Author Archives: jrcoggins

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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

As Foolish as Esau by James R. Coggins

Hebrews 12:16-17 (NIV) warns: “See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. Afterward, as you know, when he wanted to inherit this blessing, … Continue reading

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Strays by James R. Coggins

I will not name her, but she is a woman I know well. For most of her life, she has been picking up strays. Not cats. She’s allergic to them. People. The kid in school who had no other friends. … Continue reading

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Facing Opposition by James R. Coggins

Reading Hebrews 12 recently, I was struck by one verse: “Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart” (verse 3, NIV). Writing to Christians facing persecution in the Roman Empire, … Continue reading

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The Wars of the Maccabees by James R. Coggins

After the Jews returned to Jerusalem from exile in Babylon and rebuilt the temple and the city wall under Ezra and Nehemiah, there is a gap in the biblical record of about four centuries. During this time, the Jews struggled … Continue reading

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Moses’ Courage by James R. Coggins

Commentators have been troubled by this New Testament statement about Moses: “By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger” (Hebrews 11:27). The original Old Testament story says that when it became known that Moses had killed an Egyptian who … Continue reading

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Seeking Peace and Prosperity by James R. Coggins

After living in the same house for 29 years, my wife and I decided it was time to move. The children had grown up and moved out. The big yard with its fruit trees and gardens was becoming too much … Continue reading

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Remaining Faithful by James R. Coggins

Hebrews 11 is the great chapter of faith. There we learn how Abraham and Moses and others lived faithful lives. But the Bible was not originally divided into chapters and verses. What was said in Hebrews 11 is closely connected … Continue reading

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For Love of Country by James R. Coggins

The other night, my wife and I were praying for our country. (Our country is Canada, but similar issues are present in other countries.) We prayed for a restoration of truth, justice, wisdom, morality, and faith in God. And then … Continue reading

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Faith in Action by James R. Coggins

Hebrews 11 is often called the great faith chapter. It lists the deeds of many Old Testament believers. It defines faith as “confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (verse 1). We think … Continue reading

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Sports as Metaphor by James R. Coggins

Dr. Coggins, you are an expert on many subjects. For instance, I understand that you have an interesting perspective on sports as metaphor? Yes, I do. Thanks for asking. Football, for instance, is a metaphor for unjust social systems. The … Continue reading

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Fear of Death by James R. Coggins

Quite a number of years ago, I talked with my mother, who was then a senior citizen, about the reality of death. “Oh,” she said. “I’m not worried about that. I came to terms with death in 1948” (that is, … Continue reading

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And Even More Famous Coggins Quotations by James R. Coggins

After a writer is dead, some anonymous scholar often collects the best quotes from all of his written works, reducing his laboriously written tomes to a few sound bites. A while back, I decided to save this anonymous scholar some … Continue reading

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Jesus and Angels by James R. Coggins

Hebrews 1:1-2:4 is another Bible passage where our preconceived ideas have limited our understanding. Hebrews 1 starts by saying, “In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has … Continue reading

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Cougar Attack by James R. Coggins

What you see in the accompanying photo is clear evidence of a cougar attack. It was painful, and the outcome could have been far worse. Of course, as we all know, clear evidence can be misleading. The reality is something … Continue reading

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Who Is Jesus? by James R. Coggins

What do we think of when we hear the name “Jesus”? How do we picture Him? The baby in the manger in Bethlehem? The rabbi walking the streets of Galilee and Judea, preaching good news and healing people? Hebrews 1:1-4 … Continue reading

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