Month: April 2014

Slaves

James HoganLeave a comment

A few quick thoughts. I really should be moving on soon, as it’s almost one o’clock and I’m still here at coffeeshop! But I haven’t quite finished my Earl Grey yet, and I did want to write a few words.

I’ve been tasked with leading the bible study for community group this coming Tuesday. I’m woefully behind schedule on prepping for it, so this morning dove into the text a bit. John 8:48-59. Beautifully awesome passage, with Jesus(per usual!) not holding back any punches. As I looked into my text, I spent a bit of time on the verses previous, and they just struck me. Jesus was oh so clear as He preached to all that there are only two types of people in this world. Those who are slaves to sin and children of the devil. And those who are free in Christ and followers of God. Sometimes I think we can too easily fall into the trap of thinking there’s a neutral zone in this world. A set of people who don’t really fall into one category or the other, people who aren’t Christ-followers, but still basically good people.

And yet, Christ makes it clear that those who do not understand and do the words of God are those who are of their father the devil. Just consider this, as much as we live in a physical world surrounded by lots of ‘nice’ people…we so often barely grasp the enormity of the spiritual war raging around us. We must love all people, of that there is no question. We must love the lost as Jesus did. But we must also recognize that the lost are also currently children of the devil and slaves to sin. And that thought must make us shudder – how much more should we hold up high the banner of light? How much more should we be willing and eager to proclaim our allegiance to our Father, the ruler of the universe and Father of Light? We should not be hesitant to challenge those who do not follow Christ.

This age we are in is an age of diversity and an age of acceptance and an age where there are no lines in the sand because all is acceptable and all is tolerable and all is good. This is an age where everyone does what is right in their own eyes. The predominant religion in this western world is the ancient religion of humanism – where we worship the desires of the flesh and the high places of this world and the creeds of our own devising. As long as we don’t harm others, many say – all is acceptable, all is praiseworthy. This is an age where we worship ourself as the one true god. This is an age ruled by the devil himself.

Let us remember that and let us shudder. And let us be humble before the Lord our God, the true ruler of the ages. Let us kneel before our Father in deepest prayer and most sincere adoration. Let us follow Christ every moment of our lives. We are in a war, a war to the death. And we know that Christ will triumph victorious. But now, we fight. We fight with the very strength of Christ, because He lives. And His Spirit is with us. And, we fight. Let us hold firm to the word of God and remember the deeds of the Lord. He is with us, forever and always. And we fight.

Where is thy sting

James HoganLeave a comment

Just a very few words, my friends!

I’m sitting here on my couch in Houston, just newly arrived back in town. A pizza is in the oven for a quite late(but needed!) dinner. And the battle of Helm’s Deep is raging on my TV screen. A perfect end to a perfect weekend. I’ve been in Tampa all weekend long(arrived home about midnight on Thursday!), but as is typical, no time for writing the whole weekend due to the many moments of awesomeness contained therein. Rays game! Watching Divergent with Maryanne and Laura! Best New York Pizza with Mom! Lunch with Dad! Apple pie and chocolate cake and lots of talking and lots of late-night-youtube-watching with Maryanne and Laura(A Very Potter Musical!!) Seeing dear Steve and Vickie and having at least a few minutes with them this afternoon! And of course, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ this morning at Hope Bible Church with the family. And this is really what I’d like to talk more about(if my dinner was not about to come out of the oven in two minutes), because truly – how good it was and is to be reminded that no matter what fun things there are in this world(and we should not be ashamed to enjoy them!), we should be having our greatest joy and highest hope in the love and salvation and glory and wonder of Jesus Christ. We should yearn to be with Christ above any other. We should long for Christ more than anything else on this earth. This night as I walked back to my apartment, I looked up and even through the haze of the city sky, I saw the stars. Yet even their beauty pales in comparison to the glories of Jesus our Lord. There is no more perfect beauty than to know and be known by Christ our God. And that, my friends, is all I have to say tonight.

Sleep well and be at peace.

Cottontails

James HoganLeave a comment

Good evening, my friends!

I have but a few minutes as my dinner is currently baking away in the oven(fish fillets and french fries – simple and fantastic. Oh and a yummy salad too – complete with radishes, green onions, tomatoes…y’know). But I thought I at least wanted to write a couple words, mostly just to thank God for the most beautiful weekend that He gave to me! I can’t fully describe it or properly do it justice, but that doesn’t keep me from praising God for His goodness and love!!

So yes, this past weekend, was up with friends at a state park near San Antonio. And it was beautiful. I’m not always a huge fan of camping, but I couldn’t complain one bit about the time we had. Early morning walks through the Texas hill country…seeing the deer and the rabbits dart about and listening to the calls of the early morning birds and crying out to my God. Saturday – full of an epic hike through the rugged terrain and followed by a swim in the river – cold flowing water and hot sunshine and yes, I may have gotten slightly sunburnt – but oh so worth it! Eating lots of amazingly prepared food(plenty of coffee in the morning, and plenty of chili at night!). Having oh so sweet talks with friends, old and new – not much better than that. And of course, singing praises to our God around the campfire. Pretty awesome. Pretty glorious. And this slightly haphazard paragraph dances to and fro and does not properly describe the peace in my heart. Sometimes I feel far too frazzled and shaken by the fears and worries of this world…and so my God and Father gives me gift like this. A time to be with Him. A time to be with His people. A time to be in His world. A time to be with Him. Thank you, Father – for your mercies and love. Always.

Now, before I spill too many more words, time to turn off this computer and eat my dinner and further think on the love of Christ. Peace, my friends – peace and love!

Green Pastures

James HoganLeave a comment

Hello again, my friends! I have just returned from evening service. Spent a fantastic few hours, there – very worthwhile, very glad I went! Singing praises to God(Amazing grace – how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!) and then hearing Daniel share from 2 Chronicles. Firstly, 2 Chronicles needs to be studied more often, because there are so many rich truths about the nature of God contained therein. Secondly – hearing about the life of Manasseh tonight was simply magnificent. The most wicked king that e’er ruled the land of Judah. He worshiped false gods and sacrificed his children to demons and committed heinous blasphemies in the temple of God…and yet God did not give Manasseh what he deserved. He granted Manasseh the opportunity to cry out and repent to God. He gave Manasseh mercy. Thank God. So anyways – I could go on, but I will not. It was a truly encouraging message – reminding me of the greatness of the God I serve. So – after coming home, talked with Maryanne for a bit(hi Maryanne!! *waves*) – we always have fun conversations! Now, I’ve put my sheets in the wash(hm, might be a late bedtime tonight oops), made my lunch(roast beef and swiss and horseradish mustard on onion rolls, thank you very much) and now I’ve decided it’s time to write. I still need to eat dinner(leftover meatloaf and green bean casserole!), but that can wait. My fingers have not had proper exercise in far too long. It is time to write.

And you can see that’s clearly true, as I’ve written a very awkwardly long paragraph and haven’t really said anything of substance yet. My apologies.

Moving on – I haven’t written anything substantial in near on a month, I think. A lot has happened in this past month. Because I don’t quite think I have the stamina to write a book, you won’t get the details. But let me…summarize.

One of the best things about this past month(and really – this year!) was getting to go to Ligonier Conference with Dad!! I haven’t been in quite some time(I think last time was either ’08 or ’09 with Mom). So me and Dad decided to go this year – I flew in to Tampa on Wednesday night, then Thursday we drove up to Orlando. The theme of the conference was “Overcoming the World” – and it was simply fantastic. A lot of great preachers(Al Mohler, Sinclair Ferguson, Voddie Bauchum, Steve Lawson…et al) spoke the truth of God, and we were all deeply encouraged. This world is indeed deeply opposed to God, and the culture in which we live is rapidly becoming ever more entrenched in open war against the things of God. So being encouraged by these men of God, by hearing them preach from the Word and exhorting us to continue to keep up the good fight…just a pure joy. And being able to sing songs of praise to God and being surrounded by thousands of fellow followers of Christ – exhilarating! Sometimes we can think that there is no one yet faithful to God, no one who yet cares for the things of God. Yet God reserves His remnant, who have not bowed the knee to the blasphemous gods of this world. We are not alone – we have fellow brothers and sisters – the church of God – yet in this world. And we have the Spirit that God has given us, to encourage and strengthen us, each and every day. We are not alone. And then, probably the best part of the conference was just to hang out with Dad! Being able to talk with him and sit together listening to God’s Word and lie out on the banks of a pond in the sunshine, luxuriating in the goodness of God…wonderful. Truly. It was a most special few days. And of course, had to buy a few books when I was there! I tried to restrict myself to only buying a couple, but I ended up buying five. Oops. Every time I walked into the book room, found myself buying another! I already read one these past few weeks – The Evangelistic Zeal of George Whitefield, by Steve Lawson. Utterly fantastic. One of his sermons was on George Whitefield – encouraging and convicting! To hear about a man who God so richly blessed – I ask that God would grant me only a tenth of the Spirit that He granted Whitefield! If you don’t know much about Whitefield, I would urge you to read about his life and be encouraged.

Following the Ligonier Conference, me and Dad came back to Tampa on Saturday – where I spent the night. Then Sunday, got to be at Hope Bible for church. It was a special service, since we had a baptism, and it was decided that we’d have a few testimonies of God’s grace beforehand. Gary spoke, and I as well. Gary spoke on what God had been teaching him in his morning quiet times – as always when Gary speaks, most encouraging and God-glorifying! Then, Dad had asked me to share as well, and thus I did. It did feel a bit strange, standing in the pulpit and sharing with the church. Especially since it’s a church I’ve been in since I was eleven! But, God gave grace and blessed my words, as I shared how God has blessed me these past few years. God is so good to me, how can I not proclaim to the great assembly(or maybe somewhat-smallish assembly) the great acts of God in my life?? I shall pay my vows to the LORD, oh may it be in the presence of all His people!! (Psalm 116)

So yes, those few days in the end of March – they were a great gift of God to me, indeed.

Now I come to the last section of this update. This is the part I’ve been putting off and not wanting to write. What I’m about to write is the reason I’ve not really updated in so long. But I shall not let my fingers falter now. I shan’t go into details, but the week following my visit to Tampa, Gary Galligan went home to be with Jesus. It was a sudden shocking thing. It’s been an extremely difficult and trying and emotional past few weeks – for Hope Bible, for everyone back in Tampa and for me. Yet some of the last words Gary said – as he spoke in front of church the Sunday I was there – no one knows the day that is to be His last. And truly – Precious in the slight of the Lord is the death of His godly ones. (Psalm 116) I won’t talk about Gary too much, but to say he was a man that served God. He was a man that loved God. And he was a man that longed to know Christ more. And now Gary is with Jesus, forever. Hallelujah!!! Gary is truly a man that there can be no doubt these words were said to him as he entered the presence of God, “Well done, my good and faithful servant – enter into the joy of your Master.” So I don’t often ask for much as I write, but if you read these words, pray for the church. Pray for my family and for Dad, who has labored alongside Gary for many years and will now sorely miss his co-pastor and friend. Pray for Janet, for her continuing comfort and joy. And truly, as much as we sorrow because we miss him – we also rejoice. Always. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord!!

And my words fail me. So let me just share the beauty of God’s Word(which never fails):

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God,
the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly
and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God,
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect,
and to Jesus,
the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood,
which speaks better than the blood of Abel…

Hallelujah. Glory be to God. Amen.

Soft Falling Rain

James HoganLeave a comment

I really feel I need to write a proper update here, and I even meant to write one this day! But the afternoon has swiftly passed on, and it’s almost time for evening church. And so maybe I shall write more later tonight? Possibly so. Possibly so.

For now, going to just read for a few more minutes before I have to head out. I feel weary this day, not at all in the mood for going out, but I think I shall nonetheless. Anyways now I shall sip on my coffee and read. And maybe later you all will get a nice long entry! Maybe!!

Peace and love, my friends.