Top Highlights

• Often the painful words, not the smooth ones, ultimately bring the greatest freedom and protection.
• Adam and Eve enjoyed freedom and protection in the garden under God’s cover. However, the moment they disobeyed they found themselves in great need of the very thing they had voluntarily slipped out from under . . . it was the need, “to cover themselves” (Gen 3:7 NLT). Their disobedience to God’s authority robbed mankind of the sweet freedom and pr...
• Too often there is a history of unpleasant experiences with authority; some, because the leaders they were under were unnecessarily harsh; others, like Alexander, out of sheer frustration have come to view authorities hindrances to their enjoyment or to what they believe best for themselves when, in reality, they have fine leaders and authorities o...
• Confronted with truth, we can respond two ways. We can become angry and defensive, like Cain, Adam’s son, and forsake the very revelation we need (Gen. 4). Or we can be humble and broken, like David when challenged by Nathan, and let the pain and repentance raise us to another level of godly character (2 Sam. 12).
• It is hard to understand kingdom principles with a democratic mind-set. Democracy is fine for the nations of the world, but we must remember the kingdom of God is just that—a kingdom. It is ruled by a King, and there are rank, order, and authority. The laws of His kingdom are not superseded by, or subject to, popular opinion, voting, or polls. The ...