60IN60 Day 26 - Fri Nov 30

It's Day 26 and we're in Psalm 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - God expects us to do more than say we love Him; He expects us to live differently.

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

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

60IN60 Day 25 - Thurs Nov 29

It's Day 25 and we're in Genesis 49.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - I'm not sure that's something I'd want to know.

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

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

Questions You Have:
- "A reacurring theme seems to be the second child is put before the firstborn when it comes to being blessed. Is there anything we are to glean from this reoccurring event?" - The two things that immediately come to mind: 1. God seems to have a soft spot for underdogs. 2. God seems to like upsetting the natural order of things.

60IN60 Day 24 - Wed Nov 28

It's Day 24 and we're in Genesis 48.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 15 - "The God who has been my shepherd all my life to this day."

Help:
- Verse 5 - Jacob "adopts" Joseph's son for the purpose of being able to give them a blessing like his own sons.
- Verse 19 - Some things are just destined to be.

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

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

60IN60 Day 23 - Tues Nov 27

It's Day 23 and we're in Genesis 47.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - "few and unpleasant have been the years of my life" - After all the blessings God has given him and this is his attitude?  It's amazing how ungrateful we can be.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Joseph had just told them (46:34) not to say that.  Fortunately it didn't bring the bad result expected.
- Verse 25 - Big sacrifice, but desperation leads to that.
- Verse 29 - "hand under my thigh" - It seems weird to us, but then again saying "they finalized their agreement by pressing the palms of their hands together" would be weird too.  But we shake hands anyway.

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

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

Where God Spoke To You:
- From Friday's reading: "I thought it interesting , if not strange, that the one's suffering from the famine were willing to part with what they had by giving it to someone who didn't need it."

60IN60 Day 22 - Mon Nov 26

It's Day 22 and we're in Genesis 46.

One reason I want to be in the Bible regularly is that we all hear so much nonsense in our society every day that we need to be drawn back to the truth regularly.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - God gives confirmation sometimes about the direction we're going.

Help:
- There are some parts of this chapter that are listings of names.  Those are usually not really helpful for the everyday reader, so you can just move quickly through them.

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 21 - Sun Nov 25

It's Day 21 and we're in Genesis 45.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 26 - It is truly stunning what God can bring about sometimes.

Help:
- Verse 1 - After all the meanness and pettiness Joseph has shown, I believe this is the moment when he breaks down and decides to be gracious.

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 20 - Sat Nov 24

It's Day 20 and we're in Genesis 44.

Help:
- Verses 3-13 - Again, I think this shows pettiness and meanness on Joseph's part.

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 19 - Fri Nov 23

It's Day 19 and we're in Genesis 43.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Like yesterday, nothing really jumped out to me today.  That's ok.  It may not happen every day.

Help:
- Verse 23 - Maybe Joseph thought it was true, but that's not exactly true.

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 18 - Thurs Nov 22

It's Day 18 and we're in Genesis 42.

If you feel rushed as you read because you keep thinking of what you need to get done after you finish reading, it can be helpful to tell yourself, "I'm going to spend the next ten minutes reading this chapter.  If I get done early, I'll re-read.  If I don't get done because I'm thinking through some verses and don't get done, that's ok."

Help:
- Verse 4 - Again Jacob is playing favorites.  The Bible isn't condoning this as a good idea, just reporting what he did.
- Verses 7, 9 - Why does Joseph speak harshly and accuse them?  I think it's resentment and anger from how they treated him earlier.  I think Joseph is being mean-spirited here.
- Verses 16, 19 - Apparently over the three days (verse 18), Joseph calmed down a little and made a less harsh demand (compare verse 16 to verse 19).
- Verse 28 - They are blaming God even though He is not at fault.
- Verse 38 - Another moment when the Bible is reporting what happened but not condoning the action. Jacob essentially decides to leave one of his sons languishing in prison because he's unwilling to let Benjamin go to Egypt.  Not a proud moment.

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 17 - Wed Nov 21

It's Day 17 and we're in Genesis 41.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 41 - Joseph has been down due to things that were largely beyond his control.  Now he's up due to things that are largely beyond his control.  We want to believe that we can control everything - and there are many things we can - but there are things that are always going to be beyond us.

Help:
- Verses 3-8 - Obviously not all dreams have spiritual significance, although some do.  Sometimes dreams just mean you shouldn't have had that ice cream before bed. ;-)
- Verse 27 - Not all famine is brought by the hand of God, although sometimes God is directly involved.

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 16 - Tues Nov 20

It's Day 16 and we're in Genesis 40.

One reason that I need to be in the Bible regularly is that spiritual growth is not automatic.  I have to pursue it if I want to grow.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - This is a hard verse.  We want everything to happen smoothly and quickly, yet there are times when we have to wait.  I'm dealing as I write this with the fact that our house has not sold as quickly as I want it to.

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 15 - Mon Nov 19

It's Day 15 and we're in Genesis 39.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 21 - This is such an odd verse.  The Lord was with Joseph, but not to swoop in and save him from jail.  The Lord was with him in the jail.  Of course, this was part of God's larger plan, but it's frustrating when things don't turn out the way we'd hoped originally.

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 14 - Sun Nov 18

It's Day 14 and we're in Genesis 38.

Help:
- Verse 8 - As weird as this seems to us (and it is!), it was standard practice back then.  Of course, marriage wasn't done for love back then either.
- Verse 18 - Wow.  Just wow.  Incredibly dysfunctional.  There is a lot of Old Testament stuff that puts Jerry Springer to shame - and this is one of those moments.  Again, the one point I would make is this: everything that happens in the Bible is not God's will.  These actions are the result of Israel's sin.  The Bible tells us about it, but is not endorsing the actions.

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 13 - Sat Nov 17

It's Day 13 and we're in Genesis 37.

We're going to be looking at the part of Genesis that focuses on the stories of Joseph.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - They think what they're wanting to do can stop God's larger plan.  God will do what He will do.  He will accomplish what He intends.

Help:
- Verses 3-4 - "Israel loved Joseph more" - The Bible is not saying this is right or a smart way to parent.  Here it is sharing the way Israel was.  God works through people who did some stupid stuff.
- Verses 31-32 - Don't you love how they didn't lie here - they just their father to make his own conclusions.  It's amazing how we can justify our actions on technicalities.

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

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

60IN60 Day 12 - Fri Nov 16

It's Day 12 and we're in Ephesians 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - "be filled with the Spirit" - Do I allow Him to overflow in me or do I want His presence measured?

Help:
- Verse 16 - "the days are evil" - A phrase that's kind of obscure, but would seem to mean that there is enormous potential for evil in each day because of our sin tendencies.

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

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

60IN60 Day 11 - Thurs Nov 15

It's Day 11 and we're in Ephesians 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - We need to be "diligent" to preserve the unity within our church.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "prisoner" - As I mentioned yesterday, this could either mean that he was presently imprisoned for sharing the gospel or simply that he was a servant of Christ.
- Verse 8 - This most likely refers to Christ's ascension after His death.
- Verses 22-24 - Becoming like Christ is a choice that requires us to daily lay aside sinful things and choose to put on Christ.  "Put on the new self" - kind of like getting dressed each day - what am I going to wear spiritually today?  The world or God's things?

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

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

60IN60 Day 10 - Wed Nov 14

It's Day 10 and we're in Ephesians 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - Have the humility that says, "I am nothing without Him."
- Verse 20 - That's what I want to see.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "prisoner" - Could either mean that at that point he was being held in a prison or simply that he is a servant of Christ.
- Verse 18 - "the breadth and length and height and depth" - I.e. how great the love of God is.

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

If you have comments or questions, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 9 - Tues Nov 13

It's Day 9 and we're in Ephesians 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - "indulging the desires. . . of the mind" - We usually think of indulging the flesh, but we can indulge the mind too by giving it what it wants instead of what it needs.  Am I feeding my mind junk food?

Help:
- Verses 11-18 - He's noting that Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) once were separate, but now because we're all save by grace through faith in Jesus, we're all together.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 8 - Mon Nov 12

It's Day 8 and we're in Ephesians 1.

It's easy with the change of schedule over the weekend to miss a day or two.  Don't get dejected.  Just leave behind what you missed and pick up with today's reading.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - Open the eyes of my heart.
- Verse 19 - Show me the "surpassing greatness of Your power."

Help:
- Verse 5 - "predestined" - We hold in one hand the fact that God has given us free will and in the other that He ultimately knows everything.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Questions You Have From Previous Chapters:
- Matthew 21 - "Why was Jesus so harsh/angry in vs. 19? Do you think this also applies to us if we bear no fruit?" - That's a great question.  It's clearer in Mark's version of the story, but essentially it's this: Jesus is rejecting the Temple system (verses 12-17) because it has been unfruitful (i.e. it wasn't producing the goodness God desired and was in fact producing corruption).  The fig tree (which is also unfruitful) is symbolic of the Temple.  Jesus curses the fig tree as a picture of the fact that He is rejecting the Temple system because it's unfruitful.
- Matthew 21 - "your thoughts about vs. 43,44?" - Verse 43 goes with what I just said above: the Kingdom is being taken away from the Jews in charge of the Temple system and is being given to the church.  Verse 44 is a little tougher.  The simplest way to take it is as basically saying this: if you mess with this Chief Cornerstone (i.e. Jesus), you're going to get crushed.

60IN60 Day 7 - Sun Nov 11

It's Day 7 and we're in Matthew 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - It's a house of prayer - that has to be central to all we do.
- Verse 31 - I love His boldness.  Just say it like it is.
- Verse 43 - He expects us to produce fruit in our lives.

Help:
- Verse 15 - "indignant" - They were mad because "Son of David" was a phrase for the Messiah.  They didn't like that the kids were calling Jesus the Messiah.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 6 - Sat Nov 10

It's Day 6 and we're in Matthew 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 26 - Am I willing to be a servant?

Help:
- Verses 1-16 - The point Jesus is making is about being saved.  Being saved comes by grace, not by works.  Because of that, someone could be saved at age 15 and serve God for 50 years.  They will enter heaven not because of their service, but because of being saved by grace (of course, the service does impact rewards).  Someone else could be 65 years old, never served the Lord a day, but see His need for God on the last day of his life and cry out for God's grace.  God will grant that.  Does that seem a little unfair?  Kind of.  But since my salvation comes by grace, I think my attitude should be that I'm just thankful that the door was open for me at all!

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 5 - Fri Nov 9

It's Day 5 and we're in Matthew 19.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - A sobering verse considering how much of an emphasis our culture puts on wealth and prosperity.

Help:
- Verse 9 - Paul also mentions that abandonment by a non-believing spouse is an acceptable reason.
- Verse 17 - Why does Jesus say this if His life is sinless?  I think it's because the person is approaching Him as a normal teacher.  He's essentially saying, "If you want to know what's good, ask God."
- Verse 30 - Many who are seen as being first in this life will find themselves further down the line in God's judgment; and vice versa.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Questions From Previous Chapters:
- "Can you please explain Matt 17:10-13? Don't modern-day Jews still set a place for Elijah at the table during Friday night Shabbot?" -The Jewish belief was that before the Messiah would appear there would be an appearance from Elijah.    Some held this was an Elijah figure (i.e. someone doing the work of a prophet like Elijah did); others that it was actually Elijah.  They are basically telling Jesus, "Hey, you can't be the Messiah because we haven't seen Elijah yet."  Of course, John the Baptist was the Elijah-type prophet that fulfilled that need.  And I also have heard that modern Jews still set a place for Elijah.

60IN60 Day 4 - Thurs Nov 8

It's Day 4 and we're in Matthew 18.

Remember in reading the Bible our goal is not more knowledge for the sake of knowing more Bible trivia.  Our goal is life change: allowing the Bible truth to speak to our heart and change our behavior.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 12-13 - Do I have that passion for the lost?

Help:
- Verses 8-9 - The point is not the mutilate yourself.  If I rip out my eye, I'm still going to be able to think lustful thoughts.  The point Jesus is making is this: do whatever it takes to get rid of sin in your life.
- Verse 10 - This is one of two verses in the Bible that seem to allude to the idea of guardian angels.
- Verses 15-17 - This is not for everyday sin, but for serious sin.
- Verses 21-35 - This is hard, but not optional.  The point: I must be willing to forgive because I've already been forgiven of more by Jesus.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 3 - Wed Nov 7

It's Day 3 and we're in Matthew 17.

We're welcoming 5 new people today to 60IN60! If you know of other friends who want to join in, just get me their email addresses.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - Do I have faith that God is going to come through, or am I just wishing?

Help:
- Verse 17 - Why such a harsh response?  I think it was less for the man and more for His disciples, that they hadn't been able to cure the child (compare verse 16 to verse 20).

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 2 - Tues Nov 6

It's Day 2 and we're in Matthew 16.

One problem I often have is getting distracted.  If that's you, it can be helpful to have a pen and paper with you as you read.  When you think of something you need to do, just jot it down and then get back to concentrating on the reading.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 26 - This is one of my two all-time favorite Scriptures.  It was instrumental in my decision to forsake law school in order to pursue God's call into ministry.

Help:
- Verse 20 - Why tell no one?  I think it had to do with the timing of events that were coming up and not wanting things to get ahead of schedule.
- Verse 24 - "deny yourself, take up your cross" - What's that mean?  It means you have to put aside what you want and be willing to sacrifice for God.
- Verse 25 - "lose his life" - What's that mean?  It means that when you pursue what you want, you end up with nothing.  When you lay aside your desires and follow God, you end up with something worthwhile.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

Questions You Had From Previous Chapters:
- "I realize Jesus was trying to avoid helping the woman in verse 26, but I don't understand the actual words...what was he trying to say?" - In verse 24, He's saying that His prevent mission (while on earth) is to try to bring Israel back to God. In verse 26, He's saying that the spiritual bread (i.e. His message) is intended for the mouths of Israel, not the outsiders.  In verse 28, He's acknowledging that the woman's faith is so great that she is worthy of His action.

60IN60 Day 1 - Mon Nov 5

It's Day 1 and we're in Matthew 15.  For our new additions, we're starting in halfway through Matthew because we read the first 14 chapters in the previous round.

Welcome to the new round of 60IN60.  One change you may have noticed already is that this looks a little different.  In previous rounds, I have simply sent an email.  This time, we're working 60IN60 through a blog.  This will help me to be able to handle things more efficiently.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - What do I do because it's my tradition that keeps me away from where God is leading?

Help:
- Verse 23-24, 26 - That's harsh!  Why does Jesus speak so rudely to her?  Essentially, during His earthly life, His mission was to attempt to draw Israel back to God.  When that failed, in Acts we see the gospel being opened up to Gentiles (non-Israelites).  Right now, there were lots of good things Jesus could have done, but He was trying to stay focused on His mission to Israel.  In the end, the woman's great faith caused Him to be willing to make an exception.

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

If you've got a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.