60IN60 Day 58 - Tues Feb 28

It's Day 58 and we're in Acts 6.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - These two things form the core of what a pastor should spend his time doing.

Help:
- Verse 7 - Sometimes we talk like all the religious leaders rejected the claims of Christ.  That's not true - many became believers.

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 Feb 27

It's Day 57 and we're in Acts 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 17 - You'd like to think we work from higher motives, but even in the things of God it often comes down to things as petty as jealousy.

Help:
- Verse 5 - This is shocking.  I think it speaks to the purity of the early church and how much God wanted to maintain 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 56 - Sun Feb 26

It's Day 56 and we're in Exodus 34.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Nothing really jumped out to me today.

 

Help:

- Verse 7 - We talked about this "third and fourth generations" issue back at Exodus 20.  The best explanation I've come up with is that this is a statement of the way life works: when parents are disobedient, their children learn that and the influence can filter down generation after generation.

- Verse 14 - "a jealous God" - Not a petty jealousy, but it means that God expects us to keep our commitment to Him, the same way a wife should expect her husband to keep his marital promises to her.

- Verse 26 - "young goat" - An obscure point, but some of what God shares is for this particular rural nation at this particular time in history.

- Verse 28 - "he did not eat. . . or drink" - That would make this, like Jesus' 40 days, a supernatural event.

 

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 Feb 25

It's Day 55 and we're in Exodus 33.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 13 - Nice phrase: finding "favor in Your sight."

 

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 Feb 24

It's Day 54 and we're in Exodus 32.

We finished at Exodus 20 a while back with the Ten Commandments.  Now we finish up the story with the pathetic actions of Israel in response.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - It's amazing how quickly they got off track.  Why did that happen so quickly?  Two things are key: 1. Israel, as seen by their whining in previous chapters, didn't have their hearts into following God, so they were eager to turn aside; 2. Aaron was not a mature leader (see verses 22-24).

Help:
- Verses 27-29 - This seems harsh, but apparently that severe a response was necessary to wake the people up to how bad what they were doing was.

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 Feb 23

It's Day 53 and we're in John 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 21-23 - Just a reminder to me that sometimes we read things into passages that are not intended.

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:

- "Who was the 'other disciple' besides Peter? What is the significance of the face cloth being folded, and the other linen just 'lying there'? Vs. 8 says the other disciple entered the tomb, saw, and believed. Then Vs. 9 says they (neither one) didn't understand. The two disciples went onto the tomb, and Mary only looked into the tomb. Why did the angels appear to Mary but not the disciples?" - 1. The "other disciple" was almost certainly John. He refers to himself in similar ways in other places as well. 2. I've heard a number of speculations on the significance of the face cloth being folded separately, but I haven't found most of them particularly convincing. The one thing I do think we can solidly take from that is this: the neatly folded cloth speaks to something happening there that was not a grave robbery. If someone snuck in to steal the dead body, you would expect them to rush in and out as quickly as possible to avoid being caught. The folded cloth speaks to something else going on (namely, a resurrection!). 3. The disciples went in and saw that the body wasn't there (v. 8) but they didn't understand that meant that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead by God (v. 9) (it could have meant the body had been stolen or something like that). The disciples leave and then Jesus appears to Mary. We can't know for certain why Mary was chosen as the first to see Jesus because the Bible doesn't speak directly to that, but there a couple things about it that are significant. First is that the women were the last ones at the cross after most of the male disciples (not John) had fled. It's fitting in a way that the first to see the resurrected Christ is a woman since they were the most loyal to Him at the end of His life. Second is that having a woman as the first witness (in a culture that devalued women) is a bold statement about Christ's concern and attention to those who are downcast and outsiders.

60IN60 Day 52 - Wed Feb 22

It's Day 52 and we're in John 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 9 - Even after all He'd said to them, they didn't get it.  I wonder what the parts of the Kingdom are that He's spoken clearly about and yet I have not fully grasped.

Help:
- Verse 17 - It would seem that Jesus ascended right after His resurrection, then returned to earth for 40 more days before the ascension we read about in Acts.
- Verse 23 - This is an amazing power that He 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 51 - Tues Feb 21

It's Day 51 and we're in John 19.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 30 - He didn't say "I am finished," as though it overwhelmed Him.  He said, "It is finished," meaning that His mission was accomplished.

Help:
- Verse 11 - Among those responsible in this travesty of justice, Pilate bore the lesser share.
- Verse 12 - Pilate was an embattled leader by this point in his career and could not chance another uprising without potentially losing his throne.  So when the people said that refusing to do this made him "no friend of Caesar," they were hitting him where it hurt: the potential loss of his power.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have questions or comments, email me at butcher@ymail.com. 

60IN60 Day 50 - Mon Feb 20

It's Day 50 and we're in John 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 37 - "for this reason I've come into the world, to testify to the truth" - And now we need to listen.

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 Feb 19

It's Day 49 and we're in John 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 2 - "eternal life" - I don't think we appreciate what an incredible offer this is. Eternal life.

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 Feb 18

It's Day 48 and we're in John 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 24 - One of the reasons He's so eager to answer our prayers: it brings us joy to see Him answer.

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 Feb 17

It's Day 47 and we're in John 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 1-11 - This is one of my favorite passages because it speaks to how God desires bring about great fruitfulness through our lives. The main point: to be fruitful for God, the key is not to work harder, but to get closer (to God).

Help:
- Verse 22 - There is a responsibility that comes with increased knowledge.

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 Feb 16

It's Day 46 and we're in 2 Timothy 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - Paul and Mark had a huge disagreement years before this, so Paul's request in this verse is a sign of reconciliation.

Help:
- Verse 6 - Just a colorful way of saying that he recognizes that the end of his life is approaching quickly.

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 Feb 15

It's Day 45 and we're in 2 Timothy 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - "holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power" - Lots of that all around us 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.

60IN60 Day 44 - Tues Feb 14

It's Day 44 and we're in 2 Timothy 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - We need to strive spiritually, not sit around lazily.

Help:
- Verses 11-13 - What's each statement mean? a. "died with Him" - Part of salvation is that we in our belief participate in His spiritual death, so we "die" spiritually and are raised to newness of life; b. "deny Him" - This would be unbelievers, not believers; c. "faithless" - If we drift away from Jesus, He will draw us back.

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:

- "Exodus 20:19 - It is such a privilege to be able to have a personal  relationship with God and go directly to Him. And to have our own copy of scriptures to read by ourselves. In Old Testament times, you had to go through the priest to reach God; and only certain people had scrolls of scriptures to read from, and you had to take their word for what you were being taught. Even today, some denominations require you to go to a church leader for prayer or forgiveness. We can pray to our Heavenly Father any time, anywhere, about anything. Praise God !  And we have so many resources to study from and learn - different bible translations, study guides, reference books, on line sermons that we can watch over and over.  I think sometimes Christians take the easier road - put a request on a prayer list or ask the Sunday school teacher the bible question, instead of putting forth some effort on our own.  Could it be that we have so much easily available to us, that we've become somewhat lazy?"

60IN60 Day 43 - Mon Feb 13

It's Day 43 and we're in 2 Timothy 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 7 - "power and love and discipline" - That's what the Christian life should look like.

Help:

- Verse 6 - Some spiritual gifts are given at the moment of salvation. Others can happen at special times, such as the laying on of hands.
- Verse 10 - "abolished death" - He has abolished spiritual death.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have a comment or question, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 42 - Sun Feb 12

It's Day 42 and we're in Exodus 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19 - So many times we want to have someone else do our talking to God for us, rather than have that personal relationship ourselves.

Help:
- Verses 5-6 - The idea that the fathers' sin brings iniquity down three or four generations is hard to understand. The best way that I've come up with to grasp the idea is to think of it like this: I think of the statement less as God punishing and more as a statement of the way life works. When I live my life for something other than God, my kids are going to pick up on that and, very likely, are going to live lives that reflect what I've taught them. Therefore, my sinful life is going to reverberate down through multiple generations. Maybe not a perfect explanation, but the best one I've come up with so far.

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 Feb 11

It's Day 41 and we're in Exodus 19.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - When God shows up, you know it.

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have questions or comments about the chapter, email me at butcher@ymail.com.

60IN60 Day 40 - Fri Feb 10

It's Day 40 and we're in Exodus 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 15-16 - He was acting like every request was his responsibility . . . and it was too much for him to handle.

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 Feb 9

It's Day 39 and we're in Exodus 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - Hey, didn't He just take care of your need? Quit whining!

Help:
- Verse 11 - The point of this is, of course, not that there was anything intrisically important in Moses holding up his hands, but that Israel would clearly understand that the victory was not because of their military prowess, but because of God's might.

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:

- "The Israelites complained about how hard they had to work in Egypt, then God rescued them. Then the Israelites complained about food, and God provided (without them having to hunt or raise a garden). In the next chapter, the Israelites complain about water.

"And so it goes today. We are never satisfied. If we don't like our small house, and God gives us a larger house, we complain about cleaning it. If our car is old, and God gives us a newer one, we complain because the insurance goes up.  If we want to lose weight and God helps us do that, then we complain that our clothes don't fit and we have to buy new ones.  We want our church to grow, and when God adds to the church, we complain about having to park farther from the building. Don't you get tired of being around people who complain all the time ?  They seem to never be happy, to never be satisfied.

"It's sad that Christians are some of the greatest complainers.  If we would live with a grateful heart and praise God for our blessings, what a light we could be to a dark world."

60IN60 Day 38 - Wed Feb 8

It's Day 38 and we're in Exodus 16.

If you come across something in your reading that doesn't make sense at first, be quick to re-read and to ask questions. If I can help answer anything, drop me an email.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 3-4 - More whining instead of asking God to supply. Why are we so quick to blame God instead of asking Him to take care of our problems?

If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.

If you have questions or comments, email me at butcher@ymail.com. 

60IN60 Day 37 - Tues Feb 7

It's Day 37 and we're in Exodus 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 24 - It's amazing how quickly we forget the miracles and answered prayers and come complaining instead of coming anticipating His provision.

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 Feb 6

It’s Day 36 and we’re in Exodus 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 11 - When things get hard, we are so quick to romanticize the way things used to be. We cry out for deliverance, then long for our chains again when the walk of faith gets hard.

Help:

- Verses 21 - As you can read from the text, it didn't exactly happen the way it was portrayed in the old Charlton Heston movies. First of all, it was incredibly windy in the walk. Second, the path had to be really wide, rather than a narrow path, because there were hundreds of thousands of Israelites that had to make it through.

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 Feb 5

It’s Day 35 and we’re in Exodus 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 17 - He knows we're fickle and sometimes chooses the long way around just to keep from getting so discouraged that we give up. 

Help:

- Verses 1-16 - Why this long discussion of the firstborn? I think the underlying principle is that we need to give the first portion to God. For instance, although it's partially just symbolic, the first check I write after every payday is my gift to the church. It's a reminder that what I give God comes first, not after everything else is taken care of.
- Verse 13 - Basically this means: donkeys are sufficiently important to your agriculture that I don't want you do sacrifice them; instead sacrifice a lamb in their place. 

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 Feb 4

It’s Day 34 and we’re in Exodus 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 13 - The blood covers us, protecting us from death. 

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 Feb 3

It’s Day 33 and we’re in Exodus 11.

When we were in Exodus earlier in the 60 days, we finished up in chapter 7. We've skipped through some of the plagues and are picking up with the last plague. 

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 3 - It's amazing what doors can open up when you have the favor of the Lord with you. 

Help:

- Verse 10 - As I've mentioned before, I think this hardening is a partnership of the Lord moving Pharaoh's heart in that direction and Pharaoh being inclined himself to go in that direction. 

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 Feb 2

It’s Day 32 and we’re in John 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 12 - I want to see those "greater things."

Help:

- Verse 9 - If you've seen Jesus, you've seen the character and love of the Father.
- Verses 21, 23 - This is the standard: that we obey.

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 Feb 1

It’s Day 31 and we’re in John 13.

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 2 - He'd been prompted, but it was still his choice. And he chose in the wrong direction.

Help:

- Verse 1 - The "full extent of His love" was not the washing of their feet, but the willingness to go to the cross.
- Verses 8-9 - First Peter refuses (v. 8), then Peter draws the wrong lesson (v. 9). What he should have done is simply receive Jesus' word.

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:

- "John 12:40 - I always saw this verse as hard to comprehend. It reads as if God has hardened hearts in some so that they will not believe. As if some people are 'in' the fold and some are 'out'. Yet other scriptures tell us that everyone has the opportunity to believe and accept salvation. Some churches preach predestination, that our salvation is determined for us already; and that's even more difficult to understand." - Those subjects are deep waters. The big picture in trying to interpret these passages fall into two main camps. There are Calvinists who emphasize the predestination element and would say that some are destined to be damned and others to be saved. Alternately, there are Arminians who emphasize that God genuinely offers salvation to everyone and each person has an opportunity to receive it. I am in the latter camp.