Author Archives: jrcoggins

About jrcoggins

James R. Coggins is a professional writer and editor based in British Columbia, Canada. He wrote his first novel in high school, but, fortunately for his later reputation as a writer, it was never published. He briefly served as a Christian magazine editor (for just over 20 years). He has written everything from scholarly and encyclopedia articles to jokes in Reader’s Digest (the jokes paid better). His six and a half published books include four John Smyth murder mysteries and one other, stand-alone novel. In his spare time, he operates Mill Lake Books, a small publishing imprint. His website is www.coggins.ca

The Just Shall Live by Faith by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 25, 2025 by jrcoggins

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 →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Heaven, Justification by faith, Martin Luther, Protestant Reformation, Psalms, Romans, Vulgate Bible | Leave a comment

Handkerchief by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 18, 2025 by jrcoggins

I am old school. I carry white handkerchiefs in my pockets. Handkerchiefs have a long and noble history. The word “kerchief” comes from the French word “couvre-chef” meaning “head covering.” Kerchiefs are square pieces of cloth used to cover the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged crying, damsels in distress, handkerchief, kerchief, King Richard II, Normans, old school, sneezing, Terminator | Leave a comment

Worship and Waste by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 11, 2025 by jrcoggins

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 →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged cathedrals, church building, greatest commandments, Jesus healing, love God and neighbor, poor and needy, Simon the Leper, social housing, waste | Leave a comment

A Moving and Important Story by James R. Coggins

Posted on June 4, 2025 by jrcoggins

My Mill Lake Books imprint has published over two dozen books. A recent short volume may be one of the most significant. In the Best Interest of the Child is both a moving human interest story and a socio-political treatise. … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged adoption, foster care, government bureaucracy, Indigenous children, Mill Lake Books, race | Leave a comment

The Men Traveling with Saul by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 28, 2025 by jrcoggins

The dramatic story of the apostle Paul being confronted by Jesus on his way to Damacus (Acts 9:1-25) is well known to most Christians. I had read this story of Paul’s conversion many times, but I had never paid any … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Apostle Paul, Damascus road, persecution, Saul, Straight Street | Leave a comment

Pastor or Prophet by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 21, 2025 by jrcoggins

“You have to decide whether you want to be a pastor or a prophet,” he said, “because prophets don’t live very long.” My answer was unequivocal. “I want to be a prophet.” We had met for lunch to “talk things … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged denominations, fired, pastors, prophets, Rudyard Kipling, Tommy Smothers, writers | 2 Comments

Delight by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 14, 2025 by jrcoggins

The English word “delight” is used to translate three Hebrew words: chaphets (pleased with, desire), chashaq (cling to, love), and anag (soft, pliable). It is interesting how these words are used. Perhaps most astounding is that God finds delight in … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged God's creation, God's Word, the Law of the Lord | Leave a comment

Doctoring in the Old Days by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 7, 2025 by jrcoggins

There were three doctors in the town where I grew up, and the practice of medicine would be almost unrecognizable today. The doctor our family went to had a big house on the main street, and he had office hours … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged doctor, medicare, old days, practice of medicine | Leave a comment

Does God Have Fun? by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 30, 2025 by jrcoggins

When I was in high school, a Christian parachurch ministry began renting school gyms in the evening and inviting church youth groups to come and play basketball and volleyball against each other. This encouraged inter-church interaction, these were events that … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged basketball, Creation, high school, morning stars, music, singing, volleyball | 1 Comment

The Golden Age of Poetry by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 23, 2025 by jrcoggins

A long time ago in a land full of mystery, I earned a BA in English and History. Actually, it was the 1970s at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. I received a wonderful education there, for which I am very … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Alexander Pope, Alfred Lord Tennyson, Bob Dylan, Edmund Spenser, Homer, John Donne, John Keats, John Milton, Lord Byron, McMaster University, Paul Simon, Percy Bysshe Shelley, printing press, Robbie Burns, Robert Browning, Robert Frost, Rudyard Kipling, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, T.S. Eliot, William Blake, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth | Leave a comment

God and King by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 16, 2025 by jrcoggins

In His trials before His crucifixion, Jesus was asked two key questions. The high priest asked Jesus, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61 NIV). The Greek word for “Blessed One” is eulogetos (from which … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged anointed, Christ, crucifixion, high priest, Jesus' trials, Messiah | 3 Comments

The Name of God by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 9, 2025 by jrcoggins

Most English translations of the Old Testament use two versions of the word “Lord.” “LORD,” in all capitals, translates the word YHWH, which is the name God revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:13-15). It means “I am,” referring to the God … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Adonai, Lord, Name of God, YHWH | 1 Comment

Part Two: The Modern World and Christian Churches by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 2, 2025 by jrcoggins

In an earlier blog, I wrote about the great movements that shaped Western civilization and thus the modern world—the Renaissance and Enlightenment with their emphasis on reason, science, and the pre-eminence of humanity, on the one hand, and the Romantic … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged charismatic movement, Evangelical movement, John Wesley, Martin Luther, Middle Ages, Protestant Reformation | Leave a comment

The Making of the Modern World (Part One) by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 26, 2025 by jrcoggins

It is indisputable that the modern world has been dominated by Western civilization, based in Europe and North America. English, itself an amalgam of European languages, is the established norm for international communication, used by air traffic controllers all over … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged Enlightenment, environmental movement, myth of the noble savage, reason, Renaissance, Romantic movement, science | Leave a comment

“A Poem” by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 19, 2025 by jrcoggins

We do not normally think of the apostle Paul as a poet. However, in Philippians 2:6-11, he presented a poem. Whether he wrote it himself or was quoting someone else’s poem is unclear. That it is a poem is clear … Continue reading →