Open Heavens 5 November 2016: Saturday daily devotional by Pastor E. A. Adeboye – Who is my Neighbour?

Topic: Who is my Neighbour? [Saturday 5, November 2016]
Memorise: Let brotherly love continue. – Hebrews 13:1
Read: Luke 10:30-37 (KJV)
 30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
 31 And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.
 32 And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.
 33 But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,
 34 And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
 35 And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.
 36 Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?
 37 And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.
Bible in One Year: Revelation 16:1-19:10, Psalms 95
 MESSAGE:
 Love is the foundation upon which relationships are built. If your life will please God, then love is one action you must always practice. One of the basic principles of love is showing care for others. If you say you love, and you don’t show how much you care, your love isn’t genuine. Brotherly love should not only be restricted to the household of Christ, You must extend love beyond those you personally know. You need to show care to strangers too. At every given point in time, you must help those you come across to the best of your ability. When it becomes necessary, you must go the extra mile to show love to people, regardless of whether they deserve it or not. The very heart cry of Jesus is that we continue in love because we are partakers of His divine nature. Jesus Christ demonstrated the sacrificial love of giving himself for the benefit of those who did not deserve His love. Our Bible reading gives a clear picture of the kind of love that must not be mentioned among believers – the lip service kind of love, ‘missing in time of need’ kind of love et cetera.
 Love, is a divine nature and since we have the mind of Christ, the love of Christ should be shared among us. When a person is driven by love, he will find it easy to apply the love of God in his behaviour towards others within his environment and also those outside his environment. There are people who claim to love Jesus, but they hate everyone around them. They suspect everyone around them; this is not the nature of Christ. The love of God will not make you condemn others or judge them. Jesus wants us to love our neighbours; that person next door, that staff in your office, that sinner on the way, that child with no one to run to, that widow who does not know where the next meal is coming from. Criticism and condemnation is not a reflection of the mind of Christ, strife and division among brethren is not the nature of Christ, but of the devil. Love will always attract a beautiful attitude.
 Love was one of the hallmarks of the early apostles; they did everything in the spirit of love. The early church loved each other so much that everybody’s needs were met. When there is love, there will be an elimination of jealousy and envy, whatever you do will be done in the best interest of others. When in love, we will no longer focus on just thinking about ourselves, but about the good of the other fellow. You must always have the desire to help people and add value to the lives of those around you. In 1 Samuel 18:1-4, the scripture tells us about the relationship that existed between Jonathan and David. Jonathan loved David the same way he loved himself. Jonathan made out time to meet the needs of David, he never bothered about himself. He just wanted to do what was right for the relationship; he was all out for the protection of David. Where there is love, there will be trust. Where there is trust, there will be growth. Love will bring commitment to the common good of all.
Key Point: Love is not easily provoked.
Open Heavens Daily Devotional guide was written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, one of the largest evangelical church in the world and also the President of Christ the Redeemer's Ministries.
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