Mayanja Jacob

Mandela Jacob

My name is Mayanja Jacob, a Muganda by tribe whose clan is of “Emmamba”. I am 79 years old. To be sincere to you, my life has been a mess until of recent when the light of scriptures was opened to my understanding. I was born an Anglican and thus always attended church every Sunday. I loved God as far as my conscience was concerned. However, the explanations of scriptures from my former church where too narrow and shallow that it affected my actions. Always the “what” would be presented without the “why”. And many times, the “what” was either partial or not true from the biblical perspective. The result was that I resorted to doing things my way. Which of course was a wrong one and a course of darkness. I went to work and the Lord blessed me with money. Since I did not know anything about the great controversy between Christ and Satan, I used my money on women, boozing, smoking the pipe, clubbing and anything which could cross my mind to have pleasure. I obtained more than 30 children from this kind of lifestyle. Socially, I commanded fear hence was not friends with my children and my neighbors. I used to beat my wives seriously and terribly. I could get one at a time, she displeases me, beat her, send her away and get another one. And I did not care because I thought that that was respect I obtained as a colored man.
For over 55 years this was the kind of life I led. Work, drink, smoke the pipe, eat all stuff which pleased me and women. The result was I got life style diseases including pressure which is even now wreaking havoc on my body. I thank God that during this time, the little seed I obtained about him from my former church instilled a little fear of God in me. Though I did all these things, I still paid tuition for my children and organized businesses for my wives to have a living. It was in 1995 that I left work and started to live on government pension and agriculture. As I got older, some of the things I did I stopped doing them because I lacked energy. However, I continued with smoking the pipe, even though I knew it was deadly for my pressures. I knew not where to get the energy to quit smoking.
One day, as I was on my veranda, the SHALACH team came and offered bible studies to me. I accepted the bible studies. To be sincere with you, my life has never remained the same. Studies in the law, the Sabbath, the origin of evil, baptism, state of the dead and the second coming of Jesus had a paramount effect on my life. I developed love in my heart towards God as never before. The bible became to me a source of knowledge and wisdom which I later discovered has endless depth. The book became broad exceedingly and I know I will never exhaust it.
After discovering a friend in God, I had to make changes in my life. Now, I no longer smoke regardless of what happens, I stopped boozing and I leave a temperate life as far as lies in my means, I can no longer sleep without studying my bible. Thanks to amazing facts lesson books which have broadened my understanding of bible doctrines and answered my every question. Soon, I am going to get baptized, and join God’s remnant church officially. My life is worn out, and I can make little changes in the world currently. Moreover, I can no longer take back what I did. But I believe the precious blood of Jesus washed away those things. My focus is to do what God wants me to do as far as lies in my means. And I pray that by these means, someone may accept Jesus as their Lord and savior. Allow me thank the SHALACH team for introducing light in my life. Surely, may God bless them abundantly. May God continue to use their ministry to greater heights. May the ministry continue to bring light to the darkened chambers of people’s hearts, and prepare people for the soon coming of Jesus. I pray that we meet on that beautiful shore when the Lord comes.