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God In a Box? (The Sovereignty of God in Word of Faith Theology)

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This book is a comprehensive defense of the concept of faith taught by the Word of Faith movement and how it complements rather than compromises the sovereignty of God. Refutations are made against the biased arguments of popular evangelical heresy hunters. Some of the doctrines analyzed are:

Sovereignty - Is everything ultimately caused (and willed) by God or can man's destiny be different from God's will? Does God cause all the evils we see, such as sickness, poverty, persecution, temptation, and natural disasters?

Healing - What is the root of sickness? Does God pick and choose who to heal arbitrarily? Is healing part of the atonement? Why do we still die if we are "healed"? Does faith play a role? Whose faith? Did the healing ministry cease? Was Paul's thorn a physical infirmity?

Suffering - Why did the apostles suffer if we were meant to live in victory in all areas of life? Is suffering God's will for believers? What kind of suffering?

Prayer - Does God really answer the prayers of an obedient, Spirit-filled, believing Christian with a "NO"? Does prayer require belief in the outcome, or just general trust in God for an answer? Should we just always pray, "If it be your will"?

Spoken Faith - Is there power in the tongue? Is it wrong to verbally speak the Word over and rebuke our circumstances, sicknesses, and demonic powers? Can we know God's will? Can we believe we receive exactly what we pray for?

Prosperity - What is prosperity? Is it something we can believe God for?

Old Testament Promises - Did all Old Testament promises of healing, protection, deliverance, and abundance vanish at the onset of the New Testament? Have they converted into spiritual blessings only?

I guarantee this book will educate you on the Biblical foundation for a balanced Word of Faith message. It is not complicated reading, yet has enough exegesis and doctrinal analysis to refute the arguments posed by skeptics from the scholarly world.

This book, "God In a Box?: The Sovereignty of God in Word of Faith Theology", has not only blessed and helped me to better understand certain principles of faith and healing directly from God's Word, but has also been a helpful tool when speaking with other people. In this day and age, many people, including Christians, have lost touch with certain key principles from Scripture that allow them to best receive from God. Some even choose to deny or be skeptical of certain principles. "God In a Box?" accurately lays out the truth from Scripture and answers the most common questions about and objections against the "Word of Faith" Theology.

Read and be blessed.

I was impressed with Dr. Marinelli's ability to insightfully answer difficult questions that challenge Word of Faith Theology. He masterfully uses Scripture and explains it to help the reader to understand the heart of the Father. You will be blessed, and your faith will increase.

We are living in times when "political correctness" has crept into the church, and it has become fashionable for some proponents of Christian apologetics to bash the Word of Faith message. In light of this, it is refreshing to read this book. It is a well-written piece that presents a very strong, thought-provoking defense of the Word of Faith, and shows how the sovereignty of God and the word-of-faith message complement each other, rather than contradict one another.

Marinelli poses a significant challenge to the critics: "I place the burden of proof on the critics to show me a God who delights in affliction and poverty; Who delights in our ignorance of His will; Who rewards obedience and faith with sickness. I cannot find this God in the pages of sacred Scripture. I see a God who delights in our victory in this earthly realm; our prosperity, health, authority, victory, and knowledge of his will." Hallelujah! That is the same God I see in scripture, and the same God that I (and millions of others) know personally. And if this is not the God you see in scripture, then I submit to you that either you do not know Him, or you need to get to know Him better. And I encourage you to do just that.

"...The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the WORD OF FAITH, WHICH WE PREACH" (Romans 10:8).

Case closed.