Tag: jesus

White and Grey and Love Unbounded

James HoganLeave a comment

Happy Saturday friends!!! I have but a few minutes before I need to start getting ready for wedding, but…thought I could write a few words! I’m currently here in the Frozen North, which deserves its capital letters because it truly is Frozen up here in Calgary right now. -17 F(-27 C) and snow flakes slowly whirl past the window of my hotel room…

Of course you may ask – why am I in Canada right now? Well…Robbie is getting married!!! Such a dear friend, even though I haven’t been able to hang out with him as much as I wish I could. But we’ve had many adventures – from Isle of Man to Boston to Vancouver! And now…he’s beginning one of the biggest adventures of all…marriage to his soon-to-be wife, Natasha. So I shall soon witness this glorious wedding and it shall be wonderful indeed! And while I rejoice with Robbie and Natasha…I do look forward to the day that shall be more glorious than all others – that day when we shall sit down at the wedding supper of the Lamb. Oh for that beautiful day!! Come quickly, Lord Jesus.

And now…I suppose I should start getting dressed for wedding. Had a nice little breakfast here in hotel, and then because I was tired of staying indoors, braved the wintry blast of outside and walked down to Tim Hortons and got a nice yummy chocolate donut and blissfully hot coffee. Mmm so good. Now in my hotel room warming my toes and enjoying looking out at the white blanket upon this city of Calgary. Frozen outside and warm and cozy inside. This world so often seems cold and dark…remember the light and rejoice in the love of our God.

Peace and love.

The Tears of Nienna

James HoganLeave a comment

It has been ten days since my last update. Unconscionable. And even now, I don’t have long to write, but thought I’d say something briefly. It is one week until Christmas! And two days until Florida! Yay to both!!

And now as I sit here, one more Monday with my peppermint mocha…it is good to rest in the peace of God. I had a good morning(although too brief!) reading a few words…namely in Psalm 18, Proverbs 18 and then the end of Isaiah. Oh so sad to be done with Isaiah(epic book that it is!) but am excited for Jeremiah coming up next. Anyways, just a few brief thoughts…

“I love You, O LORD, my strength.”

Verse 1 in the beautiful Psalm that is 18 starts out with something that we should all echo. A love for the Lord our God. May that be the prayer of our soul each and every day, each and every moment. No matter what else surrounds or what else comes – “I love You, O Lord, my strength.” That love that we offer to our Lord – weak and feeble it may be, but still let it be our cry! And we see the psalm progress very rapidly into recounting a time of misery and depression and utter peril. David was terrified, encompassed by death, surrounded by the grave, confronted by danger on every side. These verses have oft comforted me in my own peril, little though it may be. I can be despondent, but then I see David’s own dire situation. And what was his response? In his distress he called upon the Lord. He called upon God Himself. Such a simple thing to do and yet too often we fail to consider the mercy of our Lord when we are myopically gazing into our own depths of despair. And so David calls upon God. And then? God heard His voice. His cry for help rose up into heaven and God heard. And then? Well I shan’t go and recount the whole rest of the psalm – because you should really read it yourself – but the first line of verse seven really says it all. We know that David was in trouble. We know that David cried out to the Lord. We know that God heard his cry! And then…the earth shook and quaked. The Lord God Almighty took action. And when the Lord takes action…things happen.

And so I ask you – do you cry out to the Lord? The Lord works – even as we may not always be aware of such and even as the work which the Lord does may not always be to our liking! – and so when we cry out to the Lord, we are heard and the Lord is not slow in keeping His promises to us. The Lord hears, the Lord answers. Awesomely.

One more verse…this one from Proverbs 18 – one of my favourites that I always enjoy reading:

“The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runs into it and is safe.”

Truly the Lord is a refuge for us. Wherever we are, in whatever nerve-wracking situation we may be in…know that the Lord is our strength and salvation, truly! Run to Him. Go to the Lord and find peace in the arms of our Savior. He shall truly never let us go.

And in times when it can be difficult to understand how God will work or what he will do to make your unbearable situation any different…remember the deeds of the Lord in your life. Look back to the greatest miracle of them all – your salvation. In the depths of your sin and sorrow – was there anything you could do that could save you from yourself? Was your arm great enough to pull yourself out of the pit? Was your strength enough, your spirit enough, your will enough? When you had no hope…what else was there to do but cry out to the Lord? And that cry, the Lord heard. And that cry, the Lord answered. Over two thousand years ago, in fulfillment of prophecy and as the greatest miracle this world had yet seen, the Lord God Almighty took action. God Himself came down to earth in the form of a man to do what else could not be done – to save our souls from hell itself. And that salvation is freely given. To us. Cry out to the Lord in deepest sorrow and repentance both. Run to Him – our Lord and our God! And know that in the belief of who God is and what He has done for us – you shall be saved.

And so now that we think our trials and tribulations are so daunting and fearsome…just look back at the miracle God performed to grant that we – the foulest of beings – might be reconciled to the Holy One. And if that miracle can be performed(and it was), then be not afraid. Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

(Pardon this unexpected digression…sometimes it just happens, I suppose)

All praises to the One who saved us from our sins. Peace and love.

Golden Age

James HoganLeave a comment

Lovely weekend and not enough time to fully describe it as I enjoy my mocha americano this beautiful morning as the fresh light begins to seep in the windows but I shall at least mention the wonderful capstone of last night in which myself and Emily and Erica went and watched a showing of Casablanca at cinema and oh it was so wonderful seeing one of my all time favourite movies on the big screen with loads of other people and just being able to enjoy it as we laughed at the funny parts(mostly all of Claude Rains’ lines!) and enjoyed the deeply romantic and movingly patriotic themes woven throughout(and something I realised just now as I looked up the cast is how many of the actors are non-Americans which surely contributed to its emotion for so many of them were refugees from war-torn Europe and were from countries such as Russia and France and Austria-Hungary and Germany and some of them were Jewish and even had family members in concentration camps and so the emotion you see in this film in certain scenes is far from faked) and as I write this I realise it is only one sentence so far so I am determined to keep it that way and also have decided to finish sentence sans commas and it will be magnificent(my apologies) but I suppose I must confess the best part of the night was the conversation I had with Emily and Erica after the movie in the parking lot in which we discussed many things but all of them honestly and deeply and my heart was much encouraged by them and now I suppose I really shall close this sentence as it is far too long(but I think rather successful in its lack of commas) but wanted to share a few words that have been haunting my thoughts these past few weeks and been keeping me stuck in the same chapter for quite a while now and this not at all a bad thing and so as I sat on my couch this morning with blanket wrapped around me and read these words yet again just know how my soul was warmed and enlightened by the truth and by my regenerated heart understanding that these words are Real in the sense that little else is:

However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the
Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit
of Christ, he does not belong to Him. If Christ is in you, though
the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of
righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead
dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give
life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
-Romans 8:9-11(oh what beautiful words – we are indwelt by the very Spirit of God)

Boysenberries

James HoganLeave a comment

Hello friends – a relaxing Friday afternoon here! I suppose I should do my workout fairly soon(and I will) but thought I’d write first. Finishing up a perfectly lovely three day vacation(because I had extra vacation days to take. Why not, right?) and I thought I’d just thank God for granting me rest. I probably have spent too much of this time at Starbucks and drinking coffee…but hey, it’s vacation right? Doesn’t that mean I get to do what I want?? And I maybe possibly slightly had an ulterior motive as well – this morning asked out barista Katie(who is a pretty cool girl, I must say!). Alas she said no(due to another random boy she’s talking to in NC who I knew nothing about!) Tragic!! Nonetheless, while I usually don’t share this type of thing online(at least not this bluntly, without the facade of sweeping poetry or purple prose) – I thought I’d put this out there just to share something utterly real and my subsequent comfort in meditating on how good God is. We walk in faith and while we don’t always get what we think we want, God is with us every step of the way. Always. And His comfort is abounding. And it’s encouraging because while Katie didn’t give me the answer I “wanted”, we had a wonderful conversation, full of honesty and kindness, and we are committed to remaining friends. And so I can honestly say I’m in a good mood(which is not always the case in this sort of scenario!) and extremely grateful to God for His mercies. To me! And even this afternoon, God has blessed me. As I ate lunch, I got quite a few laughs out of watching “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?” with Hepburn, Tracy, et. al. As John Wade Prentice and Joanna Drayton make an unusual relationship work(14 year age gap!), I suppose I have no idea what God has in store for me and…that’s a good thing! Even if I’m not quite as handsome as Sidney Poitier. Alas.

Now from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To God be the glory forever. Amen.

Meanderings

James HoganLeave a comment

Happy Monday, all!! I have a couple minutes to write and thought I’d just share a few thoughts. Right now, enjoying my peppermint mocha – and realizing how blessed I truly am. Sometimes it’s easy to feel alone(a la Elijah in 1 Kings 19)…and then God reminds us how false that presumption is!! “I have reserved yet 7000 that have not bowed the knee to Baal”…and I’m comforted by that. Even today, as I’m waking up and preparing for another day and another week of work and not feeling entirely joyful about the prospect, I had a good chat with barista Katie at Starbucks…spent a few minutes talking about our respective churches and fellowships and struggles and joys…and how good it is to have close friends that worship the same God, even if we don’t get as much time with those friends as we would like! So even a chance encounter with a fellow sister in Christ at Starbucks encourages me so – as God knew it would and as God knew I needed!! I have been continually reminded of how many reasons I have to praise God and thank Him for His abundant lovingkindnesses!

Now…just a few thoughts on a few various verses I read this morning…

But as for me, I shall sing of Your strength;
yes, I shall joyfully sing of Your lovingkidness
in the morning, for You have been my stronghold
and a refuge in the day of my distress.
O my strength, I will sing praises to You;
for God is my stronghold, the God who shows me
lovingkindness.
-Psalm 59:16-17
I do love these verses – how easy is it in the “day of our distress” to sink into ourselves and moan and complain and feel that “woe is me”. But no, our response – even in the morning when we are sleepy and not entirely coherent – should be to sing of our Lord’s lovingkindness. For He truly is our stronghold and our refuge and the only One in whom we can put our trust. He showers love upon us and so even when we feel that is not the case, remember that the Lord’s lovingkindness is everlasting nonetheless and sing.

He who gives attention to the word will find good,
and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.
-Proverbs 16:20
A reminder to trust the Lord…which is oft so needed(at least by me!) – when all else fails and withers on the vine, we are told to heed the word which has been given to us…and trust in God. In God and in God only is our trust, our hope, our song.

When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong,
he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the Lord.
-2 Chronicles 12:1
A chilling verse. This is how the chapter begins – it comes after a chapter in which the kingdom was prosperous and Rehoboam was building fortified cities and all was well. And then we see something that should give us pause. We think that in times of peace and prosperity – surely that means God is blessing us and we can relax! And yes, we can and must thank God for all He has given us, but we must be vigilant and not lean on a staff of our own uprightness. How scary is this – a king and his whole kingdom were happy and prosperous and safe. And what did they do? They…forsook the law of the Lord. May it never be. Long to obey God in all things as His beloved children. May we beware of complacency and laxness in the things of the Lord. Keep yourselves from idols.

And there will no longer be any night; and they will not
have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun,
because the Lord God will illumine them;
and they will reign forever and ever.
-Revelation 22:5
Not much commentary on this verse, other than I really like it a lot. “And there will no longer be any night…” Oh what a glorious thought – no darkness or foulness or bleakness or night. Never again will the curse of sin blight the land and darken our souls on that glorious day when returns the King of kings and Lord of lords. Indeed come quickly, Lord Jesus. (Note the last part of that verse…*we* will reign forever and ever under the authority of our God!! Most thrilling and most humbling indeed)

Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand
and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.”
-Mark 1:41
Lastly but not leastly…how does Jesus feel toward those who are desperate for Him? He here is moved with compassion. Oh to know that Jesus is not just all-seeing and all-knowing and all-powerful…he is all-loving. Who would ever even want to be in the same room with a disgusting leprous person? And what does Jesus do? He reaches out. He touches him. He heals him. Because he wants to. So is it with us…Jesus has compassion upon us – we who are foul and unclean and impure and utterly hostile to Him – and He reaches out to us and heals our hearts and purifies our souls and makes us His. Oh what compassion – oh what love!! The worst that we have done…He has forgiven us. Think on that, this morning – if you will. And if you do not know Jesus and wonder if this is truly for you…well, I just ask you this. Do you know that you are a sinner? Do you understand your filth and the darkness in your heart has sunk you utterly and separated you from the God of the universe? Do you realize there is nothing in you that is any good? Oh how that should horrify you. Oh how that should frighten you. Oh how that should make you tremble. But fear not – because despite the yawning gap between you and God – there is a Way to Him. Jesus reaches out to you – He longs for you to be with Him forever. Indeed He does more than reach out – He died a horrific death over two thousand years ago…so that He might bring people into communion with Him – so He might save their souls. He died yes. And then three days later He rose again – proving that He is indeed the Son of God and the One who has power over death! So this Jesus is full of compassion…for you. Yes, you may be lost and drowning in a pit of despair. But fear not – there is hope. Repent of all the evil deeds you have done and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. And you shall be saved to life eternal with God on High. There will be no more night, ever again.

That was far too many words…but sometimes it is good to write. And even if my words are all too feeble – as they truly are – my heart whispers continually of longings to be with my God and I cannot help but scribble down these cries.

Oh So Woke

James HoganLeave a comment

Right – I was going to post a nice long meandering entry this morning at Starbucks. Sadly, when I first got here there was no convenient table near an outlet and my battery was low, thus I was restricted to writing in my notebook for a time instead. Now I don’t have long as I must be off homewards so I can have lunch and get on with the rest of my day! So this entry will have to wait…maybe tomorrow. I wanted to write on some of my concert experiences and some of my recent thoughts on suffering for Christ and really just let my fingers dance across the keyboard for a time. Alas, maybe later.

But I shall at least share my joy at this wonderful morning. Clearly I have been in Houston too long and am much corrupted by that fact…but as it was barely 80 degrees this morning, I couldn’t help but roll down the window and let my arm hang outside the car as I drove…fall is finally (basically, kinda) here and it is glorious!! And as I drove down Briar Forest Drive…I was reminded again of the goodness of the Lord. This road I drove down was adorned with many overhanging boughs and hedges of flowers and kindred things and for a time, I could feel as if I was driving down an old country road in the Scottish countryside. For a time. So my God this morning has granted me a blessed experience of the lovely world that He has made…and I remembered anew all that my God has done for me. Maybe someday I will live somewhere where I am able to more often see the beauties of the world that God has made…but for now, I shall be grateful for these quiet glimpses of forest grandeur.

Peace and love, always.

Expressly Yours

James HoganLeave a comment

I’m listening to my Enfield playlist as I sit here in Starbucks and I have to say – I forgot how amazing these songs are!!! Oh how I love so many of these classic hymns. There is a Fountain, And Can It Be?, Jesus I My Cross Have Taken, O The Deep Deep Love of Jesus…etc, etc, etc. Gorgeousness. I’m tempted to write ALL THE VERSES from one of my very favourites – Jesus, I my Cross Have Taken…but I shall spare you this time. I’m pretty sure I’ve done that sometime in the past. And I’m pretty sure I will do it again sometime in the future.

It is good to remember the mercies of the Lord.

And while I’m in a pondering mood, thought I’d write some thoughts I was thinking last night. Was wearing one of my favourite shirts – a nice bright blue shirt with the words “HONOUR”, “LOYALTY”, “VALOUR” superimposed over a lion rampant. It’s interesting that these words are (apparently) held in such high esteem and I was wondering – what do those words really signify to people today? According to the Oxford English, honour means “high respect” or “great esteem” or “the quality of knowing and doing what is morally right”. In the same, loyalty means “the quality of being loyal” or “a strong feeling of support or allegiance”. As for valour…”great courage in the face of danger, especially battle”. Do those words truly mean anything to most of us these days though…or are they just empty concepts that make us feel better about ourselves? What do we have high respect or great esteem for? Or do we just crave that esteem for ourselves? What are we truly loyal to? Or whom? And when do we show great courage these days? Is it in day-to-day life or just in the contrived fantasies of our mind?

I think we like to think more highly of ourselves than we ought and it is self-flattering to think that we exhibit these qualities of honour, loyalty and valour in our everyday lives. But do we truly? Is there a higher calling that beckons us to live in such a way? I would say there is. But it is not in the way most would commonly think. We ought to live in such a way that every action of our life brings great honour and glory to our God. We ought to live in such a way that everything we do proves our loyalty and faithfulness to our God. And we ought to live our lives coloured by valour and courage in the face of trials and tribulations and all that stands against us as we strive to please our God. Do these things come easy? Of course not. And we are frail creatures and oft exhibit the opposite virtues…we feel shamed, unfaithful and craven as we disobey our God in thought, word and deed. But. But. If we truly put our faith in Christ for our salvation – God has saved us! Not because of deeds that we have done. But because of His great love.

And so because God loved us when we were so eminently unlovable and because our God has filled us with His Holy Spirit and because Christ daily intercedes for us before the Father…now we can exhibit these qualities of godly honour, godly loyalty and godly valour. Let us remember that. We can do all things through Christ who grants us strength. Go forth this day and honour God in all things. Go forth this day and seek to be loyal to God in every word you speak. Seek to live in valour before our God. For truly, He is our Lord. He is our God. And He loves us.

What a wondrous thing it is to be known by God. We are His dearly loved children. Amen and amen.

A Dream Near Realised

James HoganLeave a comment

A lovely morning. The air is cool(for Texas!), the peppermint mocha is hot and I slowly wake up here at my desk. I much enjoyed my reading this morning…as I read a few chapters in 2 Samuel(the ark being brought into Jerusalem – oh how David celebrated at the glory of His God! And the promise of God that the Davidic kingdom would be…forever. A achingly sweet herald of Christ who is promised). Also read some in one of my favourite books – Hebrews. Oh how wonderful…it stirred my soul. And it reminded me that too often I let myself be distracted and weighed down by things that do not matter. Too often do I seek pleasure and satisfaction in the dregs of this world instead of looking to Him that sits at the right hand of God. Oh why does my passion wax and wane so? If only I could be consistent in my honour and love for Christ. I am weak. But gloriously, wondrously – my God is strong and holds me close. And on my commute – listened to some of one of Dominic’s old sermons on 2 Peter 2(coincidentally – the sermon that was preached the evening service the week Mom and Dad were in Aberdeen with me – what sweet memories I have of that time!!). Listening to Dominic preach on the grave dangers of false teaching and the high regard in which we should hold the truth of God’s revelation to us reminded me yet again how I am most insufficient in and of myself. Do I get angry at the slights that are constantly made against my Lord and God? Do I defend the honour of my Lord in my life with my thoughts, words and deeds? Sadly I must confess I am oh too imperfect. I am most unworthy. But – glory be to Christ – that matters not. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. For me.

Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you;
and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.
Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is
good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods,
through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.

We have an altar from which those who serve the tabernacle have
no right to eat. For the bodies of those animals whose blood
is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering
for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also,
that He might sanctify the people through His old blood,
suffered outside the gate.

So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
For here we do not have a lasting city,
but we are seeking the city which is to come.
-Hebrews 13:7-14

Breached

James HoganLeave a comment

Read this today…forgot how much I do love Psalm 103!

The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.
He will not always strive with us,
nor will He keep His anger forever.
He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
Just as a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him.

For He Himself knows our frame;
He is mindful that we are but dust.

And truly, what more can I say? It’s been a long day(even though it’s not yet 7…I’ve been up for a few hours since took Daniel to the airport!) and it’s been a long weekend…and I’m tired. Though – I do have a nice warm mocha in front of me, which always helps! Nonetheless! It was a beautiful reading time this morning once I got back from the airport. Too often do I get sidetracked by all that is going on in this weary, wounded world. And too often do I get distracted by the pains and travails of my earthly life. And that is not proper, at all. Instead, ought I more and more reflect on the staggering mercy of God. Indeed, when I think of how God’s sovereign hand reached in and breached that vainglorious barrier that I had constructed out of shiny metal and wheels and varied things…I ought to bow my head and weep at the love of God. That beautiful love of the God of the universe is mine. A weary, lonely soul forsworn of hope was I.

Now – I am a child of God. And that most glittering jewel of love and beauty I proudly wear upon my brow – life eternal through Christ Jesus my Lord. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.

Anxious Longing of the Creation

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What if God, although willing to demonstrate
His wrath and to make His power known,
endured with much patience vessels of wrath
prepared for destruction?
And He did so to make known the riches of
His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He
prepared beforehand for glory, even us,
whom He also called, not from among Jews only,
but also from among Gentiles.
As He says also in Hosea,
“I will call those who were not My people,
‘My people,’ and her who was not beloved,
‘Beloved.'”
“And it shall be that in the place where it
was said to them, “You were not My people,”
there they shall be called sons of the living God.”

What glorious words from Romans. As I sit here on my couch, enjoying some good reading as I listen to Tchaikovsky…I cannot help but be overwhelmed that I am forgiven. I am forgiven everything. I have really been enjoying reading Romans lately…I have been luxuriating in it, reading it almost absurdly slowly. So as I’ve been pondering Romans 8 for a few days(finally read Romans 9 today!), I want to write about what is in my heart, but I don’t think it will come out right. I guess I can comment on one of the verses(of many!) that struck me…

In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words…

How comforting is that? We have weaknesses, even now, do we not? And God knows this. And we don’t really always know how to pray, do we? And God knows this. And so His Spirit Himself prays for us and lifts up the cry of our heart to heaven. The prayers that we can’t properly lift up because of our own frailties and failings…matter not – because the Spirit of God prays for us. And why? Because we are indeed children of God, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ. We are the people of God. We are the children of God. And indeed, one day – someday soon, I pray! – we will stand glorified in the presence of Christ, revealed to all the world below and to all the angelic host above. With in-drawn breath that comes before the beautiful storm, in awe remember the staggering love with which we have been known. With trembling hands, hold tight to the glorious truth with which we have been entrusted. With shining eyes lifted up, in most broken gratitude – bow down and worship.