60IN60 Day 54 - Fri Apr 26

It's Day 54 and we're in Luke 23.

One problem that regularly bothers me as I read is a wandering mind. A word in the text will make me think of something that I have to do that day and my mind is off to the races, leaving the Bible behind. I've found it helpful to have something near me that I can make a note on when that happens so I can write down that thing I need to do later and get back to concentrating on the reading in front of me. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 56 - It had to be difficult for them to obey the command to rest on the Sabbath when they wanted to go and finish the burial work.  Yet it was (a big) part of the plan.  Too often we want to go outside God's commands to "help" God get His work done.

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 53 - Thurs Apr 25

It's Day 53 and we're in Luke 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 32 - "I have prayed for you" - That's quite a thought.

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 52 - Wed Apr 24

It's Day 52 and we're in Luke 21.

One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It provides the answers to life's most pressing questions: "Why am I here?" "What value does my life have?" "What does God want out of me?" "What does a life well spent look like?" For all the time we spend daily on trivial things, it's essential that we spend some time on the big questions. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - The measure of our generosity is not the amount of money, but the amount of sacrifice.

Help:
- Verse 18 - Given verse 16, this has to mean that we will be given life beyond this life.
- Verse 32 - Two possibilities: a. it's a reference to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70; b. the word used there is the word for "race," which means that this will happen before humanity is done.

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.

Your Questions and Comments:

- "My question is about the parable of the pounds. I always thought it was about gifts. But now I don’t think that anymore. I’m not quite sure what it’s about. Is it really just about them taking the money and making him more money? And the one servant was too lazy and scared of the master to invest the money?" - The parables of the pounds (also known as the parable of the minas) in Luke 19:11-27 tells of a king who entrusts servants with a mina (an amount of money from back in those days). He tells them to put the money to work and then goes away. When he returns he calls the servants to see what they've done with what he has entrusted to them. One has earned ten minas with the mina his master entrusted to him. The master says, "Well done." A second has earned five. The master says, "Well done." A third servant has hidden his mina and earned nothing with it. He is rebuked. This parable is a picture of us as the servants of God using what God has given us to bear fruit for Him. The mina represents our time, our spiritual gifts, our money, and all the other things God has given us. He expects us to use our time, gifts, money, etc. after we become Christians working for Him. As we do that, our lives will bear fruit for Him. The fruitfulness varies (some 10x, some 5x, etc) but one thing He will not approve is "burying our talents" and doing nothing with what God has given us. This may seem surprising to some because there is often the thought that once we're saved He doesn't expect anything else from us. That's not Biblical. As we obey the teachings of Christ we will naturally be fruitful (John 15; I just did a sermon on this a couple weeks ago). For a deeper discussion of this idea of expected fruitfulness, see chapter four of Christian Pharisees.

60IN60 Day 51 - Tues Apr 23

It's Day 51 and we're in Luke 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 46-47 - I do not want to be a hypocrite, with only an outward appearance of faith.

Help:
- Verses 6-7 - They wanted to accuse Jesus, but also did not want to lose the support of the people.
- Verses 9-16 - This is directed at the Jewish leaders, who are rejecting the messengers that God is sending and are therefore facing judgment.
- Verses 17-18 - Jesus is that chief cornerstone rejected by the Jewish leaders.  In rejecting Him, they will be crushed.
- Verses 22-23 - If Jesus just says, "Pay the taxes," they'll accuse Him of being a patsy for Rome.  If He says, "Don't pay the taxes," they'll report Him to the Romans as a rebel.
- Verse 28 - It seems strange to us today since we exclusively marry for romantic love, but this was fairly common in the ancient world.
- Verses 41-44 - This is an obscure puzzle.  Jesus is saying that David speaks of someone who was coming after him, yet referring to him as Lord.  Normally, the ancestor (in this case, David) would get the more respectful title.  Why did David do that?  Because the one coming after him was none less than the Son of God.

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 50 - Mon Apr 22

It's Day 50 and we're in Luke 19.

Sometimes things get busy and you miss a day or two.  Don’t get discouraged and quit.  Just lay aside those readings you missed and jump in with today’s reading. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - This is hard to hear, but there is punishment for disobedience.  Hell is real.

Help:
- Verses 8-9 - Zaccheus' action shows a change of heart.
- Verses 17, 19 - "authority over ten cities" - This is an idea that plays out in the coming Kingdom of God.  We will rule with Christ.  Those who have been faithful will be given authority to rule with Christ.
- Verses 20-22 - This man had kept (as well as he could) the commandments, but Jesus is asking him to give up what he gets his security from in order to totally trust in Jesus.

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 49 - Sun Apr 21

It's Day 49 and we're in Luke 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - What is the thing that is that valuable to me (like the rich man's possessions were to him) that I have to be willing to lay aside if asked?

Help:
- Verse 8 - Jesus asks if faith will be found because that's incredible valuable to Him.  This ties into verses 1-5 because it takes faith to continue to pray when you're not getting a quick answer.
- Verse 19 - The man was looking at Jesus as just another human teacher, which is why Jesus asks him why he's calling Him "good."
- Verse 22 - This is not a general command to all of us.  It's something that Jesus is asking from this young man because his money was what was holding him back from being fully committed to God.
- Verses 25, 27 - Jesus is not saying it's impossible for a rich person to be saved (see verse 27), just that it's more difficult.

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 48 - Sat Apr 20

It's Day 48 and we're in Luke 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - I want to have earth-moving faith.

Help:
- Verses 7-10 - These verses are tied back to verses 4-5.  The point of verses 7-10 is that we as servants of God shouldn't be impressed with ourselves when we do what we've been asked.  We should just say, "I've done what I've been asked to do."  That ties into verses 4-5 because there the apostles act like what Jesus is asking of them is too much.  It would be easy, in moving forward and fulfilling Christ's command, to think highly of yourself for doing something so great.  Jesus essentially says that we should not be impressed with ourselves, but just say that we are doing what we were asked.
- Verse 19 - It's unclear whether "your faith has made you well" is a reference back to the physical healing or if in that moment Christ gave him spiritual healing.
- Verses 34-36 - Some take this as a rapture reference.  Others as a reference to persecution.

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.