Monday, May 10, 2010

Walking miracles


I was attempting to organize my closet when I found this book written by Hement Mehta, "the ebay atheist" who auctioned off the opportunity for the winning bidder to send him to church. His "host" sent him to several different churches. The results were chronicled in the book. I found his observations interesting because they revealed how the church can sometimes come across to unbelievers. In the final chapter he asks himself the question: "Is there anything that would convince me I'm wrong about God? I can think of one thing, a miracle. If I witnessed a miracle, that would do it." He defines a miracle as an occurrence that has no other possible natural explanation. In other words, not something he heard people praying about in prayer meetings.....finding a perfect roommate, a husband, an avoided car accident, but something like an amputated limb growing back, and dead being raised back to life.

People in Jesus day saw those miracles happening all the time and some of them still didn't believe. I think of all the lives I have seen transformed by God's power.....people literally "born again" into new life in Christ. People walking in the world, miraculously switching direction and beginning to walk toward Jesus. New life.....Changed in an instant from darkness to light, from despair to hope. The miracle of changed lives, years later, still changed! Touched forever with the same blinding light that turned Saul, persecutor of the church, into the Apostle Paul. I see "mini-Pauls" all around me.....miracles!

I think there is hope yet for Hemant Mehta, I don't think his heart is totally closed, he just needs a healthy dose of the Holy Spirit.

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 8-9

I continue counting blessings, miracles of lives transformed, I count these names, precious ones who have been changed forever, in the grip of His matchless grace, once heading toward death, now toward life eternal, and.....hope.

#301 Pat, #302 Elaine, #303 Lori, #304 Vera, #305 Will, #306 Lyle, #307 Ginny, #308 Janet, #309 Coral, #310 Debbie, #311 Diane, #312 Rick, #312 Lenora, #313 Abel, #314 Tristan, 15 lives transformed, fifteen people who I could call at a moment's notice and know they would pray for me, with me. Fifteen people who have ministered to me in the past or present....at work, at home.

And that's not even counting the bloggers!....You know who you are, more miracle lives! All of you on the sidebar of my blog, and all of you I follow, and some I stumble upon, each one of you lights up the darkness with your words, faithfully bearing words of hope, His words.
What a blessing......
Keeping the gratitude and the miracles alive, along with Ann and many others....
holy experience

7 comments:

  1. I'm going to have to check out that book, that sounds fascinating!

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  2. Wow. How insulting and presumptuous of you. You assume that Mr. Mehta, because he doesn't share you views, has some sorta of emptiness. The arrogance of this post is astounding. I'm fairly sure there is something in your bible about humility. I suggest you check into that idea ...

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  3. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  4. all "miracles" are or shortly will be explained by biology, chemistry, and physics.

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  5. To all commentors: First and foremost, I want to thank you all for commenting. I think we can all learn from each other. I certainly learned some valuable things from Mr. Mehta's impressions and thoughts. The church is not perfect, not by a long shot, because it is made up of imperfect people and there are times when we really miss the mark in how we treat people outside the faith. However, having said that, this blog is a Christian forum and expresses Biblical thought and for that I don't apologize. I am deeply concerned and saddened that someone would think that my view is arrogant or in any way lacking humility, and yes, there is a great deal on humility in the Bible, indeed it is the core of our belief system which at it's very heart expresses the idea that there is nothing we can do on our own to be righteous....but gratefully except God's loving outstretched hands and His offer of love.

    Peace to you all, Lori

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  6. You say that you witness transformed lives, and credit it to a miracle and, I assume, to Jesus. What about people who also claim to witness miracles and transformed lives, but credit them to Mohammed? What about Hindu and Buddhist believers who also claim their beliefs create transformed lives?

    Isn't it possible that people (many of them)transform their lives based on the belief something is true, without it actually being true? Sort of a Placebo spirituality? You seem like a kind person, but I would ask that you also open your mind (as you praised Hemant for) to the possibility that there are no invisible friends or gods or angels or leprechauns or "star alignments" that are directing traffic here on Earth. It is just us!

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  7. MyCache: I will leave a response on your blog okay? Lori

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