February 27 Devotion - God's Ways

 

As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways.

 فَكَمَا ارْتَفَعَتِ السَّمَاوَاتُ عَنِ الأَرْضِ، كَذَلِكَ ارْتَفَعَتْ طُرُقِي عَنْ طُرُقِكُمْ، وَأَفْكَارِي عَنْ أَفْكَارِكُمْ.

                                                                         ISAIAH 55:9

 

I believe the definition of what is good changes as we come to Christ and grow into His likeness. However, God always sees what is absolutely good for us—things that are good for us now, good for us in every area of our lives, good for those around us, and good for us through all eternity. His ways are different than our ways. He gives us only the things that are truly beneficial for our growth as His children and that are beneficial for the advancement of His kingdom on this earth.

I am learning to look at my unmet needs/wants and ask are they something that God defines as good for my life?

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, steadfast, and everlasting love. Lord You are Good and I praise You and glorify You. Jesus, help me to pray for what is good for me and those impacted by what I am praying for. Help me to have the discernment and wisdom to know what to pray for. Help me to pray for those things that will help me grow in your likeness and for the advancement of your kingdom. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen. 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

والقادر ان يفعل فوق كل شيء اكثر جدا مما نطلب او نفتكر بحسب القوة التي تعمل فينا

له المجد في الكنيسة في المسيح يسوع الى جميع اجيال دهر الدهور. آمين .

 

Jesus loves you

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

 

February 26 Devotion - Give and Give Again

 

If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also [for the Lord repays the offender]. ⁴¹ And whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

 وَمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يُخَاصِمَكَ وَيَأْخُذَ ثَوْبَكَ فَاتْرُكْ لَهُ الرِّدَاءَ أَيْضاً. وَمَنْ سَخَّرَكَ مِيلاً وَاحِداً فَاذْهَبْ مَعَهُ اثْنَيْنِ.

42. مَنْ سَأَلَكَ فَأَعْطِهِ وَمَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَقْتَرِضَ مِنْكَ فَلاَ تَرُدَّهُ.

 

Matthew 5:40-42

 

How can we live The Christian Life when the bar is as high as Jesus puts it? On our own we cannot because we cannot meet the bar that Jesus has set. In my opinion these verses are there to teach us three things:

 

• One lesson is: that is the nature of God. That is how He loves and treats us.

 

• The second lesson is: to show us that on our own we cannot but through The Holy Spirit we can.

 

• The third lesson is: that we can never do enough works to enter heaven, we need the Grace of God demonstrated by the justification we experience through the death of Jesus in our place.

 

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. Lord, thank You for Your gifts from the lowest pulsation of life to the highest powers of action and of continued existence. God, I acknowledge my constant and absolute dependence on You for in You Lord I live and move and have my being. Acts 17:28 Lord, strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being to go the extra mile and to be generous toward others. Thank You Jesus that You sympathize with my weaknesses and that You are my high priest to whom I take my needs, and through You Jesus I can come boldly to God’s throne of grace. Keep me safe, O God, for in You I take refuge. Psalm 16:1 Let all who take refuge in You be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread Your protection over us that those who love Your name may rejoice in You. Psalm 5:11 Give ear to my words, O Lord, Give heed to the voice of my cry, My King and my God, For to You I will pray. Psalm 5:1-2 Those who know Your name will trust in You, for You, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek You. Psalm 9:10. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. To Jesus be the power, the glory, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 25 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.

5 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 Lord that I am now Your child 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 Father for loving me with a deep, unfailing, and everlasting love. Thank You for Your abundant blessings in my life, and for the riches of Your grace upon my life. 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, now, and forevermore. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 10 Devotion - Jesus Prays for All 'Believers' - Part 1

 

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.

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

John 17:20

 

Jesus’ words, "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word”, should give us real comfort especially during times of adversity. After praying for his disciples, Jesus prayed for all those who would believe in Him through their word. In a sense, everyone who has become a believer; a follower of Christ; has done so through the Apostles' messages. So, Jesus was praying for all the believers who would ever exist. He was praying for you and me and those He wants us to reach with His message of salvation. 

Knowing that Jesus prayed for us should give us confidence as we work for His Kingdom and as we face daily tribulations.

 

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 Jesus for praying for me to our Father and that You are seated at the right hand of our Father interceding for me. Thank You Jesus for granting me eternal life through The Cross. Father, please strengthen my faith and give me peace and confidence that Your promises are coming true. 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 before all time, now, and forevermore. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 5 Devotion - "I am the vine, you are the branches"

 

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. ² Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. ³ You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. ⁴ Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

 

وَقَالَ يَسُوعُ: «أنَا الكَرمَةُ الحَقِيقِيَّةُ وَأبِي الكَرَّامُ. 2 وَهُوَ يَقْطَعُ كُلَّ غُصْنٍ فِيَّ لَا يُنتِجُ ثَمَرًا، وَيُنَقِّي كُلَّ غُصْنٍ مُثْمِرٍ لِكَي يُنتِجَ ثَمَرًا أكْثَرَ. 3 أنْتُمُ الآنَ أنقِيَاءُ بِسَبَبِ التَّعلِيمِ الَّذِي أعْطَيْتُهُ لَكُمْ. 4 اثبُتُوا فِيَّ وَأنَا سَأثْبُتُ فِيكُمْ. لَا يَسْتَطِيعُ الغُصْنُ أنْ يُنتِجَ ثَمَرًا وَحْدَهُ، إلَّا إذَا ثَبَتَ فِي سَاقِ الكَرمَةِ. كَذَلِكَ أنْتُمْ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ أنْ تُنتِجُوا ثَمَرًا إلَّا إذَا ثَبَتُّمْ فِيَّ.

5 «أنَا الكَرمَةُ، وَأنْتُمُ الأغْصَانُ. فَمَنْ يَثْبُتُ فِيَّ وَأثبُتُ أنَا فِيهِ، يُنتِجُ ثَمَرًا كَثِيرًا. فَأنْتُمْ لَا تَسْتَطِيعُونَ أنْ تَفْعَلُوا شَيْئًا بِدُونِي.

John 15:1-5

Without Jesus we cannot do anything that is spiritually good. Nothing can be accomplished "without Christ", without His Spirit, grace, strength, and presence. Were it possible for believers that are truly in Him, to be removed from Him, they could bring forth no spiritual fruits or fruits of good works, any more than a branch separated from the vine can bring forth grapes; so that all the fruitfulness of a believer is to be ascribed to Christ, and His grace, and not to our own free will and power.

 

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. Thank You Jesus that I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of Your life. Jesus, I pray that You abide in me, and I in You. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can I, unless I abide in You Jesus. Jesus please strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can bear much fruit; for without You Jesus I can do nothing. In the name of The King of kings and Lord of lords, in the holy name of Jesus I pray. To Jesus be the glory, the majesty, the power, and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

February 4 Devotion - New Vessels

 

“No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins.

وَلَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَجْعَلُ خَمْرًا جَدِيدَةً فِي زِقَاق عَتِيقَةٍ، لِئَلاَّ تَشُقَّ الْخَمْرُ الْجَدِيدَةُ الزِّقَاقَ، فَالْخَمْرُ تَنْصَبُّ وَالزِّقَاقُ تَتْلَفُ. بَلْ يَجْعَلُونَ خَمْرًا جَدِيدَةً فِي زِقَاق جَدِيدَةٍ».

 

Mark 2:22 

 

There are many interpretations of this parable which Jesus told. I understand it to mean that we cannot conform to the teachings of Jesus unless we:

• Renew our thinking and unlearn what the secular world has taught us; and continues to teach us.
• Allow Jesus to heal the past and
• Adopt Jesus’ way of thinking.

In order that Jesus can pour His teachings into our minds, we must first empty our saturated minds of the secular teachings. The same way that you cannot pour any new tea into a cup that is already full, the new tea will just end up in the saucer. However, if you empty the cup, you can fill it with the new tea, or the good news, the Gospel, God’s amazing grace.

When we accept Jesus as our Saviour and make Him Lord over our lives, we should become dead to the old sinful nature and alive in the new life in Christ. Through The Holy Spirit we will begin the sanctification process/journey so that the imputed life of Christ may be manifested in all we do. As Christians we believe that God will change our hearts to want to do what He wants us to do.

 

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Your unfailing, deep, and inseparable love for me.  Lord, help me today to become a new vessel. Help me through the Holy Spirit to release old thinking, old habits, old pains, secular beliefs, and anything that would keep me from being the best You created me to be. Strengthen me by Your Spirit O’ Lord and guide me so that I can live my life in a way that pleases You. Make me into a new vessel and pour Your Spirit into me Lord. Jesus You are the vine, and I am the branch, and I am nothing without You. Help me to abide in You. Father God, I pray to You in the name of Your precious Son, The King of kings and Lord of lords, my Redeemer, Lord, and Saviour Jesus Christ. To Jesus be the glory, the power, the dominion, the majesty, and the blessings forever and ever. Amen.

 

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

Please listen to the song and join in on the prayer: https://youtu.be/3gOUijdNDJo

In the crushing

In the pressing

You are making new wine

In the soil

I now surrender

You are breaking new ground

So I yield to You into Your careful hand

When I trust You I don't need to understand

Make me Your vessel

Make me an offering

Make me whatever You want me to be

I came here with nothing

But all You have given me

Jesus bring new wine out of me

Jesus, bring new wine out of me

Jesus, bring new wine out of me

'Cause where there is new wine

There is new power