February 28 Devotion - Redeemed and Forgiven

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.

Colossians 1:14, Ephesians 1:5

الذي لنا فيه الفداء بدمه غفران الخطايا.

اذ سبق فعيّننا للتبني بيسوع المسيح لنفسه حسب مسرة مشيئته

Forgiveness (Greek: Aphesis) speaks of a canceled debt. You and I can be forgiven because Christ went to the cross and shed His blood for me and for you. Our debt has been cancelled because Jesus died in our place.

We are forgiven when we accept that He has died in our place, for our sins. Salvation is not something we earn through good deeds or bargain for, in exchange for promising to improve. God has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the Kingdom of His Son Jesus Christ, whom He loves.

The Greek word for adoption to sonship is a legal term referring to the full legal standing of an adopted male heir in Roman culture. When we surrender our lives to Christ and accept the fact that He bore our sins in His own body at The Cross, and when we declare Him as our Lord and Saviour, at that moment we are born again through the spirit and become children of God.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for loving me with a deep and everlasting love, thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Thank You Lord that I am now a child of God because I was purchased with the precious blood of Christ. Thank You Lord that You redeemed me and granted me forgiveness of my sins, according to the riches of Your grace. Thank you Jesus that You paid for my sins and they have been canceled. You paid a very high price for me: Your blood. LORD, I pray that out of Your  glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can forgive others and forgive myself. Please help others to forgive me. Strengthen me Lord so that I continue to declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour and Jesus may continue to dwell in my heart through faith. I pray in the holy name of Jesus and I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 27 Devotion - God is with us

‘Do not fear [anything], for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, be assured I will help you; I will certainly take hold of you with My righteous right hand [a hand of justice, of power, of victory, of salvation].’

لا تخف لاني معك. لا تتلفت لاني الهك. قد أيدتك واعنتك وعضدتك بيمين بري.

Isaiah 41:10 AMP

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for being with me in every situation and always strengthening and helping me. Thank You that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Father please keep upholding me with Your righteous right hand and take away from me any fear. God please sink Your confidence deep into my soul, heart and mind. Father God thank You for Your inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me and Your abundant blessings in my life. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, to Him be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 26 Devotion - Holy Angels

^{Recently a friend asked me: ‘when were angels created’? Since I didn’t know I researched it and learned that the angels were probably created before the seventh day of creation. The Bible says:}

Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts

^{Genesis 2:1}

^{The phrase "all their hosts" probably refers to the angels.}

For He will give His angels [especial] charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways [of obedience and service].

Psalm 91:11 (AMP)

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His commandments, hearkening to the voice of His word.

Psalm 103:20-21 (Amplified Bible)

‘Beware that you do not despise or feel scornful toward or think little of one of these little ones, for I tell you that in heaven their angels always are in the presence of and look upon the face of My Father Who is in heaven.’

Matthew 18:10

God created the angels, and nowhere in the Bible does it state that angels are created in the image and likeness of God, as humans are. Genesis 1:26. The greatest thing we can learn from the holy angels is their instant, unquestioning obedience to God’s commands.

Here are some activities the Bible ascribes to angels:

They praise God (Psalm 148:1-2; Isaiah 6:3).

They worship God (Hebrews 1:6; Revelation 5:8-13).

They rejoice in what God does (Job 38:6-7).

They serve God (Psalm 103:20; Revelation 22:9).

They appear before God (Job 1:6; 2:1).

They are instruments of God's judgments (Revelation 7:1; 8:2).

They bring answers to prayer (Acts 12:5-10).

They aid in winning people to Christ (Acts 8:26; 10:3).

They observe Christian order, work, and suffering (1 Corinthians 4:9; 11:10; Ephesians 3:10; 1 Peter 1:12).

They care for the righteous at the time of death (Luke 16:22).

They encourage in times of danger (Acts 27:23-24).

For there stood by me this night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve, ²⁴ saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must be brought before Caesar; and indeed God has granted you all those who sail with you.’

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You Lord for Your angels and the role they play in serving, praising and worshipping You. Lord, I ask that Your angels guide me, protect me and help me bring people to Christ. God I praise You, glorify You and lift You up on high. Thank You Father for Your deep and everlasting love for me, Your abundant blessings, and for the riches of Your grace in my life. In the mighty name of Jesus; my Lord and Saviour; I pray to You Father. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty and the dominion forever and ever and unto ages of all ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 25 Devotion - Jesus Prays for All 'Believers' - Part 2

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; ²¹ that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.

وَلَسْتُ أُصَلِّي مِنْ أَجْلِ هؤُلاَءِ فَقَطْ، بَلْ أَيْضاً مِنْ أَجْلِ الَّذِينَ سَوْفَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِي بِسَبَبِ كَلِمَةِ هؤُلاَءِ،

 ²¹ لِيَكُونَ الْجَمِيعُ وَاحِداً؛ أَيُّهَا الآبُ، كَمَا أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ فِيَّ وَأَنَا فِيكَ، لِيَكُونُوا هُمْ أَيْضاً وَاحِداً فِينَا، لِكَيْ يُؤْمِنَ الْعَالَمُ أَنَّكَ أَنْتَ أَرْسَلْتَنِي.

 ²² إِنِّي أَعْطَيْتُهُمُ الْمَجْدَ الَّذِي أَعْطَيْتَنِي، لِيَكُونُوا وَاحِداً كَمَا نَحْنُ وَاحِدٌ.

 ²³ أَنَا فِيهِمْ، وَأَنْتَ فِيَّ، لِيَكْتَمِلُوا فَيَصِيرُوا وَاحِداً، حَتَّى يَعْرِفَ الْعَالَمُ أَنَّكَ أَرْسَلْتَنِي وَأَنَّكَ أَحْبَبْتَهُمْ كَمَا أَحْبَبْتَنِي.

John 17:20-23

Jesus asked for unity amongst believers. He desires that we have a deep connection with Him and The Father and also with other believers.

He gave us a new commandment:

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.”

وَصِيَّةً جَدِيدَةً أَنَا أُعْطِيكُمْ: أَحِبُّوا بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً، كَمَا أَحْبَبْتُكُمْ أَنَا، تُحِبُّونَ بَعْضُكُمْ.

John 13:34

Both unity and love have the same purpose “that the world may know”. Jesus commands us to be united in Him. As believers in Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour, we need to be united with each other in every family, in every Church and across all denominations, churches and countries, and lift up ‘The Church’ as one church, because Christ loved The Church and gave himself up for her Ephesians 5:25.

The unity that Christ offers brings peace within and between believers. In the world system we may have tribulations and persecution but we have Jesus’ assurance:

“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ بِهَذَا كُلِّهِ لِيَكُونَ لَكُمْ فِيَّ سَلاَمٌ. فَإِنَّكُمْ فِي الْعَالَمِ سَتُقَاسُونَ الضِّيقَ. وَلكِنْ تَشَجَّعُوا، فَأَنَا قَدِ انْتَصَرْتُ عَلَى الْعَالَمِ!»

John 16:33

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings.

Thank You Jesus for praying for me, to our Father.

Thank You Jesus for granting me eternal life through the Cross.

Thank You Jesus that You are in me and I in You.

Thank You Father for Your inseparable, deep, and everlasting love.

Thank You Jesus for revealing God to me, because I have these wonderful resources, I can persevere in my faith.

Abba Father, please set me apart for your service so that I may fulfill Your mission for me on this earth.

Help me Jesus to carry out Your commandment to love others and be united with all my Christian brothers and sisters.

Help me God to demonstrate unity with fellow believers through love, obedience and commitment to Your will.

Thank you Jesus for the peace You give me and the assurance that You have conquered the world.

Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, ²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3: 20-21 AMP

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein