Category Archives: Uncategorized

Going by the Rules; December 27, 2024

Posted on December 28, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 2:39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. It’s interesting that Luke completely skips over the magi and the escape to Egypt. … Continue reading →

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Details; December 26, 2024

Posted on December 27, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 2:22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord. This passage makes it definitive that the magi didn’t show up at … Continue reading →

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Matthew; December 25, 2024

Posted on December 26, 2024 by jgarrott

Matthew 2:17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: Matthew is far and away the most Jewish of the Gospels. There is good literary evidence that it was originally written in Aramaic, and only later translated into … Continue reading →

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Acting on Truth; December 24, 2024

Posted on December 25, 2024 by jgarrott

Matthew 2:5 “In Bethlehem in Judea,” they replied, “for this is what the prophet has written:” It has always bothered me that the priests and scribes were so familiar with the Old Testament that they could come up with this answer, … Continue reading →

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Perspective; December 23, 2024

Posted on December 24, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 2:20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. This is such a familiar passage, I knew which verse I was going to write … Continue reading →

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Justice; December 22, 2024

Posted on December 23, 2024 by jgarrott

Isaiah 42:4 “He will not falter or be discouragedtill he establishes justice on earth.    In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” I was a little surprised that the Japanese translation I currently use said “judgment,” rather than “justice,” in this verse, and … Continue reading →

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The Christmas Story; December 21, 2024

Posted on December 22, 2024 by jgarrott

Luke 2:4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. From the standpoint of the world, Joseph and Mary … Continue reading →

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Seeking God; December 20, 2024

Posted on December 21, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 27:8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”    Your face, Lord, I will seek. I have long loved this verse, and have written on it countless times. However, it still resonates within me every time I read it. Different translations … Continue reading →

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Evangelism; December 19, 2024

Posted on December 20, 2024 by jgarrott

Proverbs 11:30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,    and the one who is wise saves lives. I just checked with my wife, who drew up the reading list for this month, and even she has no idea … Continue reading →

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Rejoicing in Salvation; December 18, 2024

Posted on December 19, 2024 by jgarrott

Psalm 118:14 The Lord is my strength and my song;    he has become my salvation. This is an absolutely joyful, triumphant Psalm. It expresses the response of someone who was in a very difficult situation, but God brought him through. The thing is, we … Continue reading →

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