2023 Year of: POWERED BY PRECIOUS PROMISES FREE
Editor’s Note
A life of rest depicts calmness, peace of mind and security. That’s the picture we see in Psalm 23 – the flock of a great shepherd in whom there is no want, relaxed in green pastures besides the quite of still waters. That picture is a product of a great and masterful Shepherd, one who is undeterred by the storms of life. Prophet Isaiah tells of this Shepherd as the Prince of peace; and of the increase of His government and peace, there will be no end. In short, you cannot separate a life of rest from the Kingdom of God, its King – the Lord Jesus Christ nor and His peace.
A life of rest begins by identifying with the kingdom. When one receives Jesus, he becomes a part of His Kingdom, which is, righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. And the beauty is, this kingdom resides on the inside of you – if you are born again. Like a river, it flows out of you to influence the world around you with life and hope.
It is Jesus – the Word, and His grace, who gives us the edge in this world. He invites you and me to a place of rest: “Come to Me, all you who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30, NKJV)
In this year of Forward Flow, if ever we are to flow effortlessly, we must set out to be Word oriented. By faith we inherit and possess His promises, and thereby enter His rest. The whole experience is a miracle because it is God at work in us both to will and to do His good pleasure (Ephesians 2:10; Philippians 2:13 NKJV)
If this edition of the Hope Herald has answered one or more questions in your life, rest assured; you can find more answers and help in previous editions from our website: www.abundantlifefaithcentre.org. To receive the Hope Herald directly in your inbox, sign up to our mailing list online. We also welcome you to join us for our weekly services every Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:00 pm and Sunday, 10:00am to 1:00pm. You are
John Mark Comer: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
Say Yes to Your Youthful Years!
One of the things that has marked my mind as a parent is the fact that it is never too early for anyone to be spiritual and a servant leader. Having seen our own children grow from infants to teenagers, I am well aware of the temptation to continually see children as unable to handle spiritual truth.
Many parents fall into the trap of watering down spiritual truth in the name of simplifying the Bible for their children. As a parent or teacher of children, you do not have to fall into this trap. You can follow the example of parents in the Bible (and in today’s world) who saw and treated each of their children for who they are – a spirit having a soul and living in a body. That’s the biblical picture of every individual including children (Hebrew 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:23).
The mind of a child might not be fully developed to process certain explanations but that does not mean their spirit is ‘too young’ to handle scriptural truth. A human spirit that has not been corrupted with doubt and unbelief is fully alive to spiritual truth. There are times when things are known to a child’s spirit without their mind having a clue about it. Think about John, Elizabeth’s 6 months old baby, and how he reacted in his mother’s womb when he heard Mary’s words and recognized Jesus’ presence: “As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy” (Luke 1:44)
You may also have noticed that Joseph (aged 17, Genesis 37-41), David (aged about 15, 1 Samuel 16), Daniel (aged 17 or less, Daniel 1) and Jesus (aged 12, Luke 2) were all but teenagers when they stepped on to the leadership stage in their generation. This happened, in part, because their parents and teachers exposed them to spiritual training from a very early age. For some of them, this early age training was all they had to lean on while in the foreign lands that they were carried over into as slaves; and yet they excelled and rose to highly distinguished levels of leadership.
The above principles are not limited to biblical characters only. There are many leaders today in industry, government and ministry whose journey to excellence can be traced to the spiritual truth they encountered in their youthful years and earlier. The journeys of leaders like Kenneth E. Hagin, Amos M. Wekesa, Santa Anzo, Isaiah Katumwa, Peter Mukiibi and, our very own, Dr. Handel Leslie all date back to their teenage years and before.
Are you a teenager or young adult? What future do you foresee for yourself; and what is your excuse for not dreaming bigger and better? The answers to these questions lie not in the things or advantages you possess today, but in the inner foundations you are building by exposing yourself to spiritual truth. As noted by Anaïs Nin, “We see things not as they are, but as we are. Because it is the 'I' behind the 'eye' that does the seeing.” So, be wise and say yes to your youthful years by using them to build a strong spiritual foundation for your inner man – the ‘I” that sees better than your eye. Happy International Youth Day, 2023!
Joseph ENYIMU
MISSION WEEK
30th July- 5th August
At Abundant Life Faith Centre, we have one simple goal – with each new day comes a new addition to the nationwide company of souls being enlightened, energised and empowered for hopeful and successful living. You can be one among the many vessels through which God is fulfilling this goal. Actively praying over and participating in this month’s Mission Week is one way to get started or continue as one of those vessels. Are you new to the idea of Mission Week? Welcome! It’s the week of the month when we corporately practice being our neighbour’s keeper in four practical ways that we sum up as F.R.E.E: Fellowship with one another; Relief for the distressed; Evangelism to the lost; and Expansion of our mission borders.
Family Day Out
Parents, children and friends. Let’s rub on each other!! It’s a family a air. Come let us engage in those long deserved conversations! It’s a time when we play and sing rhymes, we will ignite the child in you in competitions and games. It is a day to remember. Mark your calendar now! Everybody is welcome.
2nd September 13th August, 2023 10: 00am- 12:30pm
results and the hospital claimed that she hadn’t been there. But through wisdom, she made a call to one of the medical workers who searched carefully and located her results. Amanda and her spouse were able to travel and return safely. She also thanks God for His preserving power. Her 15- year- old son had never been sick of malaria but while they were away he fell ill. Despite the high fever his condition was managed and he recovered smoothly.
Nakawa, KAMPALA | Since 2015, Wycliffe had a pending tax settlement issue with URA (Uganda Revenue Authority), this issue became like an immovable mountain. Despite several attempts to resolve the matter, no clear conclusion was drawn. So he decided to let go of it but every year that passed the money involved kept multiplying. At the beginning of this year, URA notified him that he either pays the outstanding dues or they issue an Agency Notice for him (when URA takes hold of all your bank accounts). But while going through the assessment, he noticed an era on URA’s part, even still they asked him to first clear the outstanding balance. But he wasn’t at peace with this, and didn’t concur. Several discussions continued. Around mid-May this year, URA officials finally discovered their era and agreed that their assessment was wrong. He was cleared from this tax burden that had lingered for years. Glory to the Lord!
Kasenje, WAKISO | While Barnabas was still dating, he assured his then girlfriend that he envisioned himself out of rented property. On their honeymoon, one of the items that featured on their prayer list was their own family home. They believed God to get out of paying rent. In February this year, a friend of his informed him of a house on sale. They visited the house, talked with the owner and they made arrangements to purchase the house. God provided for them in ways they can’t explain. With His help, they pulled resources together and paid to the last cent for the house. They have now moved into their own house even before their second wedding anniversary. God is surely faithful.
Yoked with Jesus: Life at Rest
Christianity is a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus Christ (God). While on earth, Jesus unfolded this pattern to His disciples. The four Gospels depict His rootedness and connectedness to God, others, and Himself. Jesus assured His disciples that the Son can do nothing of Himself but what He sees the Father do (John 5:19). He was working but living a restful lifestyle.
In Matthew 11:28–30, the Lord invites people to experience relief, joy, and the blessings of His life through a relationship with Him. He provides his apprentices with a new approach to carrying the burden of our humanity, one that is effortless. Choosing an easy life may not be possible, but selecting an easy yoke is. To experience the light burden and easy yoke of Jesus, we must believe and receive what He did for us on the cross.
The phrase "My yoke" implies that we must fully submit to Jesus and not just partially; otherwise, we may experience harm from the yoke. However, if we walk with Jesus and give our all, we will be able to handle the yoke. He promises that He will teach us, for He is gentle, meek, and caring. So, let us submit to the yoke of Jesus. Then we shall be able to flow forward in life despite the hardships.
Finding God's rest is a personal and sweet opportunity we share with Jesus as we walk through life. Trusting in Him is a lifelong journey that takes time and is like an onion. But by understanding His teachings and seeking help from the Holy Spirit, we can experience a sense of peace and rest as the heavy load of self-pleasure is lifted. I pray we get yoked with Jesus, and then we will live a life of rest.
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
Hope Balinda
WHAT PICTURE ARE YOU SEEING?
What picture are you seeing? What script is playing in your mind? What lm about yourself is rolling?
As new creatures, our vision should be Christ. Who He is, and what He has said. God’s blessing to us is not based on our past, titles, accolades, education etc. but on what Jesus did. When God looks at you He sees Jesus. Jesus has made us kings and priests unto our God. You can’t be a saint and a sinner, rich and poor, strong and weak at the same time.
In 2 Samuel 9, David requested to nd out if there was anyone left from the household of Saul that he could show kindness. And Mephibosheth was found to be the only living relative but his mind was corrupted: “Then he bowed himself, and said, “What is your servant, that you should look upon such a dead dog as I?” (Verse 8)
His inability to walk left him seeing himself as worthless yet he was from a royal family. David’s kindness towards him was not based on who he was as an individual but on David’s relationship with Jonathan. It is the same with us. God’s kindness to us is based on what Jesus has done. His Word is our sure perfect script of a glorious future.
Start rolling God’s script daily, replacing the old script that you saw or spoke of yourself – the script of defeat, fear and the lies you accepted. See the picture of who God has said you are – holy, pure, victorious, courageous, bold, etc. Behold God like Jesus did at all times and experience victory (Acts 2:25); or like Moses did (Hebrews 11:27). Behold the picture of God’s Word as your standard reality and move forward because His picture of you is beauty.
David Kasozi
ALFC Prayer Altar
Are you weighted down by thoughts or situations? Do you feel like you have reached the end of the road? Well, there is hope for you. It is in Jesus Christ. We are available to join faith with you in prayer agreement. Simply contact us by email: prayer@abundantlifefaithcentre.org or text: +256 785 807 650
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
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