Friday, January 17, 2025

60IN60 Day 12 - Fri Jan 17

It's Day 12 and we're in Isaiah 6.

We'll just be choosing a few of the best chapters from the book of Isaiah as we read over the next few days.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - Part of coming into the true presence of God is that we are made keenly aware of how inadequate we are.  It's not a pleasant thing, but it's part of being near Someone so purely holy.

Help:
- Verses 9-10 - This makes it sound like God desires that they not repent.  I think it's less a statement of what God desires and more a statement of the way the people actually are.  God is sending Isaiah knowing the people will not respond the way He wishes they would.

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, January 16, 2025

60IN60 Day 11 - Thurs Jan 16

It's Day 11 and we're in 1 Kings 19.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - It's amazing (and true to life) how Elijah can move from such a stunning victory (chapter 18) to running for his life so quickly.  I've often seen it in my life how in the space of just a few hours things can go from amazing victory to total meltdown.

Help:
- Verses 1-21 - There are tons of signs here that Elijah is dealing with what we would diagnose today as depression.  Just because we are following God or working for God doesn't mean that we aren't going to deal with problems like everyone else 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.

Wednesday, January 15, 2025

60IN60 Day 10 - Wed Jan 15

It's Day 10 and we're in 1 Kings 18.

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 43 - It's odd that after that dramatic and immediate answer from God, this time he has to pray multiple times.  Sometimes God works that way.

Help:
- Verse 17 - Elijah was just bringing God's message, yet he is personally condemned for 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. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2025

60IN60 Day 9 - Tues Jan 14

It's Day 9 and we're in 1 Kings 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 18, 20 - How often our first instinct is to blame God.

Help: 
- Verse 1 - Ahab is the 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.

Your Questions and Comments:

- "Please comment on verse 18 of Luke 8." - Jesus begins "Therefore carefully consider how you listen." The "therefore" points us back to the previous two verses, where Jesus talks about how you don't hide a lamp once you light it but instead you use it to light the whole room. He follows that by saying that nothing will be concealed. The point that He's getting at in those verses is that God hasn't brought His truth into the world (through Jesus) to then try to hide it from people. He wants people to know the truth through Jesus. That brings us to v. 18 and "Therefore carefully consider how you listen." Jesus is basically saying, "God is doing all He can to share this truth with you. So if you don't get it that's not because He's trying to hide it from you. No, it would be because you're not listening carefully to what's He's sharing. So "carefully consider how you listen." In other words, pay attention to what God is trying to tell you. Jesus continues, "Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him." This is the result of how we are listening. If we listen carefully to His truth, we start with a little truth ("whoever has") and we keep gaining more truth ("more will be given"). If we ignore or dismiss His truth, then we'll just end up with no truth ("whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him") when we come to Final Judgment and realize we were living for the wrong things.

Monday, January 13, 2025

60IN60 Day 8 - Mon Jan 13

It's Day 8 and we're in Luke 8.

Occasionally there may be a problem with the email distribution and your daily email may not show up. Usually when that happens you can still view it at www.60in60Bible.org. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 21 - True believers are not those who say they believe in Jesus, but those who "put it into practice."

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, January 12, 2025

60IN60 Day 7 - Sun Jan 12

It's Day 7 and we're in Luke 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - Jesus was impressed because this man believed when Jesus said it then it was as good as 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.

Saturday, January 11, 2025

60IN60 Day 6 - Sat Jan 11

It's Day 6 and we're in Luke 6.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - It's amazing how focused we can become on our theology and miss the obvious move of God that's right in front of our face.

Help:
- Verse 2 - It didn't violate the Mosaic Law; it violated their rules derived from the Mosaic Law.
- Verses 21-22 - I think the point is not that we are to be miserable, but that need to have a hunger and desire for things that are beyond this world.
- Verses 24-26 - We need to make sure we aren't content with the petty things that this world can offer 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.