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Out Of Egypt

Matthew 2:19-23

Matthew 2 closes out with the return of Jesus and his family from Egypt. Having fled there from Herod’s desire to kill the baby who threatened his reign, the family could now return, fulfilling prophecy in the process.

Matthew 2:19-23

Joseph was guided by a dream from God in which he was told to take Mary and Jesus to Egypt in order to avoid Herod. It’s not clear just how long they stayed in Egypt, but they were again guided to return by an angel in a dream after the death of Herod. It’s likely they were not in Egypt for very long at all.

Herod the Great died in the thirty-seventh year of his reign, when he was seventy years old, in the spring of the year 4 BC, just before the Passover. This event was God’s timing for Jesus to return to Judea. Matthew tells us that another angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and gave him these instructions.

When Joseph came back to his homeland, he settled in a small town named Nazareth. Verse 22 seems to indicate that Joseph’s intention was to return to Bethlehem, probably to make the ancestral city of David their permanent residence. God’s plans were different, and he sent the family back to their Galilean home.

So Nazareth becomes the home of Christ. At this point in history, it was an an obscure village, nestling on the hills about 500 feet above the Plain of Esdraelon. Now, it has become a large city of more than 75,000 people.

Preaching-Teaching Convention

It is starting to feel like I just cannot get onto a regular writing schedule right now. It’s actually kind of amusing to me that I feel so frustrated that my routine isn’t what I want it to be right now.

The last week has been a whirlwind. Between hospital visits and funeral planning, along with the normal weekly stuff, the last few days have gone by fast.

And next week will be just as filled. On Monday, our youth minister and I will head to Ozark Christian College, in Joplin, Missouri, for the Preaching-Teaching Convention. I always look forward to this event, because I get to visit with my oldest daughter, who is a student there, and I get to reconnect with several friends that I have had since my college days.

The fellowship will be good. The teaching will be encouraging. And the worship will be filling. I’m looking forward to it.

In the meantime, hang in there with me. I’ll get back to a normal writing schedule sometime.

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Every Day Carry

What’s In My Pockets

Over the past few weeks, I have been asked multiple times what I carry with me on a regular basis. So instead of my usual fare here at JeffRandleman.com, I though I would give a brief synopsis of my EDC.

EDC - Every Day Carry

The EDC, or Every Day Carry, community has been a place I like to hang out over the past few years, mainly on social media, but even in person a few times. I have met and made some excellent friends through the common interest of the stuff we carry and use daily. While EDC is usually confined to what is in my pockets, I have expanded it here to include a few items that I carry with me daily, even though they are not in my pockets all the time.

Most of these are items that I cannot live without, and need some form of them on a very regular basis. Over the years, my tastes have changed, and my list of EDC items has evolved to become what it is currently. Here are the main items that I have with me at all times.

Where possible, I have included a link for each item so you can check it out further. However, with the exception of Amazon, I am not affiliated with any of these companies in any way. I simply like what they have to offer, and I use their products a lot.

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Coffee Break – 01.28.2019

Your Monday Dose Of Inspiration

On this day in history: In 1878, the first telephone switchboard was installed in New Haven, CT. In 1922, the National Football League (NFL) franchise in Decatur, IL, transferred to Chicago. The team took the name Chicago Bears. And in 1986, the U.S. space shuttle Challenger exploded just after takeoff. All seven of its crew members were killed.

Coffee Break

Today Is National Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!
Pop. Pop. Pop. Poppoppoppoppop!

Creative Uses For Old Coffee Grounds – Here’s a video that gives you some creative ideas for those soggy grounds that we all throw away.

A Man’s Guide To Dress Shirt Color And Pattern – I like to dress up occasionally, and kind of enjoy it. I do not have a job where it is required daily though. For those that do, this is a helpful guide.

Of Friends And Brothers – This was a very inspiring story. Kind of makes me want to take a DNA analysis…

Carnival Scam Science – And How To Win – As a kid, I loved the carnival games. But I never really stopped to consider just how weighted they are in favor of the carnival. This video exposes them for what they are, and tells you which ones you might be able to win.

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Memorize Scripture: Psalm 119:97-100

Hiding God’s Word In Our Hearts

With the close of the last stanza, the psalmist has turned a corner. Where there was bleak despair just a few verses before, now there is complete joy and love for God’s Word. It is an incredibly uplifting passage. Take a look at it in Psalm 119:97-100:

Psalm 119:97-100

With such a change in tone, you might wonder if this is even the same person writing these words about God’s Word, but there is no doubt that it is. And the reason for his confidence is the topic of this stanza. The psalmist has identified the source of such joy and wonderment to be the very words of God.

Although the psalmist has written of God’s love before this, such as he did in verses 47 and 48, this is his most eloquent expression of it yet. In this stanza, he gives five different reasons that he loves God’s Word as much as he does, and communicates that to his readers in such a way that we are encouraged to love it deeply as well. Four of these are listed in the second half of this stanza, and we will not deal with them yet, saving them for next week.

But the first reason is repeated three times in the first half of the stanza, emphasizing its importance, and is worth examining a bit closer.