April 11 Devotion - Lasting Happiness

 

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

«طُوبَى لِلْمَسَاكِينِ بِالرُّوحِ، لأَنَّ لَهُمْ مَلَكُوتَ السَّمَاوَاتِ

 

Matthew 5:3

 

Since the original language of the Gospel of Matthew was written in Greek (although Jesus spoke Aramaic), the word used for blessed is ‘Makarios’ which means deep contentment and lasting happiness.

Real happiness is found when we realize that happiness is in the spiritual realm that is interior to ourselves. In our spiritual realm we are designed to know, experience, and enjoy God.

In the same way that man designed a car to run on gasoline (or electricity if you own an electric car); I believe God designed us to run on Himself. He is the fuel our spirits were designed to run on.

I always pondered on why being ‘poor in spirit’ is a good thing, until I learned that it means: it is when I realize my spiritual bankruptcy and depend on God who is the real food and fuel to my spirit and He comes to live within me that I can have Makarios. When I accept His Son Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, I receive The Holy Spirit and I can have The Kingdom of God within me and be guaranteed eternity with God.

For me it is straight forward, if anyone wants everlasting happiness, Makarios, it is only found in Jesus.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for revealing to me that You are the source of my ‘Makarios’. I realize that I am poor in spirit, and You are the fuel and food for my spirit. Thank You for sinking the message deep in my heart that lasting happiness is not found in worldly things. Thank You that You sent Jesus to redeem me and grant me salvation and life eternal as a pure act of grace which I do not deserve. Thank You Lord for Your abundant blessings and deep inseparable love. I praise You and glorify You Father God. 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

April 10 Devotion - God Shall Supply All Your Need

 

My God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

وَإِنَّ إِلَهِي سَيَسُدُّ حَاجَاتِكُمْ كُلَّهَا إِلَى التَّمَامِ، وَفْقاً لِغِنَاهُ فِي الْمَجْدِ، فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ.

Philippians 4:19

 

Please note that God is telling us through the Apostle Paul that our needs will be supplied "according to His riches in glory". We have needs in many areas: spiritual, emotional, health wise etc. So to understand God’s supply as an example in the financial area (and it applies to all other needs) the Bible verse does NOT say “according to the current economic status” but according to His riches in glory. The Lord is telling us He will supply ALL our needs this way. It is God's will to bless us abundantly in all our needs, but we need to believe that He will and wait patiently for His perfect timing and we have to:

 

.. seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

أَمَّا أَنْتُمْ، فَاطْلُبُوا أَوَّلاً مَلَكُوتَ اللهِ وَبِرِّهِ، وَهَذِهِ كُلُّهَا تُزَادُ لَكُمْ.

Mathew 6:33

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your unfailing, inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me and Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, You know all my needs and You have promised to provide them when I seek first Your Kingdom and Your Righteousness. Teach me not to worry about tomorrow and let tomorrow to worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Help me to transfer my anxieties to Christ and to ‘help’ You by letting You be God and I Your faithful servant and friend. I rejoice in the victorious thought that You are taking care of me, and You have never failed to keep any of Your promises. God, I leave all my present and future needs at Your alter for I know You are faithful, omniscient, and love me perfectly. Father God, I pray to You in the holy name of Jesus. To Jesus be the glory, the power, the dominion, the majesty, and the blessings forever and ever. Amen.

 

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 9 Devotion - Keeping my focus on Jesus

 

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

ونحو نصف الليل كان بولس وسيلا يصلّيان ويسبحان الله والمسجونون يسمعونهما.

Acts 16:25

 

I continue to learn that if I am not extremely careful, my emotions can and will govern my life.

 

God instructs us to keep our focus on Jesus in order to gain wisdom and to grow spiritually and emotionally and to have peace and joy. When I succeed in keeping my focus on Jesus, the emotional challenges and tribulations of this life fail to shake or change my outlook, hope, joy, and assurance.

In “Telling Yourself the Truth”, the psychologist William Backus wrote about joy:

“Joy comes from your relationship to God and His unchanging faithfulness. You don’t need to live in perfect circumstances to be happy. The Bible tells how two men of God, Paul, and Silas, were brought before Roman authorities at Philippi and beaten with rods and then thrown into jail … But did Paul and Silas moan and complain, “If it weren’t for the cruelty of the unbelievers, we wouldn’t be wounded and bleeding. We’d be happy!” No.

Paul and Silas had a strong belief that transcended circumstances, events, people, feelings; it even transcended pain. That belief was in the person, power, and presence of Jesus Christ. They believed their suffering wasn’t as important as the message they carried …

They sang so loudly their voices were heard throughout the prison! And not only that, God … opened the prison doors for them. Their happiness came from the belief in Jesus Christ within them and not from circumstances around them.”

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, help me to keep my focus on the person, power, and presence of Jesus Christ in my life instead of the circumstances of my life. I thank You Jesus that You promised that You will never leave me nor forsake me. Thank You LORD that I have absolutely no doubt that You are in control of every second of my future and that through this assurance I can have an inner sense of peace that transcends all our human understanding. Thank You Father that You delight in showing me again and again that You are the source of my strength, my provision, my protection, and my ultimate joy in life. Thank You Father God for Your unfailing, inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me and Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You, I lift You up on high and I rejoice in Your grace. To Him who is able to keep me from stumbling and to present me before His glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 8 Devotion - THE RICHES OF GOD'S GRACE

 

 … having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

⁵ إِذْ سَبَقَ فَعَيَّنَنَا فِي الْمَحَبَّةِ لِيَتَّخِذَنَا أَبْنَاءً لَهُ بِيَسُوعَ الْمَسِيحِ. وَذَلِكَ مُوَافِقٌ لِلْقَصْدِ الَّذِي سُرَّتْ بِهِ مَشِيئَتُهُ،

 ⁶ بِغَرَضِ مَدْحِ مَجْدِ نِعْمَتِهِ الَّتِي بِهَا أَعْطَانَا حُظْوَةً لَدَيْهِ فِي الْمَحْبُوبِ:

Ephesians 1:5-6

 

 

Ephesians 1:5–6 teaches us that God’s will was to adopt us as His own through the work of Christ. God’s will is that we would have the strongest possible relationship with Him through the most precious relationship He has ever created which is His relationship with His Son Jesus Christ.

Every believer in Jesus as his/her Lord and Saviour is immensely loved by God and we are adopted into His spiritual family, we are His children. Salvation is a position of great blessing, each one of us can enjoy being a child of God and receive His blessings and gifts of mercy and grace and start living eternity NOW.

 

Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? ¹¹ If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

ام اي انسان منكم اذا سأله ابنه خبزا يعطيه حجرا .

10 وان سأله سمكة يعطيه حية .

11 فان كنتم وانتم اشرار تعرفون ان تعطوا اولادكم عطايا جيدة فكم بالحري ابوكم الذي في السموات يهب خيرات للذين يسألونه .

Mathew 7:9-11

 

I invite you to please repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You Father who is in heaven that when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Saviour and surrendered to His leadership over my life, I was adopted into Your family and ‘saved’ as a co-heir with Christ. Thank You God for the riches of Your grace. Thank You that You allowed us as Your children to come boldly to Your throne of grace, and obtain mercy, in time of need. Hebrews 4:16. Father God, I come boldly to Your throne of grace and ask You to help me to always seek first Your kingdom and Your righteousness, for Jesus said that when we seek them first, all other things will be added unto us. Thank You God for Your abundant blessings and deep inseparable love. God, I pray to You 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

April 5 Devotion We are free forever from condemnation

 

There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:1-2

 

اذا لا شيء من الدينونة الآن على الذين هم في المسيح يسوع السالكين ليس حسب الجسد بل حسب الروح.

2 لان ناموس روح الحياة في المسيح يسوع قد اعتقني من ناموس الخطية والموت.

 

In Romans 7, the Apostle Paul said: ‘So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin’ meaning that the Law could not affect deliverance from sin. In Romans 8 he states ‘There is, therefore, now’ deliverance and it is related to the gospel alone. This applies only to those who have surrendered their lives to Christ and accepted the fact that He bore their sins in His own body at The Cross and have declared Him as their Lord and Saviour. God has justified us, or declared us not guilty, because by the gift of faith we have accepted Christ as Saviour. Because Christ has already endured the penalty of our sins and obeyed the precept of the Law in our behalf, there is no condemnation whatever, not only no final condemnation, but no condemnation now.

This does not mean a license to sin, on the contrary. By accepting Jesus as Lord over our lives the Spirit of God is conveyed into our hearts through The Holy Spirit and we are delivered from sin. Our union with Christ is compared to that between the vine and its branches John 15:1-6, and hence, we believers are in Jesus in a similar sense, as deriving our support from Him, and as united in feeling, in purpose, and destiny. Out of love for Jesus and through the Holy Spirit we live in obedience to God.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You Lord that as a follower of and believer in Your only begotten Son Jesus I am free forever from condemnation. I pray that out of Your glorious riches You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can live by the spirit and not by the flesh. Thank You God that the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Father God, I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, I exalt You, I lift You up on high, and glorify Your holy name. “Now to Him who is able to carry out His purpose and do infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever.” Ephesians 3:20-21 (AMP) Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 3 Devotion - Jesus Sets Boundaries

 

But the news about Him was spreading farther, and large crowds kept gathering to hear Him and to be healed of their illnesses. ¹⁶ But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray [in seclusion].

عَلَى أَنَّ خَبَرَ يَسُوعَ زَادَ انْتِشَاراً، حَتَّى تَوَافَدَتْ إِلَيْهِ جُمُوعٌ كَثِيرَةٌ لِيَسْتَمِعُوا إِلَيْهِ وَيَنَالُوا الشِّفَاءَ مِنْ أَمْرَاضِهِمْ. 16 أَمَّا هُوَ، فَكَانَ يَنْسَحِبُ إِلَى الأَمَاكِنِ الْخَالِيَةِ حَيْثُ يُصَلِّي.

 

Luke 5:15-16

   

Many people are sensitive-hearted and prone to take on other people’s problems. If they don’t have clear personal boundaries and limits, they get weighed down and walked on. Eventually they start having problems with anger, resentment, stress overload, or burn out. They just can’t continue being so helpful and caring all the time and at the expense of their personal needs.

 

Is it okay to set boundaries in relationships? Is it healthy to set boundaries in relationships? Did Jesus set boundaries in dealing with people? The answer to these three questions is a definite YES.

 

Many health professionals insist that one of the most vital components to creating a healthy and fulfilling relationship is to set clear and agreed to boundaries in relationships. In simple terms, boundaries are the thing that keeps us separate from the other person. The boundaries are what set the place between where you end, and the other person begins.

 

Jesus had personal needs that He put priority on — sometimes even over the needs of other people — and He did so without feeling guilty. Primarily His personal soul care had to do with separating himself from people to be alone with God.

 

Jesus said no to inappropriate behaviour:

 

When the demands on Him from the crowd crossed His needs to be with His Father, He withdrew from the crowds.

 

           

Jesus said no to Peter and the disciples who had an inappropriate agenda for Jesus as a political king or military warrior rather than a sacrificial lamb.

 

But Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on things of God, but on things of man.”

فَالْتَفَتَ يَسُوعُ إِلَى بُطْرُسَ وَقَالَ لَهُ: «اغْرُبْ مِنْ أَمَامِي يَا شَيْطَانُ! أَنْتَ عَقَبَةٌ أَمَامِي، لأَنَّكَ تُفَكِّرُ لَا بِأُمُورِ اللهِ، بَلْ بِأُمُورِ النَّاسِ!»

 

Matthew 16:23

 

There are many more examples of Jesus setting boundaries in The Bible, and we need to learn that it is Christian to set boundaries and protect ourselves and our emotions, and teach others (spouses, children, friends, coworkers, loved ones, parents) their boundaries so as to set the place between where you end and the other person begins, leading to healthier win-win relationships.

 

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 learn to set boundaries in my life and in my relationships with others. Help me to be prepared through the guidance of The Holy Spirit to answer all accusations or attempts to make me feel guilty because I am setting healthy boundaries. Teach me to be firm but courteous and respectful in my answers, explaining to others that setting boundaries is a win for them as well and we can live in a win-win relationship with respect. Help me Lord to push back those who have by force pushed on my boundary line during the years; without allowing my emotions to be in play; but to let The Holy Spirit think for me and speak through me. Thank You Father for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Father God, I pray to You in the name of Your precious Son, my Redeemer, Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the glory, the power, the dominion, the majesty, and the blessings before all time, now, and forevermore. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 2 Devotion - Peace be with you

 

Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” ²⁰ When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord.

وَلَمَّا حَلَّ مَسَاءُ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ، وَهُوَ الْيَوْمُ الأَوَّلُ مِنَ الأُسْبُوعِ، كَانَ التَّلاَمِيذُ مُجْتَمِعِينَ فِي بَيْتٍ أَغْلَقُوا أَبْوَابَهُ خَوْفاً مِنَ الْيَهُودِ، وَإِذَا يَسُوعُ يَحْضُرُ وَسْطَهُمْ قَائِلاً: «سَلاَمٌ لَكُمْ!»

 ²⁰ وَإِذْ قَالَ هَذَا، أَرَاهُمْ يَدَيْهِ وَجَنْبَهُ، فَفَرِحَ التَّلاَمِيذُ إِذْ أَبْصَرُوا الرَّبَّ.

John 20:19- 20

 

Not until the first day of the week had passed—in the evening—did Christ appear among the disciples as a group to establish their faith in His resurrection. Until then—all through that heartbreaking Sunday—the disciples doubted and were afraid. When it finally dawned upon them that Christ was alive, they "were overjoyed". That was a time of supreme rejoicing!

On this occasion Jesus opened the minds of these beloved men that they might understand the Scriptures.

Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, ⁴⁷ and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ⁴⁸ And you are witnesses of these things.”

وَقَالَ لَهُمْ 

  : «هَكَذَا قَدْ كُتِبَ، وَهَكَذَا كَانَ لاَبُدَّ أَنْ يَتَأَلَّمَ الْمَسِيحُ وَيَقُومَ مِنْ بَيْنِ الأَمْوَاتِ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ،

 ⁴⁷ وَأَنْ يُبَشَّرَ بِاسْمِهِ بِالتَّوْبَةِ وَغُفْرَانِ الْخَطَايَا فِي جَمِيعِ الأُمَمِ انْطِلاَقاً مِنْ أُورُشَلِيمَ.

 ⁴⁸ وَأَنْتُمْ شُهُودٌ عَلَى هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ.

 

Luke 24:46-48

 

Every day can be considered the day that The Lord appeared to the disciples, let us rejoice and be glad in it. The apostle Paul was able to say rejoice in The Lord always because he focused on Jesus not on all the troubles he had. Let us keep our eyes on Jesus so that we can always rejoice.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Jesus, his death and resurrection. Teach me Jesus to rejoice in Your peace and to keep my mind, eyes, and thoughts on You. Bless me Lord with the ability to rejoice in You always. 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 always declare to the world that Christ is my Lord and Saviour and Jesus may continue to dwell in my heart through faith. Thank You Father for Your unfailing, inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me and Your abundant blessings in my life. Lord, I trust You, praise You and glorify You, and submit to Your wisdom in all things. In the holy name of Jesus, I pray to You Father. To Jesus be the glory, the power, the majesty, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

April 1 Devotion - Jesus' Resurrection

 

For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, ⁴ and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, ⁵ and that He was seen by Peter, then by the twelve. ⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once.

 فَالْوَاقِعُ أَنِّي سَلَّمْتُكُمْ، فِي أَوَّلِ الأَمْرِ، مَا كُنْتُ قَدْ تَسَلَّمْتُهُ، وَهُوَ أَنَّ الْمَسِيحَ مَاتَ مِنْ أَجْلِ خَطَايَانَا وَفْقاً لِمَا فِي الْكُتُبِ، 4 وَأَنَّهُ دُفِنَ، وَأَنَّهُ قَامَ فِي الْيَوْمِ الثَّالِثِ وَفْقاً لِمَا فِي الْكُتُبِ، 5 وَأَنَّهُ ظَهَرَ لِبُطْرُسَ، ثُمَّ لِلاثْنَيْ عَشَرَ. 6 وَبَعْدَ ذلِكَ ظَهَرَ لأَكْثَرَ مِنْ خَمْسِ مِئَةِ أَخٍ مَعاً

1 Corinthians 15: 3-5

The fact that Jesus rose from the dead is vital to Christians because our justification depends on it.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.

 الَّذِي أُسْلِمَ لِلْمَوْتِ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَعَاصِينَا ثُمَّ أُقِيمَ مِنْ أَجْلِ تَبْرِيرِنَا

Romans 4:25

A dead Saviour cannot save, but we have a living Saviour who justifies us and makes intercessions for us.

Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them

وَهُوَ لِذَلِكَ قَادِرٌ دَائِماً أَنْ يُحَقِّقَ الْخَلاصَ الْكَامِلَ لِلَّذِينَ يَتَقَرَّبُونَ بِهِ إِلَى اللهِ. فَهُوَ، فِي حَضْرَةِ اللهِ، حَيٌّ عَلَى الدَّوَامِ لِيَتَضَرَّعَ مِنْ أَجْلِهِمْ وَيُحَامِيَ عَنْهُمْ!

Hebrews 7:25

Although different denominations differ on the date of the resurrection of Christ because they use different calendars, Jesus’ resurrection is not a denominational issue or a point for theological debate. Either we believe Christ rose from the dead and ascended to heaven or we do not. If we reject His victory over the grave, we deny ourselves a place in eternity.

Believing that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead is essential for Christians, because merely recognizing that He died for our sins is not enough; we must accept His resurrection in order to receive eternal life. Christ paid our debt, but His sacrifice on the cross means nothing if He possesses no power over the grave. In vanquishing evil and death, the Lord made our salvation possible. Jesus’ resurrection proved He was able to remove sin and its penalty.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Jesus, I confess that You are my Lord and Saviour, and I know that I know that I know in my heart that God raised You from the dead. Jesus, I thank You for saving me through Your atoning death on The Cross and Your resurrection , and for making me righteous in the eyes of God our Father. Thank You Jesus, that because I believe in Your resurrection, I am granted eternal life. Abba Father, I thank You for Your unfailing, inseparable, deep and everlasting love for me, Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. Father God, I praise You, revere You, worship You, I stand in awe of You, I lift You up on high, and glorify Your holy name. I pray in Jesus’ holy name to You Father. 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