Tag: meditation

A Most Extraordinary Grace

James HoganLeave a comment

Happy Saturday, friends!!! I’m in Starbucks(please don’t act surprised) and have been getting various online boring tasks(like paying bills) done over the last few hours. I’ve also been spending an alarming amount of time on iTunes trying to sort out this most troublesome playlist for my next mix CD. I now think I finally have the right songs and almost in the right order. Except I’m 17 minutes over. Which means I need to figure out either four long songs or five short songs to cut. Most aggravating. I’ve got to the point where I’ve spent too long on it though and it’s starting to annoy me and seeing as it’s almost 2PM here, I think it’s high time I made my way home to get other chores taken care of!

Hm, what else? Well, I still do want to write a proper entry about my Scotland adventure at some point, but truly – it’s one of those times I don’t feel as I can do it justice via the written word, hence I’ve still not even tried yet. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe. I have had such a nice morning so far…woke up not too early and went over to help Earnie move. A relatively painless process(aided by consumption of kolaches, coffee and doughnuts!) and now I’ve been sipping my iced coffee for a few hours(yes, it is somewhat less iced at the moment). This past week has been full of work and stress and sadness(see my previous entry for more on that, which I won’t dwell on further here). I did get a nice midweek early morning coffee chat with Julie(she had just gotten back from her Idaho vacation the night before and we somehow thought that a 5:45AM coffee meetup was a good idea? Well, it was well worth it despite my initial sleepiness!!) and Tuesday night was a most glorious community group time. It was one of those times where even though I had done some prep on my text(Ecclesiastes 3:1-15), I still wasn’t quite sure how the group discussion time was going to go. Well, it was beautiful and God-glorifying and I felt most blessed by the Spirit in my words and felt so encouraged afterwards!! I really hope some of the people that were there were as encouraged as I was by discussing the enlivening truths of God’s sovereignty and His love. So so precious when God fills your heart with understanding of such wonderful truths. Blessed be God, forever and ever, amen!

Also…thought I’d just discuss(briefly) some most glorious and most sobering words I’ve been reading these past couple days in 2 Chronicles. I always forget about these chapters for some reason, then when I discover them anew, I’m blown away. Anyway – 2 Chronicles chapters 20 and 21. 2 Chronicles 20 – a beautiful story of man’s trust in God and God’s ultimate salvation. So – Judah gets invaded by a ton of enemies(“a great multitude”) and it says “Jehoshaphat was afraid.” As we all are at times, true? And we don’t even have to contend with kingdom crushing invasions! Anyway, what does Jehoshaphat do? He doesn’t make an unholy alliance or trust in his armies or his riches or even his own intelligence. He “turned his attention to seek the LORD.” And that, my friends, is what our first instinct in sign of trouble and fear should be as well. And so he proclaimed a fast throughout the land and the people flocked to Jerusalem to seek help from the LORD. They came from all the cities(!! Imagine that today!) and Jehoshaphat led them in public prayer in the court of the temple and cried out to the Lord in prayer. I’m not going to detail the full prayer here(go read the chapter for yourself!), but it is magnificent. He acknowledges his own powerlessness and God’s great sovereignty and appeals to the covenant God had made with His people. And as he prays, it mentions that “All Judah was standing before the LORD, with their infants, their wives and their children.” No one was left out, not even the tiniest baby! The people understood the gravity of the situation and that they had no hope of salvation in themselves. And so they sought and cried out before God Most High. And God heard them. The Spirit of the Lord came down on one of the Levites and he proclaims to the assembly that they need not fear. He tells them that God will fight for them. The people need not even fight! They are told simply to go down to where the enemy will be and watch the “salvation of the LORD.” And the response of the people? They fall down. And worship God Most High. And so the next morning as they march out to the site of the “battle”, Jehoshaphat again encourages the people, telling them to put their trust in God – in that will they be established. And then as they proceed through the wilderness, how do they array their forces? They don’t put the soldiers or strongest men in the front. No, their trust is so great that they put the singers in front where they praise the name of God – “Give thanks to the LORD, for His lovingkindness is everlasting.” And it says that even while they were singing and praising, “The LORD set ambushes against the sons of Ammon, Moab and Mout Seir, who had come up against Judah; so they were routed.” The victory was the Lord’s. And the people praised His name. Such a glorious story and you should really read it for yourself…but I just am overwhelmed by the power and majesty of God. How should we respond to this? Well hopefully in whatever trouble we find ourselves, we remember that our God is sovereign and our God is faithful. And so should we cry out to Him, seek His face, trust in Him and rejoice in anticipation of seeing the works of the Lord in our lives. And He will work – of that let there be no doubt.

And I really almost want to end this entry here, but a quick few words on 2 Chronicles 21. One of the most sobering chapters in the Bible. Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, and a witness to the deeds of the Lord, succeeds his father as king. And is he a good king in the image of his father? Sadly and most tragically he is not. His first act as king is to murder all of his brothers and assorted others to consolidate his rule. And it is said, “he did evil in the sight of the LORD.” Oh horror. And yet! It is said God was not willing to destroy the house of David because of His covenant. What extraordinary grace. Yet Jehoram is not spared the consequence of his sins and bold-faced mockery of God Most High. It is said that Elijah the prophet sent him a letter(Elijah didn’t even do him the honor of speaking to him in person!) strongly condemning him for his sins(as the leader of his people, he had led them astray, and for that great crime he is judged) and detailing the consequences of his sins. He is told that “behold, the LORD is going to strike your people, your sons, your wives and all your possessions with a great calamity; and you will suffer severe sickness, a disease of your bowels, until your bowels come out because of the sickness, day by day.” Well then. Again. Horror. God does not suffer lightly those who set their faces against him in rebellion and disobedience. And so it all came to pass. And it is said, in some of the saddest words in Scripture…”…and he died in great pain….and he departed with no one’s regret.” So is the judgment of God. Read the chapter yourself to see in starkest detail the sins of Jehoram and the consequences he suffered and the disdain that was afforded him by his people because of his utter failure as king. So, consider Jehoram. Consider Jehoshaphat. Which should we be? One so self-righteous and confident in ourselves that we lay waste to all around us and live for our own pleasure and pride? Or one who unceasingly – day and night – cries out to the Lord and falls down before Him in prayer and worship? One who may be afraid and terrified of what surrounds us, yet we trust in God? May that be said of us, that we trust in God. And Him alone.

Now – that is far too many words and I should most likely edit it down a bit(or remove it entirely!!), but I’ll leave it for now. Read the chapters for yourselves, because the words of Scripture are far better than any of mine. And whatever you are going through in your own life right now, whatever trials and tribulations you’re suffering…fall on your face before God and cry out to Him and seek His face. Trust in God. And rejoice as you see the works of the Lord in your life!

Too many words. Far too many. Thanks for reading, if you made it this far? Peace and love. Always.

To Trust in the Unseen

James HoganLeave a comment

Hello all!! Just finished my lunch here at work and about to get back to it, but I noticed I have approximately seven minutes remaining of my lunch break, so might as well write something here, since it has been a few days!! I really need time to write much much more, but I am hampered by various constraints so no long post today. This past weekend I was in Nebraska/Iowa with the family(and extended family!) for Grandma Hogan’s funeral. I don’t even know if I can quite do justice to this time with my ill-chosen words, so I will not even try at this time. But I do want to state how good my God is, how abundantly faithful and richly compassionate He has been to one as weak and low as me. Oh how joyous to think on that glorious day when I shall see my God face to face!! This is what I long for, truly. Someday. Someday.

And now my time flees and I think it’s best I not write anymore. Be at peace, one and all. Much love, my friends.

And I See the Sun!

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So I may have just done something rash.

I purchased tickets for a holiday to Aberdeen this September. Should I have?? Maybe not, but well…I really craved a decent holiday in some far off country among dear friends. And I have not seen my friends in Aberdeen in far too long. So. It is time to return. Maybe I shall rue this decision in the next few days, but I don’t think so. I see the friends the Almighty God has blessed me with and I wish to see their faces again. Oh how lovely will it be to talk with all of them face to face!! Chris and Jo, Rose, John, Ruth, Graham and Tineke, Joel…and so so many others I won’t mention here now. I’m really rather excited just now – it has been too long Scotland. And I planned it well enough that I will celebrate my three-year anniversary of leaving Scotland…in Scotland. September 11th, 2013. And it is now 2016. How the years do tick by, methodically and unhindered by any desire on our parts for time to stand still. There’s only one person who’s ever gotten God to stop time, and my name is not Joshua!! But before I start rambling further…maybe I should sign off and walk off into the bright Texas sun. Thinking of a chicken/broccoli/mushroom stir fry dinner for tonight. Yes? Yes.

Also, I lied. I do sort of want to keep rambling. Been thinking about my walk with God lately, and how precious it is to know Him, deeply and intimately. Too often do we talk of the externals in our life, of our living situation, our delicious home cooked meals, our fun adventures around town, our pleasant diversions. And none of these things are bad in and of themselves, I think we can agree. But in the end of all things, are we letting ourselves be too diverted by the things of this world? Possibly. I know I fall into the trap of living in the world without remembering often enough that I am not of this world. And so do we get swept up by the torrents of the Charybdis of this life in the flesh. Let us remember that the pleasant things of this world are just that – of this world. And that our true joy should come from the knowledge that we are known by God and part of His family. Let us utterly delight in the communion we have with God through the indwelling of His Spirit in us. Imagine that – God’s Spirit – in us! What foolishness it sounds. Yet most profoundly and shockingly true!! And so I urge you all, my most dear and gentle readers, to think on the simple wonder and grave truth of God’s hand upon us as we walk through this earthly life. The sirens of earthly delight wail on every side, yet plug your ears to their call and remember the most pure and heavenly music that is God’s covenant with us. Think on that far country where all songs rise to the One who sits on the throne. Meditate on the delightfully sweet fruit of communing with Christ our Saviour. Fall on your knees and pray to the Lord and blissfully think on who God is. Sweetly rest and delight in this God. The God. My Lord and my God.

And let the homeward call of the Spirit ever resound in your hearts.

Peace, my friends. Peace and love. Always.

Meditating

James HoganLeave a comment

There is a peace and quiet relaxation that comes with trusting God in all things. Too often we rush through life frantically scrabbling for control of our own destinies and fearing for our own future, but we need not do this! Just as Abraham was able to believe God in the promises God had made to Him, so should we. Seek the heavenly Father in all things, be continuously meditating on the glories of Christ and be reliant on the power given us through the Spirit and so live as a child of God. For such we are. Trust in the Lord and seek His face – long for Him above all else, and all will be well. For truly, we have a hope that is above all this world has to offer. Raise your eyes to the heavens and recall this higher hope we have. Let your mind feast upon the thought of living with God forever. Let your soul be blessed by the grace poured out to us by the Spirit through the ministry of the Word given to us. Ne’er be so distracted by this world that you forget the love of God. We are children of God. We are loved.

Forever Tilts the Sky

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This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to
you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If
we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the
darkness, we lie and do not not practice the truth; but if we walk in
the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with
one another,and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all
sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves
and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful
and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make
Him a liar and His word is not in us.

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you
may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the
Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the
propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for
those of the whole world. -1 John 1:5-2:2

Such beautiful words, are they not? I could verily quote the whole book of 1 John, such encouraging and comforting words it does contain, but I shall not this morning. Read it for yourselves and be delighted! Have a most beautiful day, dear friends, and be thankful to God for all His most wondrous works. This is the day our Lord God has made – let us rejoice and be glad in it!

In Memoriam

James HoganLeave a comment

This has been a rich morning. And can I describe it all to you here, dear readers? Well, maybe not sufficiently, and most likely no one will care to read this quite as much as I am enjoying remembering it, but it is my journal and so I will make full use of those inherent rights and privileges as I ramble a bit this morn…about small and sundry things that won’t mean as much to you, but have been gifts to my soul this morning.

As I sat on my couch this morning, with my honey-sweetened coffee in hand(always a good way to start the morning, no?), I got to read so many sweet sections of scripture. Starting with Psalms 115 and 116(two of my favorites, bliss! Not to us, oh Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory, because of Your lovingkindness, because of Your truth”) and then after reading Proverbs 29(also containing some sweet wisdom which I will not delve into further here) I continued in my journey through Ezekiel. Ezekiel is a very strange and wonderful and dangerously sobering book. And today I read what I still maintain is one of the most chillingly frightening chapters in all of scripture – Ezekiel 22. “‘…and they have forgotten Me,’ declares the Lord GOD.” So after reading in graphic detail the sins of the people of God and of the grave seriousness with which the Lord took the affront to His name, I then turned to Romans, which I’ve just started. Romans is always a perfectly delightful book to read and I’ve really enjoyed the first couple chapters already. So today read chapters 3 and 4, with a very little bit of 5(because really – the first few verses of 5 are just marvelous!! I can’t remember them off-hand, which means you get to look them up). But my reading today(which I seldom describe, but again, I will indulge myself today!) took me from from the depths of despair that is our sin against God…to the heights of glory upon realizing the grand plan of God which encompasses both Jew and Greek – salvation for all who have faith in Him. Faith alone – naught of what we’ve done! This salvation through Jesus Christ, because of His propitiation for our sins – oh beautiful thought! And so I really can’t think of a more perfect combination of chapters than Ezekiel 22 and Romans 3-4…and God granted me such a gift by allowing me to read them this day. And so as my heart was lifted and my spirit enlivened and my soul strengthened from above, I drove off to work…and fortuitously enough, my current CD ended and I popped the next one in – which happened to be the Oh Hellos “Through the Deep Dark Valley”…very possibly my current favorite album and a masterpiece of emotion and grace and joy and light. And I had no doubt as I continued to be encouraged by their music as I drove through the slowly lightening Houston morning that God had given me yet another gift…listening to such sweet music that encourages me so. And now this rambling paragraph must draw to a close, I know this. And all these thoughts that I write – they are for my memory and for me to look back on in times of darkness and doubt…so that I will remember the things the Lord has done for me. So that I will see the many beautiful blessings of God that I have been given. I have been given much and thus do I love much. Be deeply encouraged this day, every one of you – rejoice in the knowledge of your salvation and dance in the light of the gospel of God. Peace and love.

Unveiled

James HoganLeave a comment

So I usually don’t write on a Sunday morning, but my computer is on, and I felt a particular urge to write this passage down…been much enjoying it these past few days, so much so that I can’t progress to the next(admittedly awesome!) chapter in Hebrews. Hebrews 10, so beautiful. And so while I finish my coffee, let me just share some of the sweetness contained therein:

Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the
same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; but He, having offered
one sacrifice for sins for all time, ‘sat down at the right hand of God’,
waiting from that time onward ‘until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet.’
For by one offering He has perfected those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also
testifies for us; for after saying,

‘This is the covenant that I will
make with them after those days,
says the LORD:
I will put my laws upon their heart,
and on their mind I will write them,’

He then says,

‘And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.’

Now where there is forgiveness of these things,
there is no longer any offering for sin.

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.
Hebrews 10:11-25

A bit long(my apologies!), but I had to write it all. Really, you need to read all of Hebrews to get the full beauty of it. But that might be a bit much to write this morning. Now, with this resting in my mind and graven on my heart, I am off to church to worship God.

Peace, my dear friends.

Men of Valor

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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.

Seven Pillars

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The fear of the LORD is
the beginning of wisdom,
And the knowledge of
the Holy One is understanding.
-Proverbs 9:10

If I could only always remember this!! There is a foolishness that masquerades as cleverness and there is a grave that masks itself with the ever sweeter perfume of piety and there is a well-paved path that leads to the gates of hell. And there is a wisdom that looks as folly and there is a grave that is empty and there is a little-trod path that leads to the presence of God Himself.

Oh, for the love of Jesus, who found us when we could not see! Oh for the love of Jesus, who knew us when we did not know Him! Oh for the love of Jesus, who saved us when we could not live! Oh for the love of Jesus, who lifted us when we could not move! Oh for the love of Jesus, who loved us when we could not love! Oh for the love of Jesus!!

Born that way

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Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin my mother conceived me.
Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being,
and in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.
Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me to hear joy and gladness,
let the bones which You have broken rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors their ways,
and sinners will be converted to You.
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness,
O God, the God of my salvation;
then my tongue will joyfully sing of
Your righteousness. -Psalm 51:5-14

Oh I will sing!!!

Ahh this has been such a sweet day!! Admittedly, I’ve been inside for most of it…but that’s because it’s been grey and gloomy and rainy outside all day long…so I decided it was a perfect day to relax indoors. Had a late night anyway(sweet party times with Aiysha and Sam et al!) so woke up sort of late…(11AM, eek! That’s probably my latest lie in in quite some time!) So after my shower I enjoyed my sweet bacon and coffee breakfast and reading…and for the past few hours I’ve been chilling in my living room and compiling a new iTunes playlist(felt it was time for a new one…and in doing so, realized I had NO “And Can it Be?”. That had to be rectified and so I found a sweet version…in this awesome CD that you all should get – Resolved Music, Vol 1 on Amazon. Great stuff)…so making the playlist took me a while because I kept getting distracted(first by talking to Laura on Gmail…and then Katheryn. So worth it though! *waves to both*). Anyways here’s the playlist I came up with…I’m pretty happy with it. Presenting…”The Homestretch”:

1. Such Great Heights – The Postal Service
2. It’s Beginning to Get to Me – Snow Patrol
3. All of Us – Blindside
4. Ever Dream – Nightwish
5. Dargor Shadowlord of the Black Mountain – Rhapsody of Fire
6. Nothing but the Blood – Jars of Clay
7. Go Hard ft. Tedashii – Lecrae
8. The Prodigal Son Suite – Keith Green
9. Something Beautiful – Needtobreathe
10. Die Alone – Ingrid Michaelson
11. Blackout – Muse
12. Yellow – Coldplay
13. Revelation 5 – Hope Bible Church
14. And Can it Be – The Enfield Hymn Sessions

Good stuff, neh? I’ve been listening to it right now and I am most pleased. I forwent my usual hardcore opening and went a little softer with Postal Service and Snow Patrol opening…but don’t worry, got at least a little power metal awesomeness in there with Nightwish and Rhapsody. I’ve been much enjoying Rhapsody of Fire on the way to work lately – glorious beautiful music(even if Galan’s the only other person I know that agrees!!)

And in other news, tonight having Steven, Maren and Anna over…my 3rd night having people over in four nights!! But this time, Maren and Anna are going to cook apparently, so I can relax a bit. Ooh, I probably should clean the kitchen a bit though before they’re here. Yes, good plan.

And although I think I have more to say, time to run to the store to get some juice for tonight and then prep my place for company. Hope y’all are having a most glorious day!!!

Rock on!