60IN60 Day 41 - Sat Dec 13

It's Day 41 and we're in Romans 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - There have been a number of times in my life - while waiting on God to come through for me - that I've had all my eggs in that basket.

Help:
- Verse 5 - If you say you're going to live by the Mosaic Law, then that's the path you're using to try to get to God.  (And you will fail.)
- Verse 10 - Being made right before God ("righteousness") is a gift from God through our belief in Christ.
- Verses 18-21 - They had already heard and rejected.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 40 - Fri Dec 12

It's Day 40 and we're in Romans 9.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 15-21 - These are verses that I struggle with because they are so heavy toward predestination.  Still, you've got to keep digging into passages, even on the ones that initially seem problematic.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Quite an offer: Paul is so burdened for Israel's lostness that he says he wish he was lost if that would somehow make Israel faithful again.
- Verses 6-8 - This simply means that those who have believed God are the spiritual descendants of Abraham.
- Verses 15, 18 - Various passages in the Bible note the two sides of the equation: some emphasize our human freedom, some emphasize God's actions.  This one points toward what God does.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 39 - Thurs Dec 11

It's Day 39 and we're in Judges 8.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 33 - Two things here: a. It's worth realizing how big a difference one person can make in the life of a nation, a town, a family, or a church; b. It's pathetic how quickly people can revert back to their godless ways.

Help:
- Verses 1-3 - Gideon gives a gentle answer, which causes their anger to subside.  Verse 2 compliments them by saying that their newest grapes are better than the vintage grapes of other places.
- Verse 17 - This is harsh.  Gideon apparently felt it justified because of the war situation.
- Verse 27 - My presumption is that Gideon did not intend it to become a source of pagan worship, but the people twisted what he did.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 38 - Wed Dec 10

It's Day 38 and we're in Judges 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - God goes ahead of us to fight for us.

Help:
- Verses 4-6 - It's not entirely clear what was superior about that method of getting water.  Some speculate that it's because they were on their feet, as opposed to kneeling.  Others think it's just because it was the method used by fewer soldiers and God wanted to whittle the number down so it would be clear that He brought the victory.  I tend toward the latter.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 37 - Tues Dec 9

It's Day 37 and we're in Judges 6.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 11-12 - Gideon is hiding in a wine press to thresh the wheat and yet the angel calls him "valiant warrior."  God sees who we could be, not merely who we are.

Help:
- Verses 36-40 - God is merciful to Gideon in answering these prayers, but this is not anything we can count on God to do.  He will not usually answer prayers like that.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com. 

60IN60 Day 36 - Mon Dec 8

It's Day 36 and we're in Luke 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Be faithful with what you've got now if you want Him to trust you with more.

Help:
- Verses 1-8 - This is an unusual parable.  The point is this: use what you control to accomplish your goal.  The manager used what he controlled (his master's wealth) to accomplish his goal (finding a job).  We are to use what we control (our money) to accomplish our goal (bringing people to Christ).  See verse 9.
- Verse 9 - This is the point of verses 1-8: use your money not on empty consumer purchases, but rather use as much of it as you can to point people to Christ so that you're heavenly homecoming will be joyous.
- Verse 16 - "forcing his way in" - The meaning is uncertain.  It likely just means that people were responding with enthusiasm to what had happened since John.
- Verse 18 - This is the basic teaching on divorce.  Jesus goes into more detail in other passages.
- Verse 23 - "in his bosom" - That's just a way to say "with Abraham."

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 35 - Sun Dec 7

It's Day 35 and we're in Luke 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - I love how much he loved his son.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.