Tag: scripture

Communion

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What a lovely lovely day. And shall I waste it adding words to the ever growing clouds of data spinning through this world? May it not be so! So briefly….

A day of rest, a day of joy. Finally home with my Bethel church family, loving each other and loving God, lifting our voices in worship sweet and listening to the Word expounded. And lunch with friends(chicken curry is always a quality meal, more so when eaten over good chat and sweet communion with my dear friends). Back at my flat and poring over the Word for community group(Colossians 3:15-17…)…And then vacuuming and a quick workout and then out into glorious brilliant afternoon sunshine reading The Silver Chair by the side of the pool…And back inside and now potato is in the oven and I will soon enjoy it hot and freshly buttered along with some plump turkey burgers and green beans but now I sit on this couch and read a bit of Owen’s Communion With God and while I could say that there is nothing more to be said, suffice it to be said that my heart is full this day. Afternoon sweetly passing by, eyes brighten, lips part, heart sigh. A touch of honey on the bread, one last morsel achingly read, truly nothing more to be said.

Tears of Grace

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Hello friends!! I write this from Starbucks this happy Saturday afternoon and while I shall not write long, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to put a few words to page. Today has been a somewhat productive day so far(got my car’s oil changed, some errands, etc!) and it will continue once I get back home – need to do some cleaning of my apartment! Fun times eh? Now though, just been reading a bit in preparation for Tuesday night’s study(“Whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord.” How often do I fail at that. How much do I need to be reminded!) and also sending a few emails out. Also a very nice benefit to having internet access here…downloaded a bunch of Dominic’s sermons from SermonAudio and I shall later on burn these to CDs for commute listening. I am very pleased with my many new sermons and the much encouragement and conviction I’m sure they will provide. Again from Colossians – may the Word of Christ richly dwell within us.

Now, I’m off, mostly because I want to get home and start my chores. Also need to start dinner at some point – tonight’s a chicken parm night…just been craving that this morning, so suppose I shall make it(complete with tomato salad *of course*). I have far more I could write about, but for now, just grateful for a day of rest that my God has granted me. May I spend it pondering the goodness and glories of my God and meditating on the beauties and wonders of knowing Christ. I do not want to waste this day or this life thinking about that which does not matter. Peace and love, my friends – hope you have a beautiful day and are as encouraged as I am!

Melchizedek

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I forgot how much I love reading Hebrews. I really did mean to post a proper entry today as I sip on my extra-chocolatey mocha, but alas, my time has run out and I need to start on work momentarily. And so I’ll just post a small portion of what encouraged me today…

For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former
commandment because of its weakness and uselessness(for
the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a
bringing in of a much better hope, through which we draw near to God.
And inasmuch as it was not without an oath(for they indeed
became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the
One who said to Him,
“The Lord has sworn
And will not change His mind,
‘You are a Priest forever'”);
so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a
better covenant.
The former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater
numbers because they were prevented by death from continuing,
but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continues forever,
holds His priesthood permanently. Therefore He is able also to
save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He
always lives to make intercession for them.
For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy,
innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the
heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to
offer up sacrifices, first for his own sins and then for the sins of
the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up
Himself.

For the Law appoints men as high priests who are
weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law,
appoints a Son, made perfect forever. – Hebrews 7:18-28

Peace and love, my friends – have a most wonderful Monday!

So Let It Be Done

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I love this passage so much…have faith, my friends, and believe.

So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the
doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and
stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” And when He had
had said this, He showed them both His hands and His side. The disciples then
rejoiced when they saw the Lord. So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with
you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this,
He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you
forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the
sins of any, they have been retained.”

But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when
Jesus came. So the other disciples were saying to him, “We have seen the
Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails,
and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I
will not believe.”

After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them.
Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said,
“Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here with your finger,
and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do
not be unbelieving, but believing.”

Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!”

Jesus said to Him, “Because you have seen Me, have you
believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

In Memoriam

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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.

Bondservant

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…the gospel of God,
which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures,
concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh,
who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead,
according to the Spirit of holiness,
Jesus Christ our Lord,
through whom we have received grace and apostleship
to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles
for His name’s sake,
among whom you also
are the called
of Jesus Christ.
-Romans 1:1-6

Behold the Day

James HoganLeave a comment

Hi friends!! Happy Christmas Eve!!! I’m posting a quick entry from Tampa home! I have been meaning to write more this break(I’ve been here for five days now!), but alas, an abundance of good times with family and friends has prevented me. Alas indeed. But no complaints whatsoever! And now I find myself faced with the problem of too much to write about. Well, suppose we shall bounce back to Friday night, shall we? One of my favorite nights of this whole past year, I can confidently assert! Went with a group of friends(had fourteen of us!) to see Handel’s Messiah at Jones Hall in downtown Houston. It was a grand evening with simply wonderful friends. We were pretty snazzily dressed up(if I do say so myself!!) and after we finished our dinner at Bombay’s Pizza, we made our way to the hall and then enjoyed a marvelous few hours hearing and seeing the Houston Symphony perform the Messiah. I may have said this before, so pardon the repetition, but this is my favorite piece of music ever, and every time I hear it…it delights my soul. And hearing it live – oh joy!!! I really wish I could properly convey the feeling at being there, but my skill with words is not sufficient to the task. But hearing God be praised via the words of the Scripture(Isaiah! Malachi! Psalms! Luke! and more!) by so many beautiful voices…oh gorgeous. Just a little piece of heaven. And again, hearing that with some of my dear friends, thinking on the deep and wonderful mysteries of God Almighty, Saviour of my soul…I cannot express my heart. ’tis wonderful.

And now I feel I can’t really get back to writing about the rest of this week…but it’s been an amazing time with the family – Dad, Mom, Laura, Maryanne, Caisson…eating so much delicious food, watching fun movies(Jurassic World – Maryanne’s choice! Alice Adams, a classic Katherine Hepburn movie – Mom’s choice! Star Wars: The Force Awakens – All of our choice!! And if I took time to write a review of that movie now…in all its space-rollicking-adventure glory splashed across the cinema screen…this would be far too long of an entry!). And now it is Christmas Eve, and Dad is resting on the couch, Maryanne’s making her oven-roasted potatoes(lots of them!), and Laura and Caisson are shortly going to be cooking the steak and asparagus…while I laze about and type on this keyboard. And oft-times, I feel so unworthy of all these blessings…my thoughts and emotions whirl about within me in frantic currents and I doubt my place…yet then I think back on what God my Father has given me, and who He is. My Father, my God. My Love. And I rest in His loving arms and I fear no more. All glory be unto Him, forever and ever. Amen and Amen.

Now, time for me to contribute to this Christmas Eve dinner in some fashion. Maybe I’ll do some of the dishes here. Peace, my friends. Peace and love, forever and always.

Hazelnut Lane

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Hello my friends!! I am posting this before work begins this morning, partly because I realise I haven’t properly written anything in far too long! And I thought that trend of not posting needs to be arrested immediately!! And even now, I don’t have the time to say much. But it is a beautifully cold morning here(low 40s – for Houston, shockingly cold!) and it’s pretty awesome finally getting to wear a turtleneck and sweater to work again. Yes, I am easily made happy. And so as I drove to work this morning with my hazulnut mocha, feeling warm and cosy in my car as I watched the sky slowly lighten and listened to Sufjan’s soft jams…I just realised how truly blessed I am – I have been given so much. No doubt there, none at all.

And really, I think back over this past weekend – and am even more thankful!! I’ve been having an interesting few months here(and few weeks! Maybe I shall discuss in depth at a later date, we shall see) and I know God has definitely been teaching me to even more fully rely on Him and enjoy Him purely and above all else. And I’ve still been feeling a bit emotionally weary…and then right before this upcoming weekend trip to Austin, I ended up getting physically sick! A nasty cold and fever…you know, all that good stuff. I almost cancelled the trip to Austin, but John talked me into it. And I’m very glad he did. Drove up with John to Austin Friday afternoon and spent some quality time hanging out with him that night and Saturday morning(before Melissa and Jim drove up to join us!). Me and John got lots of talking time…of course interspersed with some quality Doctor Who watching. Of course. And once Jim and Melissa joined us, we had a sweet afternoon(more wonderful talking as we walked in the Colorado River Wildlife Sanctuary in the middle of Austin – gorgeous walk, did not see any wildlife. Still, would come again). And as I walked on the woods trail and breathed deep of the crisp wintry air and looked at the piercing blue sky above…I gave thanks to God for his many and diverse blessings that He has given me. Later that evening was the object of our trip – the Oh Hellos concert! I’d not really listened to their music much(Christian folk/rock, I guess?), but John loves them, so I figured it’d be fun! And it was simply a grand time! Outdoor venue, so very very cold though – had my coat zippered all the way to my chin, still shivering in between sets! But being with Jim and Melissa and John…hearing beautiful music and looking up at the moon shining down on us from the nighttime sky and feeling the sure confidence that comes from knowing I am loved by my Father God. And so yesterday morning, we enjoyed a sweet breakfast at a French cafe, then worshiped at a church in downtown Austin…and after a much enjoyed pizza lunch, me and John drove back to Houston, where – of course – more quality talking time was had. And so now I am back in Houston, about to embark on another work week(ok – a very short two day work week!!) and though I know not all before me will be smiles and laughter, I know that God is with me and I cannot wait to see the things He has in store for me. The Lord God is my joy and my confidence – now and forever.

One thing I have asked from the LORD, that shall I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the LORD
And to meditate in His temple.

Afternoon Sun

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By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; for he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is God. By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised. Therefore there was born even of one man, and him as good as dead at that, as many descendants as the stars of heaven in number, and innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore.

All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own. And indeed if they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return. But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.