FAQ For The Soul Posted by Rom on Tuesday, March 27, 2007 at 16:53

1. if God were such an all-powerful ever-caring God, why is there so much “bad” in this world? wars, diseases, crime, quarrels, accidents, injustice, poverty, hate, pain, suffering, death?

simple. yes, God is king of all, but not all acknowledges him as king. where he is not acknowledged, where he is not respected, there what he wants DOES NOT HAPPEN! this is what KINGDOM means - RULE. REIGN. the kingdom of God is in its FULL extent where? in heaven. there, everything he wants - his perfect will - happens! everything is peaceful, everything is beautiful, everyone truly rejoices over and in him.

here on earth? huh, tough luck. if you haven’t heard yet, the kingdom of God is NOT FULLY ENFORCED here on earth, and that’s because of SIN (defined: outright choice against God) - where there is outright disobedience to him, where there is deep-seated rebellion in the hearts of people, of nature, of everything and everyone against him, there what he wants DOES NOT HAPPEN.

there you have your wars, your diseases, your crime, your quarrels, your accidents, your injustice, your hate, your pain, your suffering, your death.

sad to say, when man takes matters into his own hands, and takes the place of the real KING, man ends up with a ruler who is in NO WAY capable of ruling - man ends up with himself. (and when he messes up history, he blames it on God? how dare you man, how dare you me.)

this is the very reason why when jesus taught us how to pray, the VERY FIRST thing he asked for was, “...hallowed be your name...” he PLEADED with God, “oh GOD!!! may your name be RESPECTED by everyone, everywhere!!” he saw the unfathomable need to ask for that, the one request of UTMOST importance. because where God is respected, there he will reign, there he is king, there he has his kingdom. which brought jesus to the next request, “...your kingdom come, your WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN.” you get it now?

it’s a good thing that God is all-powerful and sovereign, but it’s even a better thing that he DOES SO - he ACTS all-powerful and sovereign. because no matter how man messes up everything, God summons it all up and remarkably still makes everything beautiful! - still having the FINAL SAY in all things, no matter how everything and everyone tries to shove him out of the picture.

“why doesn’t he just STOP it in the first place?” let the question be brought back - “why do you still START it in the first place?” response: “I DIDN’T START ANYTHING!” response brought back to you - “NEITHER DID YOU STOP RULING.”

so self, stop whining about your unfair life, the unfair world, and start owning up to your responsibility - abdicate the throne of your life, your family, your world, your all - to the one true RULER, the KING OF ALL, and let HIM call the shots.



2. if God already is my master, why is there still no change in my life? why do i find myself hurting him over and over again?

change is two-fold. one causes and enables the change, the other use the other one for the change happen. for instance, the simple change in the physical state of water from liquid to gas happens because heat causes and enables the evaporation, while the water uses the heat to excite its molecules.

(CAUSE + ENABLE) + USE = CHANGE

in the same way, God is the one causing the change in us, by everything he tells and does to us. he’s the one who enables us, by equipping us with the power to do so (2 timothy 1.6-7). however, we have to allow that change to happen. we have to choose to change, we have to be willing to change, and - this is what i’ve missed for so long - we have to USE that power to change!

this power God gave us is in the holy spirit who lives in us. take one step back and imagine this - if i had the power to freeze time or pass through glass or transform into another person, how do i use the power? i just USE it! i FREEZE time, PASS THROUGH glass, TRANFORM into another person!

now take this - we have the power to SAY NO to whatever displeases God! the power to CHANGE from being someone he doesn’t want into the person he wants us to be! he has already CAUSED and ENABLED us with the power to CHANGE, we just have to USE that power!

how? just USE it! i SAY NO to sin, i CHANGE my undesirable character! i SAY NO to accusing thoughts, i SAY NO to hateful anger, i SAY NO to obscene imagination, i SAY NO to wrong motives, i CHANGE pride, i CHANGE self-gratification, i CHANGE my foul language, i CHANGE my untransformed mind, i CHANGE my undesirable character, i SAY NO to sin.

no incantations needed, no finger formations, no spells, no background music necessary, no magic. just real power from the holy spirit.

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