Mystical experiences are very difficult to analyze. It is very complex because there are so many fakes out there, so many misleading people that speak in the name of God. We also have seen fanatics predicting the end of the world. The religious arena is so polluted, so clouded, that it makes the obvious divine...
I must say that during my years in practice as a cardiac surgeon, I have been able to witness events that I cannot explain by the usual conventional medical logic. In the blog titled “Rest on Me,” a patient described an extra-body event which initially I thought was just a patient being extremely thankful. In fact, I was ready to completely disregard the experience until he looked at my eyes and pointed at me saying: “Doctor, I want you to know that the Lord is pleased with the way you are handling your personal situation” and that “as long as you rest on him and everything will be fine.”
During this journey in my faith, I have been able to experience a unique joy - the joy of being a witness of God’s interventions in our daily activities. As we read the Bible, we see all kinds of miracles and obvious divine interventions. I remember asking myself, how come we don’t see miracles as often as in times past. In fact, I felt that God had decided not to do miracles anymore and let things go according to absolute natural laws. It was as though through the centuries he just wore out.
I am amazed how much we like to complicate matters! In the process of complicating matters we lose track of what is really important.
One way or another, from the old to the New Testament, the Bible says multiple times “Do Not Be Afraid & Fear Not”.
It seems like the Bible says something like this 100 times or more!
When I was younger I used to say to my mother, “You only told me once!”.
My friends, we cannot focus on “how many times” God tells us to do something. We miss it when we need God to tell us over and over again (although he is patient with us and certainly does)!
In other words what is the difference between 100 times vs. 1?
I have heard the expression “That was God’s Will” so many times. It usually follows some catastrophic event. It is used as a comforting statement to someone else after a loss, a disease process etc. I must say that I have always struggled with the idea that anything associated with misery or sadness is “God’s will”.
Is it really God’s will?
So how is it possible that God loves us as a father if He is willing to hurt us? There is something missing here.
If God is our father, He doesn’t want bad things to happen to us. If we believe that God is our loving father, then this statement that is used to try to comfort us, is extremely contradictory to God being a loving father!
In certain situations like a disease process, this particular expression becomes somewhat dangerous because it could trigger apathy.
What I mean by this is very simple, if a disease happens because of “God’s will” then what can we do about it? Well, nothing.
This particular trend of thoughts could lead to inactivity. Basically, we stop fighting- we just give up. Honestly, it makes sense; what can you do if it is God’s will that you develop a cancer? Why bother to go to the doctor because it’s God’s will that I die. He’s the one who gave it to me!
As long as we are on this earth, we will have to face diseases, natural disasters, death etc. These ‘bad things’ do not favor anyone in particular. People-good or bad- will have to die at some point, otherwise Earth would be too small for all of us.
Imagine if George Washington was still around because he was a good guy and he deserves to be around. Vice versa, Adolf Hitler was still around because bad people don’t die.
The good news is that we can and should rely on God, our loving father to gives us the strength, courage, abilities and wisdom to face adversities. We have to understand that it isn’t God’s will for us to be plagued with tragic events - but it is His desire that we overcome those terrible things and find our strength anchored in His power, not our own.
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.”
- Genesis 1
The first sentence of genesis “In the beginning” has been used so many times in motion pictures and TV series. It is without doubt one of the most popular introductions. Before I continue with this topic, I should warn you that this particular blog was not designed to challenge or question any particular dogma from any denomination. It is simply thinking out loud and sharing my efforts in learning more about our creator.
We should also understand that Genesis is written in human language, allowing us to have an idea about the creation. The key phrase is “human language” which allocates time frames like 1st, 2nd, 3rd day to the occurrence of the creation events. It is very safe to say that it was more complex than that.
The above quote from Genesis tells us that there was nothing else but only God (Spirit of God). If we are going to be more specific let’s say that God, which equals the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, was the only being or beings around. That was it!
This particular question is very interesting because something triggered the supreme being, our creator to construct something new. Later on, He decided to create a being whom He would have a different interaction with - The Man.
As we continue reading the Genesis, it is important to accept the fact that God had to interact with His new creation. Since there was nothing before that, this interaction was also new to Him.
He was creating and evaluating this Earth and Life forms, and He thought, “It was good”. This particular sentence is found a few times in Genesis 1. It gives the sense that the Lord was grading what He was seeing. But also at some point in Genesis, things started to get very dynamic- there was a disobedience to God’s plan, which trigger a set of consequences. It is also obvious that once the first sin occurred, sin became part of this new creation. In fact, things got so bad that the Lord had to flood the Earth in an effort to reset and start again. This is the sense I get from the reading.
I have read the first chapter of the Bible several times. The more I read it – the more it appears to me that the creator is also in evolution. In other words, He went from being by himself to overseeing and caring for His newly developed world. It was a new experience for Him. He has used several resources in His efforts to re-direct humanity to His original plan.
We can also see a change on His approach, from sending plagues, fire, or a flood to destroy the world, to sending His own Son to save it.
Media: What is your book is about?
Norberto: This book is about Jesus’ story analyzed from my perspective as a Christian physician/surgeon. Utilizing my clinical training, I created a pre-crucifixion profile of Jesus. I then explained the crucifixion proceedings in a simple manner so everyone could understand the implications of that type of execution on the human body. I truly believe that after reading this book, you will read the passion of the Christ very differently. You will understand why he was sweating blood at Gethsemane and why water and blood came out of his chest when the Roman soldiers pierced his side. I also addressed the Resurrection.
LANCASTER, OHIO — A local cardiothoracic surgeon from Fairfield Medical Center is exploring the death of humanity’s greatest revolutionary 2,000 years after the fact. Dr. Jose J. Norberto’s book “The Physical Death and Resurrection: A Surgeon’s View” breaks down the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
“I started giving lectures about four years ago on the topic,” he said. “I got a huge response.”
Source: Lancaster Eagle Gazette
© 2014 Jose J. Norberto Books
