Monday, March 03, 2008

Do You Believe in Miracles?

I've had something I've been thinking about for quite some time now. I have mulled it over in my mind and I think I've finally come to an understanding. I could never understand how people could believe in miracles, but not believe that Joseph Smith could translate the Book of Mormon, or that angels could appear to him.

Many believe that Moses actually parted the Red Sea, and the children of Israel passed through on dry ground. They can believe that the apostles in the New Testament healed the sick. They can believe that Jesus was resurrected from the dead. They can believe that Lazarus was raised from the dead. They can believe that Daniel was protected from lions in the lions den. They can believe that Sarah could have a child when she was beyond child rearing years. They can believe that Joseph of Egypt was able to interpret dreams. They can believe that Isaiah was able to prophecy the future. They can believe that Jesus turned water in to wine, or fed 5000 with a few loaves and fishes. They can believe that miracles happened in days of old, but they can't believe that they can happen today.

As I have pondered this for quite some months now, I have started to read what others believe about the Bible, and I have come to see that many Christian churches, in fact, don't believe the Bible literally. Many churches believe that it was only speaking figuratively. They can't believe prophecies that verge too much on the miraculous, and instead interpret them according to what they can comfortably believe.

I, for one, do believe in miracles. I believe that if God can create the Earth, and everything on it, he can perform miracles today. He asks us, "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" Jer. 32:27 Is it too hard for the Lord to lead another people across the sea to the Americas? Is it too hard for the Lord to command them to keep a record? Is it too hard for Him to bring forth that record in the latter day and have it translated? Is it too hard for Him to call modern day prophets to restore the Gospel that was lost to apostasy? I believe these things happened, just as I believe that Moses did in fact turn the river Nile in to blood. I believe that the Book of Mormon came forth by the gift and power of God just as much as I believe that Isaiah was inspired and shown in vision the second coming of our Savior. I believe that Jesus Christ was literally resurrected from the dead, and I also believe that the resurrected Peter, James and John came to Joseph Smith and restored the Priesthood authority which had been lost. Simply put, I believe in miracles. Do you believe in miracles?

5 comments:

JJJ said...

You know me, so I have to say no I dont, cause there hasnt been anything I would consider a "miracle" in my lifetime.
I am not attacking you or your believes you have the right to believe what you wish, and if your right you snicker while I burn.
But to me Miracles are like Unicorns,Jabawockies, and fastfood that aint fattening, great stories.
But then again i suppose i dont look for little miracles , like a kid happens to not drown, or someone walks away from a planecrash to me they just got lucky, and if the situation happened again they most likly wouldnt. I look for the big suddenly there is no cancer, world peace, no more hungry in the world, you know miracles that would leave no wondering that their is a greater power.
And alot of the miracles in the bible are typically big ones, most of the ones you mentioned if i seen personally i wouldnt be writing this :)
If you can find someone to part the delaware,lay of hands and heal all ailments with a doctors x-ray and what not, agreeing, or if you know someone who is going to wake up after being legally dead (no brain activity at all) for 24 hours let me know cause sometimes it be nice to beleive in something i suppose.

Max Coutinho said...

Hey Delirious,

Here is an interesting post, indeed.
I believe in miracles, and I believe that Moses parted the red sea, that Isaiah could prophecy the future, that Joseph interpreted dreams and that Daniel was protected by the lions. I also believe that Jesus could cure and do miracles (even though I am not a Christian). But I also believe in many other things that are not included in the Bible that you would probably think that it is a sin or something (which doesn't mean that it didn't come from God) lol...
I believe in past and present miracles.

"They can't believe prophecies that verge too much on the miraculous, and instead interpret them according to what they can comfortable believe" I hear you on this one...

No, nothing is impossible to God.

You believing in God is good enough for me. It is not my role to judge your religion, nor your personal beliefs. To me, you are God's child just like the rest of us, period.

Great post :)!

Cheers

Looney said...

Delirious, it looks like you are going to get a variety of conflicting opinions! I too believe in miracles in general, but not necessarily in specific instances. There have been plenty of hoaxes, but we also have the very intelligent Ben Franklin who said: "I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Truth, that God governs in the Affairs of Men."

Then there is a another category of miraculous claims which fits into the "why do I need to believe?" category, for which I refrain from expressing an opinion until I sense a compelling reason to investigate further.

Oswegan said...

Yes :-)

Nene said...

Isaiah 59:1 - "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear"

The Lord still hears us today. He never stopped. He still answers our prayers and he still gives us miracles. The world just chooses to "explain" them away.