August 31 Devotion - Resolving Conflict

      

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor [perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding] and slander be put away from you, along with every kind of malice [all spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence]. Be kind and helpful to one another, tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding], forgiving one another [readily and freely], just as God in Christ also forgave you.

لِيُرْفَعْ مِنْ بَيْنِكُمْ كُلُّ مَرَارَةٍ وَسَخَطٍ وَغَضَبٍ وَصِيَاحٍ وَتَجْدِيفٍ مَعَ كُلِّ خُبْثٍ. 32وَكُونُوا لُطَفَاءَ بَعْضُكُمْ نَحْوَ بَعْضٍ، شَفُوقِينَ مُتَسَامِحِينَ كَمَا سَامَحَكُمُ اللهُ أَيْضًا فِي الْمَسِيحِ.

Ephesians 4:31-32

 

As we see from Jesus’ actions and words in Matthew 21:12-13 anger is not intrinsically wrong. Anger in response to sin and its ill effects is a form of righteous anger, but when it crosses over the boundary into bitterness or a spirit of vengeance, it is not honouring to God.

 

And Jesus entered the temple [grounds] and drove out [with force] all who were buying and selling [birds and animals for sacrifice] in the temple area, and He turned over the tables of the moneychangers [who made a profit exchanging foreign money for temple coinage] and the chairs of those who were selling doves [for sacrifice]. ¹³ Jesus said to them, “It is written [in Scripture], ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer’; but you are making it a robbers’ den.”

 

¹²وَدَخَلَ يَسُوعُ إِلَى هَيْكَلِ اللهِ وَأَخْرَجَ جَمِيعَ الَّذِينَ كَانُوا يَبِيعُونَ وَيَشْتَرُونَ فِي الْهَيْكَلِ، وَقَلَبَ مَوَائِدَ الصَّيَارِفَةِ وَكَرَاسِيَّ بَاعَةِ الْحَمَامِ ¹³وَقَالَ لَهُمْ:«مَكْتُوبٌ: بَيْتِي بَيْتَ الصَّلاَةِ يُدْعَى. وَأَنْتُمْ جَعَلْتُمُوهُ مَغَارَةَ لُصُوصٍ!»

 

Matthew 21:12-13

 

Our health and well-being are important reasons for quick resolution of an angry conflict; bitterness must definitely be avoided.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please do not let anger control me. Teach me to resolve conflict and to replace it with a win-win alternative and to be tenderhearted toward the person I am having conflict with but without accepting a martyr lose-win alternative for myself. Please work on their heart also. Lord, help me to get rid of any desire to get revenge, and to able to quickly forgive just as You God have forgiven me in Christ. Lord help me to realize that my total dependence on You to help me forgive is not an indication of weakness on my part, but a sign of strength and confidence in You and Your promises. Father, I thank You for Your deep, everlasting, and inseparable love for me and for Your abundant blessings in my life. In the name of my Lord and Saviour Jesus The Christ, the only begotten Son of God, I pray. To You Jesus be the power, the glory, the majesty, the blessings, and the dominion forever and ever, Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

                                          

August 25 Devotion - Eternal Life

 

    

The Father loves the Son and has given and entrusted all things into His hand. ³⁶ He who believes and trusts in the Son and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.”

اَلآبُ يُحِبُّ الابْنَ وَقَدْ دَفَعَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ فِي يَدِهِ. 36الَّذِي يُؤْمِنُ بِالابْنِ لَهُ حَيَاةٌ أَبَدِيَّةٌ، وَالَّذِي لاَ يُؤْمِنُ بِالابْنِ لَنْ يَرَى حَيَاةً بَلْ يَمْكُثُ عَلَيْهِ غَضَبُ اللهِ».

 

John 3:35-36 Amplified Bible (AMP)

 

When we have faith in, cling to and rely on Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son as our Saviour and we make Him Lord over our lives; we possess eternal life. But whoever is unbelieving toward Jesus and refuses to trust in Him, disregards Him or is not subject to the Son will never experience eternal life, but instead the wrath of God abides on him.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and love. Lord, I praise You and glorify You. Lord may Your love endure forever in my heart. Help me Lord to regulate my life and conduct myself in union with and conformity to Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Strengthen me Lord to have the roots of my being firmly and deeply planted in Jesus and to be fixed and founded in Him and be continually built up in Him. Help me Father to become increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen"  Ephesians 3:20-21

وَالْقَادِرُ أَنْ يَفْعَلَ فَوْقَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ، أَكْثَرَ جِدًّا مِمَّا نَطْلُبُ أَوْ نَفْتَكِرُ، بِحَسَبِ الْقُوَّةِ الَّتِي تَعْمَلُ فِينَا، 21لَهُ الْمَجْدُ فِي الْكَنِيسَةِ فِي الْمَسِيحِ يَسُوعَ إِلَى جَمِيعِ أَجْيَالِ دَهْرِ الدُّهُورِ. آمِينَ.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

August 24 Devotion - The Lord Gives Wisdom

 

  

    

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

5 وَإِنْ كَانَ أَحَدٌ مِنْكُمْ بِحَاجَةٍ إِلَى الْحِكْمَةِ، فَلْيَطْلُبْ مِنَ اللهِ الَّذِي يُعْطِي الْجَمِيعَ بِسَخَاءٍ وَلاَ يُعَيِّرُ. فَسَيُعْطَى لَهُ.

لأَنَّ الرَّبَّ يَهَبُ الْحِكْمَةَ، وَمِنْ فَمِهِ تَتَدَفَّقُ الْمَعْرِفَةُ وَالْفَهْمُ.

James 1:5, Proverbs 2:6

We can define wisdom as the ability; or result of an ability; to think and act utilizing knowledge, experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. As Proverbs 16:16 puts it, “To get wisdom is better than gold” The ultimate, eternal happiness that all people long for will only be found by those who first “get wisdom.”

 

And the child (Jesus) grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

وَكَانَ الطِّفْلُ يَنْمُو وَيَتَقَوَّى، مُمْتَلِئاً حِكْمَةً، وَكَانَتْ نِعْمَةُ اللهِ عَلَيْهِ.

Luke 2:40; 52

 

When the Sabbath came, Jesus began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed.

“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him?

وَلَمَّا حَلَّ السَّبْتُ، أَخَذَ يُعَلِّمُ فِي الْمَجْمَعِ، فَدُهِشَ كَثِيرُونَ حِينَ سَمِعُوهُ، وَقَالُوا: «مِنْ أَيْنَ لَهُ هذَا؟ وَمَا هذِهِ الْحِكْمَةُ الْمَوْهُوبَةُ لَهُ،

Mark 6:2

 

Jesus told the disciples that when persecution begins to grow..

“I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.”

.. indicating that He, as God, is the true source of all wisdom.

سَوْفَ أُعْطِيكُمْ كَلاَماً وَحِكْمَةً لَا يَقْدِرُ جَمِيعُ مُقَاوِمِيكُمْ أَنْ يَرُدُّوهَا أَوْ يُنَاقِضُوهَا.

Luke 21:15

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, please fill me with Your wisdom and help me to think and talk through Your wisdom. I pray that You strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that every decision I make will be based on Your wisdom. Teach me Your ways O’Lord and help me to walk in Your path always counseling me and course-correcting me whenever I drift. Jesus, I know that You are the light of the world, strengthen me to always follow You. In Jesus’ name I pray to You Father. To Jesus be the power, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein