Category Archives: James R. Coggins

Light by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 18, 2024 by jrcoggins

Right at the beginning of creation, God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God “saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness” (Genesis 1:3-4 NIV). This was before God created the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

What Is the Lesson? by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 11, 2024 by jrcoggins

In all of the Ten Commandments, perhaps the statement that causes the most concern to modern readers is “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Context by James R. Coggins

Posted on December 4, 2024 by jrcoggins

Exodus 20 is the place in the Bible where we find the “Ten Commandments.” When we read that chapter, we might find it hard to understand the context. Many of us have known about the Ten Commandments all our lives. … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Wonders of Technology by James R. Coggins

Posted on November 27, 2024 by jrcoggins

I am a writer, editor, and book publisher. Increasingly, however, I seem to be spending my time on other things. For instance, I recently accepted an upgrade to my computer’s operating system and then spent an entire afternoon trying to … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

The Ten Commandments by James R. Coggins

Posted on November 20, 2024 by jrcoggins

People sometimes rebel against moral codes such as the “Ten Commandments” (Exodus 20:1-17) and ask what gives Christians the right to tell people what to do. The answer is that Christians do not have that right. But the real question … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Remembering My Grandfather by James R Coggins

Posted on November 13, 2024 by jrcoggins

My grandfather clanked when he walked. He lived with our family in my early years when I was growing up. He read stories and recited nursery rhymes to us children. I remember him as being very tall. His war records … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Prayer of Faith by James R. Coggins

Posted on November 6, 2024 by jrcoggins

In James 5, James was encouraging his Christian readers to pray by pointing out the example of Elijah: “Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Medieval Torture Devices by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 30, 2024 by jrcoggins

The Middle Ages in Europe are often considered to be an era of “economic, intellectual, and cultural decline” between two great eras of civilization. They lasted about a thousand years, from the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

In All Circumstances by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 23, 2024 by jrcoggins

In the Bible book named after him, James talks a lot about dealing with suffering, but not all of life is hard. James concludes his letter with an exhortation to make God central in all parts of our lives (James … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Smarter and More Competent than I am by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 16, 2024 by jrcoggins

Things have changed. We had not bought a car for seventeen years. The problem is that the Japanese know how to build good cars. Our seventeen-year-old Toyota Yaris was still running very well, and our mechanic said it could continue … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rich and Poor by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 9, 2024 by jrcoggins

James 5 begins with a forceful condemnation of the rich: “Now listen, you rich people, weep and wail because of the misery that is coming on you. Your wealth has rotted, and moths have eaten your clothes. Your gold and … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Something Strange by James R. Coggins

Posted on October 2, 2024 by jrcoggins

I found something strange in my mailbox today. Among all the flyers (air mail), store coupons, political advertisements, bills, lottery notices, etc. was a white envelope about nine inches by four inches. I couldn’t recall ever seeing anything like it. … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Humility by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 25, 2024 by jrcoggins

The biblical writer James wrote: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’…Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Paul Simon Is a Poet by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 18, 2024 by jrcoggins

I discovered the music of Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel when I was in university, and I was deeply impressed, particularly by the lyrics, most of which were written by Paul Simon. As the years have gone on, I have … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Unruly Tongue by James R. Coggins

Posted on September 11, 2024 by jrcoggins

The Biblical writer James addressed the dangers associated with the tongue (that is, associated with our words) in James 1:19-27. In James 3:1-12, he went further. James began by warning, “Not many of you should become teachers…because…we who teach will … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment