Yay Easter

Resurrection day, where we celebrate, not a weird bunny coming into our house leaving chocolate bunny eggs everywhere, but where we remember what the scriptures have told us time and time again to remember, the death and Resurrection of our worthy Lord. He was fully God to take the punishment for our sin, but fully man so that He could stand in our place, the first born of creation! Amen. God became fully man and bore our punishment. The baby we celebrate at Christmas is good but what is more important is the fact that, that baby grew up and became a Man, a God/Man. The only Begotten of the Father and He bore the punishment we deserve. Every sin His chosen committed was laid upon Him and He swallowed the full rejection and wrath of the Holy Father so we can have grace. I do not know such love!

Dad and Kathi are back from Africa

My dad and step mom Kathi arrived back in Georgia yesterday from the long trip back from Kenya. They were staying with some friends of ours Travis and Laura who are missionaries over there in the Masi Mara. My dad learned a new song! You can't see it but you can hear it pretty good.

Dryness

What do I do when times are so dry! Where is the gung ho oorah, I had at salvation? I want to be faithful to God, there is no pleasure in sin. During these dry times the enemy throws his darts with mastered precision. When prayer is without feeling it is hard to hit your knees and cry out to the lord, so the flesh tells you to do other things to fill your void. When scripture doesn't seem to fill your heart, the flesh demands you seek the world that will. All is lies, ALL IS LIES! There is nothing that will fill the void of knowing God, except knowing God!!! When Christianity is "feelingless" it demands us all the more to pray and seek God. Valleys teach us to trust in the faithfulness of God. When I can no longer lift my hands to praise you I will lift my head, when my head has lost it's strength I will lift my eyes. May every member of my body be brought under the subjection of the holy spirit. We do not live by feelings but by the will and truth of God!!! Though I FEEL dry, God gives depth, though everything FEELS void, it is all for Gods Glory. Amen and glory be to the Lord of heaven! May my spirit praise Him over this fleshly housing!!!

Parents Leaving for Africa!!!

My dad (Patrick Cogan) and my step mom (Kathi Cogan). Braved the weather and flew out yesterday on their month long trip to Kenya, to see our friends Travis and Laura over there and help out and hang out! Meaning Travis isn't going to be able to get anything done because he and my daddy are going to be too busy playing x-box and chasing giraffe's! Right dad? Ha ha. No I'm kidding. Anyone reading this should know my dad, and know Travis and Laura as well, so I felt at liberty to joke with them! But here are a few pictures of us singing with them yesterday before they left. And a couple of pictures that my dad and kathi sent me from the plane. I hope to get some e-mails with pictures in them from them while they are over there... (ahem... hint, hint)... so I can post something of their trip! Enjoy!

Wordly Things Lose Their Taste!!!

It is amazing how you can wake up some mornings struggling with intense sins as your flesh beckons you to worldliness, and others you think about the same sins and they disgust you! I've found the latter to be true of this morning. A thought popped into my head that would usually weaken my flesh to the point of sinning against the Lord, and this time it absolutely disgusted me. I didn't even want it or want to want it. I was thinking "Ew that's gross."
"Why?" I had to ask myself. As I think more and stop and pray it disgusted me because I actually hated the sin against God! How amazing is that!!! Isn't it awesome how God changes our hearts to think like He does. We think His thoughts after Him, He puts His desires in our hearts! God is so kind and loving to a people so wasted.

So what do I do with the wonderful blessing? A day is going to come when my flesh is not so easily pushed away. I need to make sure I run while I can run! Tomorrow I may be slowed to a crawl! Sin is no longer master over me, but it still has a large influence. I must bury myself in the Word of God! Feelings do not conquer sin, only Gods word. So today I may feel disgusted at sin but that feeling is not lasting, I cannot hope in it. Especially me! I change from one thing to another more than the wind changes direction. The only lasting hope I have is the word of the living God and His faithfulness. So Praise God I have been made to hate things that He hates for today, but I cannot put my hope and trust in that! "Be sober Lance. Your enemy prowls as a Lion seeking someone to destroy. Do not get too comfortable in your spiritual drunkeness!" I love what God has done in my heart today, but He is teaching me not to hope or trust in it!!! May God forever be praised!!!!!

The Desires of Flesh!

I was reminded today how sometimes I wish I could have a fling with my old life. Just for a short time to go back and live a month or so of "fun" with no worries. The Utopian romance I find myself in tells me that "Your old life was so much more fun, so much easier, God won't care, He died for you, and you can't lose that!" It says, "Remember all the friends you had, the parties you went to. It was a blast!!! Now your life is boring. You live a good life, you owe yourself some fun!!! C'mon and try it out, you can come back to God again later. The world is here, it's waiting to please you." Fallacy of fallacy's!!! I do this from time to time and marvel at the fun and pleasure that the world gave me, and stands ready to give me. Then God intervenes, it never fails, God always gives me His perception on the matter. His Spirit teaches my conscience to pipe up and say, "NO! You are remembering the 'pleasures' you had in sin. Take a look at who YOU were then." I am reminded that at that point in my life I was a wretched man. I used people. People were no more that tools for me to manipulate however I found fit in order to receive my pleasurable lust. I lied, I deceived, I hurt people, and the worst of all I had no twinge of guilt in my heart. The only time I ever felt remorse for my wicked acts was when I was found out, and others could see the filthy creature I was. The ones who loved me most wept for my soul while I laughed behind their backs! Oh the rottenness of my flesh. This is Lance Cogan. This is who I am in the core of MY being.
"But wait; now look," says the Spirit of the Most High, "Look who I have made you to be." And without pride, because I have no goodness in me, but with thankfulness I take a good look at myself and who God has made me to be. God has made me to love others, and even my enemies. I desire to see Him pleased, I desire to see the world made holy to Him, O that others would see the Christ I know. He has made me a man that my friends call trustworthy and faithful. He has made me a man that the unbelievers take council from, men who once looked down on me, because of my irresponsibility in the world, now ask me questions and desire guidance. Men who the world calls wise have been put to shame by the words God has entrusted to my mouth. The world is far from me. I have been redeemed and called away from this world. I am being sanctified in Christ. I have reproved old men and they have listened because they see me living according to the gospel I proclaim. How powerful is God!!!
"Wait" says the Spirit once more, "That is not all my son. Behold your God. Look intently at the cross where He died. See Him a perfect sacrifice; see Him the Lamb of God! He has died for your sins. He suffered so you could be free! Seek not the sins that work to make His death vain. See the Lord! See your Savior, my son. Look past the world; stress your eyes to look heavenward, and see the face of God. The world will not seem so important then. The sin will not look so glorious then. The only care you'll have will be to see a smile on the Redeemers face!" Praise God!!!!!! I have been washed by the blood of the worthy lamb!!! I am counted worthy!!!!
PRAISE GOD!
In order for me to live in the sins of the world I must first become the man I was. I must first deny God's power of salvation in my life. Then I must lie to the accountability God has put in my life, I must deceive and use others. Then when I have fallen to the man I was, I can indulge in the pleasurable wickedness of who I was. I deceitful user once again. Tell me what life you think to be more glorious!

Oh that my doubting flesh would die!I hear Gods word, His truth; He has made me to know the wonders of His love, yet I still deny Him before men, and even to myself. May God have mercy on the wicked man that I am. The depths of my destruction frighten me to the core, and cause me to flee back to the cross, with sorrowful tears because of my leaving it. How can I hear words of universal impact and turn away from them minutes later! With just an ounce of my wickedness I am worthless even to raise my brow to heaven. When I think myself wise, God proves I am not. When I think myself powerful, God shows me my utter weakness. When I try to take control, God shows it is His will that matters. When I fall down before Jesus and cry out to Him in the anguish of my soul, then He pours out my worthless wisdom to the ground, humiliates my power, and shows me all things are in His power. That is when God gives me heavenly wisdom, the divine power of the holy Spirit, and faith in Him to conquer nations! All flesh is powerless against the authority of God's scripture, including mine. May God use that word to cut to the marrow of my soul, and pain me until I offer up my sins to Him. Let no vise keep me from His work on earth. No power of hell or heaven can now keep me from His hand. His redemption is everlasting! Praise the most holy God of all!!!!!