The Unbelievers

Many people claim that  there is no God. They say that we cannot prove that he exists. They claim that the Bible is flawed and is a book that is filled with myths and stories. They say that the Bible is not the inspired word of God, but was written by men who made it up or plagiarized stories they learned from their Babylonian captors. They say we are fools who believe that God created the heavens and the earth; that we are fearful Bible thumpers desperately looking for something to hold onto in this miserable world where life is a grind and man must make his/her own future alone.

There are those who mock christians who believe that God created the earth by offering up the dinosaurs, the Cave Men, the Neanderthals, and other so-called evidence that our Creation story could not possibly be true. They say that science has proved that the earth is older than the seven to ten thousand years of history listed in the Bible during creation so the Bible must be false.

Some are so angry they challenge every person of faith as if merely having faith is a personal affront to their very existence! There are those who were raised by christians who were either misguided, or angry themselves; but for whatever reason they missed the entire meaning and purpose for Jesus birth, death, and resurrection. Some people have been mistreated by modern day crusaders who believe they have a mandate to get into the political fray under the banner of Christianity.

Some of you are so lost, so hurt, so desperate for something to hold on to in this world that is coming apart at the seams that you will lash out at anyone merely because you feel that the faith they offer has already been proved a failure.

The Bible

The Bible is the inspired word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: KJV
2 Peter 1:21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. NKJV

Because the Bible is inspired by God does not mean that every word is to be taken literally. The Bible is divided into two divisions made up of many books with many different writers. You will find the books of the law, history, poetry, major and minor prophets. Within the pages of these books you will find dreams, visions, parables (stories meant to illustrate a truth) as well as more factual accounts of events.

The New Testament is made up of the Gospels which are the story of Jesus Christ, and the Acts which is the history and source book for the First Century believers. The remainder of the books were written in the form of letters to churches established all over Europe and Asia, except for the Apocalyptic book of Revelations written by the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos.
Some people like to point out the different versions of stories that do not match from gospel to gospel as if they have found something momentous. To understand the gospels it is important to remember that each book was written by a different author who viewed the incidents of the day from a uniquely personal perspective. You have all played the game where everyone stands in a line and a phrase is whispered and passed down the line to be completely transformed by the time it reaches the end of the line. We all may be present at the same event and take away a completely different perspective because some things are more important to the individual than others. This does not create a conflict within the stories.

Creation

Genesis 1:27-28  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. KJV

Definition of replenish:
Restore to a  former level or condition.

This brings up a much broader set of possibilities about the earth which includes dinosaurs, cave dwellers, and many other issues.

This I Know

I do not pretend to have all the answers to the universe. I do know that Matthew 19: 26 states  But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.
As a person of faith I choose to believe that God can do anything. I do not have a problem taking the Bible to be the Word of God. I do not feel the need to prove anything to anyone.

I do feel the need to share my faith like so many others are doing. Like many others I have walked a fine line of political correctness trying not to be controversial. I gave this hub a lot of thought before putting my thoughts together for publication. I need to go on the record to share what I do know for a fact.

I suddenly came to the realization that I accepted a calling a long time ago to follow Jesus. As a child I got a thrill when I heard the story of Jesus. I believed every word of it deep in my soul and to the pit of my stomach. There is not a cell in my body that does not believe that Jesus is God in the flesh and that he died and was resurrected on the third day! From the bottom of my heart I believe that Jesus Christ will return to claim the believers who have been faithful. I do not have all the answers but there are some things I do know.

This I Know
When I was ten years old God filled me with the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit came into my life I spoke in a heavenly language that I did not understand. Whether anyone believes this happened to me or not is immaterial to me. It happened. My mother who was more than a hundred miles away from where I was already knew that I had received the Holy Spirit. When I came home two days later she told me the day and time. This I know!

This I Know
I have seen God perform miracles in my life. These are personal milestones that I revisit occasionally to reaffirm my faith. God took a failed marriage and put it back together after years of problems. That was 18 years ago. Yes, I know what God can do if you let him.

This I Know
Although I have a stent in my heart, there were many more problems with my heart that had been damaged by a heart attack. Doctors diagnosed me with Sudden Cardiac Arrest Syndrome.  I was unnerved by my doctor staring at my ECG and repeating over and over, “This is an indication for sudden death! Are you sure you are all right?”  A stent was placed in my heart and I went home with Nitro Glycerine for angina. The following year I continued to have so much pain I followed up with my Cardiologist for another heart cath. My pastor prayed for me on Sunday and on Monday morning I underwent the heart cath. My doctor looked at my heart and while I was still on the table said to me, “Mrs. Mireles, God has given you a great gift. Your heart is fine.” He told my husband and my nurse friend the same thing while I was in recovery. That was in 2005. This year in January I went in to see my cardiologist for testing. I was told that everything was exactly the same as it was three years ago. I do not need to return for three more years.  This is not my imagination. God did something for me and I am so grateful for it!

This I Know
My mother became sick and in severe pain two years ago. She underwent many tests. Her abdomen was distended and she was in severe pain. Suddenly the pain stopped on the day before she was due to have surgery to remove her appendix and ovaries that had large cysts on them. Our family prayed for her at home the night before she was due to have surgery early the following morning.  After the surgery the surgeon told us that her appendix had burst four days earlier. She never found the appendix in her abdominal cavity. Mother’s ovaries were completely healthy with no cysts although they had been clearly visible on the earlier CAT Scans. My mother is 78 years old and went through six surgeries two years ago during one month as they were unable to get her closed. The amount of anesthesia she endured could have killed anyone. She took four months to recover before going through six months of chemotherapy. She did not have nausea even one time during these treatments. She did not lose her hair. She did not one time go to bed and stay there. She did not have any pain. At present she is undergoing a new series of chemotherapy. I do not pretend to know why God has not chosen to heal her out right. Perhaps, He is trying to teach her children how to suffer gracefully and never lose faith? She does not have pain and although she is weak she gets dressed every day. God is faithful!

This I Know
When I became unemployed last year God comforted me. I do not suffer fear. God has provided financially for my family so that in fact my life is actually better now that I do not have a job. I do not have to commute 52 miles round trip to work. I do not have the expense or the drag to the environment by driving a gas guzzling truck so far. Nor do I have to get up in the cold weather to wait for a bus and a train to get me to the Medical Center.  God is faithful to me.

I can only tell you that in my experience, God has been with me every step of the way. I do not live in fear, and I do not live in want. I do not claim to have no problems, but God never promised to take away all my problems.  God promised to deliver me from my problems.

Psalm 34:19 (New International Version)19  A righteous man may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

This I Know
To you who think I am delusional, I pity you. I am sorry you never found something that is so wonderful, so comforting, so overwhelming that it is impossible to walk away from it. I could go on and on with the miracles I have received in my life. I walk in miracles because I believe that miracles are real and I am not so occupied with the details that I can’t see the forest for the trees. I also appreciate small miracles as well as large ones. Every miracle is a gift.

I guess I must be one of the right wing nut jobs the media talks about but I have peace in my soul. I do not live in fear. God is my refuge and strength!

Spiritual Insights From a Layman's Point of View

Spiritual Truths From a Layman's Point of View