Restoring Hope

First Published Memorial Day May 28, 2012 I Peter 3:15 But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence. **** **** For over three decades I have taught calculus at a local university. With each new term I am asked a common question, “Do you give partial credit?” And my answer is, “Yes, for a reason.” I want to give students reasonable hope for improvement. Ever since I can remember, I have liked math and was pretty good at it. I was one of those youngsters who was excited about the prospect of taking a math test or quiz, and I nearly always got a perfect score, until one day in the sixth grade. The teacher passed back all the math quizzes from the previous day, but I did not get mine back. She asked who didn’t get a paper and I raised my hand. She directed me to stand and retrieve the paper she had in her hand. “This is your lesson on knowing your name.” In the space for my name was a giant red “F.” No other mark was on the paper. The 100 math problems were perfectly correct. I collapsed into my seat. When people ask me about being a Christian, I am reminded about the hope that I have, not from anything that I did or didn’t do. The Old Testament contains numerous accounts of people who messed up once and were condemned by the Law. The New Testament shows the fulfillment of the Law in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. We now have hope, where we otherwise would have despair. John 8:10-12 tells of a woman who, by the Law, should have been put to death for her sins. Jesus forgave her and restored her hope. How can this apply to us? We can look at today’s verse as a guide. With gentleness and reverence, we can share the hope in us. My very close friend, Tanya walked home with me that day, spending most of the time reassuring me of my math skills. And, 11 years later I was teaching calculus, my hope restored. Today, recount a special time when you have had your hope restored and look for an opportunity to restore hope in someone else. Consider a card, a smile, a hug, a prayer, or some help that with gentleness and reverence may steer someone to the eternal hope in Christ Jesus. Remember, there is hope “for a reason.” Copyright 2012, Karen Vaughn

Believe Him, Or Not

First Published May 11, 2012 John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. **** **** This verse is widely recited, referenced, and revered for its concise and encompassing content. There are entire books devoted to this one verse penned by the apostle John quoting Christ Jesus. But, today’s focus is on the word “believes.” The word is translated from the Greek “pisteuo,” (πιστεύω) (pist-yoo’-o) which means to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in. The translation is the present indicative active form. This means that the action is ongoing. The belief referred to in John 3:16 is continuous and never ending. It’s hard to think in those terms, but in the Greek language this is an important issue. John’s use of the present indicative active tense implies trust and commitment. So, if we believe in Him, we trust that God’s plan is perfect and we commit ourselves to reflect His will in our lives. This truly goes beyond an intellectual understanding and acceptance of believing in Jesus. Our belief must be evident in our actions in the life we lead. If our believing in Christ is sporadic or wanes in intensity let’s make a change. Let’s purpose to focus on a continuous Christian walk and pray that today marks a new life of “pisteuo”-ing Him! Copyright 2012, Karen Vaughn

Good Friday

First Published April 6, 2012

And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom;
and the earth shook and the rocks were split.

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Ever since I was very little and my mother told me about Good Friday I have wondered about the logic in celebrating Jesus’s crucifixion. After all, there are few people who cheer during a funeral. Death is a sobering event, and none of the childhood definitions seem to fit, so I thought it high time to research the name myself.

One possible origin involves ancient Gaul (modern day France and Germany). The Gallician Church referred to the commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus as “Gute Freitag.” This Germanic phrase literally means “holy” Friday. Gute also means “good,” so there may have been a glitch in translating the phrase.

Another possibility may have come from replacing God’s Friday with Good Friday, noting that the word “God” was often viewed as too holy to be spoken aloud.

Both of these scenarios point to the purpose of the day’s recognition. God’s will was imposed and prophecy was fulfilled on this dark day. No one could ignore the furious physical signs of God’s proclamation that in the death of Christ, the chasm between God and man was gone (Hebrews 9:8) So, this day should empower us as we remember Christ being the innocent sacrifice, hence declaring victory over evil.

As we approach Good Friday, let us be reminded of the sorrow and grief the people experienced. But also let us remember God’s salute to His Son for restoring Man to his Maker.

Dear Lord, thank you for the sacrifice your Son made by bearing the sins of the world and dying undeservingly on the cross. Help me to feel the sadness in commemorating His death as well as the jubilation of your plan of salvation fulfilled. You are Lord of All. Amen

Copyright 2012, Karen Vaughn

Jesus Christ Is Lord

First Published March 12, 2012

I Corinthians 1:9
God is faithful, through whom you were called into fellowship with His Son,
Jesus Christ our Lord.

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Some people have dogs for pets. Many of these dogs provide companionship. They may be waiting for us when we get home, or maybe they accompany us going places. There is mostly one-way communication. The dog cannot have a conversation with us. It mainly obeys our command.

Some people have working dogs. Several jobs for these dogs include aiding the handicapped, searching for people in disasters, and guarding property. These dogs have amazing abilities beyond that of humans.

Some people have show dogs. These dogs are groomed to impress the judges at competitions. Perfection is the standard of measurement. They look and behave in a prescribed manner. All other characteristics are bred out or the dog is retrained.

As wonderful as having a pet is, strangely enough, some of us treat our Jesus like a pet. Some of us keep Christ around for companionship; for warm fuzzy feelings of love. Perhaps we were baptized without the sense of awareness of being redeemed. Maybe we prayed the Believer’s Prayer, thinking that we were now “set” to go on with life. No more troubles. No more worries.

Some of us keep Christ around to work for us and do our bidding. We expect him to immediately respond to our commands. That’s right. We think praying to God’s Son is like a fast food drive up microphone. “I’ll have two Healing Combos, and super-size them.” Our prayers are a list of demands with expected compliance on our terms.

Some of us keep Christ around for show. Hey everyone, look at my Christian life. I’ve got icons everywhere. With Christ I’ve got the blue ribbon, so take notice!

Not! Today’s verse is among passages Paul wrote in his opening remarks to the Corinthians concerning factions of fellowships rallying around a particular doctrine.

I’d like to use our passage as an individual wake up cry. Each of us can abandon treating Jesus as a pet. We can get back to the basic premise and declare Jesus Christ is Lord! Yes, Jesus Christ is Lord! Now, let’s put that into action!
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I confess Father God, I sometimes treat your holy Son like a pet. Be merciful and forgive me oh Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord. Please etch that on my heart and help me live it each day. Jesus Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord. Amen.

Copyright 2012 Karen Vaughn

Click-Click :Shining a Light On Worship

First Published February 20, 2012

Psalm 49:3
My mouth will speak words of wisdom;
the meditation of my heart will give you understanding.

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Conserving energy is not a new concept. There are still many who remember rationing during World War II. Scrap metal was collected, ration coupons were treasured, and lights were out at curfew.

My friend Mary and I, though in different locales, grew up at the same time in the 60’s and 70’s when we learned about air pollution, gasoline lines, and conserving electricity. She was taught that lights went on during the day according to necessity and stayed on until 9 pm, when all lights were turned off. I was taught to turn off lights when you exited a room. The intent of both teachings was to conserve energy, yet the implementations seem diametrically opposed.

One of the most exciting (and yet frustrating) things about understanding worshiping God is that it we can do it in different ways. Each of us is unique, living in different cultures, but each of us has the same focus, glorifying the Lord. Still it is difficult for us to understand worship traditions other than our own.

We are not to compromise God’s truth, and I am not advocating that. But we still need to share and communicate with each other how worshiping and living a Christ-centered life keeps us focused on God.

Whether we pray aloud or silently; whether we clap with the tambourine or sing a quiet hymn; whether we assemble in a large auditorium or sit in a small living room gathering; whether we are part of an online Bible study or meet at the corner diner; whether we keep the lights on until 9 p.m. or turn them off when we leave the room; we are one in Christ Jesus.

Today, let’s open our eyes and ears to how people worship differently. Allow the God to illuminate as you learn. The Light will “click-click” as the Holy Spirit gives you a new and fresh perspective of understanding worship.

Copyright 2012 Karen Vaughn

Greetings and Salutations!

First Published January 20, 2012

I Timothy 1:1-2
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus according to the commandment of God our Savior, and of Christ Jesus, who is our hope, to Timothy, my true child in the faith: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

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In the American culture alone there are dozens of ways to greet one another. Gestures such as a handshake are general and accepted among strangers. Other greetings such as a hug, a kiss, a salute, a bow, or a curtsey acknowledge a certain relationship and respect along with the greeting.

In informal written correspondence, often Americans write “Dear _______” at the beginning and “Sincerely, _________” at the end. More often in emails I write “Hi ____” and just sign my name at the end. Though we tend to use very short written salutations, I think there is much to be learned from salutations in the Bible.

In I Timothy 1:1-2 Paul gives a lengthy “To – From” greeting establishing himself and his purpose. This is intended for Timothy, yet God and Jesus are noted five times total. Of course both Paul and Timothy were Believers, and still Paul references the source of his faith and hope, Jesus Christ. The letter is deeply enriched by the eloquent salutation.

So what does this mean for us? I am not suggesting that we cover our written messages with a lengthy testimony. Nor am I saying that we just ignore today’s verses, citing cultural differences. Let’s examine what we might do to sincerely and effectively communicate our faith and hope in Jesus Christ in our salutations.

Today I intend to sign my email correspondences and letters with the reference to today’s verses. I pray you will also join in this exercise and include a Bible verse in your greetings. Let us proclaim our faith just a little bit further and a little bit stronger.

Blessings,
Karen Vaughn
I Timothy 1:1-2

Copyright 2012 Karen Vaughn

Northern Lights

First Published January 2, 2012



Psalms 146:6
He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—
He remains faithful forever.

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If you have ever seen the aurora borealis, you know of the visual spectacular illuminating show of glowing dancing lights. The lights of the aurora are the collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun entering the earth’s atmosphere. Occurring near the magnetic poles, the aurora borealis (North Pole) and aurora Australis (South Pole) are cyclic, peaking about every 11 years with a three-year window. With today’s technology you may view videos of past phenomena online.

I was a teen when I had the opportunity to be in Norway about a year before the aurora peaked in 1975. I got a glimpse of some greenish lights shimmering in the sky around midnight. It was one of the most amazing things I’d ever seen.

From the rapids of waterfalls, to the miracle of birth, we have all seen evidence of the greatness of God. But, do we take our omnipotent creator for granted? Do we live in our own little boxed world? No, we mustn’t! We need to acknowledge his handiwork and proclaim His greatness with exuberance, with joy, and with purpose! Great is the Lord!

Today pick a favorite wonder in this world and tell someone about how great God is for creating it. Hallelujah!

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Great are you, Lord! Praise your wonderful creation and the hands that formed it. The wonderment of your power may be seen each and every hour. May people continue to open their eyes and see you through creation. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.

Copyright 2012, Karen Vaughn

O Come All Ye Faithful

First Published December 21, 2011

O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.
Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;

O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.
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One of the most beloved Christmas carols is “O Come All Ye Faithful.” The Latin lyrics “Adeste Fideles,” are attributed to John F. Wade, and the English translation is by Frederick Oakeley. I’ve sung those words many times, yet I still wonder what they may have really meant. How does this carol written almost 700 years ago continue to have an impact on us today?
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God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
I Corinthians 1:9
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I believe that the first phrase reflects a loud proclaimed invitation to focus your spiritual journey on the wondrous birth of Jesus Christ. This is opened to “All Ye Faithful.” Does this refer to all who are in Christ? Or perhaps, is this arms-opened invite for everyone who seeks to trust God’s own faithfulness? I think the latter gives mankind hope through God’s kept his promise of redemption through the birth of his Son.

Next, the verse tells of our attitude. We are “joyful and triumphant” [!!!] We are then urged to remember that the earthly beginnings of Jesus were real. Bethlehem is a real place, but Jesus is of royal lineage. He was “born the King of angels.” Then a simple reiterated command shapes the rest of the verse. “O come, let us adore Him.”

If you are drawn to read more verses, consider the Center for Church Music, http://songsandhymns.org/hymns/detail/o-come-all-ye-faithful.

This Christmas season; let’s remember God’s faithfulness to us and to respond to the celebration of his Son’s birth with our own faithfulness in Him.
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O come, let us adore Him,
Christ the Lord.

Copyright 2011 Karen Vaughn