One thought for me is that as an American, accepting the authority of Jesus is a struggle with my independent self sufficient mindset. Having been taught to ‘do it yourself’, relying on His presence and His authority takes a requiring of the brain. Transformation inside my whole being is being awakened to how I’ve conformed to the world, going along with group think. May He continue to change us!
“As sinners we are sinners in the hands of a loving God. God has a single disposition toward sinners, that of unconditional, unwavering love. From the heart of God there flows an eternal river of fire, the fire of unquenchable love. The question is not whether God loves us but how we respond to God’s love. To those who respond to God’s love with love—“We love because he first loved us”*30—the river of fire is a source of warmth and light. But to those who refuse to love, this same river of fire produces torment.”
“Hell is the love of God refused.” - Excerpt, Sinners in the Hands of a Loving God by Brian Zahnd
“He answered their question by asking a question. In doing so, he shifted the focus back onto them and, with it, the pressure of answering his question. His question pointed to a deeper issue. The central issue was how they had turned the temple from “a house of prayer for all nations” into a money-making business that exploited the people’s hunger for God. The question that needed to be answered was “What were they doing in the name of God?” - Excerpt, Following Jesus: Discipleship in the Gospel of Mark by Steve Langford
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