60IN60 Day 57 - Mon Dec 31

It's Day 57 and we're in Psalm 28.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - It's not just what we appear to me, but what's inside.

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 56 - Sun Dec 30

It's Day 56 and we're in Psalm 26.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - Sometimes we just have to wait on the Lord to prove that we were doing what's right.

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 55 - Sat Dec 29

It's Day 55 and we're in Acts 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 8-10 - May we have the same level of boldness.

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 54 - Fri Dec 28

It's Day 54 and we're in Acts 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - "While the beggar held on to Peter and John" - I love that affection he has for them because of what the Lord has done 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 53 - Thurs Dec 27

It's Day 53 and we're in Acts 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 24 - It was impossible for death to keep its hold on Him.  I like that.

Help:
- Verse 4, 6 - This was not the unknown languages that Pentecostals speak in today when they exercise the gift of tongues.  These were believers speaking in languages they did not know.  (Of course, as a Baptist, I disagree with my Pentecostal brothers and sisters on the issue of the gift of tongues.)
- Verse 44-45 - This is an amazing statement and speaks to the incredible move of the Spirit.  I don't think it's necessarily something that would work for today, nor are there additional places in the New Testament where we're called to do this specifically.
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 Dec 26

It's Day 52 and we're in Acts 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 15 - It's interesting to me that after all that Jesus did for His three years of ministry that there are only 120 people in this room.  Perhaps there were some other believers elsewhere, but that's still a low number.

Help:
- Verse 12 - "Sabbath's day journey" - There was a Pharisee rule about how short a distance you could travel on the Sabbath day.
- Verses 15-26 - I wonder if they jumped the gun here in picking Matthias.  It never says God told them to do this.  And, as you read the book of Acts, it's pretty obvious that Paul has a much bigger impact on the church than Matthias.

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 51 - Tues Dec 25

It's Day 51 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 5.

Merry Christmas!

Where God Spoke To Me:
 - Verse 17 - "pray without ceasing" - I would like to become the type of person who is constantly aware of God's presence as I go throughout the day and regularly looking for where He's moving.

Help:
- Verse 26 - "holy kiss" - A tradition of the time - a kiss on the cheek.  Not required for today. . . unless the believer is really good-looking. ;-)

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 Dec 24

It's Day 50 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - "this is the will of God, your sanctification" - That's pretty straightforward, isn't it?  God wants the sin gone out of our lives.

Help:
- Verse 4 - "possess his own vessel" - Have self-control concerning your body.
- Verses 13-14 - "asleep" - A euphemism for having died.  There are some believers (although I am not among them) who believe in "soul sleep," which is that after we die our soul sleeps until the return of Christ.

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 Dec 23

It's Day 49 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verses 6-8 - It really is encouraging as a pastor to see your people growing.

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 Dec 22

It's Day 48 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - That's good pastoring - to give not just your teaching, but to invest your life in your people.

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 47 - Fri Dec 21

It's Day 47 and we're in 1 Thessalonians 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - "our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power" - That's what I want to see more of - the gospel in power.

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 46 - Thurs Dec 20

It's Day 46 and we're in 1 Kings 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - When God blesses, He really knows how to do it.

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 45 - Wed Dec 19

It's Day 45 and we're in 1 Kings 9.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - With the offer of blessings also comes the warning about disobedience.  We tend to pay attention to the first and ignore the second.

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 44 - Tues Dec 18

It's Day 44 and we're in 1 Kings 8.

The reading today is supposed to be 1 Kings 8, not 1 Kings 20 as your sheet says.  I made a mistake.  The next two days are in 1 Kings 9 and 10.

This chapter is, in some ways, the high point of the history of Israel.  They are in the Promised Land.  They are at peace.  They have a wise king.  And now they are dedicating a beautiful Temple to God.  This is a high moment.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - The glory of the Lord filled the house of God - may it ever be so.

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 43 - Mon Dec 17

It's Day 43 and we're in 1 Kings 3.

I noted this last week when I noticed the mistake, but let me say it again: I made a mistake on the reading sheet.  Days 44-46 are supposed to be 1 Kings 8-10, not 1 Kings 20-22.  So your reading tomorrow is 1 Kings 8.  Sorry for the error.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - I love the way this verse puts it: Solomon loved the Lord, but he still did the sacrifices he shouldn't have done.  God meets us where we are and takes what we can offer and then begins the process of maturing us.

Help:
- Verse 7 - "a little child" - Not literally - just a way for Solomon to express that he was a young man and felt overwhelmed by the job.

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 42 - Sun Dec 16

It's Day 42 and we're in 1 Kings 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - "Be strong. . . and show yourself a man" - Nicely said.

Help:
- Verses 5-9 - Very bloody.  I wish our day was not as violent.
- Verses 23-24 - Apparently Solomon interpreted Adonijah's request as part of a power play to become king.
- Verse 28 - "horns of the altar" - As I noted yesterday, this was a place in Israel you were supposed to be able to flee to and vengeance couldn't be brought against you.
- Verse 34 - Obviously, vengeance came anyway (see note on v. 28).
- Verse 36-37 - Solomon apparently felt as long as Shimei was close by so he could keep an eye on him that he wouldn't try to stir up trouble and attempt to take over as king.

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 41 - Sat Dec 15

It's Day 41 and we're in 1 Kings 1.

We're going to be reading some stories about Solomon's life over the next few days.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me today.

Help:
- Verse 28 - "Call Bathsheba to me" - Apparently she had left the room when Nathan came in.
- Verse 40 - Obviously the people did not support Adonijah's power play.
- Verses 50-51 - "the horns of the altar" - This was a place you could go in Israel and vengeance could not be brought against you.

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 14

It's Day 40 and we're in Revelation 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - "according to what he's done" - Salvation is by grace, but God then gives me the power and resources to live a victorious life.  What are the works in my life saying?

Help:
- Verse 4 - "His name will be on their foreheads" - This seems odd. I'm sure it will make more sense when we see it.  I do have to say that we don't seem to have a problem wearing companies' logos all over our hats and shirts, so it can't be that weird to us.
- Verse 11 - I don't think this is saying, "I want the one who is sinning to keep doing it."  I think He's saying, "The time is not yet come for all this to happen, so there is still time that the one who sins to keep doing it."

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 13

It's Day 39 and we're in Revelation 21.

Oops!  I just noticed a mistake I made in next week's readings.  Days 44-46 are supposed to be 1 Kings 8-10, not 1 Kings 20-22.  Sorry!  My fault.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - "all things new" - When you see the brokenness that's all around us in this world, this is good news.

Help:
- Verse 2 - The New Jerusalem is our eternal home.  Many presume that we spend eternity in heaven, but the final two chapters make it very clear that our eternal home is the New Jerusalem.  If you would like to read more about this, the best book I've read explaining what the Bible actually says about heaven is Randy Alcorn's Heaven.  Rather than making up sentimental nonsense, it actually explains what the Bible says.

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 12

It's Day 38 and we're in Revelation 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - His defeat is certain.  It just hasn't happened yet.

Help:
- Verse 1 - The setting here is the final battles at the end of the world.  At the end of the chapter we have the final judgment.
- Verse 4 - This is not true for all believers, but for those on earth at that time.
- Verses 11-15 - This is the final judgment.

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 11

It's Day 37 and we're in Revelation 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - There are doors God opens that no one can shut.  That's an encouragement as we do His work.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "seven Spirits of God" - As I mentioned the other day, this is obscure.  The best guess is that it refers to the seven-fold ministry of the Holy Spirit.
- Verse 5 - "erase his name" - Some argue that this means there is the possibility of losing your salvation; others note that there is nowhere that God says He actually does erase their name.

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 10

It's Day 36 and we're in Revelation 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 7, 11, 17, 26 - To the four churches in chapter 2 (as well as to all the churches addressed in chapter 3), one thing that is said to each is "to him who overcomes."  In our lives as Christians, there are going to be hardships and struggles.  We will not make it if we are not willing to overcome.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "seven start in His right hand" - Obscure imagery, but it seems to be emphasizing His power.
- Verse 16 - "the sword of My mouth" - Just a colorful way to say "My words."
- Verse 23 - "kill her children" - Not literally children, but meaning the people who were following Jezebel.

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 9

It's Day 35 and we're in Revelation 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 18 - He holds all the keys.  He's got this under control.

Help:

- Verse 4 - "seven Spirits" - This is an odd phrase and it's meaning is obscure.  The best guess I've heard is that it's referring to the Holy Spirit and the various ministries He performs.

- Verses 12-17 - These are strange descriptions.  The best way to think of it is to imagine trying to describe something of indescribable beauty.  You'd grasp for phrases.  Or imagine trying to describe a helicopter to someone who lived 3,000 years ago.  You'd grasp for phrases.  He's trying to describe something that we've never seen or imagined.

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 34 - Sat Dec 8

It's Day 34 and we're in Matthew 28.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 9 - "at His feet" - The right place to worship.

- Verses 11-15 - Even now, they don't see Him as a Savior, but are still defending their power.

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.

Where God Spoke To You In Previous Chapters:
- "I can't help getting emotional every time I read of our Savior's suffering. That God Incarnate went through this humiliation for my sake is very sobering. It is very good that 60 in 60 has taken us to these passages at this time of year. It was for the cross that he came as a baby in a manger. It is the shadow of the cross that should be cast upon every manger scene, every present opened, every ornament hung. Thank You, God for Christmas!"
- "Matthew 25:34-36. I like your comment "someone with a heart for the weak and
wounded". In other words, God wants us to have a heart "just like Jesus".
I like that!"
- "It is always good to be reminded of what Christ suffered for our sake. I was struck by the section starting with verse 27 where the soldier were so heartless, in the praetorium, with our Lord. Now this is man at his most despisable level."

60IN60 Day 33 - Fri Dec 7

It's Day 33 and we're in Matthew 27.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 40 - "save Yourself" - He had a choice: to save Himself or to save me.  And He chose me.

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 32 - Thurs Dec 6

It's Day 32 and we're in Matthew 26.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - It's telling to me that they all believed they could be the one.  We all have those doubts and struggles that no one else knows about that make us question our faith.

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 31 - Wed Dec 5

It's Day 31 and we're in Matthew 25.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 1-12 - There is a moment when it's too late.

Help:
- Verses 34-36 - This is not preaching salvation by works.  He's reminding us that real salvation is going to make us into this kind of a person: someone with a heart for the weak and the wounded.

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.

Where God Spoke To You:
- "23:26 really spoke to me. I think so many of us, including myself, worry more about outside appearances than cleaning up the messes in our hearts and minds."

60IN60 Day 30 - Tues Dec 4

It's Day 30 and we're in Matthew 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 42 - We need to live ready.

Help:
- There's a lot of stuff here that might raise questions.  Feel free to email your questions.

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.

Where God Spoke To You In Previous Chapters:
- "For years I spent most of my prayer time bringing petitions for others before the Lord. I appreciate this Psalms because it reminds me to pray for myself. There needs to be a balance in prayer. We can are overwhelmed with the needs of others but if we keep ourselves before the Lord, perhaps others will be helped."

Questions On Previous Chapters:
- 22:41-46 - "Why do you think Jesus said he is the son of David instead of Joseph?" - I think it has to do with the larger point He's making.  The "son of David" was one way to refer to the coming Messiah.  If the Messiah had been a normal human, the fact that David had come first would have meant that the Messiah would have given honor to David.  Instead, David gives the Messiah honor by calling Him "Lord."  Jesus is bringing out the fact that He is more than a mere human - He's the pre-existant Son of God.  Even though Jesus was born into this world after David, David still gives Him the honor of calling Him Lord.

60IN60 Day 29 - Mon Dec 3

It's Day 29 and we're in Matthew 23.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - I think we as the evangelical church have been guilty of neglecting justice and mercy and faithfulness in favor of lesser issues.

Help:
- Verses 30-31 - These are hard verses for me to fully comprehend.  I think He's just saying, "You all are admitting that you're part of that gang that caused all those problems."
- Verse 32 - Not that Jesus wants them to, but they are "filling up" their guiltiness by their ongoing sin.
- Verses 34-35 - He is giving them every chance to repent, yet they continue to do evil.

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 28 - Sun Dec 2

It's Day 28 and we're in Matthew 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 23-28 - They were so confident in their little argument, but they were way off base.  It's a reminder to me to be humble in what I know.

Help:
- Verse 7 - In this analogy, this would be the disobedient nation of Israel.
- Verses 11-13 - Just because the offer to come has been given (i.e. the offer to be saved) doesn't mean that we can just live any way we want to.  We need to be "clothed" with the changed lives Jesus has given us.
- Verse 14 - This is an odd choice to end the parable.  One thing that helps me: I don't think here He means "called" as in the sense of "called to preach" or "called to serve" but in the sense of "invited."
- Verse 17 - It's the Pharisees and the Herodians (verses 15-16) that come to Him.  It's a trap.  If He says, "Don't pay the taxes," then the Herodians (who were in league with Roman government) would turn Jesus into the Romans as inciting rebellion.  If He said, "Do pay the taxes," then the Pharisees (who hated the Roman occupation) would tell the people that Jesus was a Roman patsy.  These two groups normally hated each other, but were drawn together by their greater mutual hatred of Jesus.
- Verses 41-45 - This is confusing.  The gist of it: David calls the coming Messiah "Lord" even though, being David's descendent, David should receive the honor of being called "Lord" from him.  Why does David do this?  Because the coming Messiah is no mere human descendant of David's who owes David praise - it's the Son of God Himself, who deserves for the great David to call Him "Lord."

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 27 - Sat Dec 1

It's Day 27 and we're in Psalm 25.

Wehre God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 8 - God doesn't hate sinners - He loves them and wants to instruct them in the right way to go.

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.