Category Archives: James R. Coggins

An Honest Look at Life in the Church by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 18, 2022 by jrcoggins

I will start at the rather ordinary beginning and assure you that the more extraordinary matter later on is worth waiting for. I first met Dawn Miller by mail many years ago. I was an editor with a church denominational … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Pharisees and Teachers by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 10, 2022 by jrcoggins

While the crowds ran after Jesus, almost from the beginning the Pharisees and teachers of the law (sometimes called scribes) opposed Him. Why? Teachers of the law were essentially rabbis—experts in the Old Testament law who taught in the temple … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Would Jesus Go to Church? by James R. Coggins

Posted on May 4, 2022 by jrcoggins

“If Jesus came to earth today, he would be spending his time on the streets, helping the poor and the marginalized, not in churches.” I encounter such sentiments frequently on social media. This ties in with other attitudes in modern … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Followers of Jesus by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 26, 2022 by jrcoggins

We sometimes think of the Twelve apostles as a group and suppose that Jesus called them all at once. This is not so. According to Mark 1-2, Jesus first walked along the shore of the Sea of Galilee and called … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , | 3 Comments

More Famous Coggins Quotations by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 20, 2022 by jrcoggins

After a writer is dead, some anonymous scholar often collects the best quotes from all of his written works, reducing his laboriously written tomes to a few sound bites. A while back, I decided to save this anonymous scholar some … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Right and Left by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 12, 2022 by jrcoggins

In Mark 10, the apostles James and John came to Jesus and said, “We want you to do for us whatever we ask” (Mark 10:35 NIV). In other words, they wanted Jesus to give them an answer before they told … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Ungrateful Kids by James R. Coggins

Posted on April 6, 2022 by jrcoggins

“Lord,” the man prayed, “it’s these kids you gave me. They’re driving me nuts. They’ve phoned me fourteen times this week, and not once was it anything positive. They only called me to complain or to ask for something: ‘I … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

A Man with Leprosy by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 29, 2022 by jrcoggins

Mark 1:40-45 tells an interesting story about a man with leprosy who came to Jesus and begged for healing. Jesus healed the man but then gave him a strong warning not to tell anyone about it. However, the man was … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

What Is It about the Irish? by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 23, 2022 by jrcoggins

How the Irish Saved Civilization: The Untold Story of Ireland’s Heroic Role from the Fall of Rome to the Rise of Medieval Europe by Thomas Cahill is a somewhat older book (published in 1995) that has stayed with me. This … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Day in the Life of Jesus by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 15, 2022 by jrcoggins

Mark 1:21-35 describes one day in the life of Jesus. He and his followers were in Capernaum. On the Sabbath day, He preached in the synagogue and cast a demon out of man who was present. Then they went to … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Black Angus: A Dramatic Dialogue by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 9, 2022 by jrcoggins

There are many black tails from the Scottish borderlands, but for shear betrayal, none can bleat the saga of Black Angus. One fine misty morning, Angus was confronted by his brother Peat, saying, “I have a bone to pick with … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Location, Location, Location by James R. Coggins

Posted on March 1, 2022 by jrcoggins

Mark 1:4-20 describe the ministry of John the Baptist and the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. John the Baptist preached in the desert/wilderness near the southern end of the Jordan River, where it empties into the Dead Sea. He … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

The Significance of Cockpit Resource Management by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 23, 2022 by jrcoggins

Modern passenger airplanes are extremely safe, with overlapping safeguards (including having a pilot and co-pilot). An airplane rarely crashes due to a single problem. Usually, in an airplane crash, one or more mechanical issues are compounded by one or more … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Good News by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 15, 2022 by jrcoggins

Many modern commentators deny the divinity of Jesus, arguing that He never claimed to be God. However, the book of Mark declares at the beginning, in what serves as a title, “The Beginning of the Good News about Jesus the … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Responding to Disasters by James R. Coggins

Posted on February 9, 2022 by jrcoggins

Late last year, southern British Columbia (where I live) experienced a massive rainstorm. We get a lot of rain here on the west coast of North America. Our weather includes onslaughts by “atmospheric rivers,” which used to be called “pineapple … Continue reading →

Posted in James R. Coggins | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment