60IN60 Day 15 - Mon May 19

It's Day 15 and we're in Acts 18.

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 26 - I appreciate how teachable Apollos is here. He was already seeing results. It would have been easy for him to be arrogant and presume that he knew all he needed to know. What can I learn from those around me?

Help:
- Verse 5 - "devoting himself completely" - That means that he was not tent-making. Tent-making was Paul's part-time job when it was necessary to make money to support himself during the missionary work. He is at a point here of being able to not have to do that part-time work.
- Verse 18 - It was fairly common back then for Jews to make such vows and the cutting off of one's hair at the conclusion of the vow 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.

60IN60 Day 14 - Sun May 18

It's Day 14 and we're in Acts 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - Does it bother me that American culture is full of idols (money, houses, power, etc.) or have I made my peace with 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 13 - Sat May 17

It's Day 13 and we're in 2 Thessalonians 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - It can be easy to get tired of trying to pursue the right things in our lives. We can get lazy or sidetracked by sin. We need to persevere in doing what is 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 12 - Fri May 16

It's Day 12 and we're in 2 Thessalonians 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 15 - A significant part of our job is to simply hold onto what we've been entrusted with.

Help:
- Verse 3 - "man of lawlessness" - Many presume the reference here is to the Anti-Christ.
- Verses 6-7 - The allusions Paul makes here are ones that we're uncertain about. We don't know for sure what is "holding back" these things from happening.
- Verse 8 - "breath of his mouth" - Clearly a reference to the words that He speaks.
- Verse 11 - Why would God send them a powerful delusion? Most likely because of the lack of faith that referenced in verse 10.

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 May 15

It's Day 11 and we're in 2 Thessalonians 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11-12 - The second half of verse 11 is a great thing to pray. Let me see that kind of power from God in my life.

Help:
- Verse 5 - It is expected that saints (i.e. Christians) would sometimes suffer for their 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 May 14

It's Day 10 and we're in Numbers 14.

Remember that your daily reading in the Bible isn't about gaining information - it's about changing your life to be more like Christ. That means that you need to take action on what God speaks to you about. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - Fear is contagious.

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 May 13

It's Day 9 and we're in Numbers 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 31, 33 - It's so easy to let our fears rule our hearts. They knew God had promised to give them the land, but their fears overwhelmed their 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 8 - Mon May 12

It's Day 8 and we're in Numbers 12.

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 - Jealousy of a leader who is seeing God move through him is pretty common. We always need to be careful about impugning God's servant.

Help:
- Verses 1, 10 - There is an irony in the crime and punishment. Moses married a Cushite: i.e. a black woman. The punishment is leprosy: i.e. white skin.  God is pointing out their racism.

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 May 11

It's Day 7 and we're in Matthew 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - I like this image of Jesus: willing to take a stand, fearless, disruptive, bold, tough.

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 May 10

It's Day 6 and we're in Matthew 20.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 30-31 - Don't listen to the voices telling you to keep quiet. Reach out, call out to God.

Help:
- Verses 1-16 - This is a hard parable. There are two main translations of it: (1) it's about heaven and the point is that some are believers for most of their lives while others believe just before death but both receive the reward of heaven; (2) it's about the Gentiles and the point is that even though the Jews have a long-standing relationship with God, He has the right to invite others ("late-comers") in as well. I personally prefer the first option.
- Verse 22 - They will in fact die for 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 5 - Fri May 9

It's Day 5 and we're in Matthew 19.

If it's hard to understand what you're reading in the Bible, make sure you have a translation that's a good fit for you. Reading the King James (a great historic translation) can be particularly difficult because of the antiquated language. Among the good options available today: New International Version (good all-around translation), English Standard Version (good all-around translation), New American Standard (a more literal translation, closer to the original manuscripts), and New Living Translation (a translation that focuses on readability and understandability). 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 29 - God desires to bless those who passionately live for Him.

Help:
- Verse 17 - Those asking the question didn't see Jesus as God, so Jesus just gives them a little reminder here that only God is good, not just some teacher you're asking questions to.
- Verses 23-26 - They believed that wealth was a sign of God's blessing and approval, so it surprises them that Jesus says that it's hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Wealth makes it hard to come to God because we're more likely to trust in our wealth and our resources rather than realizing we are helpless and need God.
- Verse 29 - This is not saying we'll be rich in money in this life, just that God will bless us (in a whole host of ways).

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 May 8

It's Day 4 and we're in Matthew 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - We don't have to do self-promotion or trying to grab as much credit as possible. Just trust that He uses those who humbly serve.

Help:
- Verses 8-9 - The point here is not to mutilate ourselves. Even if I removed my eye, the fact that I have the image in my head would mean that I could still sin. The point He is making is the urgency of it: do what it takes to get sin out of your life! If getting rid of your foot would help, it'd be better to be without a foot than to be in sin.
- Verse 10 - This is one of the two verses that hint at the idea of guardian angels.
- Verses 15-17 - This is how we should deal with such issues. Not talking behind each other's backs, but going to each other and handling 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 3 - Wed May 7

It's Day 3 and we're in Matthew 17.

Sometimes we only want to hear words of comfort from God, but we're reminded in Hebrews 4:12 that the Bible is "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit." It's great when we get an encouraging word, but we need to be convicted too. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - He doesn't even require massive faith - we just have to have a little 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 2 - Tues May 6

It's Day 2 and we're in Matthew 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 9-10 - Jesus had to do the same lesson over and over before the truth of it began to sink into the disciples' heads and hearts. How many times does it take me to learn a lesson?

Help:
- Verse 4 - The "sign of Jonah" was a sign of resurrection. Jonah was in the belly of the whale for the three days and then came back; Jesus will be in the "belly of the earth" for three days and then come back.
- Verse 24 - This means that we have to be willing to obey even when it doesn't fit what we want to do. It means that we have to be willing to sacrifice for our faith. It means we must actually live out Jesus' teaching.
- Verse 25 - Abandoning ourselves to Jesus' way will lead to deeper, fuller, richer life; holding onto what we want to do will lead to losing what matters most.

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 May 5

It's Day 1 and we're in Matthew 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - It doesn't say to argue with them endlessly to try to prove you're right. It says to leave the blind guides alone.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Jesus is not speaking here of the Mosaic Law, but rather the traditions they'd added to it.
- Verse 24 - Why would He say this? While on this earth, Jesus had a very specific mission. There were two reasons for this: (a) He had to give the Jewish people an opportunity to receive Him as Messiah; (b) He could not be all things to all people - reaching out to the Jewish people was a sufficiently big mission for His 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 Next Round

The next round of 60IN60 will begin Monday.

60IN60 Next Round

The next round of 60IN60 will begin Monday.

60IN60 Day 60 - Thurs May 1

It's Day 60 and we're in Psalm 53.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 2-3 - Of our own initiative, we don't seek God.  It takes God drawing 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 59 - Wed Apr 30

It's Day 59 and we're in Psalm 51.

Sometimes we only want to hear words of comfort from God, but we're reminded in Hebrews 4:12 that the Bible is "sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit." It's great when we get an encouraging word, but we need to be convicted too. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Do we really want God to make our hearts pure? Do we want the life change that would come with 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 58 - Tues Apr 29

It's Day 58 and we're in Psalm 50.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - Given the horrors in this world, I'm thankful He's a God of justice.

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

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

60IN60 Day 57 - Mon Apr 28

It's Day 57 and we're in Psalm 48.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - Someday the city of God will be the joy of the 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 56 - Sun Apr 27

It's Day 56 and we're in Judges 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 30 - A bittersweet moment - Samson died in victory, but he also died blind. God may forgive the guilt of our sin, but that doesn't mean the consequences of our sin are undone.

Help:
- Verses 6-14 - Let's talk about the believability of these verses. It seems crazy that Samson keeps getting attacked yet keeps sharing (or pretending to share) his secret. Factors to consider: (a) she does warn him so he sees her as sympathetic; (b) he was often attacked generally and had a lot of enemies; (c) he was not real bright; (d) I'm sure part of it was the sexual temptation she represented for him.
- Verse 20 - The issue was not really the hair, but rather the obedience to God's command.
- Verse 30 - The number listed in verse 27 was only those on the roof. This was like bringing down a stadium.

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

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

60IN60 Day 55 - Sat Apr 26

It's Day 55 and we're in Judges 15.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 18-19 - God uses even immature people, like Samson is here.

Help:
- Verse 6 - Yeah, this is horrible. As I've said before, remember that not everything that happens in the Bible is God's will - in this case on either Samson's side or his enemies.

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

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

60IN60 Day 54 - Fri Apr 25

It's Day 54 and we're in Judges 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 4 - Knowing ahead of time where we're going to go off-track, sometimes God chooses to work through our questionable choices.

Help:
- Verse 14 - This riddle does nothing for us, but such things were a big deal back then. Each culture has idiosyncrasies that don't translate well.
- Verse 15 - Why such harsh words? Add all the alcohol they'd had to the fact that Samson was a foreigner and that's where you end 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 53 - Thurs Apr 24

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

We're going to be looking for a few days at the story of Samson. And, yes, he was dysfunctional.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 12-14 - The Lord gives the same answer as before. Apparently He intended to reveal more as they went. Often God doesn't give us all the details that we want - He just gives us enough light for the next step.

Help: 
- Verse 22 - The thought was that having seen God would be something that no one could live 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 52 - Wed Apr 23

It's Day 52 and we're in Psalm 47.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - Is my heart full enough to shout for joy?

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 Apr 22

It's Day 51 and we're in Acts 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - The plan was basic: find a place where people are and talk about Jesus. This doesn't need to be complicated.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Why does Paul ask Timothy to do this? It wasn't a religious requirement. Rather it was something that allowed Timothy (who was not Jewish) to have greater acceptance among the Jewish believers. Sometimes we do things not because we absolutely have to, but rather to give the gospel message a greater opportunity for acceptance.
- Verse 10 - The "we" indicates that Luke joined them at this 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 50 - Mon Apr 21

It's Day 50 and we're in Acts 15.

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 25, 36-41 - In verse 25, they all come to agreement and everything is fine. In verses 36-41, we're told of a disagreement between Paul and Barnabas that cause them to break up their partnership. In other words, they were just like us: struggling to get along with each other.

Help:
- Verses 1-35 - This is a historic moment. Now that God has opened the door for Gentiles to be saved (in addition to Jews), there is a moment where they have to decide "how 'Jewish' does God expect these Gentiles to be?" (The answer: not very much.)

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

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

60IN60 Day 49 - Sun Apr 20

It's Day 49 and we're in Acts 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - Do we speak boldly?

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

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

60IN60 Day 48 - Sat Apr 19

It's Day 48 and we're in Acts 13.

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 52 - Is a defining characteristic of my Christian life and the Christian life of my church that we are "filled with joy"? If not, why not?

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

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

60IN60 Day 47 - Fri Apr 18

It's Day 47 and we're in Hebrews 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 5 - We are quick to find our security in the money that we have, but we need to find our security instead in the certainty that we'll always have God with us.

Help:
- Verse 10 - That is, we can access the altar of heaven, which those without Christ cannot do.
- Verse 12 - "outside the city gate" - The physical spot of His crucifixion.
- Verse 19 - The writer was either away from them and concerned about the dangers of his travels to get back to them or, more likely, was writing this from prison (having been jailed for preaching the gospel).

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

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

60IN60 Day 46 - Thurs Apr 17

It's Day 46 and we're in Hebrews 12.

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - This Christian walk requires endurance and perseverance. We need to not forget that it's going to get hard sometimes.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "the joy set before Him" - This is not saying that the cross was joyful. It wasn't. It was horrible. It's saying that the result of the cross - being able to save us and make us God's children - was worth the sacrifice. There was joy - great joy - in knowing that accomplishing His mission saved us.
- Verse 4 - They had not yet had to face flogging or crucifixion for standing up for their 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 45 - Wed Apr 16

It's Day 45 and we're in Hebrews 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - We need to not get too comfortable with this world.

Help:
- Verse 13, 16 - Verse 13 is not saying that God did not fulfill His promise to them (for instance, Abraham did get Isaac). It's saying that they did not see the "heavenly country."
- Verses 35-38 - A stark reminder that having this kind of faith doesn't guarantee that all our problems will magically disappear.

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

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

60IN60 Day 44 - Tues Apr 15

It's Day 44 and we're in Hebrews 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - This should give us confidence.

Help:
- Verses 1-9 - Essentially saying that God wants obedience (meaning for us to do His will) rather than sacrifice.

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

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

60IN60 Day 43 - Mon Apr 14

It's Day 43 and we're in Hebrews 9.

The 60IN60 emails usually arrive in the middle of night and people have asked if I’m up then sending them out. Thankfully, no! One of the reasons that I administer 60IN60 through the 60in60Bible.org site is so that these emails can be set up to go out automatically each night. I do write them, but not at 3 a.m. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - Amen!

Help:
- Verses 1-14 - It's essentially saying that under the Old Covenant the priest went in yearly by the blood of animals, but now we have access to the very Throne Room of God through the blood of 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 42 - Sun Apr 13

It's Day 42 and we're in Hebrews 8.

We're back in Hebrews and I want to give a word of encouragement. Hebrews can be a difficult book to read - the writer gets complex sometimes. So if you struggle a little bit, don't get discouraged.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - This is far better than the Old Testament system. Under what we have now, God is working within us.

Help:
- Verse 7 - The Old Testament system did not work, the people did not stay faithful to God. God did something new with Jesus. Not just a new way to get to Him, but a new way of walking with Him.
- Verse 9d - God "turned away from them" by beginning to work through the church instead of through Israel as a nation.

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

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

60IN60 Day 41 - Sat Apr 12

It's Day 41 and we're in Song of Solomon 2.

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:
- Nothing did 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 Dy 40 - Fri Apr 11

It's Day 40 and we're in Song of Solomon 1.

The Song of Solomon is an unusual book in the Bible. It's essentially an erotic poem. Down through the years, people have interpreted it in two main ways: 1. It's a celebration of sexual love within marriage. Too often Christians seem to only have negative words to say about sex ("Don't have sex outside marriage," etc.), but we need to remember that sex was God's idea. It's something that we should see, within its proper context, as a blessing from God. 2. Others have seen the book as an analogy of God's relationship with His people. There are numerous places in the Bible where the metaphor of marriage is used as a picture of God's relationship with His people. Of the two interpretations, I think the first has more weight.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Nothing really did today.

Help:
- Verse 9a - Ok, so not every woman would find that to be a particularly good compliment! The way of complimenting was a little different in Hebrew culture, so even though it doesn't do anything for us we need to know it was something that would have been well received by the intended recipient.

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

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

60IN60 Day 39 - Thurs Apr 10

It's Day 39 and we're in Lamentations 5.

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:
- Verse 20 - It's an age-old cry that's echoed frequently today too. And yet God hadn't then, and He hasn't now.

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

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

60IN60 Day 38 - Wed Apr 9

It's Day 38 and we're in Lamentations 1.

This is a book focused on the sadness over what was going on in Israel then. The people's sins had led to God's judgment in allowing a foreign nation to come in and conquer Israel. Although it's sad to read, I'm glad the Bible reflects real life: the times of joy and the seasons of sorrow.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 20 - Sometimes we bring those problems on ourselves and yet are quick to blame God.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "lovers" - He is using that as an analogy of the ways that Israel has gone after other gods - a type of spiritual adultery.
- Verse 8b-9a - This is a sexual analogy - that Israel was like a promiscuous woman out sleeping with other men. Again, a spiritual adultery analogy.

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

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

60IN60 Day 37 - Tues Apr 8

It's Day 37 and we're in Matthew 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 27 - When we struggle, Jesus says, "Take courage!"

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

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

60IN60 Day 36 - Mon Apr 7

It's Day 36 and we're in Matthew 13.

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 23 - I want to see that overflowing fruitfulness in my life.

Help:
- Verse 12 - Isn't that unfair? It sounds a little that way, but you've got to read it with the idea that the larger passage in mind. The idea that's being shared here is something like this: "To the one that grabs onto what God is trying to show them, more insight and more opportunities to go deeper will be given. To the one who ignores what God is trying to show them, even what little insight they have will fade away."
- Verses 13-16 - This is a hard passage to understand. The most important thing to grasp it is to know that this is not God saying what He hopes will happen: "I hope they don't grasp it and their eyes are blinded so they won't turn to Me." This is God saying what the people are doing: "My people hear with their ears but not with their hearts because they don't want Me. If they would turn to Me, I would eagerly heal them."
- Verse 52 - As Jesus taught, He both shared old truths in an instructive and revealing way as well as sharing new things that helped people toward 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.

Your Comments and Questions:

- "Please comment on Matthew 12:29. I may be over thinking this verse-taking it out of context." - The larger context here is the Pharisees accusing Jesus of doing miracles by the power of Satan. (It's interesting that the miracles are apparently so undeniable that the Pharisees cannot simply deny that they are in fact miraculous.) Jesus responds to their argument by saying: that doesn't make any sense. Why would Satan give Jesus evil power to drive out demons? The demons are on Satan's team so Satan wouldn't want them driven out! So Jesus points out that a kingdom divided against itself (like casting out demons by evil power) cannot stand. Then He says (and now we come to v. 29) the same point in the opposite way: if you're going to take something from a strong man (read: Satan) then you would have to be able to tie him up to render him powerless. So, again, it would be Jesus working against Satan's power, not with Satan's power.

60IN60 Day 35 - Sun Apr 6

It's Day 35 and we're in Matthew 12.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - Are there obvious moves of God that I miss sometimes because I'm closed off to what He's doing?

Help:
- Verses 31-32 - The blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is not something that accidentally happens. It comes from the deliberate and repeated choice to ignore the leading of God and to ascribe what God is doing to other sources.

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

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

60IN60 Day 34 - Sat Apr 5

It's Day 34 and we're in Matthew 11.

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 21-24 - I have been given an enormous opportunity in knowing the gospel. Because of how much God has revealed to me, He has great expectations of me. We need to realize there is a responsibility that comes with what's been revealed to us.

Help:
- Verse 3 - Amazingly, John the Baptist is now doubting whether Jesus is really the Christ. This is because Jesus is not acting in the way that John expected: setting up a kingdom to drive the Romans out.
- Verses 16-19 - The basic point is: "nothing satisfies you." John came living a spare lifestyle and you wouldn't listen to Him. Jesus came living a life of eating and drinking and you wouldn't listen to 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 33 - Fri Apr 4

It's Day 33 and we're in Matthew 10.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 39 - Feeling a lot of this lately in my life. We've got to be willing to put aside our desires and pursue what He's calling us to.

Help:
- Verses 5-6 - Why did He say this? Because while Jesus was on earth, His mission was focused on sharing the gospel with the Jews. It isn't until after they reject Him that the gospel opens up to the Gentiles (i.e. us).
- Verse 15 - Why would it be more tolerable for them? Because with Jesus doing these miracles and sharing this teaching, they had a clear opportunity to know God's will and they're rejecting it. Because they had a better opportunity than Sodom and yet rejected it, things will be worse for 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.

60IN60 Day 32 - Thurs Apr 3

It's Day 32 and we're in Matthew 9.

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 6 - Which would I consider the greater miracle: the physical healing or the soul healing?  Which would I be more impressed by?

Help:
- Verse 3 - They thought He was blaspheming because only God had the right to forgive sins and they didn't think that Jesus was God.
- Verse 9 - He had met Matthew before.  This was not their first conversation.
- Verse 15 - Yeah, that means that we should be fasting regularly.
- Verses 16-17 - What's that mean?  That Jesus is doing a new thing.

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 Apr 2

It's Day 31 and we're in Matthew 8.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - It's hard to underestimate how prized faith is to Jesus.

Help:
- Verse 10 - The centurion shows faith by believing that if Jesus speaks the word it will happen.  He has confidence in Jesus' power, even sight unseen.
- Verses 18 - Why would He do that?  Most likely, given the previous two verses, is that most of the people were coming not to hear the truth but the see the miracles.  For Jesus, the miracles were primarily useful as signs that pointed people to the truth.
- Verses 21-22 - The presumption here is that the man's father was not yet passed yet, but that the man was asking for permission to wait until his father's death to begin to follow Jesus.
- Verse 34 - Why would they plead with Jesus to leave?  Apparently they prized their property (the pigs) more than the man's changed life and therefore decided having Jesus around was too risky.

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

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

60IN60 Day 30 - Tues Apr 1

It's Day 30 and we're in 1 Samuel 26.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 21 - Saul "repents" but is unwilling to change his behavior long-term.  Real repentance is less about the emotion and more about the changed behavior.

Help:
- Verses 9-11 - This is a clear explanation of why David has refused to kill Saul when presented with the opportunity.

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 Mar 31

It's Day 29 and we're in 1 Samuel 25.

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 18 - It's hard to overestimate the value of a good wife.

Help:
- Verse 8 - It would have been customary back then to reward such behavior.  It's not a "shake-down."  Hospitality generally was much more important in that culture than it is in our's.

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 28 - Sun Mar 30

It's Day 28 and we're in 1 Samuel 24.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - This is a strange action.  I'm not totally sure what to do with it, but one thing it points me toward is that David had a very strong belief in trusting that God would fight for him and that he should trust His timing.

Help:
- Verses 6, 12 - Why didn't David kill Saul when he had the chance?  David apparently believed that only God should take the life of His anointed king.  Even though David knows he is God's chosen to be the next king of Israel, he also feels that the timing of the end of Saul's reign is up to God.
- Verse 8 - To do this David was either confident in God's protection (knowing that God has chosen him to eventually be the next king) or was desperate and tired of running from the law.
- Verses 16-21 - Saul repents, but we know that his future behavior will repeat the same mistakes.

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 Mar 29

It's Day 27 and we're in 1 Samuel 23.

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 5 - In the course of the victory, God also provided the resources they needed to eat.  God can kill two birds with one stone better than anyone.

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 Mar 28

It's Day 26 and we're in 1 Samuel 22.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - It's interesting that David gathered those from the edges of society.  Jesus did something similar.  Do we?

Help:
- Verse 17 - How evil is what Saul is asking them to do?  You know it's bad when his guards are willing to disobey 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 25 - Thurs Mar 27

It's Day 25 and we're in 1 Samuel 21.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Again, nothing jumped out to me today. That's a few days in a row. That will happen sometimes. Nothing to get discouraged about.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "trembling" - Why was he trembling? Maybe just that having one of the king's main guys show up all by himself was very unusual and he was concerned that it meant bad news.
- Verse 2 - David is lying. Again, the Bible tells the stories of the heroes of the faith both when they honor God with their behavior and when they don't.
- Verse 12 - Why did he fear the king? Presumably because he knew the king was more likely to be violent toward him if he saw David as a threat, which verse 11 says he did.
- Verses 13-15 - This is odd behavior. Apparently David saw this as the best way to get out of the difficult situation he thought he was in.

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 24 - Wed Mar 26

It's Day 24 and we're in 1 Samuel 20.

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

Help:
- Verses 17, 41 - Some have tried to make these verses into evidence that Jonathan and David had a homosexual relationship, but that really says more about us and what we're reading into the passage than it does about the passage. Nothing like that is in mind here. Verse 41's "kissed each other" is not a sexual kiss, but the same kind of thing that the New Testament authorizes when it says we can greet each other with a "holy kiss" - i.e. a friendly kiss on the cheek.
- Verses 40-41 - My presumption here is that the sadness of the moment caused Jonathan to abandon his plan and go and have one more conversation with his friend.

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 Mar 25

It's Day 23 and we're in 1 Samuel 19.

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

Help:
- Verses 8-10 - A couple issues here, which I've also addressed in previous days. First, "an evil spirit from the Lord" most likely means that God had authorized Satan to send a demon to torment Saul. God obviously doesn't have an evil spirits who are "on His side." Second, why was David back in Saul's presence when Saul had tried to kill him before (18:11). We don't know for sure, but some thoughts: a. There may have been a presumption that Saul was suffering from a mental illness that made him better sometimes and worse sometimes; b. Because the king's word was law, David's two options were to continue to be around Saul as one of his military men or to flee and essentially declare himself to be in open rebellion against the king - pursuing the second path was a big step; c. Like in domestic abuse situations we see today, we know that people don't always immediately remove themselves from dangerous situations the way you think they would.
- Verse 13 - "the household idol" - The presumption would be that it was Michal's and not David's, since we think of David as someone who served God. Still, it's troubling that he allowed that idol worship to happen within his home.
- Verse 17 - She is lying to protect herself. The fact that the Bible tells us about it does not mean that the Bible authorizes it.
- Verse 23 - In the Old Testament, the Spirit of the Lord coming on you was not a salvation event, but one that usually accompanied receiving power from God or having a special manifestation of the presence of God (as here). It is odd that Saul received it too, but it was apparently something that happened to anyone who was there. An imperfect analogy to today would be how even a non-Christian can be in a worship service where God is moving and be aware of the presence of the Spirit there even though the Spirit is not within them.
- Verse 24 - "stripped," "naked" - Yeah, that's weird.

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

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

60IN60 Day 22 - Mon Mar 24

It's Day 22 and we're in 1 Samuel 18.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 14 - When God is with us, He opens up doors and blesses us in multiple ways.

Help:
- Verse 11 - Why does David still come around Saul? It's hard to say, but some thoughts: a. I'm guessing there was a presumption that Saul was suffering from some mental problems by this point due to his erratic behavior - maybe it seemed to get better and then get worse; b. Unlike today where violent behavior gets you taken to jail, back then the king was the law, so he could get away with whatever he wanted; c. Like in domestic abuse situations that we see today, there is not always that immediate decision to remove yourself from a bad situation, even if that would be the smart thing to do.
- Verse 25 - Yeah, that's disgusting.

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 Mar 23

It's Day 21 and we're in 1 Samuel 17.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 34-36 - God often uses everyday experiences to prepare us for how He's going to use us in the Kingdom.

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 Mar 22

It's Day 20 and we're in 1 Samuel 16.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 2 - The Bible heroes are like us. Here you'd like to think the man of God would be fearless to do God's will, but instead he expresses his fear of the king.

Help:
- Verse 2 - "Take a heifer" - This also serves the purpose of keeping Samuel from arousing Saul's suspicion, but he is actually going to do this so it's not a lie.
- Verse 4 - Why were they trembling? Presumably because there would be times when the prophet of God would come with a word of condemnation or rebuke.
- Verse 13 - "the Spirit of the Lord came mightily of David" - Unlike in the New Testament when the Holy Spirit enters us at the moment of salvation and sees us all the way through this life, back in the Old Testament the Spirit coming on someone was more a sign of power than salvation.
- Verse 14 - "an evil spirit from the Lord" - This most likely means that God gave permission to Satan to torment Saul. It essentially means that God authorized the evil spirit's presence, not that God has evil spirits that are "on His side."
- Verses 12-23 - Even though David has been anointed by Samuel and knows that God has chosen him to eventually replace Saul, as long as Saul lives he is still 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.

60IN60 Day 19 - Fri Mar 21

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 25 - What an encouraging idea: Jesus talks to God ("intercedes") on my behalf.

Help:
- Verses 1-11 - The main idea being put forward is that the Old Testament priesthood was symbolic, but inadequate.
- Verse 3 - This is not saying that Melchizedek actually had no father, no mother, etc., but rather there was no recorded information about those things.
- Verse 16 - In the Old Testament, there were strict rules about the physical condition of those wanting to be priests.
- Verse 18 - The Old Testament system had its purpose (which was to point out how we cannot keep God's perfect standards in our own strength), but it was ultimately "weak" and "useless" to get us closer to 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 18 - Thurs Mar 20

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

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 11 - We can not just kinda-sorta-hope we have salvation - we can be confident in what Jesus has done for us.

Help:
- Verses 4-6 - These verses are among the most difficult in the New Testament. Among the interpretations that people have offered: a. the verses mean that people can lose their salvation; b. the verses are a hypothetical warning to the believers to continue walking forward strong; c. it's about people who looked like believers but never were.

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 Mar 19

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 7 - It's interesting to me that it says that Jesus was heard, yet we know that His prayers were not answered in the way that He wanted. We can find hope in knowing that God always hears our prayers, even when the larger purposes of God require that His answer be something other than what we were hoping for.

Help:
- Verse 8 - "learned obedience" - What does that mean? It means that while He was here on earth He consistently chose to do what the Father desired even when tempted to go in another direction. He had to "learn" that because while He was in heaven and not saddled with human flesh, being fully God meant that He was never tempted to do anything other than what was right.
- Verse 9 - "made perfect" - What does that mean? Jesus was sinless when He was born and continued to live faithfully to the Father's call. He had not, however, offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins. Also, He had not endured temptation and overcome it. Those experiences gave Him something that He didn't have before. It made Him "perfect" in the sense of being able to fulfill the sympathetic high priest role in a way that He could not before He came to 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 16 - Tues Mar 18

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - I needed that reminder today that in our time of need we can approach the throne of grace to find mercy and grace.

Help:
- Verses 9-10 - The reference here to "rest" are essentially a euphemism for heaven.

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 Mar 17

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

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 13 - One of the needs we have in our lives to stay on track spiritually is to have people to encourage us. It keeps us from getting discouraged and giving into sin. It's one of many reasons that we need to have a church family that we're active in.

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 Mar 16

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

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 18 - It's good to know that He knows what it's like to struggle.

Help:
- Verse 3 - This is just a rhetorical way of saying, "God has done everything He could, including the life of His only son, in order to open a door to salvation. If we reject it, what possible excuse could we have that would be adequate?"

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 Mar 15

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

An encouragement as you read the Bible today: in Acts 17:11, it tells of some Christians in Berea who "received the Word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether [what we taught was Biblical]." Let's be like them. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 3 - If you understand the Son, you understand the 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.

60IN60 Day 12 - Fri Mar 14

It's Day 12 and we're in Malachi 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 10, 12 - I needed to read this as a reminder that when we put God first in our financial lives He has promised to take care of our financial needs.

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 Mar 13

It's Day 11 and we're in Zechariah 14.

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:
- Verse 4 - This mountain has been the subject of endless speculation over the centuries.  Someday a climactic moment will come.

Help:
- Verses 1-21 - This is speaking of a time in the future when events surrounding the Second Coming of Christ will cause cataclysmic events.  The images are breathtaking and scary.  It's a stark reminder to us that there will be an end to the world someday and it's important to be on the right side when that happens.

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.