ESCAPE FROM GOD’S ANGER -1 KINGS 15:25-34 KEY VERSE: "Because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger" (1 Kings 15:30). God is described in the Scriptures as the Almighty Creator, loving Father and merciful Redeemer; but He is also described as the All-knowing Judge and a consuming fire (Hebrews 12:23,29). He watches our thoughts, words and actions to see if they conform to His laid-down precepts of righteousness and holy living. And for anyone who chooses to disregard His commandments and warnings, judgment is certain. In the text, Nadab’s (the son of Jeroboam) reign was exactly like that of his father who made Israel to sin and provoked God to anger with the sins of idolatry, disobedience and forsaking of the words of the Lord. God’s judgment came upon him and he was destroyed with every member of his family by Baasha according to the word of the Lord spoken through

The Unpayable Debt By Billy Graham   •   April 28   •   Topics: Grace The Unpayable Debt hands reaching out of jail cell Who gave himself for our sins . . . —Galatians 1:4 Years ago King Charles V was loaned a large sum of money by a merchant in Antwerp. The note came due, but the king was bankrupt and unable to pay. The merchant gave a great banquet for the King. When all the guests were seated and before the food was brought in, the merchant had a large platter placed on the table and a fire lighted on it. Then, taking the note out of his pocket, he held it in the flames until it was burned to ashes. The king threw his arms around his benefactor and wept. Just so, we have been mortgaged to God. The debt was due, but we were unable to pay. Two thousand years ago God invited the world to the Gospel feast, and in the agonies of the cross, God held your sins and mine until every last vestige of our guilt was consumed. Prayer for the day In gratitude I kneel before You, Lord Jes

PRIVILEGES OF GOD’S CHILDREN I – Friday April 28th 2017 Memorise: Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ. Galatians 4:7 Read: Mark 7:24-30 (King James Version) 24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was c

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him. And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great (Genesis 26:12-13). Isaac had received an instruction from the Lord, not to leave his country to Egypt because of the famine in his country. Of course, people were migrating to Egypt to seek relief and Isaac thought to do the same. However, the Lord spoke to him and said, “…dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father” (Genesis 26:2-3). Isaac adhered to the Lord’s instruction, and the result is what we see in our opening verse. He grew, waxed great and became very great so much so, that the Philistines envied him in the same land that was ravaged by famine. God destined the man Isaac for greatness, and he

An Alternative to Anger Jennifer Benson Schuldt Proverbs 20:1–15 It is to one’s honor to avoid strife.  Proverbs 20:3 One morning in Perth, Australia, Fionn Mulholland discovered his car was missing. That’s when he realized he had mistakenly parked in a restricted zone and his car had been towed away. After considering the situation—even the $600 towing and parking fine—Mulholland was frustrated, but he decided not to be angry with the person he would work with to retrieve his car. Instead of venting his feelings, Mulholland wrote a humorous poem about the situation and read it to the worker he met at the tow yard. The worker liked the poem, and a possible ugly confrontation never took place. The book of Proverbs teaches, “It is to one’s honor to avoid strife” (20:3). Strife is that friction that either simmers under the surface or explodes in the open between people who disagree about something. God has given us the resources to live peacefully with other people. His Word assur

JESUS IS THE ANSWER Categories: Daily Devotional “And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, Talitha cumi; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise. And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.” (Mark 5:41-42 KJV) Everything that man can depend upon has the capacity to fail. In the book of Mark 5:21-24 and also 35-43, a religious ruler by the name Jairus went to Jesus. And you know that religious people are so dogmatic in what they believe. Religion is actually an attempt to reach God, but mortal man cannot reach God, unless God reaches out to him. Neither can religion be depended upon in the hour of need. This man ran to Jesus because religion failed him. His daughter was sick and at the point of death. He could not heal her. He tried all, but his religion failed him. The only option left to him was to go back to Jesus. When Jesus got to the house of Jairus,

God Gives the Victory by Joyce Meyer - posted April 27, 2017 You shall tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the serpent shall you trample underfoot. Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name.... —Psalm 91:13-14 God created each of us with a free will. This gives us the ability to make our own decisions apart from outside influence. Satan tries to force us to do things by placing outside pressure on us, but God attempts to lead us by His Holy Spirit. Jesus is not demanding or harsh, hard, sharp, or pressing. He is humble, gentle, meek, and lowly (see Matthew 11:29-30). We are indeed complex creatures. Our mind can think one thing, while our emotions want something else and our will certainly seems to have a mind of its own. Once a person's willpower is renewed by God's Word and she knows enough to choose good over evil, she becomes very dangerous to Satan and his kingdom o

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 RESPONSIBILITIES OF GOD’S CHILDREN II – Thursday April 27th 2017 Memorise;  Abstain from all appearance of evil. 1st Thessalonians 5:22 Read:  2nd Corinthians 6:14-18 (KJV) 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Bible in one year:  Numbers 22, Jeremiah 21:11-22:10, Hymn: Sing hymn 6 MESSAGE Yesterday, we

BE PREPARED! -LUKE 12:32-48 KEY VERSE: "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not" (Luke 12:40). The Boys’ Scouts motto briefly reads: "Be prepared". This is at once a synopsis, an abbreviated message to the discerning to be well tutored for every situation in life. Nothing can be more succinct for the believer who is firmly admonished to always be ready for the sudden emergence of Christ at the rapture. Without this state of readiness, the unwary, so-called believer might be left behind. Jesus teaches the importance of being ready at all times for the rapture. He states that blessed are those servants waiting and watching, giving the illustration that the return of the Lord will be like the break-in of a thief and the loss of precious valuables. He advises believers to be ready always as His coming will be sudden. The uncertainty of the time of the Lord’s return should jolt every believer to never retire to bed at night

God, Our Helper By Billy Graham   •   April 27   •   Topics: God's Will HomeDaily DevotionGod, Our Helper man holding out hand I am like a sheltered olive tree protected by the Lord himself. I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. —Psalm 52:8 (TLB) Turn to your Bible and read the wonderful stories of men who were alone in godless surroundings but who, by the help and presence of the living God, made a marvelous contribution to their own times. Joseph was surrounded by sin and intrigue in Egypt. His master’s wife tried to seduce him. He was tested by imprisonment, but through it all he trusted in God and sought to know and do His will; and he stands today as a wonderful example of the keeping and strengthening power of God in the heart of a man who believed in Him. Prayer for the day In the dark days, I will put out my hand and You, loving Lord, will be there.

Finally , my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might…For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:10-13). The first part of our opening Scripture urges God’s people to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. God never tells you to do something you couldn’t do; if He says, “Be strong in the Lord,” it means that’s what you need to do. Then, the eleventh verse says, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” Again, He tells you what to do against the devil. You shouldn’t say, “The devil is too strong for me”; if you put on the whole armour of God, you’ll be able to stand against all the stratagems, schemes, manoeuvres, and ma

Learning the Language Dave Branon Acts 17:22–32 As I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god.  Acts 17:23 I stood before the gathering at a small Jamaican church and said in my best local dialect, “Wah Gwan, Jamaica?” The reaction was better than I expected, as smiles and applause greeted me. In reality, all I had said was the standard greeting, “What’s going on?” in Patois [pa-twa], but to their ears I was saying, “I care enough to speak your language.” Of course I did not yet know enough Patois to continue, but a door had been opened. When the apostle Paul stood before the people of Athens, he let them know that he knew their culture. He told them that he had noticed their altar to “an unknown god,” and he quoted one of their poets. Of course, not everyone believed Paul’s message about Jesus’s resurrection, but some said, “We want to hear you again on this subject” (Acts 17:32). As we intera

Cut People Some Slack BY RICK WARREN — 75  04-24-17-Miracle-Mercy-Cut-People-Some-Slack “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love” (Ephesians 4:2b TLB). Everybody has bad days. Kay knows that I have two touchy times every week. I’m touchy on Saturday afternoon because I’m focused on the message I am about to preach. And the other time I’m touchy is Monday morning, because I’m drained from preaching all weekend and talking to people between services. So Kay makes allowances for that. She cuts me some slack. That’s a key part of how you deal with EGRs (people with Extra Grace Required). In the last few devotionals, I’ve mentioned that in dealing with EGRs we need to look behind the behavior and refuse to be offended. But we also must deal with them like Kay deals with me when I’m in a touchy mood: We have to cut them some slack. The Bible says, “Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of you

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 GOD IS NOT INTERESTED IN THIS – Tuesday April 25th 2017 Memorise:  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. John 3:17 Read:  Ezekiel 33:14-16 (King James Version) 14 Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right; 15 If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. 16 None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live. Bible in one year:  Number 18-19, Jeremiah 20:7-18, Hymn: Sing hymn 2 MESSAGE Expectedly, you may be wondering what God is not interested in. God is not interested in the death of a sinner (2nd Peter 3:9). Many sinners don’t even know that God has no delight in condemning them. It is therefore necessary tha

ACCEPTABLE OFFERING -LEVITICUS 22:17-25 KEY VERSE: "But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you" (Leviticus 22:20). The earliest record in the Scripture about the act of offering to God was the offerings made by Cain and Abel in the book of Genesis. This ended in an acceptable offering of Abel and the rejection of Cain’s. Abel offered an acceptable offering instead of Cain because he offered according to the word of God, as desired by God – no blemish; best of his flock, "firstlings of his flock". In our text, God called Israel unto a life of separation and in our text, instructed on how to offer oblation for all vows and freewill offerings. The house of Israel or stranger in Israel is to offer at his own will a male without blemish, of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goat. "But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer: for it shall not be acceptable for you." No animal that is blind or

For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith (Romans 12:3). Acts 14 tells us that Paul was preaching in a city called Lystra, and he noticed a certain man who was crippled from his mother’s womb: “And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother’s womb, who never had walked. The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked” (Acts 14:8-10). When the man heard the Gospel from Paul, it imparted faith to him, but faith alone didn’t do him good. He was still crippled, even though he had faith. His faith was so palpable that Paul noticed it; he perceived that the man had faith to be healed. It’s the same predicament that many are in today in the

Don’t Give Up David McCasland Galatians 6:1–10 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9 Bob Foster, my mentor and friend for more than fifty years, never gave up on me. His unchanging friendship and encouragement, even during my darkest times, helped carry me through. We often find ourselves determined to reach out and help someone we know who is in great need. But when we fail to see improvement right away, our resolve can weaken and we may eventually give up. We discover that what we hoped would be an immediate change has become an ongoing process. The apostle Paul urges us to be patient in helping one another through the stumbles and struggles of life. When he writes, “Carry each other’s burdens” and so “fulfill the law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2), he is comparing our task to the work, time, and waiting it takes for a farmer to see a harvest.    How long should we keep praying and reaching out to thos

The Written Word by Joyce Meyer - posted April 24, 2017 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. —Psalm 119:105 The Bible is written as a personal letter to you. God speaks to you, ministers to your needs, and directs you in the way you should go in His written Word. He tells you what you should do and how you should live. It is a mistake to think we can hear clearly from God without spending time in the Word. Knowing the written Word protects you from deception. Listening for God's voice without being dedicated to spending time in the Word on a regular basis opens you up to hearing voices that are not from God. There may be times when God speaks something to you that is outside a specific chapter and verse of the Bible, but it will always be in agreement with His Word. Tonight, spend time reading a portion of God's personal letter to you and allow Him to speak to your heart. God’s Word is one of the most precious gifts we have. Treasure it.

ASSIGNED DUTY -EZEKIEL 22:1-12 KEY VERSE: "Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? yea, thou shalt shew her all her abominations" (Ezekiel 22:2). While speaking in London, evangelist D.L. Moody was approached by a British companion who wanted to know the secret of Moody’s success in leading people to Christ. Moody directed the man to his hotel window and asked "what do you see?" The man looked down on the square and reported a view of crowded streets. Moody suggested that he looked again. This time the man mentioned seeing people – men, women and children. Moody then directed him to look a third time and the man became frustrated that he was not seeing what Moody wanted him to see. The great evangelist came to the window with tearful eyes and said. "I see people going to hell without Jesus. Until you see people like that, you will never lead them to Christ." In the text, Jerusalem was tagged the bloody city. Her inhab

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 ANOTHER JONAH IN THE CHURCH – Monday April 24th 2017 Memorise:   And he said unto them, Go ye into all  the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. Mark 16:15 Read: Ezekiel 33:1-6 (King James Version) 1 Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, 2 Son o:f man, speak to the children of thy people, and say unto them, When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: 3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; 4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning; his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. 6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take

He Is Alive! By Billy Graham   •   April 24   •   Topics: Jesus Christ, Supernatural Home Daily Devotion He Is Alive! cross with white cloth Because I live, ye shall live also. —John 14:19 For personal Christianity, the resurrection is all-important. There is a vital interrelation to the existence of Christianity itself, as well as to the individual believer, in the message of the Gospel. The Swiss theologian, Karl Barth, said, “Do you want to believe in the living Christ? We may believe in Him only if we believe in His corporeal resurrection. This is the content of the New Testament. We are always free to reject it, but not to modify it, nor to pretend that the New Testament tells something else. We may accept or refuse the message, but we may not change it.” Christianity as a system of truth collapses if the resurrection is rejected. That Jesus rose from the dead is one of the foundation stones of our faith. Prayer for the day Lord, let me live today with the constant thought

But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin (1 John 1:7 ). God’s Word is light. Light defines, describes, and makes manifest. If you turn off the light in a room, you won’t be able to see things in that room with your optical eyes. Likewise, your spiritual eyes need the light of God’s Word to see in the realm of the Spirit. When you turn on the light of God on a particular situation, you’ll see the truth—the reality from God’s perspective. Suddenly, you’ll discover that everything you thought was missing was intact; everything you thought you didn’t have, you actually have in abundance. If you’re using the light of the sun or the incandescent light, there’re a whole lot you’d never see. But under the light of God’s Word, everything is made manifest. Hebrews 4:13 says, “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto th

The Small Things Anne Cetas Psalm 116:1–9 Every good and perfect gift is from above.  James 1:17 My friend Gloria called with excitement in her voice. She had not been able to leave her home except for doctors’ appointments. So I understood why she was so happy to tell me, “My son just attached new speakers to my computer, so now I can go to my church!” Now she could hear the live broadcast of her church’s worship service. She raved about God’s goodness and the “best gift my son could have given me!” Gloria teaches me about having a thankful heart. Despite her many limitations, she’s thankful for the smallest of things—sunsets, helpful family and neighbors, quiet moments with God, the ability to remain in her own apartment. She’s had a lifetime of seeing God provide for her, and she talks about Him to anyone who visits or calls. We don’t know what difficulties the author of Psalm 116 was encountering. Some Bible commentaries say it was probably sickness because he said, “the cord

FEAR NOT! -DEUTERONOMY 20:1-9 KEY VERSE: "And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart" (Deuteronomy 20:8). On Saturday the 28th day of May 2005, the British Guardian newspaper reported an almost unbelievable story. According to reports, two Japanese men, who were both in their 80s, had said they were soldiers of the Second World War, and had been hiding on the Island of Mindanao, which is 600 miles from Manila, in the Philippines. They had deserted their division who were fiercely devastated by the United States’ forces. They had since remained in the jungle and mountains possibly unaware that the war had ended 60 years earlier. They also feared being court-martialled for possible desertion if they showed their faces again. Desertion is a serious crime in the military, usually punishable by death.

OPEN HEAVENS 2017 A FRUIT-BEARING TREE? – Sunday April 23rd 2017 Memorise : Every branch in me that beareth not fruit the taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. John 15:2 Read:  Luke 13:6-9 (King James Version) 6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. Bible in one year:  Number 14-15, Jeremiah 18:19-19:9, Hymn: Sing hymn 13 MESSAGE Fruit-bearing is a necessity for every child of God. When the Scripture in Deuteronomy 7:14 says none shall be barren, this promise

The Shout of Victory Oclap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph (Psalm 47:1). Our opening verse is talking about the shout of victory. Some people shout out of fear, but in Christianity we shout in victory. We shout unto the Lord with the voice of triumph. It’s like the shout the children of Israel gave in conquering Jericho. As they journeyed to the Promised Land, they got to Jericho, but the city was shut with thick and imposing walls (Joshua 6:1). The Lord, however, gave Joshua the strategy to conquer Jericho. It was the “shout strategy”: “…And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him ” (Joshua 6:2-5). When the people did as the Lord instructed, the walls came down flat (Joshua 6:20). Some people don’t unders

The Shrinking Piano Jennifer Benson Schuldt Philippians 1:1–11 He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6 For three consecutive years, my son participated in a piano recital. The last year he played, I watched him mount the steps and set up his music. He played two songs and then sat down next to me and whispered, “Mom, this year the piano was smaller.” I said, “No, it’s the same piano you played last year. You’re bigger! You’ve grown.” Spiritual growth, like physical growth, often happens slowly over time. It is an ongoing process that involves becoming more like Jesus, and it happens as we are transformed through the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). When the Holy Spirit is at work in us, we may become aware of sin in our lives. Wanting to honor God, we make an effort to change. Sometimes we experience success, but at other times, we try and fail. If it seems like nothing changes, we get discouraged. We may eq

Love in Action By Billy Graham   •   April 21   •   Topics: Love, Missions & Service Home Daily DevotionLove in Action guys huddling and praying Be full of love for others, following the example of Christ . . . —Ephesians 5:2 (TLB) There is no doubt that we need social reform. If success is ever to be realized, our generations must work together and listen to each other, which is one of the first requirements of cooperation. At this point, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is relevant as the great reconciler. The Apostle John, in his first epistle, declared, “To you, young men, I have written,” and, “To you, fathers, I have written.” This is to the young activists and to the old guard, “It is by this that we know what love is: that Christ laid down His life for us. And we in our turn are bound to lay down our lives for our brothers. But if a man has enough to live on, and yet when he sees his brother in need shuts up his heart against him, how can it be said that the divine love dwe

Decide to Believe by Joyce Meyer - posted April 21, 2017 Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing. —James 1:2-4 Too often people stare at me with a blank look when I urge them to decide to believe. It’s as if I’m asking them to do something they can’t do. Faith comes from hearing the Word of God (see Romans 10:17), but it also involves a decision. We enter into a relationship with God through believing in Jesus Christ, but that’s only the beginning. Believing doesn’t end there. As I understand the realm of the Spirit, if we follow the Lord, we live with a growing faith. That means we learn

The Key to Radical Love Devotional by John Piper “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