The words are almost synonymous.  Mystery is something hidden, and wonder is wanting it to be revealed.  Wonder can also be a state of awe at the mystery itself.

I’m reading a mystery novel.  I wonder who the murderer is.

How many other populated planets are out there is a mystery, known only to God.  I look up into the clear night sky and wonder.

What do you wonder about?  How much of your wonderment is divided between this life and a spiritual life, or the next life?  It would be hard to imagine a human being who never questioned the meaning of life or thought about what happens after death.

I’ve met people over the years who appear to have a genuine connection with God.  And we’ve all heard stories of near-death experiences that seem so real.  Is it just our minds accommodating the need for addressing what can’t be explained, or is there more than this life?

Why does God use an almost clandestine approach to communicating with us in the here and now?  We have the Old Testament prophets and the New Testament Jesus.  Isn’t that enough?

I am impressed by the mysteries of our ecosystem and the magnificence of our solar system.  I would have great difficulty believing that it all just happened.

And then there’s hope.  A person who is healthy and wealthy, or who lives in peace and security tends to live for the day.  Those that have experienced sickness, who have witnessed a death or have been exposed to the cruelty of man are more likely to hope for tomorrow.  Can the self-made man hope?

It’s a mystery that we even wonder.

Inspiration is the antithesis of apathy.  Action is preferable to inaction.  The spark within us is what makes life interesting.  It not only gives us hope, but puts feet on our faith.  So where does that spark come from?

Some would argue that it is all cause and effect.  We react to stimulus.  Someone begs us to do something, the weather is perfect for …, or a new revelation prompts us to share it with others.  Any number of sensual signals can start our inspirational engines.  Inspire is from the Latin, meaning “to breathe upon or into.”

The Bible says that “all Scripture is God-breathed.” (2 Timothy 3:16)  Does that mean just the Old Testament, since it was written in the New Testament?  Or do we Christians have the right to include the canonized Bible (both Testaments) as the God-breathed Word of God?  Is it really infallible?  If it’s truly inspired, could the men that wrote it have put their own spin on some things?

We are all created by God.  Our minds contain the seat of the soul, the very connection to Him.  So can’t we say, as George MacDonald writes, that “the inspiration of the Almighty alone gives understanding?”  Is all inspiration more or less a pay-it-forward from God?  That is, when we inspire others, isn’t it God (or God’s Spirit) inspiring us to inspire others, and so on?  Or can evil be inspired, either by Satan or selfish people?

I like the association of inspire to breathing.  Breathing is necessary to life.  So is inspiration.  Some people have good “breath,” and others have nasty “breath.”  What is our role in generating or receiving inspiration? Do we just let it happen?  I feel inspired to write these articles.  I constantly have thoughts and ideas going through my mind, but there are many times when I have to force myself to put them in writing.  So, am I just manufacturing inspiration, or am I just too lazy sometimes to harvest the fruit?

What — or who — inspires you?  I’d like to know.

Punishment is the bad thing that happens when you do wrong.  It can come by the hand of fellow humans or by the hand of God.  It can also be self-inflicted.  No matter how it comes, it hurts.  The hurt can often bring resentment or revenge.  But can punishment ever be good?

Our justice system is designed to make punishment a deterrent — that is, if you’re punished for a crime, then you are less likely to do it again.  Unfortunately, most criminals in our jails are repeat offenders.  And this doesn’t even count for the number of crimes they got away with.  So the punishment merely takes them out of society for awhile until they have served their time or until they convince parole boards to release them early.

Before I go any further, let me say that I am not aware of anything that I have done that should put me in prison.  So why should I be punished?  Because I believe that God’s punishment is just and is used by him to discipline us.  It certainly can include punishment by others, but God is the Master Planner.

It is natural for a person to not want to do wrong in order to avoid punishment, especially if he or she has felt the sting of punishment.  But God doesn’t want that for us.  He punishes us to get our attention. It is his desire for us to be able to recognize where we have gone wrong, so that we may set it right. And not only are we to set it right, we must condition ourselves to not repeat it — not so as to avoid punishment, but to consciously want to do the right thing — because we are his children and want to be like him.

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I was asked the other day why I chose the title, “Framed By Faith,” for this blog.  Actually, a lot of thought went into it.

I wanted the site to be truly non-denominational in content.  I say truly because in my experience most so-called non-denominational church services would make you think that you’re in one of the many types of Baptist churches scattered liberally around our country.  You would have to double-check the bulletin or the sign out front to make sure you really were at a non-denominational church.

Quite simply, to be a denomination you must have more than one local church that believes the same thing about the Bible, Jesus, etc..  What further designates it as a denomination is if they have at least an annual regional or national meeting, which may or may not include a governing body.  A non-denominational church may believe exactly the same as their brothers and sisters down the street, but they are different because they don’t answer to anybody.

Inter-denominational groups also don’t answer to anyone, but they create a statement of faith that takes what they like from various denominations.  And they try to get along with everybody.  Usually.

I have found myself not fitting into anybody’s category as far as organized church goes.

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What if … the world really is 4.5 billion years old and has been populated by humans for 6.5 million years? Does that mean that God doesn’t exist?

What if … Jesus isn’t really the son of God?  What if he was just a man who may, or may not, have had a special relationship with an unseen Being?

What if … the Bible isn’t the certified, authentic word of God?  What if it’s just a collection of writings by men whose minds wandered beyond the cosmos?  Is there any hope for us?

What if … some of us got the plan of salvation wrong and end up in fiery eternal torment?  Just because we didn’t say the magic words or believe the right stuff?

What if … it turns out that doctrine isn’t important and God just wanted us all to get along and help one another?

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I don’t mean why are you HERE.  I’m not referring to the 51 unique visitors to this blog who spend an average of 7 seconds each, checking in.  I mean why are YOU here — on this earth?  If you don’t believe in God, then you don’t have a clue; you’re just an accident that has already happened.  A big bang.  A mutation from a single-celled organism.  An apostrophe.

BUT – if you believe in God, then you may have a lot of work to do.  Because he certainly had a reason for causing you to exist, and it would behoove you to determine how you fit in with this amazing creation.

The poet W. H. Auden said,

We are here on earth to do good to others.  What the others are here for, I don’t know.

He’s got a point.  If your focus is on your role in this world, the others will take care of themselves. How many of us are more concerned with what others think of us, what others are enjoying, how others have offended us or what they have that we don’t?

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How much sweeter life would have been if I had been what I am now becoming.  I can feel the change, although at times it seems very gradual.  I suppose that’s how God wants it to be.  We live in a world, particularly in developed societies, where waiting patiently for things is just not acceptable.  Even our technology centers on getting it good, getting it cheap and getting it NOW.

Microwave ovens can put out tasty, home-cooked meals in minutes.  Remote controls save time and energy from having to waddle over to the TV or other device in order to activate it.  Why go to the doctor’s office when your online medical advisor is just a click away?  The internet is the world’s largest shopping mall and flea market.  Screen possible mates on the web before you actually have to interact with them.  Instead of having to deal with our own problems, we can escape to an abbreviated version of someone else’s woes in a huge lineup of reality shows.  Drive-thru’s are everywhere and provide quick access to food, dry cleaning, tag renewals and your money.

I’ll be the first to confess to enjoying the conveniences, but have we begun to worship them?  George MacDonald said,

To have what we want is riches, but to be able to do without is power.

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I don’t know if this was the title of the country-western song I heard (or partly heard), but the phrase came up in the refrain.  And it’s certainly a great line for discussion.  Of the three observations the first two seem to be ranked, and the third appears to be unrelated.

What makes God great?  Let’s say a good ole’ country boy is down to his last few bucks and was given a choice of buying a case of beer or putting that cash in the church offering plate.  Which would he choose? I’ve got a feeling the ranking would be reversed:  Buy the beer and avoid the church.  Like the mealtime prayer, “God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our booze.”  It’s the American way.

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But he [Christ] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

II Corinthians 12:9

The Apostle Paul was referring to his thorn in the flesh, yet not identifying just what it was. It seemed to be some physical or mental deficiency that annoyed him. Having asked God to remove it on three occasions, he was now ready not only to accept it, but to embrace it. However, in the same passage he reports that someone (very likely himself) received a great revelation and was caught up to paradise.

Strength in weakness is a paradox in which one must be accepted in order to gain the other. The natural tendency, though, is to regard weakness as a negative. We’re taught that only the strong survive, only the aggressive make it in this world, and “do unto others before they do it unto you.”

To be sure, who would naturally welcome insults, hardships, persecutions and difficulties, as listed in verse 10? If we are truly honest, we must admit that weakness is the natural condition for insecurity, sadness, depression and a troubled spirit. So what does the verse mean?

It may very well be a dramatic antithesis for pride, which boasts of strength, accomplishments, beauty and position in life. It’s less of wallowing in weakness, but rather recognizing that our focus is directed to the One who gives us strength. We must realize that all that we have can be taken away from us at any moment. We see it every day. Life itself is fleeting. My 61-year-old body can hardly keep up with my 20-year-old mind.

If we are founded in the fact that God is our strength, then we understand that any supposed weakness, by the world’s standards, is used by Him to sanctify us. It is also used to draw our attention to Him and to keep our pride at bay. Our lives consist of constant reassessments of who we are and why we are here. As our relationship with our Creator grows deeper, we are less likely to dwell on the meaning of life. We simply live it. His grace is sufficient.

If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

John 8:31, 32

How many who declare themselves as followers of Christ really follow him? How well do I follow him? It is not enough to merely know about him; we must know him. Even in our daily lives, when we want to get to know someone, we must spend time with them, question them and allow them to enter into our space.

Whether we choose to accept it or not, we all have a tendency to follow someone. This is because we are influenced by their words and lives. That’s not necessarily a bad thing if the one being followed is an example of the truth. The Apostle Paul challenges us to imitate him because of his way of life in Christ. Jesus tells us to follow him so that we can learn about his Father and our Father.

A clear warning exists to not blindly follow someone who maintains a “truth” that is unverifiable or makes no sense. Depending on the character of the person, we may trust what they say about themselves. But we must weigh carefully what they say about heavenly matters. They may also interpret the Bible in a way that doesn’t quite track with common sense. Especially beware of new “revelations.”

Jesus’ teaching was clear and concise. It was the perfect guidebook for living this life. When we accept and follow this truth, then we are free to share what is in our hearts. He gave his life to get this message to us. We must devote ours to pass the message on.