Tag: scripture

Swallowed in the sea

James HoganLeave a comment

Well, I *was* going to go to bed freakishly early tonight(say, around 9pm!!), but as happens many a night, I got distracted by a good book. Oops. I really should keep the books further from my bed.

Anyways, reading in “The Glory of Christ” by John Owen…and I got to say, as much of a struggle it sometimes is to wade through his gorgeously intricate paragraphs, it’s so worth it. Any of you that own this(hey, I can’t be the only one!) needs to read the last few pages of Chapter 10…amazingly beautiful. I don’t quote from books often here, but…

The due remembrance of what the blessed Lord Jesus hath done for us, of the ineffable love which was the spring, cause and fountain of what he so did – thoughts of the mercy, grace, peace and glory which he hath procured thereby – are the great and unconquerable motives to fix our faith, hope, trust and confidence in him.

His divine nature is the ground and warranty for our so doing. This is that from whence he is the due and proper object of all divine faith and worship. From the power and virtue thereof do we expect and receive all those things which in our believing on him we seek after; for none but God can bestow them on us, or work them in us. There is in all the actings of our faith on him, the voice of the confession of Thomas, “My Lord and my God.”

Oh lovely.

And I could go on quoting..but I shall refrain. For now!

Oh but… just thinking about another one of my favs…

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that
He loved us and sent His Son to be the
propitiation for our sins.

And from this amazing truth does our love spring!

Adrift in raging seas
and lost in the maelstrom of silence
and seized in the chains of the poets
and drowning in rainbows.

Drowning yet grasping and
gasping and hoping and
praying and trying and
living yet dying.

Until there came a light,
the light that was a man
the man that was a lord
Our Lord and our God!

So no longer do we writhe,
and no longer do we write,
but still, but still, we sigh
in love, for love, divine.

Have a most glorious night, y’all!!

Hallelujah

James HoganLeave a comment

Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty expanse.
Praise Him according to
His excellent greatness.

Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.
Praise Him with timbrel and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and pipe.
Praise Him with loud cymbals;
Praise Him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath
praise the LORD.
Praise the LORD!

-Ps. 150

Praise the Lord!!!

Little children

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And we know that the
Son of God has come,
and has given us understanding
so that we may know
Him who is true; and we
are in Him who is true, in
His Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God
and eternal life.
-1 John 5:24

Love. Beauty.

If only our frail minds could grasp the full infinitude of the love of God!! Let our souls be awash in the knowledge of His love. Let our hearts dance and sing and glory!

Fire and rain

James HoganLeave a comment

For the love of money
is a root of all sorts of evil,
and some by longing for it
have wandered away from
the faith and pierced
themselves with many
griefs.

But flee from these
things, you man of God,
and pursue righteousness,
godliness, faith, love,
perseverance and
gentleness. Fight the
good fight of faith;
take hold of the
eternal life to which you
were called, and you made
the good confession in the
presence of many
witnesses.

I charge you in the
presence of God, who
gives life to all things, and
of Christ Jesus, who
testified the good
confession before Pontius
Pilate, that you keep the
commandment without
stain or reproach until the
appearing of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which He will
bring about at the proper time –
He who is the blessed and
only Sovereign, the King of
kings and Lord of lords,
who alone possesses
immortality and dwells in
unapproachable light,
whom no man has seen or
can see. To Him be honor
and eternal dominion!
Amen.

Waterfalls

James HoganLeave a comment

And here again we have a quick before-work update! Sitting here on this sunny Thursday morning, preparing for another day of oil-equipment-remanufacture-awesomeness(really, remind me to write a post someday explaining my job in great detail. Or not) as I enjoy my coffee and revel in the beauty of a new morning!

And I just realized this is my 365th post on livejournal. Only took me some seven years to get here!! It is sort of odd, because all the friends I started out with on livejournal are mostly gone. What does that mean that I’m still writing away, hm?

Oh and I was bemoaning my short commute today…at this rate, I’ll never get to finish the final song on the newest Rhapsody of Fire album(“From Chaos to Eternity” – epic title, neh?). Of course, the final song is some nineteen minutes long. Oh well, maybe there will be enough traffic tomorrow morning so that I can hear the whole song in one drive.

And enough randomness for the morning?

Time to work!

Oh by the way, the book of Matthew is awesome. Been enjoying it incredibly so lately. You all should read it. Right now.

Prepare your mind for action

James HoganLeave a comment

So this morning is going to be interesting. Month-end shipments are upon us here at Cameron Aberdeen and everyone that knows how to close out invoices and ship equipment is either on holiday or in Houston on business…leaving the rest of us running around maniacally and me attempting to ensure everything that should be shipped out is shipped out. Cut-off for the end of the month is today at noon, so at 12:01 today, sighs will be heard all around.

O love the LORD, all you his godly ones!
The LORD preserves the faithful
and fully recompenses the proud doer.
Be strong and let your heart take courage,
all you who hope in the LORD.
-Psalm 31:23-24

And now, boys and girls…it’s go time.

Life Eternal

James HoganLeave a comment

For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived,
enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life
in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

But when the kindess of God our Saviour appeared,
He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness,
but according to His mercy,
by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit,
whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour,
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs
according to the hope of eternal life.

-Titus 3:3-7

Seven Pillars

James HoganLeave a comment

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!!

Ostrakinos

James HoganLeave a comment

And Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about Him spread through all the surrounding district. And He began teaching in their synagogues and was praised by all. And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,
“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He anointed Me to preach
The gospel to the poor.
He has sent Me to proclaim release
To the captives,
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set free those who are oppressed,
To proclaim the favorable year of
the LORD.”
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.”

Wow. That must have simply amazing to be one of those there and hear those words from Jesus’ mouth, stating that prophecy had been fulfilled that very day and declaring Himself to be the prophesied Messiah, the Saviour of His people!! I read this passage recently and it just struck me quite strongly, how amazing a thing it was for the God of the universe to come down to this earth, to fallen ones like us. And one day, He shall come again! And this next time, He will come in all his power and might and it will be glorious!! And I feel quite humbled knowing that we have such a Saviour and such a Father and such a Mediator and such a God. And now that I have talked quite a bit, I feel like quoting some other passages that I’ve much enjoyed recently, but it would be a bit awkward to quote the whole book of Hebrews. Aw, you all don’t mind, right. Right?? Well, I will quote one of my favorite bits then:

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 for all time those who are sanctified. And the Holy Spirit also testifies to 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.”

Amazing. And…

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

And….

I sought the LORD, and He answered me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked to Him and were radiant,
And their faces will never be ashamed.
This poor man cried,
And the LORD heard him
And saved him out of all his troubles.
The angel of the LORD encamps
Around those who fear Him,
And rescues them.

O taste and see that the LORD is good;
How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

O look to Jesus! Look to Him and be saved!!

And…I may have been carried away a tad with all the quoting(Luke 4:14-21, Hebrews 10:11-17, Hebrews 12:1-2, Psalm 34:5-8). My bad.

But I couldn’t really help it.

Sometimes I feel like I should write more of my earthy feelings and sensual emotions…but I can’t keep from writing what is on my heart and in my soul!! In the balances of eternity…all else is but rubbish. Just let me leave you with one of my all-time favs…

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the
GLORY OF THE LORD,
are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from
the LORD, the Spirit.

Paradicsom

James HoganLeave a comment

Indeed, while following the way
of your judgments, O LORD,
we have waited for you eagerly;
Your name, even Your memory,
is the desire of our souls.
At night my soul longs for You,
indeed, my spirit within me
seeks You diligently…
-Isaiah 26:8-9

Mmm, may it always be so!!

And on another note entirely, having a random late night fish and chips supper with a dear friend while delighting in delicious conversation and heartfelt ponderings and sweet fellowship and joyous contemplations of the goodness of the LORD while sitting under the dancing stars above…total and complete awesomeness.