December 29 Devotion - We cannot be separated from God’s love for us

 

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? ³⁷ No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

³⁸ And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. ³⁹ No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 New Living Translation (NLT)

35 من سيفصلنا عن محبة المسيح. أشدّة ام ضيق ام اضطهاد ام جوع ام عري ام خطر ام سيف.

37 ولكننا في هذه جميعها يعظم انتصارنا بالذي احبنا.

38 فاني متيقن انه لا موت ولا حياة ولا ملائكة ولا رؤساء ولا قوات ولا امور حاضرة ولا مستقبلة

39 ولا علو ولا عمق ولا خليقة اخرى تقدر ان تفصلنا عن محبة الله التي في المسيح يسوع ربنا

 

God’s love for His children, the ones who have accepted Jesus as their Saviour and Lord over their lives, can never change or be altered by whatever means or circumstances. Nothing we can do can make God love us any more or any less —indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God for us that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your deep, everlasting, and inseparable love. Thank You Lord that nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate me from Your love for me that is revealed in Christ Jesus my Lord.  I pray that I, being rooted and established in love, may have power to grasp how wide, long, high, and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge--that I may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. In Your holy name Jesus, I pray. To You be the glory, the power , the dominion, and the majesty forever and ever. Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

December 27 Devotion - Jesus is our Friend

 

No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, because all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you.

 

  لا اعود اسميكم عبيدا لان العبد لا يعلم ما يعمل سيده .لكني قد سميتكم احباء لاني أعلمتكم بكل ما سمعته من ابي .

 

John 15:15

What distinguishes a friend from a slave? A slave does not know the plans of his/her master or owner. He receives the commands of his master without knowing the reasons why they are ordered. Friendship on the other hand allows one to be made acquainted with the plans, wishes, and wants of the other friend. This instance of friendship Jesus had shared with His disciples the reasons why he was about to leave them, and with His secret wishes regarding them. As He had given them this proof of friendship, it was proper that He should not withhold from them the title of friends.

The reason why He calls us friends is that He treats us as friends. He has opened to us His mind; made known to us His plans; acquainted us with the design of His coming, His death, His resurrection, ascension, and second coming; and, having thus given us the clearest proof of friendship, it is therefore proper that He gives us this name.

We should always look at Jesus as our friend, even though He is also our Lord and master.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and love. Jesus You laid Your life for me and said: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” John 15:13 Thank You Jesus for loving me and treating me like Your friend. 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 continue to declare to the world that Christ is my Lord, Saviour, and Friend. In the holy name of Jesus, I pray. To Jesus be the glory, the power, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 ليس لاحد حب اعظم من هذا ان يضع احد نفسه لاجل احبائه .

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

December 26 Devotion - Blessed is She Who Believed

 

Now Maryam* arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it happened, when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Maryam, that the babe leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² Then she spoke out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ But why is this granted to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ For indeed, as soon as the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ Blessed is she who believed, for there will be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

 

وَفِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ، قَامَتْ مَرْيَمُ وَذَهَبَتْ مُسْرِعَةً إِلَى الْجِبَالِ، قَاصِدَةً إِلَى مَدِينَةٍ مِنْ مُدُنِ يَهُوذَا. 

 40 فَدَخَلَتْ بَيْتَ زَكَرِيَّا وَسَلَّمَتْ عَلَى أَلِيصَابَاتَ.

 41 وَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ أَلِيصَابَاتُ سَلاَمَ مَرْيَمَ، قَفَزَ الْجَنِينُ دَاخِلَ بَطْنِهَا. وَامْتَلَأَتْ أَلِيصَابَاتُ مِنَ الرُّوحِ الْقُدُسِ،

 42 وَهَتَفَتْ بِصَوْتٍ عَالٍ قَائِلَةٍ: «مُبَارَكَةٌ أَنْتِ بَيْنَ النِّسَاءِ! وَمُبَارَكَةٌ ثَمَرَةُ بَطْنِكِ!

 43 فَمِنْ أَيْنَ لِي هَذَا: أَنْ تَأْتِيَ إِلَيَّ أُمُّ رَبِّي؟

 44 فَإِنَّهُ مَا إِنْ وَقَعَ صَوْتُ سَلاَمِكِ فِي أُذُنَيَّ حَتَّى قَفَزَ الْجَنِينُ ابْتِهَاجاً فِي بَطْنِي:

 45 فَطُوبَى لِلَّتِي آمَنَتْ أَنَّهُ سَيَتِمُّ مَا قِيلَ لَهَا مِنْ قِبَلِ الرَّبِّ! »

 

 * Jesus spoke Aramaic. In Aramaic His mother’s name is Maryam.

Luke 1:39-45

We know from the above Bible verses that Maryam went to visit Elizabeth. The open question to me is why did Maryam decide to travel while pregnant to visit Elizabeth?  The outcome of the visit was beneficial to Maryam; and all of us; because the welcome which Elizabeth, by the Spirit of prophecy, gave to Maryam, the mother of our Lord; was not as to a common friend making a common visit, but as to one of whom the Messiah was to be born. Obviously, the visit was also beneficial to Elizabeth too. The answer to my question of why may be: that it was a visit created and made possible by The Holy Spirit.

A lesson that we can learn could be as follows:  It is very beneficial for those of us that grace has begun in their souls, and Christ is in the forming there, to consult those who are in the same condition, that they may communicate experiences one to another; Christian to Christian.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for loving me with a deep and everlasting love. Lord, You blessed Maryam, the Mother of Jesus, and did great things for her. Help me Lord to learn from the mother of our Lord to be humble and to get rid of all pride within me. Lord I join the blessed mother of our Lord Jesus in saying: ‘My soul magnifies You God and my spirit rejoices in my Saviour’. Teach me to hear Your voice God and to believe in the fulfillment of the things which I will hear from You. Father God thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, to Him be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

Merry Christmas

 

For unto us a Child is born,
Unto us a Son is given;
And the government will be upon His shoulder.
And His name will be called
Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 لأَنَّهُ يُوْلَدُ لَنَا وَلَدٌ وَيُعْطَى لَنَا ابْنٌ يَحْمِلُ الرِّيَاسَةَ عَلَى كَتِفِهِ، وَيُدْعَى اسْمُهُ عَجِيباً، مُشِيراً، إِلَهاً قَدِيراً، أَباً أَبَدِيًّا، رَئِيسَ السَّلامِ. 7 وَلا تَكُونُ نِهَايَةٌ لِنُمُوِّ رِيَاسَتِهِ وَلِلسَّلامِ

Isaiah 9:6-7

December 24 Devotion - Being Compassionate

 

For many people, The Christmas Season and the New Year celebrations are connected to sad or lonely feelings. Maybe associated with loss situations, broken dreams, and aloneness. Maybe some of you reading this devotion associate this time of year with some pain. For many this Christmas season is going to be a lonely one, especially for those living alone. I know how that feels. We need to be aware and supportive of others during this festive season.

 

I searched the Bible for God’s relief, compassion, and support for my and your scarred hearts and spirits and found God telling us:

 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 

 

The Lord is near to you because you have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit. Psalm 34:17-18

 

My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Corinthians 12:9

  

All things will work together for good for you because you love God, Romans 8:28  

 

Make sure to rejoice always, pray without ceasing,  in everything give thanks 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

 

أَلَمْ آمُرْكَ؟ إِذَنْ تَقَوَّ وَتَشَجَّعْ، لَا تَرْهَبْ ولا تَجْزَعْ لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ إِلَهَكَ مَعَكَ حَيْثُمَا تَتَوَجَّهُ».

 

يَسْتَغِيثُ الأَبْرَارُ، فَيَسْمَعُ لَهُمُ الرَّبُّ وَيُنْقِذُهُمْ مِنْ جَمِيعِ ضِيقَاتِهِمْ. 18 الرَّبُّ قَرِيبٌ مِنْ مُنْكَسِرِي الْقَلْبِ، وَيُخَلِّصُ مُنْسَحِقِي الرُّوحِ..

فَقَالَ لِي: «نِعْمَتِي تَكْفِيكَ، لأَنَّ قُدْرَتِي تُكَمَّلُ فِي الضَّعْفِ!» فَأَنَا أَرْضَى بِأَنْ أَفْتَخِرَ مَسْرُوراً بِالضَّعَفَاتِ الَّتِي فِيَّ، لِكَيْ تُخَيِّمَ عَلَيَّ قُدْرَةُ الْمَسِيحِ.

وَإِنَّنَا نَعْلَمُ أَنَّ اللهَ يَجْعَلُ جَمِيعَ الأُمُورِ تَعْمَلُ مَعاً لأَجْلِ الْخَيْرِ لِمُحِبِّيهِ، الْمَدْعُوِّينَ بِحَسَبِ قَصْدِهِ.

افْرَحُوا عَلَى الدَّوَامِ؛ 17 صَلُّوا دُونَ انْقِطَاعٍ؛ 18 ارْفَعُوا الشُّكْرَ فِي كُلِّ حَالٍ: فَهذِهِ هِيَ مَشِيئَةُ اللهِ لَكُمْ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ.

وَسَلامُ اللهِ، الَّذِي تَعْجَزُ الْعُقُولُ عَنْ إِدْرَاكِهِ، يَحْرُسُ قُلُوبَكُمْ وَأَفْكَارَكُمْ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for knowing every emotion I go through and for having an answer and support for me today. Strengthen me Lord to be of good courage. Thank You Lord that during my period of weakness Your strength is made perfect. Help me Lord to pray continuously and to always have an attitude of gratitude. I rejoice in the assurance that You are with me God wherever I am, that all things will work together for good for me, and that I will rejoice because Your peace God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus; in whose holy name I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

 

December 23 Devotion - Gloria in Excelsis Deo

 

For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:
“ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men”
¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven,  that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Maryam and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. ¹⁷ Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. ¹⁸ And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Maryam kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. ²⁰ Then the shepherds returned, glorifying, and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

فَقَدْ وُلِدَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ فِي مَدِينَةِ دَاوُدَ مُخَلِّصٌ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ الرَّبُّ.

 12 وَهَذِهِ هِيَ الْعَلاَمَةُ لَكُمْ. تَجِدُونَ طِفْلاً مَلْفُوفاً بِقِمَاطٍ وَنَائِماً فِي مِذْوَدٍ».

 13 وَفَجْأَةً ظَهَرَ مَعَ الْمَلاَكِ جُمْهُورٌ مِنَ الْجُنْدِ السَّمَاوِيِّ، يُسَبِّحُونَ اللهَ قَائِلِينَ:

 14 «الْمَجْدُ لِلهِ فِي الأَعَالِي، وَعَلَى الأَرْضِ السَّلامُ؛ وَبِالنَّاسِ الْمَسَرَّةُ! »

 15 وَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عَنِ الرُّعَاةِ إِلَى السَّمَاءِ، قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ: «لِنَذْهَبْ إِذَنْ إِلَى بَيْتِ لَحْمٍ، وَنَنْظُرْ هَذَا الأَمْرَ الَّذِي حَدَثَ وَقَدْ أَعْلَمَنَا بِهِ الرَّبُّ!»

 16 وَجَاءُوا مُسْرِعِينَ، فَوَجَدُوا مَرْيَمَ وَيُوسُفَ، وَالطِّفْلَ نَائِماً فِي الْمِذْوَدِ.

 17 فَلَمَّا رَأَوْا ذلِكَ، أَخَذُوا يُخْبِرُونَ بِمَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ بِخُصُوصِ هَذَا الطِّفْلِ.

 18 وَجَمِيعُ الَّذِينَ سَمِعُوا بِذلِكَ دُهِشُوا مِمَّا قَالَهُ لَهُمُ الرُّعَاةُ.

 19 وَأَمَّا مَرْيَمُ، فَكَانَتْ تَحْفَظُ هَذِهِ الأُمُورَ جَمِيعاً، وَتَتَأَمَّلُهَا فِي قَلْبِهَا.

 20 ثُمَّ رَجَعَ الرُّعَاةُ يُمَجِّدُونَ اللهَ وَيُسَبِّحُونَهُ عَلَى كُلِّ مَا سَمِعُوهُ وَرَأَوْهُ كَمَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ.

Luke 2:11-20

 

“Glory to God in the highest” is only found once in the Bible in Luke 2:14.
That verse is so extraordinary; it’s been given a special name.  It’s called the Gloria in Excelsis Deo.  That’s from the Latin translation for “Glory to God in the highest.”

You might recognize it from the popular Christmas hymn “Angels We Have Heard on High.” 

Listen to it sung by Bocelli: https://youtu.be/MLS6qZt9WLQ

There are other divine encounters in the Bible, but this is the only time the Bible says the heavenly host ('army' of good angels in Heaven) appeared to men, and this is the one sentence they left for us: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men”.

The Bible doesn’t say anything about the heavenly host singing, but what they said was understood by the shepherds, so either it was spoken in their own language, or the shepherds were given a supernatural ability to understand the heavenly language. 

 

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and inseparable love. Lord, I join the shepherds in glorifying You. I thank You and praise You for all the blessings You have bestowed upon me. Help me to be like Maryam, mother of our Saviour Jesus, in constantly pondering in my mind Your love, mercy and grace. I rejoice in Your birth Jesus. Father God let the birth of Jesus this year bring healing and peace on earth and goodwill toward us and amongst us. Heavenly Father, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. In the Holy Name of Jesus, I pray. ‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’ Ephesians 3:20-21

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

December 22 Devotion - Why was Jesus born?

 

Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

 

وَكَانَ فِي تِلْكَ الْمِنْطَقَةِ رُعَاةٌ يَبِيتُونَ فِي الْعَرَاءِ، يَتَنَاوَبُونَ حِرَاسَةَ قَطِيعِهِمْ فِي اللَّيْلِ

 ⁹ وَإِذَا مَلاَكٌ مِنْ عِنْدِ الرَّبِّ قَدْ ظَهَرَ لَهُمْ، وَمَجْدُ الرَّبِّ أَضَاءَ حَوْلَهُمْ، فَخَافُوا أَشَدَّ الْخَوْفِ.

 ¹⁰ فَقَالَ لَهُمُ الْمَلاَكُ: «لاَ تَخَافُوا! فَهَا أَنَا أُبَشِّرُكُمْ بِفَرَحٍ عَظِيمٍ يَعُمُّ الشَّعْبَ كُلَّهُ:

 ¹¹ فَقَدْ وُلِدَ لَكُمُ الْيَوْمَ فِي مَدِينَةِ دَاوُدَ مُخَلِّصٌ هُوَ الْمَسِيحُ الرَّبُّ.

 ¹² وَهَذِهِ هِيَ الْعَلاَمَةُ لَكُمْ. تَجِدُونَ طِفْلاً مَلْفُوفاً بِقِمَاطٍ وَنَائِماً فِي مِذْوَدٍ».

 

Luke 2:1-12

While we are three days from CHRISTmas (meaning CHRIST sent), it may be a good time to reflect on the reasons why Jesus Christ had to be born. Let us remember that there are Christians following the Julian calendar who celebrate Christmas in January.

I know of 7 reasons why Jesus had to be born:

1. Jesus had to be born because of mankind's sin.

2. Jesus had to be born because God wanted to reveal His own character to humanity.

3. Jesus had to be born to remove the sins of humankind through a perfect sacrifice and reconcile us to God.

4. Jesus had to be born for mankind to have a Mediator to God.

5. Jesus had to be born to provide the promised Seed of Abraham.

6. Jesus had to be born for God to make His Spirit available to all humankind.

7. Jesus had to be born for God to redeem mankind.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You that You so loved me before I was even born and that You sent Your only begotten Son Jesus so that I could have everlasting life through my belief in Him. God thank You that even though You hate sin, You redeemed me, a sinner, through Jesus the perfect sacrifice. Thank You Jesus for being my mediator and for asking The Father to send The Holy Spirit to comfort me. Thank You Lord for Your abundant blessings and inseparable love. In the name of The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit I rejoice in Your birth Jesus. God let the birth of Jesus bring peace on earth and goodwill amongst us. Heavenly Father, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. 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

December 21 Devotion - Immanuel: God with us

 

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Maryam was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. ²⁰ But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Maryam your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. ²¹ And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”
²² So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: ²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel which is translated, “God with us.”
²⁴ Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife, ²⁵ and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

Words in oblique type in the New Testament are quoted from the Old Testament. At that time Jesus spoke Aramaic. In Aramaic His mother’s name is Maryam.

 

اما ولادة يسوع المسيح فكانت هكذا .لما كانت مريم امه مخطوبة ليوسف قبل ان يجتمعا وجدت حبلى من الروح القدس .

19 فيوسف رجلها اذ كان بارا ولم يشأ ان يشهرها اراد تخليتها سرّا .

20 ولكن فيما هو متفكر في هذه الامور اذا ملاك الرب قد ظهر له في حلم قائلا يا يوسف ابن داود لا تخف ان تأخذ مريم امرأتك . لان الذي حبل به فيها هو من الروح القدس .

21 فستلد ابنا وتدعو اسمه يسوع لانه يخلّص شعبه من خطاياهم .

22 وهذا كله كان لكي يتم ما قيل من الرب بالنبي القائل .

23 هوذا العذراء تحبل وتلد ابنا ويدعون اسمه عمانوئيل الذي تفسيره الله معنا

24 فلما استيقظ يوسف من النوم فعل كما امره ملاك الرب واخذ امرأته .

25 ولم يعرفها حتى ولدت ابنها البكر .ودعا اسمه يسوع

 

Matthew 1:18-25

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and made God's plan clear, Joseph was obedient. He didn’t request to understand how all of this was going to unfold.

Many times, I find myself in a situation where I don't know what to do. I should pray and ask guidance from the Lord. Although I don’t expect God to speak to me through an angel; like He did with Joseph; I believe that through prayer and meditation and being open to hear God’s guidance, He will speak to me through His Holy Word and The Holy Spirit. My responsibility is to listen and obey.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself, your friends and family:

Abba Father, thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your only begotten Son JESUS, to be our ‘Immanuel’. Heavenly Father fill me with joy through the many lessons I have learned from the story of the birth of our Saviour. Help me to read Your Word and listen as You give me the answers to life's difficult questions. In this festive season of celebrating the birth of our Saviour, give me a faith equal to that of Maryam and Joseph and direct me to trust You and follow Your will. Lord may Jesus be born into my heart and the hearts of all my friends and family and may everyone be saved and come unto the knowledge of the truth because that is Your desire, Lord.  1 Timothy 2:4 Thank You Father God for Your deep and everlasting love, thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Abba Father, I worship You, praise You, I glorify You, I lift You up on high and I rejoice in Your grace. 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

December 20 Devotion - My soul magnifies The Lord

 

“My soul magnifies the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
⁴⁸ For He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant; For behold, henceforth all generations will call me blessed. ⁴⁹ For He who is mighty has done great things for me, And holy is His name. ⁵⁰ And His mercy is on those who fear Him From generation to generation. ⁵¹ He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
⁵² He has put down the mighty from their thrones, And exalted the lowly.
⁵³ He has filled the hungry with good things, And the rich He has sent away empty. ⁵⁴ He has helped His servant Israel, In remembrance of His mercy, ⁵ As He spoke to our fathers,  To Abraham and to his seed forever.”

 * Jesus spoke Aramaic. In Aramaic, His mother’s name is Maryam.

  

  ⁴⁶ فَقَالَتْ مَرْيَمُ: «تُعَظِّمُ نَفْسِي الرَّبَّ،

 ⁴⁷ وَتَبْتَهِجُ رُوحِي بِاللهِ مُخَلِّصِي.

 ⁴⁸ فَإِنَّهُ نَظَرَ إِلَى تَوَاضُعِ أَمَتِهِ، وَهَا إِنَّ جَمِيعَ الأَجْيَالِ مِنَ الآنَ فَصَاعِداً سَوْفَ تُطَوِّبُنِي.

 ⁴⁹ فَإِنَّ الْقَدِيرَ قَدْ فَعَلَ بِي أُمُوراً عَظِيمَةً، قُدُّوسٌ اسْمُهُ،

 ⁵⁰ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَّقُونَهُ جِيلاً بَعْدَ جِيلٍ.

 ⁵¹ عَمِلَ بِذِرَاعِهِ قُوَّةً؛ شَتَّتَ الْمُتَكَبِّرِينَ فِي نِيَّاتِ قُلُوبِهِمْ.

 ⁵² أَنْزَلَ الْمُقْتَدِريِنَ عَنْ عُرُوشِهِمْ، وَرَفَعَ الْمُتَوَاضِعِينَ.

 ⁵³ أَشْبَعَ الْجِيَاعَ خَيْرَاتٍ، وَصَرَفَ الأَغْنِيَاءَ فَارِغِينَ.

 ⁵⁴ أَعَانَ إِسْرَائِيلَ فَتَاهُ، مُتَذَكِّراً الرَّحْمَةَ،

⁵⁵ كَمَا تَكَلَّمَ إِلَى آبَائِنَا، لإِبْرَاهِيمَ وَنَسْلِهِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ».

 

Luke 1:39-55

Maryam’s psalm of praise reveals a repeated use of the terminology and theology of the Old Testament. It is obvious that Maryam was very well versed in the Old Testament and accordingly her hymn demonstrates that.

Maryam’s praise begins with her grateful response to the grace God has shown to her, a humble servant of the Lord. Maryam does not in any way view herself as better or holier than anyone else. She views herself as the Lord’s servant, whose humble estate is the occasion for His mercy and grace. There is no hint that she thinks God has chosen her to be the mother of the Messiah due to her blessedness, but that her blessedness is the result of God’s sovereign and gracious choice to use her as His instrument.

Maryam saw her blessing as but an illustration, one instance of God’s grace, which leads her to praise God for His grace to all those who fear Him, from one generation to generation. Maryam’s praise focuses on the faithfulness of God to His promises.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please use me as one of Your instruments so that I may be blessed by Your sovereign and gracious choice. Help me Lord to learn from Maryam, the mother of Jesus, to see myself as Your servant and help me to feel joy in my spirit in my God my saviour.  Holy is Your name LORD. Thank You God for Your faithfulness to Your promises. Thank You Father God for Your abundant blessings and inseparable love. Lord, I join all the generations to call Maryam, mother of Jesus, as ‘blessed’. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. In the Holy Name of Jesus, Your only begotten Son, my Saviour and Lord over my life, I pray to You Father. ‘Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.’ Ephesians 3:20-21

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein 

December 18 Devotion - " Let it be to me according to your word.”

 

Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Maryam. (Her real name in Aramaic).  ²⁸ And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!”
²⁹ But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. ³⁰ Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Maryam, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son and shall call His name JESUS. ³² He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. ³³ And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”
³Then Maryam said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”
³⁵ And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. ³⁶ Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. ³⁷ For with God nothing will be impossible.”
³⁸ Then Maryam said, “Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.

وفي الشهر السادس أرسل جبرائيل الملاك من الله الى مدينة من الجليل اسمها ناصرة

27 الى عذراء مخطوبة لرجل من بيت داود اسمه يوسف .واسم العذراء مريم .

28 فدخل اليها الملاك وقال سلام لك ايتها المنعم عليها .الرب معك مباركة انت في النساء .

29 فلما رأته اضطربت من كلامه وفكرت ما عسى ان تكون هذه التحية .

30 فقال لها الملاك لا تخافي يا مريم لانك قد وجدت نعمة عند الله .

31 وها انت ستحبلين وتلدين ابنا وتسمينه يسوع .

32 هذا يكون عظيما وابن العلي يدعى ويعطيه الرب الاله كرسي داود ابيه .

33 ويملك على بيت يعقوب الى الابد ولا يكون لملكه نهاية

34 فقالت مريم للملاك كيف يكون هذا وانا لست اعرف رجلا .

35 فاجاب الملاك وقال لها .الروح القدس يحل عليك وقوة العلي تظللك فلذلك ايضا القدوس المولود منك يدعى ابن الله .

36 وهوذا اليصابات نسيبتك هي ايضا حبلى بابن في شيخوختها وهذا هو الشهر السادس لتلك المدعوة عاقرا .

37 لانه ليس شيء غير ممكن لدى الله .

38 فقالت مريم هوذا انا أمة الرب .ليكن لي كقولك .فمضى من عندها الملاك

Luke 1:26-38 

How does Maryam respond to the word of God that was delivered to her by the angel Gabriel?

She knows she is hearing something beyond human capability. Her question, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?” is prompted by wonderment and not by doubt. She immediately responds with faith and trust. Maryam's prompt response of "Yes" to the divine message is a model of faith for all believers.

Maryam believed God's promises even when they seemed impossible. She was full of grace because she trusted that what God said was true and would be fulfilled. She was willing and eager to do God's will, even though it could end up in her being stoned to death.

When God commands, He also gives the help, strength, and means to respond. We can either yield to His grace or resist and go our own way. Today, let us start/continue believing in God's promises and yielding to His grace.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can say the same words as Your maidservant Maryam; mother of our Lord Jesus and blessed among women; said in total faith: “Let it be to me according to your word.” Thank You Father God 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. I pray to You God in the name of Your precious Son; my Redeemer and Saviour; the Lord of my life, Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion before all time and now and forevermore. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein