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Author Archives: jrcoggins
Singing the Songs of the Lord in a Foreign Land by James R. Coggins
Psalm 137 begins: “By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept” (NIV). It is a psalm full of pain. The Jews had experienced their nation over-run by the Babylonians and their capital city Jerusalem destroyed after a brutal, three-year … Continue reading
Posted in James R. Coggins
Tagged Assyria, Babylonian captivity, Daniel, destruction of Jerusalem, Edomites, exile, lament, Psalms, temple musicians
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A New Mentor by James R. Coggins
Years ago, I was accepted into the PhD program in History at the University of Waterloo. When I arrived (after a long drive from the other end of the country), the departmental secretary directed me to go to the house … Continue reading
Prayers for the Fruit of the Spirit by James R. Coggins
A friend of mine was facing a series of difficult issues—finances, employment, relationships, health, and so on. He asked me to pray for him. I said I would, but I also said that I would pray that he would be … Continue reading
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Tagged finances, fruit of the Spirit, health, Kingdom of God, relationships, troubles, unemployment
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Playing the Percentages by James R. Coggins
I have always been intrigued by athletes who claim to continually be giving “a hundred and ten percent.” When sports are your priority and you’ve suffered repeated hits to the head over the years, it’s probably no surprise that math … Continue reading
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Tagged athletes, best before date, charging batteries, concussion, math, politicians
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Thoughts and Prayers by James R. Coggins
When something bad happens, public figures often say, “Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.” It sounds good, but do these public figures actually pray—or is it just thoughts they are sending? The reality is that … Continue reading
Are You Proud of Your Country? by James R. Coggins
Are you proud of your country? I am a Canadian, and this question came up in the midst of an upwelling of patriotic fervor in Canada. The fervor is a response to insults, threats, and tariffs directed at our country … Continue reading
Posted in James R. Coggins
Tagged American president, Canada, Canadian flag, Jeremiah, Judah, lament, love of nation, national pride, pride, Robbie Burns, Seven Deadly Sins, tariffs
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Saul/Paul: What’s in a Name? by James R. Coggins
Acts 9 describes how Saul was converted from being a devout Jew who persecuted Christians to being a Christian himself. A little later, when Saul, along with Barnabas, started out on his first missionary journey, Acts 13:9 says, “Then Saul, … Continue reading
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Tagged Apostle Paul, Greek, Latin, Paul, Roman Empire, Saul
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Why Don’t Christians Read Their Bibles? by James R. Coggins
Why don’t Christians read their Bibles more? In a recent sermon, our pastor offered several reasons: People are too busy. The Bible is hard to understand. Reading the Bible is sometimes boring. And so on. The pastor then offered some … Continue reading
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Tagged Bible Reading, Bible study, sermon, spiritual surgery, Word of God
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How I Write by James R. Coggins
I have always written by inspiration. I don’t mean that literally, in the biblical sense. But the thing is, unless I am interested in something, unless I think I have something worth saying, I won’t make the effort to write … Continue reading
Posted in James R. Coggins
Tagged computers, editing, Ideas, inspiration, pen and paper
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The Power of Faith by James R. Coggins
In Galatians 3:1-5 (NIV), the apostle Paul issued a very strongly worded rebuke to the Galatian Christians: “You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn … Continue reading
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Tagged Faith, Galatians, Holy Spirit, Judaizers, miracles
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Mysteries by James R. Coggins
I write murder mysteries (and lots of other things). But, in a sense, my stories do not remain mysteries. A good murder mystery presents a murder, offers a variety of suspects (red herrings), and in the end reveals whodunit. Readers … Continue reading
Posted in James R. Coggins
Tagged Apostle Paul, Christianity, John Smyth, murder mysteries, mystery religions, Roman Empire, Stephen King
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The Just Shall Live by Faith by James R. Coggins
Most North Americans believe there is a heaven, and most North Americans believe they will go there. Why? Because they believe they are good people. Martin Luther, the 16th-century Protestant Reformer thought otherwise. He knew he was a sinner. Luther … Continue reading
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Tagged Heaven, Justification by faith, Martin Luther, Protestant Reformation, Psalms, Romans, Vulgate Bible
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Worship and Waste by James R. Coggins
Matthew 26:6-13 tell the story of a woman who anointed Jesus’ head with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume while he was eating in the home of a man called “Simon the Leper.” (Presumably, Simon had been healed by … Continue reading
Christians Read 
My Study Bible by James R. Coggins
A reader recently asked: “You frequently post a photo of a Bible on your blogs. Is that your study Bible? What Bible do you use?” The Bible usually pictured is my personal Bible, the New International Version (NIV, 1986). I … Continue reading →