How can a good God appoint cruel people to positions of authority? The answer is simple: God is the originator of the authority, but He is not the author of the cruelty. Man is responsible for his cruel actions, not God. All authority is of God, but not all authority is godly.

When we oppose God's delegated authority, we oppose God Himself.

Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.

We don't want to merely obey God: we need to catch His heart. It is then we will glimpse the wisdom behind His directives, and not just see them as laws.

The Spirit of God is jealous over us; He doesn't want superficial fellowship, but genuine intimacy.

We all have life-defining moments. They are like open-book tests, but we don't know we have been examined until it is over.

We are like horses that must be broken; basically that one should submit to a pastor even if he is wrong.