60IN60 Day 58 - Tues Apr 30

It's Day 58 and we're in Psalm 4.

A little reminder from James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!" 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - This is hard: to quietly meditate (i.e. think with focus about God) and be still.

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 57 - Mon Apr 29

It's Day 57 and we're in Psalm 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - We don't like to think of the wrath of God, but the Bible is clear that wrath is part of His justice.

Help:
- Verses 4-6 - The idea of the Lord laughing here has to do with Him laughing at how they think they can overcome Him.
- Verse 9 - The idea here is that Jesus will someday rule over those who oppose Him and in that moment He will shatter their resistance and judge them.
- Verse 12 - The evil of sin demands that God be wrathful.  What kind of God would He be if He looked at the evil in the world and was not bothered by 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 56 - Sun Apr 28

It's Day 56 and we're in Psalm 1.

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 3 - I love that image of strength and solidness.

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 Apr 27

It's Day 55 and we're in Luke 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 32 - There are times when I know He's speaking, even if I can't explain how I know.

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 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.

60IN60 Day 47 - Fri Apr 19

It's Day 47 and we're in Romans 16.

As you read, listen for where God wants to speak to you. What jumps out to you? What speaks to situations you're dealing with right now? 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19 - May what God is doing among us be sufficiently great to merit being spread all over the place.

Help:
- Verse 16 - The "holy kiss" is not mandatory, but was their custom back then.

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 Apr 18

It's Day 46 and we're in Romans 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - I resonate with his desire to start a work from scratch and be a part of that type of work.

Help:
- Verse 8 - This verse is simply saying that Jesus came to earth as a Jew.

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 Apr 17

It's Day 45 and we're in Romans 14.

If you've got questions about your reading, I love answering those. Feel free to email me. Unless it's something personal, I'll usually anonymously share the question (and answer) in the following day's email so everyone can benefit from it. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 17 - It's not outward things that define our faith, but that inward change that results in abundant life: righteousness and peace and joy.

Help:
- Verses 2, 5 - These were controversial issues back in Paul's day: v. 2 has to do with eating meat that was sacrificed to idols and v. 5 has to do with whether to celebrate holidays.  Those issues aren't really pressing to us today, but other ones are controversial.  In the larger passage, Paul is saying that we each need to be fully convinced in our own minds and not condemn our brothers and sisters in Christ when we disagree on minor issues.

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 Apr 16

It's Day 44 and we're in Romans 13.

We have lots of excuses for why we don't read the Bible: "I'm too busy," "I don't know where to start," "I tried it once and got confused," "I just never got around to it." I hope "60IN60" helps you to be able to overcome those excuses and experience a rewarding time in the Word. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - "put on the Lord Jesus" - It's a daily (well, actually, moment by moment) choice to use the resources that Jesus has made available to us for spiritual victory.  I want to do that.

Help:
- Verses 1-6 - These verses on being subject to the government are the general approach that we are to have to government.  Of course, there are times when government wants us to do things that are wrong and then our loyalty to God is a higher priority and demands disobedience to the state.
- Verses 12, 14 - "put on" - This is an important spiritual growth idea.  We have to choose to use the things God has given us for spiritual growth.  It's like having a raincoat - I have to choose to put it on before I go out or I'm going to get soaked by the rain.  It's our choice whether to use the resources God has given 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.

60IN60 Day 43 - Mon Apr 15

It's Day 43 and we're in Romans 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Help:
- Verse 20 - "heap burning coals on his head" - The idea there is that when you do something kind to an enemy, it robs him of the angry response he was expecting.  Your actions then can make him feel guilty for his actions, hopefully leading him toward repentance.

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 Apr 14

It's Day 42 and we're in Romans 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - We were not the original inheritors of the promise.  We've been "grafted in."  That should lead to humility and thankfulness.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "foreknew" - That is the word for the idea that God - being God - knows everything past, present, and future, so he knows what's going to happen in the future.  He is never surprised.
- Verse 7 - When Israel chose to disobey, God then allowed their hearts to become hard.
- Verses 11, 14 - God is not done with Israel.  One of His purposes in working right now among non-Jews (i.e. Gentiles; i.e. us) is to create a desire within Israel to return to Him.
- Verse 17 - Using a tree analogy, Israel's disobedience led to some branches being removed and our faith in Christ has led to us being grafted into the tree.
- Verse 32 - Our disobedience puts us in a position where we are rightly to be judged.

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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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 Apr 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.

60IN60 Day 34 - Sat Apr 6

It's Day 34 and we're in Luke 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - Stay humble, do God's will, and He will lift you up.

Help:
- Verse 26 - "Hate" by comparison to our love for God.  Obviously if the second greatest commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself, it can't mean despise them.
- Verse 27 - To "carry your cross" means to be willing to make sacrifices for Christ.
- Verse 33 - This is something we have to willing to do.  If He asks material sacrifices of us, we need to be willing to do that.  It doesn't mean that we should become homeless.
- Verse 34 - This seems to mean that our faith has to have the "flavor" of all that He's asking us to do, not be a bland, generic "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 33 - Fri Apr 5

It's Day 33 and we're in Luke 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - He expects fruit.  And if not, then we weren't a real disciple.

Help:
- Verses 1-5 - The main idea here is that evil happening in our lives in not always a direct result of something sinful we've done.  (Sometimes it is.)  He directs us to use those moments of seeing bad things happen as reminders that we need to be right with God ("repent").
- Verses 6-9 - The point of this parable is that God is looking for fruit from our lives.  He is patient, but eventually if we don't produce fruit our time runs out.
- Verse 24 - This doesn't mean that people genuinely wanted to be saved by the right means but God rejected them.  It means that many want to claim a relationship with God without doing what He's said is necessary.
- Verses 25-27 - At Final Judgment, many will claim to have some connection with God, but Jesus will tell them that it wasn't a genuine one, but rather one they made up for their comfort.

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 Apr 4

It's Day 32 and we're in Luke 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - We don't have sufficient respect for God's authority.

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:

- "Luke 11:24-26 - What do these verses mean? Is this a reference to backsliding?" - It does initially sound like a backsliding passage because the person mentioned ends up in a worse situation than he started in. But it can't be about backsliding by a Christian because it mentions the person being possessed by a demon and then multiple demons. Christians can't be possessed by demons because we have the Spirit within us. I believe what this passage is about is how often self-improvement ends up being futile. The passage mentions the person made some efforts at getting things better (v. 25) during the demon's absence. But without God in his life he is unable to resist the attack of multiple demons (v. 26a) and ends up in a worse situation (v. 26b). The biggest point to me in all this is the necessity of God as the foundation of lasting life change.

60IN60 Day 31 - Wed Apr 3

It's Day 31 and we're in Luke 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - Got a problem?  Keep asking.

Help:
- Verse 19 - His argument is basically: if I'm doing great miracles and you say it's by Satan's power, then by what power do your sons do their little miracles?
- Verses 49-50 - The idea here is that they have all the warnings of the past examples.  They are more guilty because they have so many warnings.

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 30 - Tues Apr 2

It's Day 30 and we're in Luke 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 21 - Their success made Him "rejoice greatly."  Our obedience and fruitfulness presumably does the same thing.

Help:
- Verse 4 - The idea here was that they were to be dependent on the Father's moment by moment provision.  As for not greeting: their mission was urgent and they need to get to the towns to preach to large crowds.
- Verse 7 - They weren't to look for "better deals" on where to stay.
- Verse 18 - The meaning of this is not certain.  It may have been that Satan was in heaven complaining to God about what Jesus was doing and God gave no ground, so Satan came back to earth ("fell to earth") defeated.
- Verse 19 - This is not a general truth.  This was true for them at that time as part of that mission.  "Don't try this at home!" 

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 29 - Mon Apr 1

It's Day 29 and we're in Luke 9.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 25 - One of my life verses.

Help:
- Verse 3 - They were to be dependent on God's ongoing provision.
- Verse 4 - This has to do with their lodging.  They weren't to move from house to house when they got offered a "better deal."
- Verse 23 - This means that I need to be willing to make sacrifices for the Kingdom.
- Verse 24 - This means I need to put aside my desires and pursue what Jesus is calling me to, believing that is the path to real life.
- Verse 27 - This presumably means the advent of the church at the start of the book of Acts.
- Verse 59 - The best explanation of this is that the man's father was not dead at that moment, but rather that he was asking permission to wait until his ailing father passed away and the funeral was completed.

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.