Saturday, June 30, 2018

60IN60 Day 55 - Sat Jun 30

It's Day 55 and we're in 2 Samuel 11.

A scary thought: the Bible is "able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart" (Hebrews 4:12). That can be frightening, but know that God loves you the way you are, but too much to leave you that way. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 15 - How far are we willing to go to cover up our sin? Usually, it's farther than we would have originally guessed.

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.

Friday, June 29, 2018

60IN60 Day 54 - Fri Jun 29

It's Day 54 and we're in 2 Samuel 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3-4 - So many of the problems that societies and people encounter aren't necessary. They're merely the result of our stupidity in handling situations poorly.

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.

Thursday, June 28, 2018

60IN60 Day 53 - Thurs Jun 28

It's Day 53 and we're in 2 Samuel 9. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - I hope we've all experienced moments of generosity from God where we felt the same way.

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.

Wednesday, June 27, 2018

60IN60 Day 52 - Wed Jun 27

It's Day 52 and we're in 2 Samuel 8.

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

Help:
- Verse 2 - Why David chose this unusual, random, and seemingly cruel method for executing some of his enemy is a mystery to 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

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

60IN60 Day 51 - Tues Jun 26

It's Day 51 and we're in 2 Samuel 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - We need to hold onto some of this "who am I" no matter how long we've been walking with God.  Spiritual pride is deadly.

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. 

Monday, June 25, 2018

60IN60 Day 50 - Mon Jun 25

It's Day 50 and we're in 2 Samuel 6.

Is the Bible an old dusty book? Nope - ". . . the Word of God is living and active. . ." (Hebrews 4:12). Dig into today expecting it to speak to you. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 14, 16 - When you're praising God with abandon, oblivious to others' opinions, you're probably going to end up making someone unhappy.

Help:
- Verses 7-8 - This seems like an unnecessarily harsh punishment for the "crime."  Presumably it was intended to show Israel the holiness of the Ark.

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.

Sunday, June 24, 2018

60IN60 Day 49 - Sun Jun 24

It's Day 49 and we're in 2 Samuel 5.

We're going to be reading some of the key passages where David takes over as king up through his sin with Bathsheba.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Instead of trying harder, we need to get closer to God.  One of the consequences would be that God would move on our behalf and we would see greater things through our lives.

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. 

Saturday, June 23, 2018

60IN60 Day 48 - Sat Jun 23

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 49 - A good principle to remember: don't move till you receive power from on high.

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.

Friday, June 22, 2018

60IN60 Day 47 - Fri Jun 22

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 39 - "Save Yourself and us!" - He couldn't do both, and He chose to save us.

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.

Thursday, June 21, 2018

60IN60 Day 46 - Thurs Jun 21

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

What's the Bible say about the book you're reading today? "All Scripture is inspired by God. . ." (2 Timothy 3:16). So reading the Bible helps me know how God sees things. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 35 - I needed the reminder today that He won't allow me to lack what I need.

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.

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

60IN60 Day 45 - Wed Jun 20

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 10-24 - These are frightening and upsetting ideas that we'd rather ignore, but Christ says they are a part of the future.  We've got to squarely face them. . . and be ready.

Help:
- Verse 18 - Verse 18 is a word of comfort, but you have read it in the context of verse 16.  This is not a promise that no trouble will come, but that we are eternally protected spiritually.

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.

Tuesday, June 19, 2018

60IN60 Day 44 - Tues Jun 19

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

One thing that's important as we read daily: being eager to hear Him speak to you. Go into your reading expectant that God desires to share something with you. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 46-47 - God help me to live a life of spiritual honesty and not settle for a façade of spirituality the way the Pharisees did.

Help:
- Verses 41-44 - This can be a difficult passage to understand.  The gist of it is this:  The Christ was to come after David.  Given that the ancestors generally received greater honor, the Christ should have honored David (his ancestor) by calling him "Lord."  Instead, the Bible records that David calls the Christ "Lord."  Why?  The correct answer (and one that His enemies would not want to acknowledge) is that the Christ was born after David, but was greater than him because He was God Incarnate.

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.

Monday, June 18, 2018

60IN60 Day 43 - Mon Jun 18

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - It's enormously encouraging to know that God wants us to live productive, fruitful lives - lives that produce ten-fold, a hundred-fold.  It's also enormously challenging to know that God expects great things from our lives through the power of the Spirit.

Help:
- Verses 8-9 - It seems odd that Jesus claims salvation for Zac here even though he hasn't made a traditional "confession of faith."  I think that what Zac does is an indication of the internal change of heart that has happened.  At the end of the day, it's not saying a particular set of words that gets us right with God - it's grabbing onto Jesus and wanting Him in our hearts to change our lives that matters.

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.

Sunday, June 17, 2018

60IN60 Day 42 - Sun Jun 17

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

Remember that your daily reading in the Bible isn't about gaining information - it's about changing your life to be more like Christ. That means that you need to take action on what God speaks to you about. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 29-30 - I really needed these this morning to deal with a problem I'm facing.  God supplied the promise I needed at the right 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.

Saturday, June 16, 2018

60IN60 Day 41 - Sat Jun 16

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - This is a cry we all need to be making regularly.

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.

Friday, June 15, 2018

60IN60 Day 40 - Fri Jun 15

It's Day 40 and we're in Acts 12.

One thing that can impede God speaking to you is the presence of unconfessed sin in your life. Are you coming to the Word today with a clean heart or are you holding things back from God? 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - Why don't we pray like this for people?

Help:
- Verse 15 - This is the only passage that seems to hint at the idea of guardian angels.

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.

Thursday, June 14, 2018

60IN60 Day 39 - Thurs Jun 14

It's Day 39 and we're in Acts 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - Sometimes God's message to us surprises and we have that moment when all our objections melt away in the awareness that this must be God's will.

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.

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

60IN60 Day 38 - Wed Jun 13

It's Day 38 and we're in Acts 10.

One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It helps you avoid nonsense. There are so many different ideas out there today about God. It's important that we base our image of God on who He said He is, not what other people wish He was. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 35 - "is welcome to Him" - I like the inviting way that puts it.  He's eager to receive us.

Help:
- Verse 1-48 - This chapter is a milestone in the church.  Up to this point, the presumption among Jesus' followers was that the salvation Jesus brought was only offered to Jews.  This chapter details God opening up salvation to Gentiles (i.e. you and 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.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

60IN60 Day 37 - Tues Jun 12

It's Day 37 and we're in Acts 9.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - All of Paul's learning in the Old Testament, even long before he had any idea that he would become a Christian, was all used by God to further His Kingdom.  God is preparing things even when we don't realize 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.

Monday, June 11, 2018

60IN60 Day 36 - Mon Jun 11

It's Day 36 and we're in 2 Kings 5.

If you struggle with the feeling that you need to hurry through the reading, it can be helpful to lay aside a certain length of time for the reading. "I'm going to spend the next ten minutes reading the Bible. If I get done early, I'll go back and re-read it. If I don't get it done, that's fine. Now I can relax and not try to hurry through so I can get on with the other things I need to get done today. I'm going to be here for ten minutes." 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - Sometimes we don't just want God to move - we want Him to do things the way that we want Him to do it.  Of course, He has the right to do it however He wants.

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.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

60IN60 Day 35 - Sun Jun 10

It's Day 35 and we're in 2 Kings 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - It's interesting to me that God was willing to fill as many vessels as she brought.  Sometimes how much God gives depends on how much we ask for.

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.

Saturday, June 9, 2018

60IN60 Day 34 - Sat Jun 9

It's Day 34 and we're in Jeremiah 38.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 3-4 - How often do we only want to hear God's truth if it's something we want to hear and how often do we want to hear God's truth no matter what?

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.

Friday, June 8, 2018

60IN60 Day 33 - Fri Jun 8

It's Day 33 and we're in Jeremiah 31.

Father, what do You want to teach us today through Your Word? 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 33 - What we have today is vastly superior to the way things operated in the Old Testament.

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.

Thursday, June 7, 2018

60IN60 Day 32 - Thurs Jun 7

It's Day 32 and we're in Jeremiah 23.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - I wonder how much of what gets attributed to God is actually from Him?

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.

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

60IN60 Day 31 - Wed Jun 6

It's Day 31 and we're in Jeremiah 18.

If it's hard to understand what you're reading in the Bible, make sure you have a translation that's a good fit for you. Reading the King James (a great historic translation) can be particularly difficult because of the antiquated language. Among the good options available today: New International Version (good all-around translation), English Standard Version (good all-around translation), New American Standard (a more literal translation, closer to the original manuscripts), and New Living Translation (a translation that focuses on readability and understandability). 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - Am I willing to be molded as He desires or do I want to be the one calling the shots?

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.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018

60IN60 Day 30 - Tues Jun 5

It's Day 30 and we're in Luke 16.

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

Help:
- Verses 1-9 - This is an unusual story.  The point I take from it is this: use what you control to accomplish your goal.  The manager wanted to have someone to help him after he was fired and so he used the resources still under his control to accomplish that.  In our lives, we need to figure out what our life's goal is (exalt Christ?  make my life easier?) and then use the resources I have to accomplish that.
- Verse 16 - "forcing his way" - Probably simply an expression of the zealous interest that many were showing in Christ's teaching.
- Verse 18 - There are other passages that give a more nuanced understanding of Jesus' stand on divorce.  This is merely a statement of the general principle.

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.

Monday, June 4, 2018

60IN60 Day 29 - Mon June 4

It's Day 29 and we're in Luke 15.

A tool for your reading that can be useful is a study Bible. A study Bible is just a Bible that has notes in it to help explain some of the harder passages. If you don't have one and would like me to recommend one, just let me know. I'd be happy to suggest a few good ones. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 32 - "had to celebrate" - There is something so wonderful about a lost child coming home that you're compelled to celebrate.

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.

Sunday, June 3, 2018

60IN60 Day 28 - Sun Jun 3

It's Day 28 and we're in Luke 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 12-14 - This is a command from Jesus, and yet I can't say I know of anyone ever actually doing that.

Help:
- Verse 26 - This means "hate by comparison to your overwhelming love for God."  Obviously Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to love those around you, so He clearly doesn't want us to be mean to folks.  What He's getting at here is that our love and devotion to Him needs to above and beyond anyone else.
- Verse 33 - This doesn't mean that we have to sell all we have and become homeless, but it does mean that we have to be willing to make whatever financial sacrifices Christ asks us 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.

Saturday, June 2, 2018

60IN60 Day 27 - Sat Jun 2

It's Day 27 and we're in Luke 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 34 - Many times these days Christians complain (justifiably) about the moral state of America.  I wonder if our attitude should be more like this verse - pained longing, rather than our usual righteous finger-pointing.

Help:
- Verse 24 - This is not saying there are many who want to enter the Kingdom and have done everything they should have but God will not let them in.  Rather, it's saying there are many who will presume that they're ok with God only to have God confront them with the fact that they haven't done what God said was necessary to enter the Kingdom.  See Matthew 7:13-14 for a similar passage.  Those Matthew verses are then followed by a lot of talk about how essential it is to actually obey the teaching of Christ.  I think a similar idea is at play here: there are a lot of people who claim to love God, but who are not obeying the teaching of Christ in their lives.  They will "seek to enter" when they get to heaven, but "will not be able" because they didn't do what Jesus said to do.

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.

Friday, June 1, 2018

60IN60 Day 26 - Fri Jun 1

It's Day 26 and we're in Luke 12.

An encouragement as you read today: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8). 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 31 - I love this verse (and its parallel in Matthew 6:33).  Put God first, seek His Kingdom, and He'll take care of all this other stuff.

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.