60IN60 Day 36 - Mon Aug 11

It's Day 36 and we're in Daniel 1. 

Where God Spoke To Me: 

- Verse 9 - God can go ahead of us and give us favor, opening up doors of opportunity. 

Help: 
- Verse 2 - They were delivered to a foreign power because of their disobedience as a nation. 
- Verse 8 - There were two areas of concern for Daniel: a. much of the food was sacrificed to idols; b. much of the food was unclean according to Old Testament Law. 
- Verse 15 - "fatter" - I presume here that doesn't mean obese, but just that they were healthy and stout. 

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 Aug 10

It's Day 35 and we're in Galatians 6. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 15 - What counts is the new creation.

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

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

60IN60 Day 34 - Sat Aug 9

It's Day 34 and we're in Galatians 5.

Where God Spoke to Me:
- Verse 16 - Living by the Spirit means that we're working against pursuing the lusts of our sinful nature.

Help:
- Verse 1 - This is not physical slavery, but the spiritual slavery of going back to the bondage of a rule-based religion.
- Verses 2-3 - The need to be circumcised was a big issue for the teachers who were leading the Galatian church astray. Paul is noting that if you feel like you have to be circumcised to be right, then you can't really just stop there - you need to go on and fulfill the whole Mosaic Law.
- Verse 4 - "fallen away from grace" - This idea of "falling from grace" has to be understood in the context of what's being said here. The obvious point that Paul is making here is that they are falling from the idea of being saved by grace and falling back down toward the ineffective idea of being saved by trying to keep the Mosaic Law. Some people say, "You can lose your salvation because the Bible says you can fall from grace." You have to read it in context, though, and the subject here is not salvation but wrong teaching.
- Verse 9 - Paul is saying that it only takes a few people within a church teaching things that are questionable to get the whole church messed up.
- Verse 12 - Paul is using a little exaggeration here to make his point. He's saying if these teachers think circumcision is so essential then maybe they should go all the way and emasculate themselves.
- Verses 13-14 - Rather than living under the tyranny of a rule-based religion (by trying to keep the Mosaic Law), we are called to be free. We each follow the Holy Spirit's guidance. That freedom, though, is not an open door to freely sinning, but rather to serving God and each other.
- Verse 24 - This is an important idea: when we are saved, our old, sinful nature is crucified with Christ. We are a new creation, fully capable of living victoriously for Christ.

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 Aug 8

It's Day 33 and we're in Galatians 4.

Where God Spoke to Me:
- Nothing jumped out to me today. That's ok - we won't necessarily hear God speak every day.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Rough translation: before we became Christians (and therefore heirs of God) we were just (spiritually) children under the grip of sin.
- Verses 9-10 - Instead of living a life of grace, they had returned to trying to live by the rules and regulations that the Mosaic Law demanded. That's no way for a Christian to live.
- Verse 14 - Paul had some health problems while with them, but they were exceedingly kind to him anyway.
- Verse 15 - Many believe (although the Bible never says definitively) that Paul's health problems had to do with poor eyesight.
- Verse 27 - Rough translation: Even though Sarah was childless for so long, in the end she became a mother to countless children (both physical and spiritual) through the fulfilled promise from 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 32 - Thurs Aug 7

It's Day 32 and we're in Galatians 3. 

One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It cuts through the clutter. We are surrounded by tons of information, but so much of it is essentially irrelevant to a meaningful life. The Bible speaks to the issues that matter. 

Where God Spoke to Me: 

- Verse 27 - A good reminder that we need to "clothe" ourselves with Christ each day - that is, we choose to "put on" all that He has given us. 

Help: 

- Verses 1-3 - They had heard the gospel of grace from Paul: you can only be saved by grace through faith. Then others began to convince them that their righteousness came from obeying the Law, which is something that can never create righteousness within us because we're always going to fall short of perfectly fulfilling the Law. Paul is asking them why they allowed themselves to get fooled.
- Verses 5-14 - Paul is here arguing that even Abraham (who lived before the Mosaic Law was given) was justified by faith and not works. The purpose of the Mosaic Law was ultimately not to provide a way to God (because we can't live out the Law perfectly) but rather to make us aware of how far short of God's perfect standard we're falling. 
- Verses 15-19 - This continues the point I just made about verses 5-14 and goes on to say that Christ is the One who was able to perfectly fulfill the Mosaic Law. 
- Verse 22 - We are imprisoned (spiritually) by our sin and Christ has come to set us free. 

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 Aug 6

It's Day 31 and we're in Galatians 2. 

Where God Spoke To Me: - Verse 20 - This is an essential truth that most Christians don't grasp.  The old person is dead. 

Help: - Verses 2-3 - The first disciples were Jews.  Jesus was a Jew.  With the beginning of Christianity, there were questions about which parts of the Jewish faith were binding on the new Christians. 
- Verse 11 - There were disagreements on these Jewish issues between Paul and Peter, with Peter arguing for more of the old Jewish things being held onto and Paul arguing for more freedom.  Paul was right. 
- Verses 15-17 - You cannot get to God through the Mosaic Law.  The Law's primary purpose was to show us how far short of God's standard we are. 
- Verse 20 - This is an important truth.  My old self was crucified with Jesus on the cross.  As a believer in Jesus, I am a new creation. 

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 Aug 5

It's Day 30 and we're in Galatians 1. 

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: - Verses 8-9 - Truth matters.  It's not enough that we're sincere in our belief - we need to sincerely believe something that's 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.

60IN60 Day 29 - Mon Aug 4

It's Day 29 and we're in John 14.

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:
- Verse 12 - I want to see "greater things" - I'm tired of only seeing small prayers answered. I want to see Him pour out His power to overflowing.

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:

- "How can we distinguish between what God is directing us to do and an idea that pops into our mind that seems right and we think is a good idea? I’m thinking of situations where we have to make a decision on a course of action and we must decide what to do. We think and pray and read Bible and come up with an idea or plan. Inevitably when we start that path, adversity hits.  Is that God telling us we have made a mistake or is that experiences that God has placed before us to teach us a lesson, like humility, or patience or trust on the Lord? How do we know when we should stick with what we thought was a good plan (God’s plan for us)  or perhaps God is telling us to change course? Just because life gets to be tough doesn’t mean we aren’t following God’s plan, or does it? He didn’t promise life would be without adversity but how do we know when the hardships are telling us it’s time to change the plan?" - That's a great question - and a difficult one. You've covered the easy stuff. For instance, we always want to make sure what we are pursuing doesn't contradict the teaching of the Bible. The situations you are referring to are the harder ones. There is not a simple, easy way to discern in those situations. There are two big ideas that come to my mind as the starting points in situations like that. First, I like to go to the Father and pray something like, "Father, I want to do Your will. I want to want what You want. If I'm off-track, please block my path if I'm going down the wrong road." Second, this is hard to quantify, but usually when I am in God's will there is an internal peace about what I'm doing. This doesn't always match up to the external circumstances (things may seem a little crazy but I'm still at peace deep in my heart). 

- "In all of my years of reading and hearing lessons about Lazarus, I don't think I ever realized that after Jesus raised him from the dead, people were out to kill him!  The most emphasis on the story is about waiting on the Lord and his timing. But can you imagine being Lazarus?   You died and were buried, miraculously raised from the dead, by Jesus Himself, and now you have the government trying to hunt you down. Instead of a 'happily ever after' ending, maybe Lazarus lived the rest of his life as a fugitive. So much detail in Scripture. I wonder what else I have missed?  The Bible always has something new for us."

60IN60 Day 28 - Sun Aug 3

It's Day 28 and we're in John 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - In each of them wondering if they were the one that would betray, it reveals that each of us knows that we have a weak place within us where we're capable of terrible things.

Help:
- Verse 23 - Back in Jesus' day, you didn't sit in a chair at a table but instead you reclined, leaning on one of your arms at the low table.
- Verse 34 - It's not a new thing for God to command His people to love each other, but it's a new thing for Him to command us to love each other with the sacrificial love that Jesus had.

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 27 - Sat Aug 2

It's Day 27 and we're in John 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Rather than taking the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus as clear evidence of Jesus' divinity, the Pharisees instead plan to kill Lazarus. Crazy blindness. How often do I miss out on God's power and direction because I've decided ahead of time what I will do?

Help:
- Verses 7-8 - This is not an excuse to neglect the poor, but merely a statement that the present situation they found themselves in was an unusual one that merited the expensive sacrifice.
- Verses 20-26 - Jesus doesn't seem to directly answer their question. What's going on? If I had to summarize it, I would say that what Jesus had in mind is something like this: it's good that they want to talk to Me, but the time for talking is behind now and instead it's the time for My to pursue the action of going to the cross.
- Verse 25 - What does this mean? It means that rather than always pursuing what I want as the vision of my life, instead I need to be willing to pursue what God is calling me to do in order to see His abundant life. I have to "die to self" and instead of living for what I want, I live for what Jesus instructed.
- Verse 40 - This does not mean that God forced them into their blindness. It means that they were intentionally rejecting what He was saying (see verse 20-26) and so He gave them over to their desires, which resulted in spiritual blindness.

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 26 - Fri Aug 1

It's Day 26 and we're in John 11.

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 5 - He loved them. Not "He put up with them," but He loved them. For some reason that just kind of hit me anew: that He doesn't just put up with us - He loves us.

Help:
- Verse 26 - He means that we will never die 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.

60IN06 Day 25 - Thurs Jul 31

It's Day 25 and we're in John 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 28 - We are sometimes so focused on the blessings that He gives us in this life that we fail to recognize what an enormous gift this is: eternal life!

Help:
- Verse 16 - "not of this sheep pen" - We know from the book of Acts that this is a reference to the fact that Jesus intended this salvation to extend to the Gentiles (i.e. the non-Jews; i.e. us). Down through the years, various cults have tried to use this verse to argue that He was referring to them.
- Verse 17-18 - This is a reference to His death and resurrection.
- Verse 34 - This is an obscure verse. I have not found an interpretation yet that satisfies me, but I'll keep looking.

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: 

- "What are your thoughts on the second half of John 9:4 'night is coming when no man can work.'" - That is a little bit of an obscure reference. He doesn't explain Himself there. Some think that it's reference to Jesus being here in the world and that soon He will be taken away in death. In that case, the verse means that they needed to do good things while Jesus was here, so the time frame is His next few months. Another option is a longer term one. It could also mean that as long as Jesus is in the world or His light is shining through His followers that there is light in the world. That would be a reference then to the entire church age, up to and including today. In that case, "night is coming" would be a reference to Revelation events or even to Final Judgment when it's too late to repent.

60IN60 Day 24 - Wed Jul 30

It's Day 24 and we're in John 9.

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 16 - The inability to see what was right in front of them is amazing. It's so easy to get focused on the way that we think God is required to act (according to the rules we've made up for Him in our religion) and miss out on things He's doing that are outside that.

Help:
- Verses 2-3 - It was widely taught by the Jewish leaders that all tragedy came directly from the sin of that person (or maybe their parents). Jesus denies that idea.
- Verses 6-7 - Why did Jesus do the healing this way? We don't know. He does healings in different ways: sometimes instantaneous, sometimes having someone go wash in a pool, sometimes total, sometimes in stages, sometimes publicly, sometimes privately. The main thing I draw out of that is that Jesus works His miracles differently in different situations. That means the miracle that He does in your life today is not necessarily the way He's going to do a miracle in my life tomorrow.
- Verse 34 - Again, the Jewish leaders presume that this man had to be a terrible sinner because he had been blind. They believed his sin (or his parent's sin) had caused it. Jesus denied that idea.
- Verse 39 - What does this mean? He saying, "I've come into the world so that those who think they can see - I'm looking at you, religious leaders - will discover their actually spiritually blind, and I've come that those who know they're spiritually blind - like the tax collectors and prostitutes - will have a chance to gain spiritual 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 23 - Tues Jul 29

It's Day 23 and we're in John 8.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 31 - Such an important idea: it's not just saying we like Jesus that makes us a disciple, but that we "hold to [His] teaching." That is, that we live out what He told us to do.

Help:
- Verses 58-59 - The phrase "I AM" was one of the names that God chose for Himself in the Old Testament. When Jesus said this, He was claiming to be God. To His enemies, that was blasphemy (because they didn't believe that He was God) and worthy of stoning.

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 22 - Mon Jul 28

It's Day 22 and we're in Esther 10.

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:
- 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.

60IN60 Day 21 - Sun Jul 27

It's Day 21 and we're in Esther 9.

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

Help:
- Verses 1-2, 16 - Obviously there was a significant anti-Semitic sentiment within the kingdom. The Jews have to defend themselves.
- Verse 13 - They were already dead. Being hanged was just to make a point.

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 20 - Sat Jul 26

It's Day 20 and we're in Esther 8.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me today. That's ok - there are days like that.

Help:
- Verse 11 - The king's edict makes me wonder why he didn't just issue a proclamation that said, "Nevermind. No killing of the Jews." Instead, he issues this proclamation that speaks more of the Jews defending themselves and even plundering those who attack. My presumption is that the proclamation is that way because there were those within the kingdom with great hatred for the Jews who might have ignored the king's retraction and then after the fact claimed they didn't get word in time.

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 19 - Fri Jul 25

It's Day 19 and we're in Esther 7.

What's the Bible say about the book you're reading today? "All Scripture is. . . profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). Reading the Bible will make your day more "profitable." 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Justice with a side of irony.

Help:
- Verse 8 - "they covered Haman's face" - This is presumable the eunuchs who are mentioned in v. 9.

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 18 - Thurs Jul 24

It's Day 18 and we're in Esther 6.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 1-9 - The ironic timing of these events (at least as far as Haman is concerned) is interesting. God can orchestrate things down to the second when needed.

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 17 - Wed Jul 23

It's Day 17 and we're in Esther 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - Such pride. It's so disgusting to see in others, yet we're tempted to do the same thing.

Help:
- Verses 6-8 - Why the delay? Why not bring up the issue right then? The Bible doesn't tell us if this was all part of her grand plan or if she just lost her nerve in that moment. I tend to think 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 16 - Tues Jul 22

It's Day 16 and we're in Esther 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - It's such a great line: "for such a time as this." Sometimes we find ourselves in the midst of difficulties because God has put us there to stand for what's right in such a time as this.

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 15 - Mon Jul 21

It's Day 15 and we're in Esther 3.

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:
- Nothing really jumped out to me today.

Help:
- Verse 7 - Presumably God worked behind the scenes to bring up a time when they cast lots to ensure there would be time to save the Jewish people.

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 14 - Sun Jul 20

It's Day 14 and we're in Esther 2.

Where God Spoke to Me:
- Verse 22 - One of the interesting things about the book of Esther is that God doesn't make an official appearance anywhere in the book, yet you can see Him working in the circumstances to take care of His people. It's a good reminder to us that He is at work even when we don't see Him. Verse 22 is just another one of the "coincidences" that God orchestrated.

Help:
- Verses 10, 20 - Apparently Mordecai felt this would hurt her chances. He didn't instruct her to lie, but rather just not to bring it up.

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 13 - Sat Jul 19

It's Day 13 and we're in Esther 1.

Where God Spoke to Me:
- Nothing jumped out to me today.  Some days are like that.

Help:
- Verses 12-22 - The king's behavior here is immature and sinful. It's important to understand that the Bible does not condone everything it describes. Some might presume that God is sympathetic toward the actions of the king. That's not true. The Bible is telling what the king did but not condoning 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 12 - Fri Jul 18

It's Day 12 and we're in 1 John 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - We have been given eternal life. What greater gift could their be?

Help:
- Verse 8 - There is some question on what each represent, but my presumption is that the Spirit obviously represents the Spirit, the water points to baptism, and the blood points to the death of Christ.
- Verse 16 - It is not totally clear what the "sin that leads to death" is. It could be the unforgivable sin that Jesus mentioned or, more likely given the context of the verse, it could have to do with someone teaching false teaching.

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 11 - Thurs Jul 17

It's Day 11 and we're in 1 John 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - Loving each other is an essential evidence of the authenticity of our 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 10 - Wed Jul 16

It's Day 10 and we're in 1 John 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - Overflowing love for those around us is a tangible proof that Jesus has come into our hearts. The excuse people use for not going to church because the people are tough to love is inadequate - we have to love each other, even when we're tough to love.

Help:
- Verse 6 - This does not mean that we never, even once sin, but rather that we do not live in a pattern of ongoing, rebellious sin. As verses 7-8 note, those who are of the light live in the light and those who are of the darkness live in the dark.
- Verse 15 - I guess you could go back to what Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount about anger for more understanding of this: Matthew 5:21-26.

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 9 - Tues Jul 15

It's Day 9 and we're in 1 John 2.

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 4 - Obedience to Jesus' teaching is a required part of being a Christian, not an option. If we are not actively obeying Jesus, we need to check our spiritual condition.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "propitiation" - This refers to the idea of making a sacrifice that turns away the anger of God.
- Verses 7-8 - Obeying God is an old command, but it is a new thing that we have the perfect example of Jesus as well as His empowering us through a new heart and the Holy Spirit to be able to live out what we're commanded.
- Verses 18-19, 22 - "many anti-Christs" - As verse 22 notes, this is a reference to those who are doing the work of Satan, not saying that they are THE Anti-Christ.
- Verse 27 - "anointing" - That is, having the Holy Spirit and His power.

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 8 - Mon Jul 14

It's Day 8 and we're in 1 John 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - Hard words: if we're walking in darkness, that's evidence that we do not have fellowship with Him. A changed heart is the clearest proof of the presence of God in our lives.

Help:
- Verses 1-2 - These are references to the disciples actually being with Jesus when He was on earth.

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 7 - Sun Jul 13

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 38 - There is a spiritual abundance to life in Christ. Our lives will be ones that are like a fountain of living water pouring out and enriching those around us.

Help:
- Verses 8, 10 - Is Jesus lying here? No. His point is an important one: they wanted Him to go up at the beginning of the feast and provoke a confrontation. This would have messed up the timetable that Jesus was on. Instead, He went up much later in the feast. This provided an opportunity for Him to teach without provoking as large a controversy as doing it at the beginning of the feast would have created. See verses 14 and 30 for more.

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 6 - Sat Jul 12

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 26 - Do I love God just for who He is or merely for the blessings He's given?

Help:
- Verse 35 - This is, of course, a spiritual truth. We will never be spiritually hungry.
- Verses 52-58, 61, 63 - This is about communion, but it is no doubt a hard saying. It's easy to see why so many were confused by it. Verse 63 is key to understanding that He is talking about spiritual truths.

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 5 - Fri Jul 11

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

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 42 - Hard question: do I have the love of God in my heart? Is that evident?

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 4 - Thurs Jul 10

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 34 - Is that true of me - that my greatest "hunger" is to do the will 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 3 - Wed Jul 9

It's Day 3 and we're John 3.

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 29 - There is great joy in doing your part of what God has for you, especially when you see how you were a part of a much grander plan.

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 2 - Tues Jul 8

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Jesus gives the good stuff when He blesses.

Help:
- Verse 4 - This sounds a little rude - I'm not sure I could get away with saying something like that to my mother! Jesus was very aware of the timetable He wanted to follow and He didn't want to push things too far ahead of time. Apparently (since He did the miracle) this didn't push it too far ahead even though it wasn't His original plan.
- Verses 14-16 - Jesus shows a boldness here that a lot of people don't think that He has.
- Verses 24-25 - This just means that Jesus knew that people are unreliable and you can't put your trust in them to know what's right.

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 1 - Mon July 7

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

We're starting a new round today.  

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 31, 33 - It's interesting to me that John didn't know Him right away.

Help:
- Verse 1-18 - There's a lot of theology to start out John. It's deep stuff, but lots of good stuff.
- Verses 3, 10 - These verses tell us that it was Jesus, not the Father, who created the world.
- Verse 14 - The "Word" is 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 Next Round

The next round will begin on Monday, July 7th. 

60IN60 Next Round

The next round will begin on Monday, July 7th. 

60IN60 Day 60 - Thurs Jul 3

It's Day 60 and we're in Revelation 19.

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

Help:
- Verse 7 - "wedding" - This idea goes along with the thought that we are the "Bride of Christ."
- Verse 12 - Again, symbolism.
- Verse 15 - Obviously not a literal thing, but a symbolic way to refer to the words He speaks.

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 59 - Wed Jul 2

It's Day 59 and we're in Revelation 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really jumped out to me in this chapter.

Help:
- Verses 1-24 - This chapter focuses on the judgment of the Great Babylon.

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 58 - Tues Jul 1

It's Day 58 and we're in Revelation 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - He is the Lord of lords and King of kings.

Help:
- Verses 1-6, 9-13 - There is a lot of symbolism in these verses (see, for instance, the comment in verse 18) - trying to describe things that are hard to understand.

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 Jun 30

It's Day 57 and we're in Revelation 16.

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 9, 11 - Even facing great wrath, they refuse to repent. We all have moments when we dig in our heels and refuse to give in to God.

Help:
- Verse 1 - The bowl is a symbolic way to describe the judgment God is bringing.
- Verses 1-12 - These are end times judgments coming against an unbelieving and defiant world.
- Verse 13 - "frogs" - Again, presumably symbolic.
- Verse 20 - The earthquake will be so great that mountain ranges will be flattened. Wow.

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 Jun 29

It's Day 56 and we're in Revelation 15.

We're back in Revelation and with it comes a lot of strange imagery. Just remember that John is trying to describe images that are almost beyond imagination as well as the fact that there's a lot of symbolism here.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - It speaks of the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb - what's the song of my life? What are the lyrics that describe what God has done for me and what I'm doing for Him?

Help:
- Verse 7 - "bowls of wrath" - The symbolism used to describe the disasters that God brings during this time on the evil world.

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 Jun 28

It's Day 55 and we're in Ezekiel 37.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - What an offer: to live in God's presence.

Help:
- Verses 12-14 - This is not a reference to the resurrection of the old, but to the reinstatement of the new.

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 Jun 27

It's Day 54 and we're in Ezekiel 34.

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 4 - This really jumped out to me as a great description (in the negative) of what a pastor should be doing. I'm going to have to do more digging and thinking on this verse.

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 Jun 26

It's Day 53 and we're in Ezekiel 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - Sometimes people claim God is speaking through them when they're actually just making things up. We need to evaluate carefully messages that are purported to be from God.

Help:
- Verse 4 - That is, animals that scavenge among ruins, feasting on dead bodies.
- Verses 10-15 - The wall analogy is basically that rather than building a solid (spiritual) wall with their teaching, they are building a weak wall that has plaster to look good.
- Verse 18, 20 - Probably references to human sacrifice, which (sadly) happened at some points in Israel's history.

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 Jun 25

It's Day 52 and we're in Ezekiel 2.

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - Our job is to convey the message. Whether they listen or not is their responsibility.

Help:
- Verse 6 - "scorpions" - The idea here is something like "If you're traveling somewhere to deliver My message and you encounter scorpions, don't be afraid."
- Verses 8-10 - "scroll" - Presumably because this was a vision/dream, this is merely symbolic. It is possible that Ezekiel actually eats something.

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 Jun 24

It's Day 51 and we're in Proverbs 31.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - A great wife is indeed a valuable find. (I know from personal experience.) This chapter focuses on some of the attributes of a godly wife. One thing that I think is worth noting is that while the chapter does mention the importance of what she does in the home, it also mentions her in the marketplace (see, for instance, v. 16). It doesn't square with the "1950s housewife" image that too many presume is a perfect incarnation of the Bible's view of women.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Most likely this is a reference to a king having a harem.

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 Jun 23

It's Day 50 and we're in Psalm 77.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 7-8 - It's comforting to me to know that the Bible shows us that it's ok to bring our questions to God.

Help:
- Verse 3 - The writer was going through a hard time when he didn't understand why God was allowing the problems that he was going through. When he thought of God, it made him more disheartened.
- Verse 10 - This is the way the writer feels. It is not what has actually happened.

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 Jun 22

It's Day 49 and we're in Psalm 76.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - He is "resplendent" - amazingly majestic to behold.

Help:
- Verses 5-6 - This is referring to the death of an enemy army.
- Verse 10 - When we have a justified anger, we rejoice to see God's wrath bring justice.
- Verse 12 - That means God has the right to end the lives of princes.

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 Jun 21

It's Day 48 and we're in Acts 28.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - "spoken against everywhere" - This is not to say that the witness of the early Christians was bad. In truth, they were known for their compassion and love. But when you introduce tell people about Jesus and some convert, there are inevitably going to be others in that town (the other religions, the merchants who financially benefit from those faiths, etc) who are going to be unhappy about it. Our job is ultimately to share the truth, even if it results in some unrest.

Help:
- Verses 26-27 - This passage is not saying that God was intentionally trying to keep them in the dark. Rather, it's acknowledging that their unwillingness to hear what God had to say was going to keep them from understanding 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.

60IN60 Day 47 - Fri Jun 20

It's Day 47 and we're in Acts 27.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - We have security about our future when we know we have a word from God about something.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "we" - Luke, the author of Acts, has again joined their group.
- Verse 9 - "fast" - A reference to the Jewish Day of Atonement.

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 Jun 19

It's Day 46 and we're in Acts 26.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 32 - I wonder if things playing out this way had to do with God's will or Paul's stubbornness?

Help:
- Verse 14 - "kick against the goads" - That is to say that Paul was trying to fight God and God was going to keep after 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.

60IN60 Day 45 - Wed Jun 18

It's Day 45 and we're in Acts 25.

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.

60IN60 Day 44 - Tues Jun 17

It's Day 44 and we're in Acts 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - "two years" - Sometimes we presume that God immediately opened doors for the apostles and made things move forward quickly and smoothly. In truth, they faced the same kind of frustrating delays that we 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.

60IN60 Day 43 - Mon Jun 16

It's Day 43 and we're in Acts 23.

We're picking up in Acts where Paul is in Jerusalem and encountering violent opposition.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - God often gives just enough light for the next step. He doesn't tell us everything that is coming up, but enough to encourage 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 42 - Sun Jun 15

It's Day 42 and we're in Jude 1.

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

Help:
- Verse 7 - "strange flesh" - Another way to say homosexuality.
- Verse 8 - "dreamers" - They are making up the truth that they want to be true, rather than receiving instruction from God.
- Verse 11 - "profit" - Often money is a significant issue in pushing new "truth."
- Verse 12 - "hidden reefs" - That is, a hidden danger; "love feasts" - Another name for communion.
- Verse 23 - "garment polluted by the flesh" - Love them and pray for their redemption, but do not love what they do or even the things associated with them.
- Verse 24 - God has given us the capacity to live victoriously.

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 Jun 14

It's Day 41 and we're in 3 John 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - I can say as a pastor that there is a ton of truth in that verse.

Help:
- Verses 5-6 - Missionaries were there and the church had supported them.
- Verse 11 - Not salvation by works, but a reminder that salvation causes works.

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 Jun 13

It's Day 40 and we're in 2 John 1.

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 6 - Another straightforward verse on the fact that real faith is obedient faith.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "chosen lady and her children" - Two possibilities: (1) The letter is addressed to a Christian woman and her children; (2) It's addressed to a woman who was the leader of a church and "her children" refers to the people within the church she's brought to the Lord.
- Verse 7 - "antichrist" - This does mean that they are THE Anti-Christ, but that they have the spirit of Anti-Christ in what they're doing.
- Verse 9 - The teachers Paul is warning about had added to the instruction the apostles had given them, altering the truth of the gospel into something different.
- Verse 11 - We should not support those who teach what is Biblically wrong.

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 Jun 12

It's Day 39 and we're in Philemon 1.

Philemon is a book about a situation where Paul had seen a run-away slave come to Christ. Paul desires for that slave (Onesimus) to continue to help him in his ministry, but he sends Onesimus back to his owner to get permission for that to happen. Slavery in Paul's day was not quite the same as what we saw in the South in early American history, but was more of an indentured servitude. Still, Paul here calls Philemon (the owner) to treat as Onesimus as a brother in Christ rather than a slave and that's was a radical thing for that culture (and one that more Christians in early American history should have heeded).

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19 - I find it amusing how Paul twists the screws a little in this verse.

Help:
- Verse 10 - "son" - That means Onesimus was his spiritual child, meaning that Paul had been the one to lead him to faith.
- Verse 16 - This is a radical verse. Can you imagine how much different the first 100 years of American history would have been in the Christians of that era had heeded its 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. 

60IN60 Day 38 - Wed Jun 11

It's Day 38 and we're in 2 Kings 23.

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 22 - They had gone for years and years without doing something as central to their faith as the Passover. It's easy for us to lose even big pieces of our faith along the way if we aren't regularly relying on the Word.

Help:
- Verse 6 - I presume the point of this was to dishonor the items burned and not the graves of the people.
- Verse 14 - The bones would defile the articles and make them unfit for cultic purposes in the future.
- Verses 25-26 - The king did what was right, but the people were not willing to also repent and change, so judgment fell. It's not enough to have a good leader if people are unwilling to follow.

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 Jun 10

It's Day 37 and we're in 2 Kings 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - Tearing the robes was an outward way in that day to show extreme grief. The king realizes in hearing the Word just how far away from God's will the nation is and he tears his robe in distress. Am I that bothered by where I'm falling short of God's will or have I become desensitized to it? Also, it raises the question: what are the ways that I'm sinning that I may not even be aware of because I'm unaware of God's will?

Help:
- Verse 20 - Presumably God does this because He knows the nation as a whole is not going to repent of their sin, but He wants to reward the king for his efforts.

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 Jun 9

It's Day 36 and we're in 2 Kings 21.

These chapters tell of one of the good kings. There is a lot of Old Testament that tells of the bad kings because there were so many. Here is the story of Josiah, one of the good ones, but today's reading sets up the story by talking about some bad kings.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing jumped out to me today. There will be days like that.

Help:
- Verses 1-9 - It's not just that they weren't serving the Lord - it's that they were actively pursuing evil.

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 Jun 8

It's Day 35 and we're in Matthew 28.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 19-20 - This is our responsibility: to spread the word by spreading the 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.

60IN60 Day 34 - Sat Jun 7

It's Day 34 and we're in Matthew 27.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - It's sad to me that the religious leaders were so careful to not violate their rules while they were in the process of betraying the Savior. We can miss the big picture so easily.

Help:
- Verses 12, 14 - "no reply" - Why? Because I think the case against Him was so shallow and weak that He could have easily refuted their arguments.
- Verse 52 - This is an incredible detail not to be overlooked: the miracles that accompanied Jesus' 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.