Tag Archives: faith

Going by the Rules; December 27, 2024


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


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


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


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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Justice; December 22, 2024


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


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


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


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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Learning Obedience; December 17, 2024


Hebrews 5:8 Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered. The Japanese connects this with the next two verses as one sentence, but this is certainly worthy of meditation all by itself. The Japanese also plays with the … Continue reading

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Faithfulness; December 15, 2024


Isaiah 49:4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;    I have spent my strength for nothing at all.Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,    and my reward is with my God.” I feel sure I’ve written on this before, because … Continue reading

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