THE FORCE OF FAITH IN PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

THURSDAY APRIL 24, 2025.

SUBJECT : THE FORCE OF  FAITH IN PRAYER!

Memory verse: "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he that comes to God, must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11 vs 6.)

READ: Hebrews 10 vs 19 - 23:

10:19: Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, 

10:20: by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh,

10:21: and having a High Priest over the house of God,

10:22: let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.

INTIMATION:

Building up your faith is a prerequisite for effectual communication with God. Faith is a potent force without which prayer will be absolutely unproductive. The Bible defines faith as "The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11 vs 1.) You are holding in confidence the things you have asked in prayers, and perceiving as real facts what is not revealed to the senses. It is the ticket on which you take delivery of anything from heaven.

Your confidence in God must first be in place before you ask Him for anything, because though His Word presented before Him, in accordance with His Will, He grants you audience in the Throne Room. It’s your faith in Him and in His Word that motivates Him to act on your behalf. Therefore, it is you, not God, who determines whether your prayer gets answered or not. Though ‘He is ready to perform His Word’ (Jeremiah 1 vs 12), He demands your faith that leads to a personal, dynamic relationship with Him.

You don't only approach God with His Word, you must come with an unwavering assurance that ‘He abides faithful and cannot deny Himself’ (Second Timothy 2 vs 13). Therefore, your approach to the Throne Room must be with unwavering faith. The apostle James, in James 1 vs 6 - 7 says, "But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord."

Once faith and trust in God is established, you can rest assured of results when you pray in accordance with His Will. You will not only believe in the existence of God, but also believe in His loving care. That is relying on God with full  expectations that He will hear and answer when you pray rightly.

In Matthew 9, two blind men prayed to Jesus for the restoration of their sight. Even though Jesus heard them, He did not heal them until He was assured of their faith in Him: "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, "Son of David, have mercy on us!" And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to do this? They said to Him. Yes, Lord. Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith let it  be to you." And their eyes were opened...." (Matthew 9 vs 27 - 30.)

Jesus didn't respond immediately to the blind men's pleas. He waited to see if they had faith. They followed Him all through to the house, pleading with Him to heal them, and that shows believe and commitment. Not everyone who says he wants help really believes God can help him. Jesus may have waited and questioned these men to emphasize and increase their faith. When you think that God is too slow in answering your prayers, consider that He might be testing you as He did the blind men.

Jesus, by His death and offering of His blood in atonement for our sins, has made it possible for us to approach God in the Throne Room directly. We must not come halfheartedly or with improper motives or pretense, but with pure, individual, and sincere worship in faith. We can know that we have “a true heart” If we evaluate our thoughts and motives according to His Word. Christians can approach God boldly, free from our “evil conscience” and in full assurance because of the work Jesus Christ did for us in redemption.

Under the new covenant of accepting the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, our hearts and consciences are cleansed completely, not partially or temporarily, from dead works to serve the living God (Hebrews 9 vs 14). Christ’s sacrifice transforms our lives and hearts and make us clean on the inside. Our clean conscience allow us to enter God’s presence with boldness. We have a personal access to God through Christ and can draw near to Him without an elaborate system, and growing in faith to deepen our relationship with God.

Prayer: Abba Father, my trust is in You who made heaven and earth. Forever You are my God and in You I live, and move, and have my being. Whatever You cannot give me, let me not have it. Whatever You cannot do for me, let it remain undone. My absolute faith is in You, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed, Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Seek Your City’s Good

 Seek Your City’s Good

“Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. . . . But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:4–5, 7)

If that was true for God’s exiles in Babylon, it would seem to be even more true for Christian exiles in this very “Babylon-like” world. What, then, shall we do?

We should do the ordinary things that need to be done: build houses; live in them; plant gardens. This does not contaminate you if you do it all for the real King and not just for eye service as men-pleasers.

Seek the welfare of the place where God has sent you. Think of yourself as sent there by God for his glory. Because you are.

Pray to the Lord on behalf of your city. Ask for great and good things to happen for the city. Ask that they happen by God’s power and for his glory. Never lose sight of the ultimate good that the city needs a thousand times more than it needs material prosperity. Christians care about all suffering — especially eternal suffering. That’s the greatest danger every city faces.

But neither God nor his people are indifferent to the health and safety and prosperity and freedom of the city. We all want these things, and Jesus said, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). In fact, the Lord says in Jeremiah that loving your city is a way of loving yourself: “In its welfare you will find your welfare.”

This does not mean we give up our exile orientation. Peter says that Christians are “sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11) and Paul says “our citizenship is in heaven” (Philippians 3:20). In fact, we will do most good for this world by keeping a steadfast freedom from its beguiling attractions. We will serve our city best by getting our values from “the city that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). We will do our city most good by calling as many of its citizens as we can to be citizens of “the Jerusalem above” (Galatians 4:26).

So, let’s live — let’s do so much good (1 Peter 2:12) — that the natives will want to meet our King.

REASONING WITH THE LORD IN PRAYER!

 

EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

WEDNESDAY APRIL 23, 2025.

SUBJECT : REASONING WITH THE LORD IN PRAYER!

Memory verse: "“Put Me in remembrance; let us contend together. State your case, that you may be acquitted.” (Isaiah 43 vs 26).

READ: Isaiah 38 vs 1 - 6:

38:1: In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz, went to him and said to him, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Set your house in order: for you shall die, and not live.’

38:2: Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed to the LORD,

38:3: and said, “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before you in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

38:4: And the word of the LORD came to Isaiah, saying,

38:5: “Go, and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely, I will add to your days fifteen years.

38:6: I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria: and I will defend this city.”’

INTIMATION:

Our God is just, compassionate, loving, faithful, and merciful. He acts according to His nature, and encourages His people to take advantage of His nature in their relationship with Him. Being consistent with His love and merciful nature, He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, as a propitiation for the sin of the whole world. Christ came for sinners, and He expects us to come to Him for mercy. We can only go to God in prayer, acknowledging our need and admitting that we don't have all the answers, and God will come to our help. He desires to show mercy and His mercy endures forever.

God is willing to reason with us when we humble ourselves in prayer, and come before Him to plead our case. He is ever ready to listen, and willing to see reasons to be consistent with His nature of love, merciful, faithful, compassionate, and just. No matter how long you have been away from God, He is ready to hear from you and restore you to a right relationship with Himself.

God intends that we remind Him of reasons why He should be consistent with His nature to us, hence He employ us to come and reason with Him; ”Present your case,” says the Lord. “Bring forth your strong reasons,” says the King of Jacob.” (Isaiah 41 vs 21.) God requires us to present our case to Him with strong reasons why He should come through to us in any circumstances of life we face in response to our prayers. He intends that we remind Him of such things that will cause Him to attend to our pleas. 

In the passage we read today, when prophet Isaiah went to Hezekiah, who was extremely ill, and told him of his impending death, Hezekiah immediately turned to God. He wept bitterly in his sick bed, and reminded God of his service to Him; “Remember now, O LORD, I pray, how I have walked before you in truth and with a loyal heart, and have done what is good in Your sight.” (Isaiah 38 vs 3.) God responded to his prayer, allowing Hezekiah to live another fifteen (15) years, and further delivered the city from the hands of the king of Assyria, and promised to defend the city. 

When the children of Israel sinned against God in the wilderness by making for themselves a molded gold calf as their god, He was ready to destroy the whole nation because of their sin. But Moses pleaded for mercy, and God spared them: “And God said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and indeed it is a stiff-necked people! Now therefore, let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation.” ( Exodus 32 vs 9 - 10.)

“Then Moses pleaded with the Lord his God, and said: “Lord, why does Your wrath burn hot against Your people whom You have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, ‘He brought them out to harm them, to kill them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from Your fierce wrath, and relent from this harm to Your people. Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Your servants, to whom You swore by Your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven; and all this land that I have spoken of I give to your descendants, and they shall inherit it forever.” (Exodus 32 vs 12 - 13.)

When God first wanted to destroy the people, He was acting consistently with His nature of being just. But when Moses interceded for the people, reasoned with God and presented  his strong reason, God changed His mind and spared the people, in line with His consistent merciful nature. This is one of the countless examples in the Bible of God’s mercy. Although we deserve His punishment, He is willing to forgive and restore us to Himself. 

Every situation can be salvaged if you are willing to turn to God. In Judges 16 vs 28 - 30,  we would observe that in spite of Samson's past, God still answered his prayer and destroyed the Philistines' heathen temple and worshipers. He killed more people at his death than he did in life because of the mercy of God when he turned to Him in prayer.

If you have a desperate need in your life, bring it to the Lord in fervent prayer, presenting your strong reasons; reminding Him of His promises, and your good works or services toward His kingdom. He may change the course of your life. My prayer is that you will have strong reasons to present to God in times of your need for Him to come through to you, in Jesus’ Name.

Prayer: Abba Father, have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your loving kindness; according to the multitude of your tender mercies. Remember my offerings and sacrifices toward Your kingdom. Hear my cry O Lord, and come to my rescue, for in You I live and move and have my being, in Jesus name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

Five Reasons to Be Fearless

 Five Reasons to Be Fearless

“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” (Luke 12:32)

The reason God wants us not to be afraid concerning money or other things of the world is because that fearlessness — that freedom from anxiety — will magnify five great things about him.

First, not being afraid shows that we treasure God as our Shepherd. “Fear not, little flock.” We are his flock and he is our Shepherd. And if he is our Shepherd, then Psalm 23:1 applies: “The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want” — that is, I shall not lack anything I truly need.

Second, not being afraid shows that we treasure God as our Father. “It is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” We are not only his little flock; we are also his children, and he is our Father. He really cares and really knows what you need and will work for you to be sure that you have what you need.

Third, not being anxious shows that we treasure God as King. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He can give us the “kingdom” because he is the King. This adds a tremendous element of power to the one who provides for us. “Shepherd” connotes protection and provision. “Father” connotes love and tenderness and authority and provision and guidance. “King” connotes power and sovereignty and wealth.

Fourth, not being afraid shows how free and generous God is. Notice, he gives the kingdom. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” He doesn’t sell the kingdom or rent the kingdom or lease the kingdom. He is infinitely wealthy and does not need our payments. So, God is generous and free with his bounty. And this is what we magnify about him when we are not afraid, but trust him with our needs.

Finally, not being afraid — not being anxious — shows that we trust that God really wants to do this. “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” It delights him. He is not begrudging. It makes him glad to give us the kingdom. Not all of us had fathers like this, who were made happy by giving instead of getting. But that sorrow is not the main thing any more, because now you can have such a Father, and Shepherd, and King.

So, the point of this verse is that we should treasure God as our Shepherd and Father and King who is generous and happy to give us the kingdom of God — to give us heaven, to give us eternal life and joy, and everything we need to get there. 

If we treasure God in this way, we will be fearless and God will be worshiped.

PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

TUESDAY ALRIL 22, 2025.

SUBJECT : PRAYING IN THE SPIRIT!

Memory verse: "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.” (Jude 20.)

READ: Romans 8 vs 26 - 27:

8:26: Likewise the Spirit also helps our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

8:27: And He who searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

INTIMATION:

Praying in the Spirit is engaging the help of the Holy Spirit to communicate our petition to God the Father, and the Son, Jesus Christ, in the ecstatic or heavenly language that is unknown to anybody. The apostle Paul referred to it as “tongues of angels”(First Corinthians 13 vs 1). The Bible also refers to this as speaking in tongues (unknown language). Speaking in tongues is a legitimate gift of the Holy Spirit and is beneficial to the speaker. 

This is distinct from “other tongues,” the supernatural gift of speaking in another language without its haven been learnt as was the case at the Pentecost (Acts 2 vs 4 - 8), where the circumstances were recorded from the view-point of the hearers. To those in whose language the utterances were made it appeared as a supernatural phenomenon. But to some others, the  disciples were stammerers and drunkards (Acts 2 vs 13). However, what was uttered was not addressed primarily to the audience but consisted in recounting “the mighty works of God.” 

Jesus promised to send an “Helper” to all believers in the Person of the Holy Spirit. He helps us in our weaknesses, including our inadequacies in prayer: He makes intercession for us in prayers, communicating our petition to God when we do not know what we ought to pray. God is aware of our inadequacies and weaknesses hence He proactively arranged an Helper for us. 

Therefore, as a believer, you are not left to your own resources to cope with problems. Even when you don’t know the right words to pray, the Holy Spirit prays with and for you, and God answers. With God helping you pray, you don’t need to be afraid to come before Him. Ask the Holy Spirit to intercede for you “according to the Will of God.” Then, when you bring your requests to God, trust that He will always do what is best.

The Scripture says, “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For what man knows the things of a man, except the spirit of man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.” (First Corinthians 2 vs 10 - 12.)

The Holy Spirit is the third Person in the Godhead, and knows everything about God, including His Will. When we pray in the spirit, it is obvious that the Holy Spirit helping us, communicates our petitions to God in accordance with His Will. Because He knows God’s Will, and the deep things of God, He searches all things to ensure the appropriate presentation of our petition. And when we pray according to His Will we are sure of receiving our petition, as the Scripture notes; “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we asked of Him. (First John 5 vs 14 - 15.)

Praying in the spirit is surrendering ourselves to the Spirit for His help. Because He knows what is in our heart where He dwells with the spirit of man, He will communicate our intentions to God in the best way that is in consonance with God’s Will, assuring us of answers to our petition. The answer may not come as we may intend to have them, but they come in our best interest known to God—God of all knowledge who knows the end from the beginning. 

Therefore, the best form of prayer is praying in the Spirit where you are assured of no misrepresentations of facts, and praying in the Will of God which is supreme. Speaking in tongues is a legitimate gift of the Spirit given only to whomever God chooses. If a person has not experienced the gift of tongues, he or she ought not seek it but seek what gifts God has given. Those who do not speak in tongues ought not seek the gift as a sign of salvation or of special closeness with God, for it is neither of them. It is a desirable gift even though it isn’t a requirement of faith. It’s beneficial to the speaker. 

The Scripture says, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God: for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries." (First Corinthians 14 vs 2.) When you speak in the heavenly language, the Holy Spirit our “Helper” and “Intercessor” takes over as our “Advocate” interpreting the mysteries we speak and communicate same to God, albeit He knows what is already in our heart where He dwells and communes with the spirit of man. Isn’t that great? 

Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for the gift of tongues, and of the Holy Spirit my Helper. Give me the grace to commune with You always in the Spirit with the assurance of proper presentation of my petition by my ‘Senior Partner’ and helper—Holy Spirit, and the assurance of receiving my petitions in accordance with Your Will, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen. 

PRAISE THE LORD!

WORD-FIRED PRAYER!

 EVERYDAY IN THE WORD!

MONDAY APRIL 21, 2025.

SUBJECT : WORD-FIRED PRAYER!

Memory verse: "Is not my word like a fire?” says the LORD; “And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (Jeremiah 23 vs 29.)

READ: First Kings 18 vs 32 - 38:

18:32: Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench around the altar large enough as would contain two seahs of seed.

18:33: And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.

18:34: Then he said, “Do it the second time,” and they did it the second time; and he said, “Do it the third time,” and they did it the third time.

18:35: So the water ran all around the altar; and he filled the trench with water.

18:36: And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are Lord God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.

18:37: Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their heart back to You again.”

18:38: Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

INTIMATION:

There is what is called Word-fired prayer. That is, prayer born out of the fire of the Word. It is the Word of God that ignites a fire in your heart and pushes you into fervent and effectual prayers. That is why you find that after hearing a powerful, Word-packed message, people are fired up to pray heaven-touching prayers.

In the passage we read today, the prophet Elijah knew whom he believed; that His Word is a consuming fire. He challenged 850 pagan prophets brought by King Ahab to Mount Carmel to match wits and power with Elijah. He challenged the people to take a stand; “And Elijah came to all the people, and said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him, but if Baal, follow him.” (First Kings 18 vs 21.) Although the prophets of Baal prepared their burnt offering, and called their god, raved all afternoon, but no one answered them. Their god was silent because it was not real. 

Then Elijah prepared his burnt offering on the altar he built according to the passage we read, and called on the True God of the whole heaven and earth—the Consuming Fire: “And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that You are Lord God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. (First King 18 vs 36.) God answered him: "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench." (First Kings 18 vs 38.)

So, it takes fire on the altar of your heart to draw down fire from heaven. The story is told of John G. Lake, a great man of God in his days. Almost half of his family members had died of one plague or another and on April 28, 1898, his wife lay dying of the same plague. A fellow minister who was with him encouraged him to accept her death as God's Will, and in utter hopelessness, Lake threw his Bible against the wall. It fell to the floor and opened to Acts 10. As he walked over to pick it up, his eyes fell on verse 38, "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him."

Those powerful words were fired into his soul and it dawned on him that God was not the author of sickness; the devil was responsible for his wife's condition and since he was a son of God by faith in Jesus Christ, then God was with Him, just as He was with Jesus. He turned to Luke 13 vs 16,  "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the sabbath day?" That ignited another fire in his soul, because he realized that God could use him to heal his wife. So, with all boldness, he entered her room and declared with a loud voice that his wife would be healed at exactly 9.30 a.m. 

And at that hour, he knelt down by her side, laid hands on her head and prayed. The power of God came upon her and in a few seconds, she shouted, "Praise God, I am healed!" She was immediately healed of the paralysis and all the other ailments that had drawn her so close to the brink of death.

When you pray Word-fired prayers, you can't miss drawing fire from heaven. Meditation is one of the ways of fanning up the fire in your heart. As you spend time brooding over the Word, the Holy Spirit sparks off a fire in your soul, which enhances a hotline communication with heaven, to ensure your victory.

God's Word ratified by the Blood of Jesus, is His Will. It is unchangeable, irrevocable and endures forever. If you go with a will to a court of law, that court is under obligation to honor it. It doesn't matter if the deceased made a mistake in it or not, as long as it is his will, the court is mandated to enforce it. So, when you approach the Throne of grace on the basis of the will of God, you are justified, and God is obliged to step into your case. That is why every ‘Word-weak’ Christian is a prayer failure. The strength of the Word is what determines the strength of the response from heaven.

Prayer: Abba Father, let Your words be the constant meditation of my heart, and let my prayers be fired by Your words coming from my heart packed full of Your words at all times, that I may lead a triumphant life in You and Your Word, in Jesus’ mighty Name I have prayed. Amen.

PRAISE THE LORD!

The Key to Radical Love

 The Key to Radical Love

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11–12)

One of the questions I posed while preaching on loving our enemies from Matthew 5:44 was, How do you love the people who kidnap you and then kill you?

How can we do this? Where does the power to love like this come from? Just think how astonishing this is when it appears in the real world! Could anything show the truth and power and reality of Christ more than this? 

I believe Jesus gives us the key to this radical, self-sacrificing love, described in Matthew 5:44, earlier in the very same chapter. 

In Matthew 5:11–12, he is again talking about being persecuted, just like he was when he said in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” What is remarkable about these verses is that Jesus says that you are able not only to endure the mistreatment of the enemy, but rejoice in it. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you. . . . Rejoice and be glad.”

This seems even more beyond our reach than praying for our enemies or doing good to them. If I could do this humanly impossible thing — namely, rejoice in being persecuted — then it would be possible to love my persecutors. If the miracle of joy in the midst of the horror of injustice and pain and loss could happen, then the miracle of love for the perpetrators could happen too.

Jesus gives the key to joy in these verses. He says, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.” The key to joy is faith in God’s future grace — that is, being satisfied in all that God promises to be for you. He says, “Rejoice, for your reward is great in heaven.” Our joy in persecution is the joy of heaven streaming back into this moment of horror and setting us free to love. So, this joy is the freeing power to love our enemies when they persecute us. 

If that is true, then the command to love is implicitly also a command to set our minds on things that are above — all that God promises to be for us — not on things that are on the earth (Colossians 3:2).

The command to love our enemy is a command to find our hope and our deepest soul-satisfaction in God and his great reward — his future grace. The key to radical love is faith in future grace. We must be persuaded in the midst of our agony that the love of God is “better than life” (Psalm 63:3). Loving your enemy doesn’t earn you the reward of heaven. Treasuring the reward of heaven empowers you to love your enemy.