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Category Archives: James R. Coggins
Fourteen Years Ago by James R. Coggins
It is interesting to piece together the apostle Paul’s early history. About 34-35 AD, was Paul converted on his way to Damascus to persecute Christians. Acts 9:23 says that he stayed there “many days” until threats on his life led … Continue reading
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Tagged Apostle Paul, missionary journeys, Patmos, Tarsus, third heaven, vision of heaven
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Balcony People by James R. Coggins
Some years ago, my family and I attended a fairly large church. Sunday attendance ranged from 1,400 to 2,000 people, which necessitated two Sunday morning services. Our family’s practice was to attend the first service and then Sunday school. There … Continue reading
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Tagged adult Sunday school, broken people, church choir, guilt, hurt by the church, Nicodemus, Shame, troubled people, Zacchaeus
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The Dung Gate by James R. Coggins
Isaiah 60 contains a detailed prophecy about the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity. It envisions a prosperous city with wealth flowing into it from many nations: “The wealth on the seas will be brought to you, to you … Continue reading
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Tagged Christian church, Dung Gate, Isaiah, Jerusalem, Nehemiah, Rebuilding Jerusalem, Valley of Hinnom
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Retracing Our Steps by James R. Coggins
Recently, my wife and I visited some of the churches we had worshiped in previously, some many years ago. We were welcomed on our return, but the pastors seemed to lose interest once they realized we were not likely to … Continue reading
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Tagged Bible teaching, contributing, friends, moving on, sound Bible teaching, worldwide church
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Shame by James R. Coggins
I have a close friend who has problems, some of them related to issues in his past. Whenever he gets into trouble or does something wrong or foolish, he stops answering my phone calls. He avoids me and hides from … Continue reading
My Life in Churches by James R. Coggins
Recently I was reflecting on my experience with the various churches I have attended. I grew up in a small town attending a Baptist church. The Sunday school was largely staffed by men and women with limited education and mediocre … Continue reading
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Tagged Alliance churches, Baptists, care groups, church, friends, Hospitality, Mennonite Brethren, preaching, serving, Sunday school
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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
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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
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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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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 →