OPEN HEAVEN DAILY DEVOTIONAL: FRIDAY FEBRUARY 28TH 2025

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TOPIC: UNDERSTANDING HARVESTS MEMORIZE : While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease. Genesis 8:22 READ : Mark 4:26-29  26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; 27 And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. 28 For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. 29 But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. MESSAGE The first thing to understand about harvests is that they ultimately come from God. 1 Corinthians 3:6 says, "I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase." Also, harvests come in different levels, which Jesus identified as thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and hundredfold (Mark 4:20). Some Bible scholars believe that a thirtyfold harvest results from...

OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL. THE NATURE OF LOVE. Saturday December 5th 2015

Memorise:
Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 1 John 3:1

Read: John 3:16-17

16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Message

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

This scripture is often used in reaching out to sinners with the aim of winning them to the Saviour. It is a very well-known Scripture, loaded with lessons, not just for reaching out to the lost, but also for these who have believed in Jesus Christ. From it, we learn that love gives. To demonstrate His love for the world, God had to give something. Giving is a means of expressing love. No matter how much you profess love, it may never be taken seriously until you give something. Also, we see that love gives its best. It is possible to give to a beggar without loving him. If you really love someone, it will be expressed through the quality of gift you give the person. If we were to examine our claim of love for God by the gifts we give to Him, it would be difficult to believe our claim. Some people love God with their lips but not with their pockets. Some love God with their tongues but not with their hearts. The love some people profess to have towards God does not affect their substances, time or talent. How sincere is their love for God?

In addition, we learn from John 3:16 that love is sacrificial. God offered Jesus Christ as a sacrifice for the world (Ephesians 5:2). God had billions of angels but only one begotten Son. To redeem man from the slave market of sin, He could have chosen to offer one of His angles and not feel the pain of sacrifice, but He chose to offer His only begotten Son. That was most sacrificial! Giving the only thing you have is a huge sacrifice. Throughout eternity past, there had been no separation between God the Father and God the Son, not even for a second. But because of His love for us, while Jesus was bearing the sins of the whole world, God the Father had to take off His eyes from His Son (Mark 15:34). What a sacrifice! Do you love God? How sacrificial is that love? Can you afford to give your only car, house or even life to God for the love that you have for Him? When God considers your relationship with Him, will He see the true mark of love in it?

Key Point
True love is measured by its sacrificial nature.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: PSALM 78-80, HEBREWS 9:23-10:18

Author: Pastor E. A. Adeboye

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