Open Heaven 26 May 2018: [Saturday] Daily Devotional By Pastor E. A. Adeboye
Good Neighbourliness II
GOOD NEIGHBOURLINESS II – Saturday May 26th 2018
Memorise: For I was an hungered and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Matthew 25:35
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: 1st King 2, 2nd John, 3rd John, Hymnal: Sing hymn 12
Message:-
In Matthew 25:31-33, the Lord Jesus Christ gave us a sneak preview of what judgment Day will be like, and it is surprising that good neighbourliness is the only standard that was used to separate the sheep from the goats in this narrative. The Lord did this to prepare our minds for the events of the last days when people would become selfish and individualism would be rife. 2nd Timothy 3:1-2 says,

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves…”

May I announce to you that this time is upon us. We live in times when the advent of social media and smart phones has drastically reduced human to interaction, with the attendant effect that people have little or no empathy and wicked acts are the norm. These days, people hardly know what is going on with their next door neighbour while they are very much aware of what is going on with people thousands of miles away whom they have never met. May the Lord open our hearts to what is needful in Jesus’ Name.

Good neighbourliness involves sacrifice. When you consider the parable of the Good Samaritan, it is easy to imagine the parable of the Good Samaritan, it is easy to imagine what was going through the mind of the priest who passed by the wounded man and did nothing. He might have assumed that the poor man’s situation was beyond remedy. He might have said to himself that it was not in his place to help since he was not a medical practitioner or law enforcement agent. He might have pondered in his heart that the location was not safe for anyone to delay, and that while trying to help, robbers might attack him and make him another of their victims. He might also have thought that stopping to assist the wounded man would eat terribly into his time, thereby making him late for his important appointment.

Sing hymn 12
TAKE MY LIFE, AND LET
IT BE
Take my life, and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee;
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise,
Let them flow in ceaseless praise.


Take my hands, and let them
move
At the impulse of Thy love;
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee,
Swift and beautiful for Thee.


Take my voice, and let me sing
Always, only, for my King;
Take my lips, and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee,
Filled with messages from Thee.


Take my sliver and my gold;
Not a mite would I withhold;
Take my intellect, and use
Every power as Thou shalt choose
Every power as Thou shalt choose.


Take my will, and make it Thine;
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart; it is Thine own;
It shall be Thy royal throne,
It shall be Thy royal throne.


Take my love; my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure-store.
Take myself, and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee,
Ever, only, all for thee