You Died and Were Raised by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 10, 2026 by jrcoggins

There is an interesting image in Colossians 3:1-4. Paul said, “Since you have been raised with Christ…” (3:1). This refers to what Paul said previously in Colossians 2:11-12, that our “whole self” was “buried with [Christ] in baptism” and that we “were also raised with him through…faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.” Jesus was crucified, died, was resurrected, walked again on the earth, and then ascended to the throne room of God in heaven. What Paul was saying is that we Christians died to our old sinful way of living when we accepted Jesus. Baptism symbolizes our death but also our new life—we go down into the water as if we are descending into a grave but then come up again. As Jesus was raised from the dead, so we, His followers, have also been raised from the dead. But Jesus did not just rise back to life on this earth. He then ascended to heaven. Paul was saying that we, too, have ascended to heaven.

Now, we know that we are still living on this earth. So were Paul and the Colossian Christians. Paul was not denying that. But Paul was saying that our hearts and our minds should be in heaven. The problem with the false teachers in Colossae was that they were focused on the physical things of earth—food, the body, time. Paul said that we should be focused on the things of heaven—compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, unity, peace, and thankfulness (2:12-15). We should focus on our relationship with God and on what will last into eternity. We should have an eternal perspective.

Paul was also saying that our “life” is in heaven with Jesus and God. That is where we are heading. We might not be all there yet, but we are in transition, we are on the way. Eternal life does not start after we die. It already started when we were born again into faith in Jesus. We are already what we will be—children of God. And so we should act like it.

Robert Browning wrote a poem called “An Epistle Containing the Strange Medical Experience of Karshish, the Arab Physician.” In the poem, Karshish encounters Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead. What strikes him is that Lazarus, having died and gone to heaven and then returned to earth, now has a heavenly perspective. If his child becomes very ill and his physical life is in danger, Lazarus does not seem concerned at all. However, a word or gesture suggesting that the son’s spiritual life might be in danger concerns him greatly. That is what it means to have a heavenly perspective. Karshish describes the situation as “Heaven opened to a soul while yet on earth”—and that is precisely the situation Paul was saying every Christian is in. We have seen heaven, we have encountered the living God, and it should profoundly transform the way we think and act. We should think and act as Jesus thinks and acts and as those already in heaven think and act and as we will think and act when we are in heaven.

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Reflections from a Soup Kitchen by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 3, 2026 by jrcoggins

Some members of our church go to the local street mission once a month to serve food. One month a while ago, the regulars were not available, and our care group was asked to fill in. It was not the first time I have been involved in a social outreach, but it did lead to some reflections.

The people we were serving were homeless, people living on the street. When the doors opened at 6:00 p.m., they began filing in and sitting at tables. There was a brief prayer and devotional message. Then, we began serving an evening meal of chicken patties, vegetables, and French fries. Four of our group were putting the food onto plates, and four of us brought the plates to the clients, who were sitting at tables. The clients had been taught not to approach the kitchen, and latecomers raised their hands to indicate they had not received food yet. Those who run the ministry are not naïve. They know how to offer tough love and establish boundaries to protect everyone involved

Over the course of the evening, I made several observations, which continue to haunt me.

The clients had multiple needs. They needed food for sure, but most were also in need of basic hygiene, lacking access to showers or toothpaste. Many were in need of medical care. Some were in wheelchairs, some were limping, some had badly twisted spines, some had digestive problems and could barely eat. Some were addicted, although clients obviously high on drugs were not allowed in. It needs to be said that the ministry provides a wide range of services to help those willing to move to the next level, including subsidized housing, recovery houses, vocational training, medical referrals, and more. Not all clients remain homeless. After the meal was served and the tables cleared away, mats were placed on the floor to provide overnight sleeping accommodations.

The clients acted like other people. Many expressed gratitude for the food. Many of them know each other and talked like friends. There were cliques as in any school cafeteria. But they don’t necessarily trust each other. Many are desperate, and some will steal from other people on the street, crimes that are rarely reported to the police. Many seemed fearful, carefully clutching their meager possessions. Many have been mistreated (on the street and before that) and have good reason to mistrust others. They need emotional and spiritual healing as well as physical healing.

One of the saddest sights was a woman with several children eating together at one of the tables. I did not learn her story. She seemed more put-together than some of the other clients. Her children seemed happy and well behaved. The love of a parent can overcome many hardships. Her children ate what was put in front of them without complaining.

I have huge respect for the regular workers, who see this sad parade every day and find the resources to love the clients, day in and day out, getting to know them as individuals and gently and patiently guiding them to greater help. I also couldn’t help but notice that while Christians continue to insist that people should work to support themselves, that people should not become addicted to drugs and alcohol, and so on, it is mostly Christians doing the hard work to rescue people in trouble.

When I came home, I found I had little appetite for the wonderful meal my wife had prepared for me. It was hard to enjoy my abundance after seeing people without basic necessities. I have also found myself becoming impatient with the frivolous things that are often our focus—Christmas and birthday gifts that are not needed or even wanted, knickknacks, luxuries. Paul’s advice in 1 Timothy 6:6-8 seems ever more important: “Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that” (NIV). Paul’s understanding was earned by being on both sides of the soup kitchen: “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Philippians 4:1-12).

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Two Stages of Holiness by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 27, 2026 by jrcoggins

There are two sets of admonitions in Colossians 3:1-15. Together, they offer useful guidance to Christians.

Colossians 3:5 commands that a list of sins be eliminated (put to death): “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” These are very obvious sins, and Christians often have no problem condemning them and avoiding them—at least, the physical ones such as sexual immorality, even if they find the hidden sins of lust and other evil desires much harder to eliminate. Paul recognized Christians’ progress in these areas, saying that the Christians he was writing to “used to walk in these ways” but no longer did (3:7).

But then Paul told the Colossian Christians (and us) to “also” eliminate some other sins: “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language” (3:8). Paul also added lying (3:9) and racial discrimination and other prejudices (3:11). These sins are sins of the mind and the heart, and they have often been more difficult for Christians to eliminate. We are familiar with Christians who forcefully denounce sexual sins and then turn church business meetings into occasions for arguments, accusations, threats, and quarrels.

It is difficult to eliminate all sin from our lives.

Perhaps one problem is that too often we focus on the negative, trying to combat sin and remove sins from our lives, instead of focusing on the positive. Paul went on to show us a better way. He tells us to clothe ourselves with “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience” (3:12). And then as if that was not enough, Paul commands us to add forgiveness (3:13), love (3:14), peace (3:15), and gratitude (3:17). He also tells us to “teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit” (3:16). If we are focused on filling our lives and our time with these things, they will crowd out many of the sins that we are trying to eliminate. It is hard to quarrel when we are filled with love. If we are busy encouraging one another with songs, we will be less likely to notice the things that annoy us about other people. When we are overwhelmed with gratitude, we will be less tempted by lust or greed.

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It’s better to eat than to be eaten

Posted on May 21, 2026 by dtopliff

In my Washington State elementary school we studied a variety of flora, fauna, and world scenes that I longed to see in person. Through the years, I’ve been blessed to see and experience many and even written books on some. (Check under my Books Tab at delorestopliff.com)

While studying the tropics, we learned about piranhas with triangular teeth that could strip the meat from the bones of any cow falling in a stream in one minute flat. During my three-and-a-half month mission trip to the Amazon jungle in 1980 where I helped remote mission schools, I had to cross a log across a piranha-filled stream to reach one destination. My hosts expected me to be terrified, but I’d crossed many logs over wilderness streams in Canada. The secret is to look ahead or up, never down to what is surging in the flood beneath you. I crossed the Colombian stream fine. Dinner that night was piranhas served with heads on, triangular teeth and all. They were delicious.

I prefer to eat piranhas than have them eat me. One took a chunk out of 12-year-old student Manuel’s hand as he pulled it from a net. When he couldn’t hold a pencil to write school notes, several girls were eager to help the smiling hero.

When crossing logs over “life’s” streams, no matter what’s underneath, don’t look down. What’s underneath doesn’t matter. Looking down just makes us dizzy to pull us into the swirling flow. And don’t look down or back. Remember Lots’s wife. Instead, look up to Him, and to what’s coming ahead that calls us forward. Looking in the right directions.keeps us steady and safe.

These two verses say it well. Proverbs 1:33 “But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.”

Philippians 4:8  “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

Move forward with confidence!

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I Miss Buster by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 20, 2026 by jrcoggins

I miss Buster. He was my faithful companion in early childhood.

Buster was my teddy bear.

My brother also had a teddy bear. His was named Fuzzy Wuzzy. The bear, not my brother.

My teddy bear was black and white, while my brother’s was a golden brown. I was born at the end of the 1940s, just after the Great Depression and two world wars, when everything was bleak and black and white. My brother was born in the 1950s, as the world was evolving into a more colorful time.

Fuzzy Wuzzy was named after a famous poem:

            Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear,

            Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair,

            So Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn’t fuzzy, was he?

I don’t remember why I named my teddy bear Buster, a derogatory slang term from gangster movies of the 1930s and 1940s, which I had never seen. We did not have a television until the late 1950s. I learned to read in black and white before I watched television. It is perhaps more likely that I named my teddy after a character in a children’s book, The Adventures of Buster Bear by Thornton W. Burgess.

I don’t recall that my sister had a teddy bear. She was a girl (we knew the difference between boys and girls back then) and played with dolls. She was not capable of playing with manly toys such as teddy bears. But I think she helped make clothes for our teddy bears out of old wool socks.

My mother—kind, loving, honest, and saintly woman that she was—secretly burned Buster and Fuzzy Wuzzy in the big wood stove in the kitchen on the day I graduated from grade six. We moved that day from our big old house to a newer and smaller house a few blocks away. We left for school that day from the home we had lived in all our lives and returned in the afternoon to a different house. And Buster was not there.

We did not know that our mother had burned our teddy bears until many years later, when we were adults—and we were appalled that she could have done such a thing. But, truth be told, the teddy bears were old and torn and ragged by that point. I had not held Buster for several years. He had probably been left in the back of a closet or the bottom shelf of a bookcase, unseen and unremembered. That is why my brother and I did not notice that our beloved teddy bears had been so brutally incinerated.

When we discovered the truth years later, my mother explained that she had cremated the bears as a way to honor these beloved objects, the same way that worn-out flags are to be honored when they have outlived their usefulness.

I wonder about children in the current generation. Do they have a teddy bear that they love and cherish? Or do they have so many stuffed toys that cycle through their lives so quickly that they do not take time to name them? Instead of holding tightly to a teddy bear, do they hold tightly to their cell phones and tablets, as image after image flicks by in rapid succession? Do they have anything that is held in such a place of honor that it deserves a fiery funeral and a tearful farewell? Do they have anything to hold on to?

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Defining the False by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 13, 2026 by jrcoggins

Having declared the supremacy of Jesus in the opening chapter of the book of Colossians, Paul turned to the false beliefs that were endangering the Colossian church. There were three aspects to these beliefs.

First, Paul said: “Do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day” (Colossians 2:16 NIV). It is not entirely clear what this was all about. However, it seems that some teachers had established a whole set of rules—dietary restrictions, and special days that must be observed in the church calendar. These might have been the old Jewish religious rules since Paul said they were “a shadow of the things that were to come”—and what was to come was the reality of Jesus Christ.  In Colossians 2:23, where Paul summarized the three false teachings, he called this “self-imposed worship.” That is, human beings were taking it upon themselves to establish religious laws and requirements that God had not decreed. Even more serious, they seemed to be saying that it was observing these rules that led to salvation, as if Jesus’ death on the cross was not enough.

Second, Paul said: “Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you” (2:18). The Greek word used here for “angels” is aggelos, which means “messengers.” It might refer here to the Old Testament prophets such as Moses. Or it might refer to some well-known New Testament preachers. However, it is more likely that it refers to heavenly beings, the ones we modern people think of as angels. This is why these false teachers went “into great detail about what they have seen.” Such people still exist today. They go on and on about some famous preacher they have heard or about the time they encountered an angelic being. But this is one of those cases where the good becomes an enemy of the best. These people have become so excited about these encounters that “They have lost connection with the head” (2:19). Why be so excited about meeting a famous preacher when, as Christians, we have direct access to the Son of God? When Peter brought the gospel to Cornelius and Cornelius fell to the floor in front of him, Peter wisely said, “Stand up. I am only a man myself” (Acts 10:26). Similarly, the false teachers might have thought it was an act of humility to bow before angels, but the reality is that God is the only one we should bow to. Paul said elsewhere, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:3). The writer of Hebrews added, “Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation? (Hebrews 1:14). Angels are sent by God to serve people, not to be worshipped.

Third, Paul warned the Colossians about “the elemental spiritual forces of this world” (2:20). Again, it is not clear what this false teaching was all about. In Greek philosophy, the elements were air, earth, fire, and water, which were believed to make up everything in the universe. (Some philosophers added a fifth element called aether, which was the mysterious substance that made up the heavens.) Each element was tied to spirits and also astronomy, which could be used to manipulate the elements and gain desired outcomes. Paul also said that this false teaching was connected to asceticism: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!” (2:21) and the “harsh treatment of the body” (2:23). Paul said that these things were just things, which would eventually disappear and so were not worth focusing on. He also said that the rules for asceticism had “an appearance of wisdom” but “lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence” (2:23). Rules alone don’t give us the power to withstand temptation and refrain from sin.

What all three of these aspects of the false teaching have in common is a focus on rules, human-devised rules, and they deal largely with the physical and the external—food, drink, sex, the body, rituals, buildings, sacred objects, special clothes, hair, etc. There is always a danger that religion will descend into a focus on rules and rituals. Jesus criticized the Pharisees and teachers of the law for focusing on detailed rules and neglecting “the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness” (Matthew 23:23). The medieval church fell into a similar approach. Roman Catholic scholars mixed Greek philosophy with Christian doctrine (which is the basis for their doctrine of transubstantiation, that the bread and wine in communion transform into the real body and blood of Jesus even though they continue to look and taste like bread and wine, for instance). They established a whole series of rules and rituals—asceticism, celibacy of priests, Lent, not eating meat on Fridays, the mass, the hierarchy of bishops and popes. They followed “tradition” (2:8), rather than the truth of the gospel preserved in the Bible. Even evangelical churches can get caught up in a hierarchy of rules—women having long hair, men having short hair, men having to wear suits on Sunday, and so on. Islam also is focused on following a rigid set of rules and regulations.

Paul’s criticism of all of these things is that they focus on material things, external things, things that were created, and neglect the Creator and the underlying spiritual realities. This is what Paul was getting at when he said that the Colossian Christians had been “circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands” (2:11)—what mattered was not the ritual of physical circumcision but the change that God had brought about in their hearts and minds. He advised the Colossians to “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (3:3). If they did this, they would get rid of “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry…anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language,” as well as lying (3:2-10). In their place, the Colossian Christians should immerse themselves in “compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience,” as well as forgiveness, love, unity, peace, and thankfulness (3:12-15). As Paul said elsewhere, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). The Christian life is not about rules and external things. The Christian life is based on God transforming our hearts and minds and spirits through faith in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. If our inner life is transformed, we will have the power to assess and to order the physical things in accordance with God’s will. Without that transformation, the rules do not matter because we will not have the ability to follow them.

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May Book Release by Tara Randel

Posted on May 10, 2026 by tararandel

Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you have a beautiful day with family and friends.

I’m excited to share my new book release! The Hometown Cop’s Forever Family is a Harlequin Heartwarming release, set in my beloved mountain town of Golden, Georgia. This is the third book in the series featuring the Connelly sisters, this book focusing on Briana.

If you love books set in small towns, this is for you. Add in a mystery, relatives who have opinions on your life, adorable children, and a second-chance romance, then I think you’ll be in for a treat.

Solving crimes And falling in love!

Charming, small-town Golden, Georgia, has everything Briana Connelly needs—her four-year-old daughter, her family, and her job as a police officer. When her former best friend, Jackson Walker, returns suddenly and is made her partner at work, she’s forced to face the events that drove them apart. With a mysterious theft to investigate, spending time with Jax is unavoidable…and easier than she’d like. Especially when his effortless warmth wins over her precious daughter. As a deeper connection grows between them, he starts to feel like a part of Briana’s little family. But if overcoming the past means admitting their true feelings—that might be the biggest risk of all.

A GOLDEN, GEORGIA ROMANCE

Also, you can catch the final day of my JustRead Publicity Book Tour, where you can read about the book and also enter a prize giveaway. Click here.

The Hometown Cop’s Forever Family is available now.

Amazon

Harlequin

Visit my website for more details.

Have a great day!

Tara

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Spring/Joy by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 6, 2026 by jrcoggins

Last year, I published a collection of devotional meditations written and delivered by my mother in the previous century. She was a devout Christian and a devoted Bible teacher. Her meditations offer a window into a former era but continue to be relevant today. The following  meditation is excerpted from that book.

Spring seems to be a joyous time of year when all around us we see evidences of new life springing up after the storms of winter. No matter how long the winter, we are reassured by the promise God gave Noah in Genesis 8:22: “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease” (NKJV).

There seems to be a certain monotony as we think of the seasons following each other in such an orderly manner, and yet no two springs are exactly alike. We get some idea of the greatness of God as we realize the infinite variety of weather that we get.

God’s mercy is something like the springtime too. One blessing follows another, and yet there is a great variety in them. Lamentations 3:22-23 tell us: “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”

In spite of all the joy and gladness of returning life around us, is this joy always reflected in our lives? A lovely spring day comes along with bright spring sunshine and soft breezes blowing, and instead of saying, “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it” (Psalm 118:24), we probably think of the many chores to be done.

Happiness seems to be a very elusive thing. The more we seek it, the more it eludes us. Have you noticed how many articles there seem to be trying to tell people how to achieve happiness? And they all seem to offer a different solution. I was reading one recently where the writer observed that it had been a long time since he had heard anyone going down the street whistling, and he said that people used to get more fun out of life than they do today. I don’t remember much about people whistling, but I do remember how some of the neighbor women used to sing as they went about their housework. Nowadays, instead of hearing singing, we usually hear the TV or radio.

I wonder, too, if nowadays so much emphasis seems to be placed on getting instead of giving. Everyone seems to be out to get as much as he can for himself. In earlier days, everyone seemed to be more willing to share with their neighbor. When a woman grated the first horseradish, there was always an extra jar or two to be given away. And in the preserving season, the jars of jam and pickles used to pass back and forth.

So often, worldly people seem to get the impression that Christians are very gloomy people and that when people become Christians, they give up everything that is joyful. Is that because we consider Christianity to be a burden (and give people of the world the impression that Christianity is a great burden)? Perhaps instead of trying to carry this great burden around we should see our faith as wings and use it to mount up as eagles (Isaiah 40:31).

Have you ever noticed how many times in the Bible we are told to rejoice? In reading the Psalms, we cannot help but notice how many are songs of praise: “Bless the Lord, O my soul” or “Give thanks to the Lord” or “Praise the Lord.”

Paul, too, was an example of a joyful Christian. Few, if any, have endured more for their faith, yet, as we read the letters he has written, we notice how joyful he appears to be. Do you remember how, in the prison at Philippi at midnight, Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God (Acts 16:25)? It would take real joy to sing praises then.

What were the reasons for Paul’s joy?

1. Paul said he had learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Philippians 4:11). “Godliness with contentment is great gain” (1 Timothy 6:6).

2. Paul had chosen to forget past mistakes and look forward to the future. “One thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead” (Philippians 3:13). Note that Paul said, “One thing I do.” Calvin Coolidge said, “We cannot do everything at once, but we can do something at once.”

3. Paul put his trust in God. In the first chapter of Philippians, Paul told how the trials that had happened to him had worked out for “the furtherance of the gospel” (Philippians 1:12). Therefore, he was able to say, “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Paul said in Romans 8:28: “We know that all things work together for good to those who love God.”

Jesus, too, must have been a joyous person, even though he was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief (Isaiah 53:3). He seemed to expect us to have peace and joy in our lives if we love Him and believe in Him. Through Him, we have received “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isaiah 61:3).

In spring, we think of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Before His death, Jesus told His disciples: “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you” (John 14:27). If Jesus had left His disciples a pot of gold, it would soon have disappeared, but He told them (and us) in John 16:22: “I will see you again and your heart will rejoice, and your joy no one will take from you.” Finally, let us remember Jesus’ words in John 15:11: “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.”

May God grant that each one of us may experience the true joy that comes from God.

What Is God Able To Do? The Devotional Meditations of E. May Coggins was published by my Mill Lake Books imprint and is available through bookstores and online retailers such as Amazon.

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Being the Hands and Feet by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on May 4, 2026 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Billie on Unsplash

A few weeks ago I was discussing the war in Iran with another Christian. We were talking about the people there and the hardship this places on them and their country. This was at the outbreak of the war and before the bombing of the school where so many children died. Still, there were many people adversely affected.

The person I was talking with finally said something that stunned me. They said something like this, “We know the end of the story. The Bible tells us what happens, so there’s nothing we can do.” 

I’ve heard Christians say something similar before and it always gives me pause. Who are we to laud our Christian destiny and sit back while we watch the world burn, saying, “Oh, well. There’s nothing we can do.” It seems like a cop out to me. As if we are backing away from a need with our hands raised, shaking our heads.

Imagine, if you will, David looking at Goliath and all the Israelite soldiers who were fearful of this massive enemy. What if he said, “Oh, well, this is their fight,” and left them there to be defeated? How different that story would be. And, there are many Biblical examples of times when people could have stepped away saying this wasn’t their problem.

The Bible encourages us to reach out to those in need, not to reject them. Jesus reached out to the underprivileged and those society thought of as less than—the Samaritan woman, the lepers, the blind, the woman caught in adultery, and so many more. 

What if Jesus looked down from His seat beside God and said, “I’m comfortable here. They don’t deserve salvation.” He didn’t say that and we are saved because of his compassion and grace. How can we react differently? 

We must be more Christlike every day. We are called to be His hands and feet to the world. In Matthew 25: 31-46, the righteous are those who fed the hungry, gave a drink to the thirsty, clothed the naked, visited the sick, and visited those in prison. Jesus said this was the same as doing these things to Him. 

These actions are reaching out in compassion to those around us. We are not to judge the circumstances, but to give what is needed by those in unfortunate circumstances. Whether it’s a neighbor who needs a meal or a country that is in dire straits, we need to be the hands and feet of Jesus.

What does this mean in relation to the war in Iran? I don’t know. I’m certainly not in a place where I can change events. But I can pray for those people whose hearts are not compassionate—for those who make the decisions that cost innocent citizens their lives. I can pray for the people who are suffering—for the soldiers whose lives are at risk.

Instead of resting in our salvation, we should be fighting for less cruelty and more grace. We should pray for those in Iran and Ukraine, and other war torn countries in the world. Saying we know the end of the story and there’s nothing we can do is the same as saying Christ has no power in the situation and that is not what we want to project. 

Let us all pray for those who are struggling. And if God gives us a concrete way to help other than prayer may we rise up and follow Him.

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Who Jesus Is, and Who We Are by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 29, 2026 by jrcoggins

The apostle Paul urgently wrote a letter to the Christians in the city of Colossae in Asia Minor (what is now Turkiye). What was it that Paul wanted to convey to the Colossians? The gospel, the good news that Jesus has brought Christians “forgiveness of sins” and “reconciled” them to God (Colossians 1:14,22, 2:13-14 NIV)? Well, yes, but more than that. There is a cosmic vision here. Paul said that Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created” (1:15-16). That is, Jesus is the Creator of the universe and therefore Lord of the universe. To the Colossians, this meant that He was superior to all of the Greek and Roman gods and also the Roman emperor and all of his officials. The Colossians Christians were not just saved from their sins. They had changed sides in the great cosmic struggle. They had been transferred from “the dominion of darkness” to the kingdom of light ruled by the Son of the only real God (1:13). They had been raised from death to life (2:12). And it wasn’t just the Colossian Christians who had changed sides. It was a global phenomenon. Paul said that “The gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world” (1:6). Further, Paul said, Jesus’ kingdom of light had defeated the powers and authorities of the kingdom of darkness and led them in triumph (2:15). The image comes from Rome, where Paul was in prison as he wrote this letter. When Roman generals defeated another nation, they would have a big parade in Rome, the conquering general and his army in front, followed by the defeated kings, officials, generals, and soldiers of the other nation, who were now prisoners. Paul was saying that Jesus had publicly defeated the Roman Empire and all other religions. How? By dying on the cross and then rising from the dead. This demonstrated that Jesus was more powerful than the Roman Empire that had tried to kill Him. And Jesus had defeated even more powerful enemies, death itself and sin.

Given all of this, it is remarkable that some of the Colossian Christians were thinking about switching back to serve the defeated kingdom of darkness. They were in danger of being taken “captive” (2:8) by those who had been defeated and led in triumph by God. They were being tempted to follow a “hollow and deceptive philosophy” based on “human tradition” and “the elemental spiritual forces of this world” (2:8, that is, the defeated and discredited Greek and Roman religions). Paul was asking why they would choose to go back and follow these lesser powers rather than the cosmic Jesus Christ, the Creator and Lord of the universe.

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In Praise of Steeples by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 22, 2026 by jrcoggins

In the late Middle Ages, cities in Europe competed to build the tallest, most elaborate, most ornate, most beautiful cathedrals. These massive buildings pushed the limits of architectural knowledge, and some took over a century to build. They were decorated with gold furnishings and paintings which are still admired today. Included in these cathedrals were tall steeples, which pointed the way to heaven and reminded people of the importance of eternal things. Often the steeples included a bell tower, whose bell would call parishioners to worship in an age when there were few clocks.

These cathedrals are admired today, even though they largely stand empty. Even in their heyday, their construction represented misplaced priorities. They sucked vast amounts of money and resources from the common people, money and resources which could have been better spent elsewhere. The focus was on buildings and gold furnishings while the poor and the gospel were neglected. Cathedrals were often built, not for the glory of God, but to demonstrate the power and importance of the city where they were built. They masked a church that was often corrupt morally and theologically. The builders failed to understand that the church, the kingdom of God, consists of people, not buildings.

We do not build cathedrals today, although there are some churches which still put too much emphasis on material things and devote too many resources to buildings and elaborate furnishings. In the age of email, watches, and cell phones, bell towers are not needed to call people to worship, and steeples are often an unnecessary extravagance.

But…  

Some years ago, my wife and I went on vacation and stopped in a particular city, with the intention of attending a certain church there on Sunday morning. The church building was located on a street parallel to a major highway and just a block away. We knew the address and thought we would go by and find the church the evening before. Our search took some time. We finally located it, a low building at the very back of a large lot. The front part of the lot was a gravel parking area, and the entrance was blocked off by a chain. There was only a small sign along the road. No one traveling on the major highway would ever see that church building, there was no sign there indicating its existence, and the street where the building was located was a little used side street. I don’t know what other things that church was doing to make its presence known in the community, but I concluded that the building badly needed a steeple.

That church reminded me of another church building in a rural area that I visited on another occasion. It was on land donated by a farmer and had been erected behind the farm buildings. It was accessed down a narrow lane beside the farmhouse and was totally invisible from the road. Only regular attenders would even know it was there.

Church buildings are a tool, a means to an end. They should be useful rather than elaborate. But to be useful they must be easy to find. Churches should be visible in their communities (in many ways). Jesus told His followers, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16 NIV). There are times when the church has to exist underground, but that should not be the case in other times. The church exists to be a light to people outside it, and it cannot be a light if it is kept hidden. A church building does not have to be elaborate, but people should at least be able to find it.

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Multiplied Bread

Posted on April 16, 2026 by dtopliff

by Delores Topliff

Reality changed what I planned to write this month. I spend spring and summer each year on a farm in central Minnesota and the remaining time in NE Mississippi. Years earlier, I raised my sons in northwestern Canada near the Alaska Highway helping develop two Christian schools and a good small college. We experienced plenty of ice and snow and -60 F twice. Once, I camped out at -20 F to practice survival skills I taught to my school students. What was I thinking? I’ll never do that again!

When Mississippi locals warned me about severe ice/snow storms, I laughed. I’m not smiling now. I’d never heard thunder booms that sound the same as transformers exploding or like breaking, falling trees.

Everything got covered with two inches of ice topped with tree debris, so travel stopped. But people cooperated beautifully, and I’m very impressed.

The heating systems in most homes need electricity to work, so dwellings cool quickly. Without light, as soon as the sun sets, it’s very dark.

Samaritan’s Purse is on the ground here. They talked to me yesterday. Their list is long but they promised to help all who’ve called. The National Guard is here, too, removing fallen trees, clearing debris from roads, and assisting the local and out-of-state power companies all working together. One week later, some rural residences are still without power.

I enjoyed staying five days in a nearby friend’s home who had gas heat and battery-powered flashlights. We celebrated when internet was restored.

Today two men from church arrived with a chainsaw and cut and hauled tree debris to the road from her yard and mine. Saying “thank you” doesn’t convey my sense of well-being from being so kindly cared for.

I’ve donated to Samaritan’s Purse through the years, but didn’t expect to be on the receiving end. Ecclesiastes 11:1 says, “Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days.” Jesus has a way of multiplying bread. Lately, I’m finding mine multiplied many times over. Keep your eyes open. I suspect your bread will multiply, too. And perhaps after you eat and are satisfied, there will be enough to give to those around you until they are also filled and have enough extra baskets to pass on.

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Colossae by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 15, 2026 by jrcoggins

I recently took time to read and think my way through the apostle Paul’s letter to the early Christians in Colossae, the Bible book we now call Colossians. Colossae was a town about a hundred miles east of Ephesus. Ephesus was a major city on the west coast of what is now Turkey and a place the apostle Paul visited at least three times, on one occasion staying there for over two years. The gospel spread to Colossae, perhaps from Ephesus, just as it was spreading elsewhere in the world (Colossians 1:5-6). But there is no evidence that Paul ever visited Colossae. It was Epaphras who brought the gospel there (Colossians 1:7).

We sometimes think that Paul was the great apostle who brought the gospel to Asia and Europe. Our perception is skewed by two factors. The first is that Luke wrote a detailed account of Paul’s missionary journeys (in the book of Acts) and we do not have detailed accounts of other preachers of that era. The second is that Paul wrote detailed letters to a variety of churches that ended up in the New Testament. But Paul was just one of many spreaders of the gospel. He himself did not exaggerate his own importance. At the beginning of this letter, he declared that he was “an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God” (Colossians 1:1 NIV), but apostle was not a formal position and just meant someone who was “sent.” Paul also said that his letter to the Colossians was not just from him but also from Timothy. Paul described himself as God’s church’s “servant by the commission God gave me” (Colossians 1:25). Paul told the Colossians that the gospel had come to them just as “the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world” (1:6). The point was that the gospel was spreading in all directions. Paul could not take credit for this. He was just one of many Christians. The gospel was an organic movement that no one person could control or take credit for.

So why did Paul take it upon himself to write authoritatively to the Colossians? In the first place, Paul was an apostle—he had been commissioned by God to spread the gospel to gentiles. Second, Paul was known to the Colossians, having preached in that general area. Third, Paul was endorsed by Timothy and Epaphras, who had more direct experience with the Colossians.

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Finding Courage by Nancy J. Farrier

Posted on April 13, 2026 by Nancy J. Farrier
Photo by Anshul on Unsplash

“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair…”    II Cor. 4:8a

I’ve often felt like Paul, hard-pressed on every side or perplexed due to the many areas of discouragement I’ve faced. Unlike Paul, I’ve often felt crushed and in despair. Yet, when I pray about staying strong, God always gives me a way to battle discouragement. He showed me three areas where I often come under attack. Once recognized, I’ve found them easier to combat.

D—Distant. These are people I don’t know well, but who have contact with me. For me as a writer, this can include readers, critics, sometimes industry professionals. I don’t believe any of these people intend to say, or do things to discourage me, but critical comments often cut deep. Even when most of my reader letters and reviews are very positive, notes like the following are more memorable.

I bought one of your books to give her granddaughter, started to read it first and realized you must never have opened a Bible in your life.

I can’t tell you how much that letter hurt. I love God’s word, and I love sharing scripture, so that attack was more painful than most. She didn’t say why she came to that conclusion. She didn’t even give her name or contact information. Perhaps, she was being honest from her perspective, but her words wounded me and made me doubt my abilities.

Intimate—These are people I come in contact with on a regular basis, people I know pretty well—family, friends, co-workers, and church people. Once again, they don’t mean to dishearten, but often do. Early in my fiction writing career, someone close to me asked, “So, when are you going to write real books?” This person meant non-fiction books, because they didn’t believe in reading fiction. They thought my fiction writing was meaningless. Everyone is entitled to their opinion on reading preferences, but that question belittled my work. God called me to this work of writing. This person’s comment discounted my ministry as if my calling wasn’t important.

Self—The hardest battle of all is to quiet my critical inner self. I am my own worst enemy at times. When I see others more successful, or in a place where I want to be, I tend to put on my figurative hair shirt and question what is wrong with me. The answer of course, is that as long as I’m doing my best, and working hard, I’m right where I should be. I’m not the one in charge, God is.

I love looking at the story of the Israelites when they were led to the promised land. I can relate to those men who saw the giants and were afraid. When I look at the ‘giants’ I mentioned previously, sometimes I’m tempted to run away. I don’t want to face the hurtful criticisms or complaints, but in Deut. 1:28, the Israelites excuse of “our brethren have discouraged our hearts,” was considered rebellion.

Therefore, I find I need to remember Joshua’s words to the Israelites as they prepared to enter the promised land: “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God iswith you wherever you go.” Josh. 1:9 

My writing success, as well as my success in life, doesn’t depend on others, or on myself, but on God. He will go before me. He will heal me when I’m wounded or hurt. He will be alongside me no matter what.

When I understand God is right there with me, I can take the DIS out of Discourage, leaving me with the COURAGEto face anything.

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How to Become a Published Novelist by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 8, 2026 by jrcoggins

Have you ever wondered how an ordinary person becomes a published novelist?

Well, I’ve got the answer for you.

Actually, I’ve got 47 answers for you.

For almost two decades, I’ve been privileged to be a member of an organization composed of Christian novelists. Well, organization might not be the appropriate word. We’re writers, after all, people not noted for their organizational skills. We have no bureaucracy or regular membership dues.

Mostly what we do is dialogue online (and very occasionally in person) on topics loosely connected to writing. We encourage each other, give advice to each other, make suggestions, and even celebrate each other’s achievements. Almost anything to avoid actually writing.

The topic of one of our recent discussions was “first novels”—how we came to write our first novel, how we attempted to have it accepted for publication, and how we navigated the complicated publication process. A few of our first novels were accepted for publication fairly quickly (in only a few months or years). Some have never been published at all. Some were only published after years of effort, professional development, and rewriting. But all of us persevered and eventually became published novelists.

Then, someone in our discussion suggested we formally write out the stories of our first novels and have those stories published together in a book. After all, publishing books is what we do.

The result is My First Novel: And What Became of It, a book in which 47 of us tell how we attempted to get our first novels published. Each story concludes with the “best writing advice I ever received.” It is available, in paperback and ebook formats, via bookstores and online retailers such as Amazon. When it was released some time ago, it quickly rose to become “the best-selling new release among fiction writing reference books.” Okay, I recognize there are not a lot of such books and they don’t sell many copies…but, still, we were number one, at least for a little while. And it has given us another opportunity to boast that we are published authors.

So, if you want to know how we did it (and how you, too, might be able to do it), read the book.

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