June 4 Devotion - Jesus Christ (Love) Does Not Dishonour Others

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5

طوبى للودعاء .لانهم يرثون الارض

Jesus was meek. A meek person would never dishonour another. The meek are among those so favoured that they will share in Jesus' inheritance of the earth.

There are so many words that I think I understand, but a deeper look reveals that I do not, because I am looking at what the world has taught me, not what Jesus meant and how He relates them to the Kingdom of God and in the depth and breadth of what He meant.

Meekness is considered one of the most difficult New Testament words to fully understand. This is so because Jesus elevated the word's common usage far beyond its normal application.
I find that I grew up resenting being meek because of the connotation given to being meek as being weak, needy lowly.  I grew up learning how the world worded Mathew 5:5: "Blessed are the strong, who can hold their own." The world favours the so-called heroic virtues. Those who are competitive, aggressive and assertive are the ones who receive recognition, admiration and reward. Do they not seem to end up on top of the pile, possessing the most and best despite flaws in their character?

I am learning that I need (and who knows maybe you too) to unlearn what the world has taught me, before I can learn what Jesus is teaching me and respect and accept being meek. I have a lot to gain when I do.   

Not to dishonour a person means to honour that person. According to the thesaurus, honour has these synonyms: "esteem, respect, pay homage to, assigning value to." In order to honour others we first need to start with an attitude of meekness.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and for Your deep, everlasting and inseparable love. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. Jesus, help me to unlearn the worldly beatitudes and teach me Your Beatitudes. Teach me to be meek and to honour You and my fellow man. Help me God to bring all my thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ and to become Christ-like.In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. 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

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

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

June 3 Devotion - Jesus Christ Does Not Boast

 

God is love.

^{1 John 4:8}

I and my Father are one.

^{John 10:30}

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love.

Jesus Christ (Love) is patient,

Jesus Christ is kind,

Jesus Christ does not boast,

Jesus Christ is not proud.

Jesus Christ does not dishonor others,

Jesus Christ is not self-seeking,

Jesus Christ is not easily angered,

Jesus Christ keeps no record of wrongs,

Jesus Christ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth,

Jesus Christ always protects,

Jesus Christ always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,

Jesus Christ never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Ephesians 2:8–9

فَإِنَّكُمْ بِالنِّعْمَةِ مُخَلَّصُونَ، بِالإِيمَانِ، وَهَذَا لَيْسَ مِنْكُمْ. إِنَّهُ هِبَةٌ مِنَ اللهِ،

 ⁹ لاَ عَلَى أَسَاسِ الأَعْمَالِ، حَتَّى لاَ يَفْتَخِرَ أَحَدٌ.

---

We have been “saved” through God’s grace when we accept, through faith, Jesus’ redeeming sacrifice for us at The Cross; no amount of good works can get anyone “saved”, lest anyone should boast.

The definition of boasting according to Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology:

The concept of boasting is found frequently in both the Old and the New Testaments. The object of boasting determines its nature. If it is God or the commendable qualities of others, then boasting can be described as proper; if it is wrongly applied to oneself, then it is improper. To boast about oneself is to brag, or to speak with laudable pride.

Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

Jeremiah 9:23, Proverbs 27:1, James 4:16

هكذا قال الرب. لا يفتخرنّ الحكيم بحكمته ولا يفتخر الجبار بجبروته ولا يفتخر الغني بغناه

لا تفتخر بالغد لانك لا تعلم ماذا يلده يوم.

واما الآن فانكم تفتخرون في تعظمكم.كل افتخار مثل هذا رديء.

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” ⁶ Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

1 Peter 5:5-6

الله يقاوم المستكبرين واما المتواضعون فيعطيهم نعمة

فتواضعوا تحت يد الله القوية لكي يرفعكم في حينه

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant kindness, love and mercy. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. Lord, help me to only boast about what You have done in my life 2 Corinthians 10:17. I pray that out of Your glorious riches You teach me, help me and strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can eliminate all pride within me and be humble knowing that every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from You Father James 1:17. Help me God to bring all my thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ and to become Christ-like. I declare Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and I pray in His Holy Name. 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

June 2 Devotion - Jesus Christ is Kind

God is love.

^{1 John 4:8}

I and my Father are one.

^{John 10:30}

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love.

Jesus Christ (Love) is patient,

Jesus Christ is kind,

Jesus Christ does not boast,

Jesus Christ is not proud.

Jesus Christ does not dishonor others,

Jesus Christ is not self-seeking,

Jesus Christ is not easily angered,

Jesus Christ keeps no record of wrongs,

Jesus Christ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth,

Jesus Christ always protects,

Jesus Christ always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,

Jesus Christ never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.

Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

And be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.

Luke 6:35, Romans 2:4, Ephesians 4:32

بل احبوا اعداءكم واحسنوا واقرضوا وانتم لا ترجون شيئا فيكون اجركم عظيما وتكونوا بني العلي فانه منعم على غير الشاكرين والاشرار

ام تستهين بغنى لطفه وامهاله وطول اناته غير عالم ان لطف الله انما يقتادك الى التوبة.

وكونوا لطفاء بعضكم نحو بعض شفوقين متسامحين كما سامحكم الله ايضا في المسيح.

What is kindness? Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology defines kindness as: ‘An attribute of God and quality desirable but not consistently found in humans.’ In The Bible we see many examples of Jesus’ kindness and He leaves us with many lessons regarding how we should act in kindness following His example, in our quest to become Disciples of Christ.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared

Titus 3:4

ولكن حين ظهر لطف مخلّصنا الله واحسانه

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant kindness, love and mercy. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in Your grace. Lord, help me to be always kind to myself and others. Jesus I need the help of the Holy Spirit to be able to carry out Your teaching and example of being kind to my enemies and I pray that out of Your glorious riches You teach me, help me and strengthen me with power through Your Spirit in my inner being, so that I can be kind to my enemies. Help me God to bring all my thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ and to become Christ-like, a son of The Most High. In the Holy Name of Jesus I pray. To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

June 1 Devotion - Jesus Christ is Patient

God is love.

^{1 John 4:8}

I and my Father are one.

^{John 10:30}

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of love.

Jesus Christ (Love) is patient,

Jesus Christ is kind,

Jesus Christ does not boast,

Jesus Christ is not proud.

Jesus Christ does not dishonor others,

Jesus Christ is not self-seeking,

Jesus Christ is not easily angered,

Jesus Christ keeps no record of wrongs,

Jesus Christ does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth,

Jesus Christ always protects,

Jesus Christ always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres,

Jesus Christ never fails.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

New International Version (NIV)

But I obtained mercy for the reason that in me, as the foremost of sinners, Jesus Christ might show forth and display all His perfect long-suffering and patience for an example to encourage those who would thereafter believe on Him for the gaining of eternal life.

لكنني لهذا رحمت ليظهر يسوع المسيح فيّ انا اولا كل اناة مثالا للعتيدين ان يؤمنوا به للحياة الابدية.

1 Timothy 1:16

Amplified Bible (AMP)

I understand the meaning of patience as described in the Bible to mean persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, and expectantly waiting for God’s will and His promises to be fulfilled in His time. Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, omnipotence (unlimited power), and love.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and for Your deep, everlasting and inseparable love. Lord, I praise You, I glorify You and I rejoice in You. Thank You Jesus for being patient with me and allowing me to follow You in spite of my sins and shortfalls. LORD, bless me with the ability to be patient with myself, others and circumstances, and invigorate and strengthen me with all power according to the might of Your glory so as to exercise every kind of endurance and patience with joy. I 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 Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

 Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein