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If God is in Control, Then Why…? By Craig Hill; 295 pages Regular Price: $10.00 Excerpt from Craig Hill’s Blog “Is Grace Sufficient?” published on April 1, 2014. When Paul asked God to remove the thorn in the flesh (II Cor. 12:7-9), God’s answer is often misunderstood. He said, “…My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” At first read you might think God is using this thorn to keep Paul from entering into pride and therefore will not remove it. But let’s look a little further at the words “grace” and “sufficient.” Years ago Craig Hill ran across a definition of grace that is so much more than the usual “unmerited favor.” It said this, “Grace is God’s empowering presence exerting a divine influence upon your heart, resulting in manifest change in your life.” The word “sufficient” has a significant meaning as well. It means to be possessed of unfailing strength, to be strong, to suffice, to be enough, to defend, to word off. Hopefully you can see that God is not telling Paul that he is supposed to accept the presence of a messenger of Satan in his life. Using the definitions just given, here is how God’s statement to Paul should be interpreted. “My empowering presence exerting a divine influence upon your heart resulting in manifest change in your life is sufficient or avails to raise up a barrier, to ward off, and to remove from you the Satanic messenger and loose you; for My supernatural, miraculous power is consummated and made manifest through your feebleness and inability to produce results in and of yourself.” When Paul understood this, he quit begging God for deliverance. He then stated that he would gladly boast in his inability to produce results. That released the supernatural power of God in his life and it will do the same for you. Craig Hill knows that he has probably brought more questions to your mind than answers. At least we hope so. Why? Because it’s so important to understand this principle. A discussion of Paul’s thorn in the flesh require more than a brief blog. Craig has written at length about it in chapter 10 of his book, If God Is In Control, The Why? Take the time to read it, and it will bring a whole new light to the power of God’s grace in your life. About the Book IF GOD IS IN CONTROL THEN WHY...? deals with that difficult question about the nature of God that plagues the minds of most people. Whether you are a lifetime believer in Christ or you have just begun looking for answers, the question, "If God is in control, then why...?" has probably been one you have heard or asked many times in your life. Craig Hill has gifted insight into God's Word and an ability to teach through riveting real-life stories. This book brings understanding to the issue of God's sovereignty and will set your heart at peace, allowing you to trust a just God in an unjust world. E-Book versions for Kindle and Nook are now available. The audio book is also available. If you’re buying 10 or more you can get a bulk order discount! About the Author Having a specific interest in ministering to marriages and families, Craig Hill pursued an internship and later a volunteer staff position at the New Life Counseling Center in Denver. He subsequently taught counseling and missions on the faculty of the Marilyn Hickey Bible College. In 1987, the Lord raised up Craig as Senior Pastor of a local church where he and Jan served for seven and a half years, until he was called by God to devote his full-time energy to the ministry of Family Foundations International.
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