Do You Believe in Ghosts?

I think I was born in a church. My parents tell me it was a hospital in downtown Houston, but I think otherwise. I say this because of the frequency that I was in a church building during my childhood.

I'm talking at least three times a week. Throw in pot-lucks, gospel meetings, VBS, and youth meetings and the church building was my home away from home. I'm grateful for this, don't misunderstand me.

My tradition isn't very charismatic to begin with, so it all became a familiar ritual early on.

I remember as a kid the arguments when the NIV was introduced. The King James was still "king" around these parts. The language appealed to me in a Shakespearian sort of way (even to this day I say, "verily, verily"), but I liked knowing what I was reading so I preferred the NIV.

What I miss is how I thought of the Holy Spirit. He was renamed, or better translated, in the NIV. The King James is different. Remember the Holy Ghost? Finally, some mystery to something that had become so concrete.

Every bible school teacher I had could tell me how to prove the existence of God and show the Bible verses to back it up. It was a formula for faith. It all fit. But the Holy Ghost didn't really fit. It was exciting when this unknown "thing" would make an appearance in all that is known. I would hear from the pastor, "God, blah, blah, blah and the Holy Ghost."

I would perk up. What? Ghost? What is this Ghost all about?

What was even more amazing to me was when I found out this Ghost got Mary pregnant!

No one had much of an answer for me. I should say, no one would really try to answer it for me. They didn't know either. I wanted to know. I love ghost stories!

I've been thinking what Daniel wrote about the Supernatural and I thought of the Holy Ghost again. I wondered once more, what is this Ghost all about and what has he been doing all this time? Have I lost the mystery, the supernatural of this Ghost, this Spirit?

Would I believe in God if I didn't have a Bible? Would I believe if I never heard all those stories? Would you?

We probably don't hear, "In the the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Bible." but it has become our mantra.

Has the Holy Bible replaced the Holy Spirit in your life. My answer would mostly be yes. I mean, if you want to know God's will, don't you just look it up in the answer book, uhh, Bible?

I know it seems hard to imagine? You think, every thing you know about God is because you've read or heard about it in the Bible.

But is that true?