THE FIELDS ARE RIPE FOR HARVEST: OPEN HEAVENS DAILY DEVOTIONAL, 6TH NOVEMBER 2018

MEMORISE:
Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. John 4:35

READ: John 4:34-38

34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.

35 Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

36 And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

37 And herein is that saying true, One soweth, and another reapeth.

38 I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.

MESSAGE:
In preparation for the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, your involvement in soul-winning is an indicator that shows how big your dream of heaven is. Anyone who has a big dream of the second coming will do everything within his or her power to ensure that not only is the gospel preached all over the world, but also that souls are won in multitudes to the kingdom of God. In Matthew 24:14, Jesus said:

“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

In other words, our dream of a new heaven and a new earth cannot be realized until we have preached the gospel all over the world. It is therefore incumbent on us to pursue the actualization of our dream of the coming kingdom through aggressive evangelism, missionary works and soul-winning.

No matter how much we discuss and study the second coming of Christ, it is of no use if we do not do what will bring the kingdom of God back to the earth. The task ahead of us is very simple if we really want to be true to our Master.

He has assigned the easier part of the assignment to us, which is reaping the harvest of fields we did not cultivate, and receiving the accompanying wages. John 4:36 & 38 says:
“And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together. 

I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labour: other men laboured, and ye are entered into their labours.”

Others, like the early apostles of Jesus Christ, have labored in the fields, expecting that we as reapers will bring in the harvest in the last days. The work ahead of us is easier than ever before; all we need to do is to make ourselves available for the ready-made harvest of souls all over the world.

Romans 8:19 says:
“For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.”

The world is waiting for us; if we do not fulfill our assignment as reapers, the harvest will be wasted. However, if we put in our sickles as commanded, we and the souls rescued from eternal damnation will be happy. If we choose to be complacent in soul winning, our Lord’s return will be delayed, and this would prolong our suffering in this world (Romans 8:23). Therefore, put in your sickle today.

ACTION POINT:
Determine to reap the already white harvest around you, and make disciples of your neighbors who are earnestly seeking God’s deliverance.

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
Jeremiah 46-48, Luke 17:11-37

AUTHOR: PASTOR E. A. ADEBOYE

HYMN 7: WONDERFUL STORY OF LOVE

1. Wonderful story of love;
Tell it to me again;
Wonderful story of love;
Wake the immortal strain!
Angels with rapture announce it,
Shepherds with wonder receive it;
Sinner, oh, won’t you believe it?
Wonderful story of love.

Chorus:
Wonderful! Wonderful!
Wonderful, wonderful story of love.

2. Wonderful story of love;
Though you are far away;
Wonderful story of love;
Still He doth call today;
Calling from Calvary’s mountain,
Down from the crystal-bright fountain,
E’en from the dawn of creation,
Wonderful story of love.

3. Wonderful story of love;
Jesus provides a rest;
Wonderful story of love;
For all the pure and blest,
Rest in those mansions above us,
With those who’ve gone on before us,
Singing the rapturous chorus,
Wonderful story of love.