January 6 Devotion - O' Holy Night

January 7 is Christmas Day for many Orthodox Christians. Why? Because in A.D. 325, the church fathers set all holy days by the Julian calendar. But Pope Gregory XIII and his astronomers decided to adjust the calendar to accommodate leap years by dropping 10 days. And so in 1582, the 365.24-day Gregorian calendar that we use today was created. Presbyterian Christians in Egypt also celebrate on the 7^th, to be in unity with the Orthodox majority of Christians in Egypt. I wish all Christians in the whole world celebrated on the same day. In the meantime we can celebrate twice the birth of Christ. In reality we should celebrate His birth every day. I wish you a Merry Christmas.

https://youtu.be/MHdx77aAvkc

 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.

 Luke 2:11-18

It seems to me that the first evangelists were not the disciples but the shepherds. True they did not have the story of salvation through The Cross but they spread the news about the birth of The Saviour.

What can we learn from Maryam’s actions?

But Maryam kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.                         

Luke 2:19

The learning is that we need to be still and ponder things asking God for guidance and clarity.

http://youtu.be/6SaNriIj4AA

ولد المسيح هللويا-ماجدة الرومي

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself:

Abba Father, thank You for Your abundant blessings and Inseparable love. 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 see the star I should follow to fulfill Your call for my life. Help me to communicate about the salvation Jesus offers. Help me to be still in front of You and listen to Your voice and ponder like Maryam, The Mother of God, on Your words and to internalize them totally and fully. In this week of Your birth Jesus let every night be a holy night where You are reborn in our hearts, minds, souls and spirits. 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, Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

January 5 Devotion - Reshuffle me O'Lord

The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left. Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

عَقْلُ الإِنْسَانِ يَسْعَى فِي تَخْطِيطِ طَرِيقِهِ، وَالرَّبُّ يُوَجِّهُ خَطَوَاتِهِ لأَنِّي عَرَفْتُ مَا رَسَمْتُهُ لَكُمْ. إِنَّهَا خُطَطُ سَلاَمٍ لَا شَرٍّ لأَمْنَحَكُمْ مُسْتَقْبَلاً وَرَجَاءً.

يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ: أُعَلِّمُكَ وَأُرْشِدُكَ الطَّرِيقَ الَّتِي تَسْلُكُهَا. أَنْصَحُكَ. عَيْنِي تَرْعَاكَ

وَتَسْمَعُ أُذْنَاكَ كَلِمَةً صَادِرَةً مِنْ خَلْفِكَ قَائِلَةً: 22 «هَذِهِ هِيَ الطَّرِيقُ لَا تَحِيدُوا عَنْهَا يَمِيناً أَوْ يَسَاراً اسْلُكُوا فِيهَا

 اتَّكِلْ عَلَى الرَّبِّ بِكُلِّ قَلْبِكَ، وَعَلَى فِطْنَتِكَ لَا تَعْتَمِدْ. ⁶ اعْرِفِ الرَّبَّ فِي كُلِّ طُرُقِكَ وَهُوَ يُقَوِّمُ سُبُلَكَ..

Proverbs 16:9, Jeremiah 29:11, Psalm 32:8, Isaiah 30:21, Proverbs 3: 5-6

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 that Your eye is upon me. Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139: 23-24

Lord, reshuffle me and my priorities in life to be aligned with You and Your plan and will for my life. God I know that Your solution for my life is what is best for me, help me to let go of the need to resolve my own problems, and give me the wisdom to follow Your direction for Yours are plans for my welfare to give me a future and a hope . Teach me Lord and make my ears and spirit sensitive to Your word behind me telling me “This is the way, walk in it”. Help me Father to not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present my requests to You. Help me to trust in You Lord with all my heart, and not to lean on my own understanding. Help me to acknowledge You Lord in all my ways, and make my paths straight. Lord, You are Holy, righteous, and infinite in wisdom. Thank You God that Your mercies never cease. In Jesus’ name I pray. To Him be the power, the glory, the majesty and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

January 3 Devotion - A prayer for 2017

I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

أَمَّا أَنَا فَقَدْ أَتَيْتُ لِتَكُونَ لَهُمْ حَيَاةٌ، بَلْ مِلْءُ الْحَيَاةِ!

John 10:10

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him.

اسْكُنْ أَمَامَ الرَّبِّ وَانْتَظِرْهُ بِصَبْر

Psalm 37:7

You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.

كَلَّلْتَ السَّنَةَ بِجُودِكَ، وَآثَارُ صَنَائِعِكَ تَفِيضُ خِصْباً.

Psalm 65:11

God came into this world in human form Jesus The Christ, to give his soul and body, as an offering for the life of these persons, who would accept and declare Jesus as their Lord and Saviour so that they may live in abundance spiritually in this world, and eternally hereafter.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself and to meditate on it:

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.

God of my yesterdays, today, and my tomorrows; God of new beginnings and wonderful surprises, thank You for the gift of this New Year, 2017. I know, when love came to the manger in Bethlehem, He came for me, so that I would be saved and have a more abundant life. Lord, I praise You and glorify You for Your unequaled greatness.

Thank You God for crowning 2017 with Your goodness. Lord make 2017 to be a year of grace and blessing for me. 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 grow in faith and love in 2017 and renew my commitment to following Your Son, Jesus. God please teach me to rest in You Lord and wait patiently for Your goodness and abundance.

Lord, please walk with me every day and every hour of this New Year; make me hear your voice directing my path that the light of Christ would shine through me, in spite of my weaknesses and failings.

I leave the irreparable past in your hands, and step out into 2017 depending on Your guidance to help me walk in Your paths that are dripping with abundance.

I rejoice in Your gift of a new year and rejoice in what's ahead, depending on Your Holy Spirit to guide me and help me to do exactly what You want. Lord, please help me to bring all my thoughts into captivity to the obedience of Christ and to continue my journey 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, Amen.

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein

January 2 Devotion - Happy New Year- God Has Prepared Good Things for You in 2017

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 
            

وَفْقاً لِمَا كُتِبَ: «إِنَّ مَا لَمْ تَرَهُ عَيْنٌ، وَلَمْ تَسْمَعْ بِهِ أُذُنٌ، وَلَمْ يَخْطُرْ عَلَى بَالِ بَشَرٍ قَدْ أَعَدَّهُ اللهُ لِمُحِبِّيهِ!»

1 Corinthians 2:9

“Thus says the LORD, who makes a way in the sea And a path through the mighty waters, “ Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.”

هكذا يقول الرب الجاعل في البحر طريقا وفي المياه القوية مسلكا 18 لا تذكروا الاوليات. والقديمات لا تتأملوا بها. 19 هانذا صانع أمرا جديدا. الآن ينبت. ألا تعرفونه. اجعل في البرية طريقا في القفر انهارا.

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19

Was 2016 a wilderness type of year for you? Was it dry like a desert? Even if it was so, God is telling us to forget any former things and to behold His new roads in the wilderness and His rivers in the desert.
Let us rejoice, at all times rejoice, for God is preparing beautiful things for us. He tells us that they are beyond our imagination and we have not seen anything like them before.

Let us expect God’s blessings and trust His promises and believe that in 2017 we will be able to repeat what King David said:
You crown the year with Your goodness, and Your paths drip with abundance.

Psalm 65:11

كللت السنة بجودك وآثارك تقطر دسما.

I invite you to repeat the following prayer for yourself and to meditate on it:

Abba Father, I thank You that in 2016 You showered me with abundant blessings and I thank You for Your inseparable love. I thank You for what I have and for what I do not have. I thank You for Your Mercy and for Your Grace. I put my future in Your hands. I love You Father and I am at awe at all the unbelievable blessings You have prepared for me in 2017. They are so great that my eyes have not seen, nor my ears heard, nor have I imagined in my heart the greatness of the blessings which You Lord have prepared for me. I know from experience that You always keep Your promises Lord and I believe that You are a God of miracles and You will do new things that shall spring forth; and You will even make a road in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. I rejoice in confidence that in 2017 You will bless me, my family and friends and anyone praying this prayer and reading this devotion. 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, Amen.  

         

Jesus loves you,

In Him,

Wagdi Henein