Tag: bible

Three Steps to Summer

James HoganLeave a comment

I’m in Starbucks and getting ready to move out and do some shopping, but before then – wanted to write at least a small update! Had a pretty good week at work, quite possibly my least stressful week in quite some time! And the whole city(and country) is going a bit crazy over the upcoming Queen’s Jubilee(sixty years IS a long time, I suppose), so I’m looking forward to going over to the Smart’s for a Jubilee party on Tuesday night.

This morning I’ve been relaxing with my reading(classic Proverbs with some Ezekiel for good measure, plus a letter from dearest Laura!) and doing some tune-up on my laptop. For some reason, Windows has gobbled up some 28 GB of hard disc space, drastically eating away at my free space. Not cool, Windows. Not cool at all. So got to do some cmd prompt wizardry and free up some 15 GB of that. Excellent. Felt like I was back in high school – been a while since I’ve actually been able to use any of my computer knowledge!!

Also just downloaded some Andrew Belle music(graciously introduced to him by Steph – many thanks. *bows*) Great summertime music – oh I love “In Your Sleep”! I’m attempting to compile a summertime CD for my work driving pleasure, but I’ve only been able to find 12 suitable songs – tragic! Any suggestions?

Now, I really think I’ve been in Starbucks quite some time, so about time to go. Before I do though, you all should read through some of the prophets. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel…quite intense. The Book of Isaiah is grand, majestic and awe-inspiring. The Book of Jeremiah is tragic, mournful and almost depressing. And the Book of Ezekiel is enigmatic and tears-inducing. Of course, those are just my surface impressions, but reading them through is as encouraging an exercise as any I’ve done in some time, as much as they can bring me to feel such great sorrow. We are not that different now, than the stone-faced and hard-hearted people of Israel. Good to balance the prophets with some classic Thessalonians(always so encouraging!) Just read Ezekiel 22 today – seriously, go and read it. The sins of the people are grave. And the Lord will not forestall his wrath forever, although His compassion and lovingkindness are indeed greater than the skies and stretch further than the east is from the west. That I would be a man who would stand in the gap before the Lord. This is my prayer.

And now that that unexpected profusion has come to an end…it is time for me to flee Starbucks to the light of a Scottish afternoon!

A quiet night

James HoganLeave a comment

This lovely Saturday evening slowly winds on. Been a beautifully sunny day and now as the sun slowly sets, I have some potatoes in the oven and a book at my side. Ah what a night! I think this is my first quiet night to myself in quite some time…you know how nice it is to just rest and read and have some time to yourself? Well, that’s my desire tonight. And I think it just may come true!

By the way, I completed my 25th year yesterday. What.

And before I sign off the internet for the night, some lovely words I’ve been reading in Owens –

“Should I engage into the consideration of this love of Christ, which was the great means of conveying all the effects of divine wisdom and grace unto the church,-that glass which God chose to represent himself and all his goodness in unto believers,-that spirit of life in the wheel of all the motions of the person of Christ in the redemption of the church unto the eternal glory of God, his own and that of his redeemed also,-that mirror wherein the holy angels and blessed saints shall for ever contemplate the divine excellencies in their suitable operations;-I must now begin a discourse much larger than that which I have passed through.”

Beautiful. And if I can just sum that up in a few words of my own…what bliss it is to know the love of our Father and be known by Him. What a pure and more perfect peace is given to us that are at rest in Him. What joy is ours! With uplifted eyes and eager faces do we gaze upon the manifest glories of our Lord. We cannot help but shudder in anticipation of that day when we will be in the very presence of God. We cannot help but to lose ourselves in the love of Christ. There is nothing now better in this life. Ne’er will there be.

A white knight

James HoganLeave a comment

And what a lovely Saturday evening it is! I don’t think I shall write too many words tonight, but thought it’d been a touch too long since I’ve last updated y’all! This evening, I currently have lasagna in the oven, perfuming the apartment most nicely. I hadn’t planned on making it, but me and Rosemary were talking about it last night and so I got this craving…and yes, when I was in the store, couldn’t resist buying everything I needed for the king of meals. Of course it’s not as good a lasagna as the one I’ll be having a few weeks, when I’m home in Florida!!! Yes, that’s right – don’t know if I told you all previously about my plans(Well, I’m sure most of you reading this already know!), but I’m flying back to Tampa on the 5th and staying through the 15th! Going to be in Tampa for most of my vacation, but will be in Gainesville for Robert and Cindy’s wedding!! Wow, I still STILL cannot believe Cindy is getting married…I still remember when I was a senior at UF and she came in, such a crazy little freshman…and now she’s about to embark upon one of the greatest adventures – married life. Can’t wait for the wedding!

And of course, being back home with the fam will be pretty sweet. Y’know.

Anything else I can update you on? Well, work is going much as usual – hectic and crazy. Yet my Lord God gives me a most supreme peace and I cannot deny His goodness to me! And while work takes up far too much of my time and I don’t get to see other people that often, the times I have with my friends, I treasure dearly. Wednesday nights at church are indeed one of my favorite times at the week, plop in the middle of my week…what an oasis of love and rest. I talked with Dominic this week a bit(I’m going to be speaking on Isaiah 40 in a few weeks, so he was giving me some pointers – pray for me!!) and I shared with him my sometimes uncertainty as to my future and for God’s plans for my life. While I know my Father has indeed a most glorious future and hope for me, yet my heart sometimes rebels and wonders. Oh why do our feeble minds offer battle to the words of almighty God? I know not. Yet I do. While we live in this world, these earthly temples of ours still cling to the sweetly tempting and faintly beautiful things therein. Yet does our soul and our spirit cry out within us for the fulfillment and glory that awaits us. Come Lord Jesus! Come.

And now that I’ve written far more words than I intended, and allowed my mind to drift to the far beyond…it’s time for me to take the lasagna out of the oven to set. These bodies of ours do need food, after all – and if food, it might as well be deliciously magnificent, so say I!

Have a most beautiful evening, my friends, my brothers, my sisters.

Like eagles

James HoganLeave a comment

Lift up your eyes on high
and see who has created these stars,
the One who leads forth their
host by number,
He calls them all by name;
because of the greatness of His
might and the strength of His power,
not one of them is missing.

Why do you say, O Jacob,
and assert, O Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD,
and the justice due me escapes
the notice of my God”?

Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The everlasting God, the LORD,
the Creator of the ends of the earth
does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
He gives strength to the weary,
and to him who lacks might
He increases power.

Though youths grow weary and tired,
and vigorous young men stumble badly,
yet those who wait for the LORD
will gain new strength;
they will mount up with wings
like eagles,
they will run and not get tired,
they will walk and not become weary.

Redemption

James HoganLeave a comment

Therefore, brethren, since we have
confidence to enter the holy place by
the blood of Jesus, by a new and
living way which He inaugurated for us
through the veil, that is, His flesh,
and since we have a great priest
over the house of God, let us draw
near with a sincere heart in full assurance
of faith, having our hearts
sprinkled clean from an evil
conscience and our bodies washed with
pure water. Let us hold fast the
confession of our hope without
wavering, for He who promised is
faithful; and let us consider how to
stimulate one another to love and good
deeds, not forsaking our own assembling
together, as is the habit of some,
but encouraging one another; and all
the more as you see the day drawing near.

A cup of chocolate

James HoganLeave a comment

And a brief few words from me before I dive into my lovely Thursday night reading. Just had a good meal of leftover pork chops, potatoes and green beans and now enjoying my hot chocolate as John watches the football(Man U vs. Ajax, 1-1, 49th minute for anyone interested!). Had yet another crazy day at work, but I cannot complain when I am so abundantly blessed!! Last night had a beyond lovely time at church(still going through Revelation – the letter to the church at Sardis – oh so convicting and yet I loved it so) being encouraged by the Word of God and being encouraged by His people. May all of us become ever more driven by the passion to know our Lord more and to seek after Jesus and to gaze into His glorious face! May our hearts burn ever hotter and may our lives glow ever brighter with the Spirit that is poured out upon us so mightily. May we be so washed in the love of Christ and so aware of His beauty that we cannot help but follow after Him in the sheer bliss of being His. Oh inexpressible joy!

And I totally didn’t mean to spiral into such an outpouring…but thus goes my heart.

And going back to last night…after such an amazing time at church, came home, but did I do the sensible thing of eating dinner and going to bed? Of course not. Instead I walked the sidewalks near my flat as I conversed with my dear friend back in Florida…ah how sweet an evening it was! And though I never did get dinner last night, it was all worth it.

And now, with my brief words said, it’s reading time. And maybe time for another cup of cocoa.

Love you all, ever so much.

Peace.

Dreams of love

James HoganLeave a comment

And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
The Son of God, who has eyes like
a flame of fire, and His feet are like
burnished bronze, says this:
‘I know your deeds, and your love
and faith and service and perseverance,
and that your deeds of late are greater
than at first. But I have this against
you, that you tolerate the woman
Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess,
and she teaches and leads My bondservants
astray so that they commit
acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed
to idols. I gave her time to
repent, and she does not want to repent
of her immorality. Behold, I will
throw her on a bed of sickness, and
those who commit adultery with her
into great tribulation, unless they repent
of her deeds. And I will kill her children
with pestilence, and all the
churches will know that I am He who
searches the minds and hearts; and I
will give to each one of you according
to your deeds. But I say to you, the
rest who are in Thyatira, who do not
hold this teaching, who have not known
the deep things of Satan, as they call
them- I place no other burden on you.

Nevertheless, what you have, hold
fast until I come. He who overcomes,
and he who keeps My deeds
until the end, to Him I will give
authority over the nations; and he
shall rule them with a rod of iron, as
the vessels of the potter are broken to
pieces, as I also have received authority
from My Father; and I will give him
the morning star. He who has an
ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to
the churches.’

Oh what sweet words!! Something that’s really hit me hard lately…how can we compartmentalize our lives so, and be so self-satisfied in our own accomplishments. How can we so easily tolerate and even praise the evils of this world? Oh let us overcome. Let us hold fast to the the words of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. And let us praise His most glorious name! He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Hallelujah

James HoganLeave a comment

How blessed is everyone who
fears the LORD,
Who walks in His ways.
When you shall eat of the fruit
of your hands,
You will be happy and it will be
well with you.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful
vine within your house,
Your children like olive plants
Around your table.
Behold, for thus shall the man
be blessed
Who fears the LORD.

The LORD bless you from Zion,
And may you see the prosperity
of Jerusalem all the days
of your life.
Indeed, may you see
your children’s children.
Peace be upon Israel!

Psalm 128

Men of Valor

James HoganLeave a comment

From the Gadites there came over to David in the wilderness, mighty men of valor, men trained for war, who could handle shield and spear, and whose faces were like the faces of lions, and they were as swift as the gazelles on the mountains…

Seriously epic verse, no? I’m not actually sure why I posted that, but I just love finding random awesome verses like that. (1 Chronicles 12:8, if anyone’s wondering) And while there’s nothing particularly “spiritual” in that verse…well, my heart can’t help but be lifted up and inspired to be such a man of valor as they. Maybe I’m not equipped with shield and spear or I’m not actually as fast as a gazelle(seriously – those guys were beasts!!)…but may I serve my God with such a dedication as they. Sometimes we are too lax in our service to our God…comfortable in our nice warm homes in our luxurious cities. Not too many of us willfully choose to make ourselves uncomfortable by charging into the wilderness. Not often do we give up all that we have to serve our Savior. I just pray that as blessed as we are to live such comfortable lives, we give thanks to our God continually! And that we never seek our own pleasure or glory before that of our most awesome Father. Amen? Amen.

Also, may we constantly seek after our Lord’s face and delight in His Word to us! Let’s stop continually indulging in the things of this world…and instead rest in the quiet peace of knowing Jesus Christ. Take a moment away from thinking on the whirlwind that is this world and think upon the things of God. Rest in his glory. Rest in his love.

And now, as always, I leave you with mine.

Peace and love.

Thanksgiving, always

James HoganLeave a comment

How great is your goodness,
which you have stored up
for those who fear you,
which you bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
In the shelter of your presence
you hide them from the intrigues of men;
in your dwelling you keep them safe
from accusing tongues.

Praise be to the LORD,
for he showed his wonderful love to me
when I was in a besieged city.
In my alarm I said,
‘I am cut off from your sight!’
Yet you heard my cry for mercy
when I called to you for help.

Love the LORD, all his saints!
The LORD preserves the faithful,
but the proud he pays back in full.

Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the LORD.