November 30 Devotion - Keep yourselves in God's love

 

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.

...But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.

Romans 7:19, Jude1:20–21

 فَأَنَا لاَ أَعْمَلُ الصَّلاَحَ الَّذِي أُرِيدُهُ؛ وَإِنَّمَا الشَّرُّ الَّذِي لاَ أُرِيدُهُ فَإِيَّاهُ أُمَارِسُ

وَأَمَّا أَنْتُمْ أَيُّهَا الأَحِبَّاءُ، فَابْنُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ عَلَى إِيمَانِكُمُ الأَقْدَسِ، وَصَلُّوا دَائِماً فِي الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ.َاحْفَظُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ فِي مَحَبَّةِ اللهِ، مُنْتَظِرِينَ رَحْمَةَ رَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ إِذْ يَعُودُ وَيَأْخُذُكُمْ لِتَحْيَوْا مَعَهُ إِلَى الأَبَدِ.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer:

Abba Father, I cannot do it on my own. Father God please replace my self-effort and my problem solving techniques with Your power. Help me to learn to walk by faith. Jesus, You are my Strength and my Shield. You are the One who can fortify my human frailty with Your supernatural grace. I lean on You today and every day. Saviour, saturate my mind with Your Word and fill me with Your Spirit. Thank You Father for Your abundant blessings, Your grace and Your deep, everlasting and inseparable love for me.  Keep me in Your love and strength as I await Your return Jesus. In Your Holy name I pray. To Jesus be the authority, the power, the majesty and the glory since the beginning of time, now, and forevermore. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

November 27 Devotion - The Humble Christ

 

….but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

 بَلْ أَخْلَى نَفْسَهُ، مُتَّخِذاً صُورَةَ عَبْدٍ، صَائِراً شَبِيهاً بِالْبَشَرِ؛

 وَإِذْ ظَهَرَ بِهَيْئَةِ إِنْسَانٍ، أَمْعَنَ فِي الاِتِّضَاعِ، وَكَانَ طَائِعاً حَتَّى الْمَوْتِ، مَوْتِ الصَّلِيبِ

Philippians 2:7-8

Being made in the likeness of man, Jesus laid himself as low as possible laying aside the brilliance of His glory. He took upon Himself human form assuming the lowest character, that of being the servant of all. He accepted to die for us, and He accepted to die the lowest and most disgraceful kind of death, the death of the cross; the punishment of the meanest of criminals.

‘What must sin have been in the sight of God, when it required such humiliation in Jesus Christ to make atonement for it, and undo its influence and malignity!’ (Adapted from Clarke's Commentary on the Bible.)

We learn from the above scriptures that Jesus was obedient, humble and loving. He loved us and died on the cross in our place, to offer us the opportunity to be forgiven, redeemed and declared righteous in the eyes of God.

Humility frees us to love and serve others selflessly, for their sake, rather than our own. 

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Lord Jesus, thank You that You humbled Yourself to die in my place and to grant me the forgiveness of my sins. Jesus, You became a servant for my sake to set me free from the bondage of sin, selfishness and conceit. Jesus, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can be humble as You are humble and to love others graciously. Teach me Lord to be ‘kind and compassionate to others, forgiving them, just as Christ God forgave me.’ Ephesians 4:31-3  Abba Father, thank You for Your deep and everlasting love for me, Your abundant blessings, and for the riches of Your grace in my life. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and I pray in His Holy Name. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

November 26 Devotion - Happy American Thanksgiving Day

 

Let them give thanks to the Lord for His loving kindness, and for His wonderful acts to the children of men! ⁴ For everything God has created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; ⁵ for it is sanctified [set apart, dedicated to God] by means of the word of God and prayer. Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 107:8 (AMP), 1Timothy 4:4-5 (AMP), Ephesians 5:20

 فَلْيَحْمَدُوا الرَّبَّ عَلَى رَحْمَتِهِ وَعَجَائِبِهِ لِبَنِي آدَمَ.

لأَنَّ كُلَّ خَلِيقَةِ اللهِ جَيِّدَةٌ، وَلاَ يُرْفَضُ شَيْءٌ إِذَا أُخِذَ مَعَ الشُّكْرِ، لأَنَّهُ يُقَدَّسُ بِكَلِمَةِ اللهِ وَالصَّلاَةِ.

شَاكِرِينَ كُلَّ حِينٍ عَلَى كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فِي اسْمِ رَبِّنَا يَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ، ِللهِ وَالآبِ.

 

Today is American Thanksgiving day. Best wishes to all my American friends and family and to the whole nation.

Some of us today are experiencing bright circumstances, and some of us are facing bleak circumstance. Let us remember that everything that God has created is good, and is to be received with gratitude giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Giving thanks in all things (no exceptions) is only possible when we understand that every situation is used by our loving Father to further our dependence on Him and make us more like His Son Jesus. God is determined to conform us to the image of Christ through the inevitable afflictions that accompany life. Having, cultivating and maintaining a grateful heart that continues to pulsate with thanksgiving, even in trials, presents a big challenge to me and maybe to you too. Thanking God in the trials is difficult, however I believe that when we do, His purposes and presence will illuminate our path and carry us through any trial.

 

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. Lord help me to always see Your hand in my life and to be grateful for Your wisdom. Lord give me a grateful heart that continues to pulsate with thanksgiving, even in trials. Lord I ask that through my gratitude in the midst of trials that Your purpose and presence will illuminate my path and carry me through. Thank You God that You are determined to conform me to the image of Christ through any tribulations in my life. Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name; the upright shall dwell in Your presence. Psalm 140:13  I give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: Psalm 136:3 At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, because of Your righteous judgments. Psalm 119:62. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory and the dominion forever and ever, and unto ages of all ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you,                                                            

In Him,

Wagdi Henein