Sunday, July 31, 2022

60IN60 Day 28 - Sun Jul 31

It's Day 28 and we're in Proverbs 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - I know from personal experience that the first half of this verse is absolutely 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

Saturday, July 30, 2022

60IN60 Day 27 - Sat Jul 30

It's Day 27 and we're in Proverbs 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - Isn't that true?  There's a woman who looks beautiful when you first see her but then as you talk to her and see her personality and character, you're repulsed.  Internal beauty is more important than external.

Help:
- Verse 13 - Concealing a matter means not gossiping, not withholding crucial information in a situation like someone being abused.
- Verse 31 - Presumably the "reward" in mind here includes positive and negative.

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, July 29, 2022

60IN60 Day 26 - Fri Jul 29

It's Day 26 and we're in Proverbs 10.

We'll be in Proverbs for three days.  A reminder of what a proverb is: it's a saying that is generally true.  For instance, in the Proverb that says that if you train up a child in the way of the Lord, when he is old he will not depart from it - that is not a ironclad guarantee that every single child that was raised in church will come back to church.  Rather it is a proverb - it is generally true that children who are raised in church will come back to the Lord.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19 - A reminder that I should be quicker to listen than talk.

Help:
- Verse 22 - This is the idea that ultimately every blessing comes from God, including wealth.

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, July 28, 2022

60IN60 Day 25 - Thurs Jul 28

It's Day 25 and we're in Genesis 23.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - It's worth pondering that after all this time and all the promises God fulfilled that Abraham still dies as a stranger in a foreign land.

Help:
- Verses 3-16 - This is a depiction of the back and forth of an ancient negotiation.

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, July 27, 2022

60IN60 Day 24 - Wed Jul 27

It's Day 24 and we're in Genesis 22.

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

Help:
- Verse 2, 10 - This is a troubling scene.  God is testing Abraham to see if He will trust Him even with his most beloved thing.  Still, even knowing that, the scene is disturbing.  We do know from verse 5 as well as from Hebrews 11:19 that Abraham expected God would raise Isaac from the dead.  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.

Tuesday, July 26, 2022

60IN60 Day 23 - Tues Jul 26

It's Day 23 and we're in Genesis 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - "The Lord did just as He promised" - You can count on Him for that.

Help:
- Verses 10-12 - This is a troubling incident.  Part of it goes to the fact that it was not God's will for Ishmael to be born.  Part of it that the focus needed to now be on the chosen child.  But in either event, it's a hard thing to watch a son being sent away by his father.

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, July 25, 2022

60IN60 Day 22 - Mon Jul 25

It's Day 22 and we're in Genesis 20.

Where God Spoke To Me: 
- Verse 6 - Because he has acted in innocence, God keeps him from sin.  We need to make sure we're acting "in the integrity of [our] heart."

Help:
- Verse 2 - Yes, he's going to make the same stupid mistake again.  Just like we so often do.
- Verse 7, 17 - It does seem weird that the one who was in the wrong here has to pray for the one who was in the right.  Why?  Even though Abraham is in the wrong, he still has authority that's been given to him because he is God's chosen.  I think of it like God saying to the king, "See that guy over there?  The one that caused all this problem?  Yeah, well, he's my guy.  I know, I know, he was stupid in what he did.  But he's the one I chose a long time ago.  So go have him pray and we'll get this taken care of."
- Verse 12 - In the rural, often nomadic culture of that day, this was not unusual.

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, July 24, 2022

60IN60 Day 21 - Sun Jul 24

It's Day 21 and we're in Genesis 19.

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

Help:
- Verse 8 - Lot's offer is terrible.  It is again important to remember that not everything described in the Bible is endorsed by God.  We know from some other stories that Lot has been compromised morally by Sodom.  Why would Lot make such an offer, though?  Two main reasons: a. there was an enormous importance placed on hospitality and caring for your guests back then - to have his house guests harmed would have been (to his mind) the greatest of offenses; b. the obviously low moral standard in Sodom twisted his thinking in what was appropriate and what wasn't.
- Verse 26 - This was, apparently, a judgment from God.
- Verse 30-38 - This is pathetic and wrong.  Again, not everything we read in the Bible is approved behavior.  This is telling of how skewed these girls moral standards had gotten living in Sodom.

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, July 23, 2022

60IN60 Day 20 - Sat Jul 23

It's Day 20 and we're in Genesis 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 22-32 - This is one of my favorite passages because it tells me that it's ok to bring my questions to God.  I can ask Him why things are happening and whether there are other options.

Help:
- Verses 2-8 - Hospitality to strangers was very important back then.
- Verse 20 - Presumably the outcry is from those being hurt by the sin in Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Verse 21 - It's not that God can't see from heaven, but simply that He is going down to confirm and execute the 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.

Friday, July 22, 2022

60IN60 Day 19 - Fri Jul 22

t's Day 19 and we're in Genesis 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - Even when God has promised greater things, often we cling to our own manufactured plans.

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, July 21, 2022

60IN60 Day 18 - Thurs Jul 21

It's Day 18 and we're in Genesis 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 15 - Some things that we do in our moments when we're not trusting God have consequences that echo for years - or in this case, centuries.

Help:
- Verses 1-2 - Polygamy was practiced back then, so that part is not particularly unusual for the day.  The larger problem is that this was an attempt to manufacture an answer to what God had promised instead of trusting Him to come through.
- Verses 5-6 - Sarai is wrong and petty to do this; Abram is wrong and cowardly to give in.  Remember that not everything done by people in the Bible is approved by God.
- Verse 9 - This is not an endorsement of Sarai's behavior, but the child did need to be with Abram.

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, July 20, 2022

60IN60 Day 17 - Wed Jul 20

It's Day 17 and we're in Genesis 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - Having faith in what God says is one of the greatest things we can do to honor Him.

Help:
- Verses 12-13 - This is an unusual sequence.  Apparently God wants to let Abraham know the struggles that are ahead and so this dark incident occurs.
- Verse 16 - "the iniquity. . . is not yet complete" - In other words, they had sinned, but not enough to merit destructive judgment yet by a patient God.  It's an interesting phrase.

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, July 19, 2022

60IN60 Day 16 - Tues Jul 19

It's Day 16 and we're in Genesis 14.

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

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, July 18, 2022

60IN60 Day 15 - Mon Jul 18

It's Day 15 and we're in Genesis 13.

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

Sunday, July 17, 2022

60IN60 Day 14 - Sun Jul 17

It's Day 14 and we're in Genesis 12.

We'll be looking at the stories of Abraham over the next few days.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - I think this verse is important.  We don't see where Abram is told to go to Egypt - he just does it on his own.  I wonder if God was planning to empty the Promised Land for him through this famine?

Help:
- Verse 15 - This was cowardice on Abram's part in being deceptive.  Then once he had been deceptive, he was stuck when they took her.

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, July 16, 2022

60IN60 Day 13 - Sat Jul 16

It's Day 13 and we're in James 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 1-6 - Some harsh words for the rich.  Given that most of us in America would be rich by the definition the Bible is using, it's probably time for us to question our thoughts on money.

Help:
- Verses 14-15 - If someone is sick, one option for them is to have the leadership of the church anoint them with oil and pray over 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.

Friday, July 15, 2022

60IN60 Day 12 - Fri Jul 15

It's Day 12 and we're in James 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Be obedient and humble and wait on His power to lift you up.

Help:
- Verse 9 - Not that this should be our constant attitude.  He's speaking here in this context to those who are proud of themselves and their accomplishments.

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, July 14, 2022

60IN60 Day 11 - Thurs Jul 14

It's Day 11 and we're in James 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - "the humility that comes from wisdom" - Nicely said.

Help:
- Verse 1 - Judgment is stricter or less so based on a number of factors, including the responsibility we've taken, our mercy to those around us, how much we've been given, etc.  As a pastor, I am subject to stricter judgment because of being a pastor.

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, July 13, 2022

60IN60 Day 10 - Wed Jul 13

It's Day 10 and we're in James 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - A reminder of how important it is that we're merciful to those around us.

Help:
- Verses 9-11 - The analogy I often use is that sin is like standing at the edge of the Grand Canyon.  I can take a tiny step forward (i.e. one sin) or I can rare back and take a huge flying leap (i.e. many sins), but either way I end up at the bottom.
- Verse 12 - We have been given freedom by the death of Christ.  
- Verse 19 - The demons don't have saving faith in God, but they do know without question that there is one.  The issue is not believing in God - it's serving and following Him.
- Verse 24 - The point: what we do is the evidence of what we really believe.  Faith in name only is empty and worthless.  My actions show the proof of my words.

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, July 12, 2022

60IN60 Day 9 - Tues Jul 12

It's Day 9 and we're in James 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - If we claim to be a nation of many Christians, why are there so many foster kids without families?

Help:
- Verse 2 - It's not that we're glad to have problems, but as the following verses indicate, it's that the struggles have a maturing effect.
- Verse 4 - The word "perfect" in some translations means "mature."  Even if we never achieve perfection in this life, we need to be striving for that great a spiritual maturity.
- Verses 9-10 - The poor person should remember that he is a child of the King; the rich person should remember that all his money isn't going to keep him from dying.
- Verses 23-24 - Basically this is saying that when we say we're Christians but we don't have deeds to back that up, we're like someone who sees himself in the mirror and then turns away and forgets what he looks like.  We've forgotten as Christians what defines who we are.

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, July 11, 2022

60IN60 Day 8 - Mon Jul 11

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 8 - "a hundred times as great" - Wow!  I want to see that in my life.

Help:
- Verse 10 - This sounds like it's saying God is trying to keep truth from them.  In fact, what it means is that the person's openness to what God is saying (see the end of v. 8) determines how much of the truth they get.  See also the below comment on vv. 16-18.
- Verses 16-18 - This is not about sharing the truth, but about receiving it.  Jesus is saying that the truth is there for the sharing, but they need to want to receive it (see v. 18).
- Verse 37 - The power Jesus displayed scared them and they wanted it gone.
- Verse 56 - It was probably in vain that He told them not to share the miracle.

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, July 10, 2022

60IN60 Day 7 - Sun Jul 10

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 8-9 - Jesus is impressed because this man believes that what He says will happen.  He has faith in Jesus' power and that Jesus is a man of authority.

Help:
- Verse 19 - This is a stunning verse, because it means that John the Baptist was having doubts about Jesus.  Why?  Probably because John was expecting Jesus to come in and militarily take over and drive the Romans out.  Jesus wasn't doing that and John couldn't figure out why.
- Verses 31-34 - In other words, when someone came somberly, you complained.  When someone came joyfully, you complained.  You're (speaking of the religious leaders) dissatisfied 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.

Saturday, July 9, 2022

60IN60 Day 6 - Sat Jul 9

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 3-5 - This really hit me hard.  How often do I say, "What that really means is. . ." and explain away a passage by making it easily fit within my theology?  I need to dwell with the verses and receive them on their own terms, even if that creates some struggle.

Help:
- Verses 1-2 - This was one of the rules the Pharisees had come up with: doing something as simple as this was classified by them as "work" and therefore banned on the Sabbath.
- Verses 3-5 - Jesus reminds them that others did things that would have been "immoral" by their made-up rules.
- Verses 20-26 - This speaks to who is more likely to have insight into God and who is less likely.
- Verses 29-30 - This doesn't mean that if we're beat up we can't defend ourselves.  The slapping has more to do with slapping as an insult.

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, July 8, 2022

60IN60 Day 5 - Fri Jul 8

It's Day 5 and we're in Luke 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - Sometimes we obey not fully understanding why we're being asked to do that particular thing.  We just trust Him.

Help:
- Verse 17 - The second half of this verse can be confusing.  Other passages tell us that Jesus' power came through the Father working in Him.  Apparently when there was a lack of faith on the part of the people, the Father limited the power that would flow.
- Verses 27-28 - Levi had met Jesus before.
- Verse 36-38 - Jesus is saying that He hasn't come to repair the old way (i.e. the Temple system), but to bring a new way.
- Verse 39 - This verse points out that most of us find it hard to reach out for the new, preferring instead the comfort of the old.

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, July 7, 2022

60IN60 Day 4 - Thurs Jul 7

It's Day 4 and we're in Luke 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 18-19 - This is His mission statement.  Its focus is on the hurting and the weak.

Help:
- Verse 2 - This was apparently a supernaturally-empowered fast, because you normally can't go that long without food.
- Verse 22 - Apparently Jesus didn't show signs earlier in His life of someone who would obviously go on to be a leader like this.
- Verses 23-30 - They get angry because He basically says that God would rather work through foreigners than 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.

Your Questions and Comments:
- "This verse [Luke 2:33] says that Mary and Joseph were amazed at the things that were being said about Jesus. Did they still not fully understand who He was? Or were they just surprised that total strangers spoke of Jesus' identity?" - I think both were part of the situation. While they had the little bit of information that the angel had told them, that put them nowhere close to understanding the full reality of who Jesus was and what His mission was. Secondly, they were amazed that strangers (in this case, Simeon) had also received a word from God about their child. It is much easier for us to look back after the crucifixion and resurrection and see the whole picture, but they had very limited information to go on at that point.

Wednesday, July 6, 2022

60IN60 Day 3 - Wed Jul 6

It's Day 3 and we're in Luke 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 10-14 - It's interesting that John's responses here are mostly economic.  Sometimes we separate our spiritual and financial 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.

Tuesday, July 5, 2022

60IN60 Day 2 - Tues Jul 5

It's Day 2 and we're in Luke 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 6-7 - How scary that must have been to give birth far from 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.

Monday, July 4, 2022

60IN60 Day 1 - Mon Jul 4

It's Day 1 and we're in Luke 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 64 - Our obedience opens more opportunities for praising 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.

Sunday, July 3, 2022

Friday, July 1, 2022