Kiira, Kampala: Wycliffe gives thanks to God for His mercy and healing. One day at a home cell meeting, one of the saints declared to him, “I see God releasing healing power to your family”. At that time nobody in the family was sick. Nevertheless, he received the word and thanked God for the healing. Little did he know that God had gone ahead to prepare him for what was to come. Sickness started raging from one person to another in the house. First was his son, then his daughter who couldn’t speak or walk then the house help and his wife too. He held on to the word of God that had already gone forth and thanked God all the more. Wycliffe says the family went through that episode unscarred. They are all alive and well. Glory to God.
TestimoniesTestimony
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The ALFC Youth Ministry invites you for a time of praise, prayer and partying/fellowship on 21th August, 2020 starting at 10:00a.m. Let us grow together in the ways of the kingdom!
If life is to reward you with that which is pleasurable and rewarding, there must be a commitment to that which is for the betterment of your life and others. You can, and will arrive at any port of destination that you set out for. Nothing is ever too difficult to achieve for the person who is propelled by discipline. Remember, you are unlimited in your potential. If you pursue your goals passionately you become unstoppable. Every great person in life became great because they were unwilling to abandon persistence.
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One of the most interesting aspects of human life is the ability to pursue one’s dreams with a spirit of discipline despite the challenges that may prevail. We often have great admiration for those who finish well in the game of life but the achievements of human endeavors are often the results of time and commitment coupled with a mindset of strong determination. Those who say “I can’t” are as right as those who say “I can”. The difference between the two is that the one who says “I can’t” does not require discipline but the person who says “I can” says it with the will to do so.
~Dr. Handel. A. Leslie Extract from the Success Paradigm series Youth-Centered Service
MESSAGE EXTRACT
The course we take in life is determined by the choices we make. In order to move in the right direction, we must be steady in our beliefs and actions. Every action taken based on the wrong belief, ends in frustration, sometimes disappointments and regrets.
. We believe that as we are encouraged to “pray one for another…the earnest (heartfelt) prayer of the righteous makes tremendous power available (dynamic in its working)” (James 6:16, AMP). God perfects that which concerns you.
. We believe that as we are encouraged to “pray one for another…the earnest (heartfelt) prayer of the righteous makes tremendous power available (dynamic in its working)” (James 6:16, AMP). God perfects that which concerns you.
Join us for Service 6 4th- 9th July
ALFC Family Day Out Discipline is tough love. It is the empowerment bridging your mission to your vision. “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Unwind from the marketplace routines and demands in company of friends and family as we break bread, bond and busk in a fun-filled and faith-charged atmosphere at the 2022 ALFC Family Day Out. Mark your calendar!
Discipline is tough love. It is the empowerment bridging your mission to your vision” “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11, NIV)~Maria.
M You are welcome to join us for a rich time of fellowship as we sharpen each other’s faith in the presence of the Lord every Wednesday from 6:30pm to 8:00pm and Sundays from 10:00am to 1:00pm.
Our prayer team is ready to stand in agreement with you. Send your prayer requests to: prayer@abundantlifefaithcentre.org
SHARE YOUR PRAYER REQUEST
M You are welcome to join us for a rich time of fellowship as we sharpen each other’s faith in the presence of the Lord every Wednesday from 6:30pm to 8:00pm and Sundays from 10:00am to 1:00pm.
ALFC Family Day Out
27th August
Unwind from the marketplace routines and demands in company of friends and family as we break bread, bond and busk in a fun-filled and faith-charged atmosphere at the 2022 ALFC Family Day Out. Mark your calendar!
SHARE YOUR PRAYER REQUEST
Join us for Service 6 27th August
(Hebrews 12:11, NIV) ~ Maria.
Our prayer team is ready to stand in agreement with you. Send your prayer requests to: prayer@abundantlifefaithcentre.org
HOPE f0rontdesk@abundantlifefaithcentre.org785-807650/0704-903-593 Seguwww.abundantlifefaithcentre.orgkuHill,Entebberoad.UgandaAbundant Life Faith Center Seguku Hill