60IN60 Day 36 - Mon Oct 12

It's Day 36 and we're in 2 Kings 5.

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 11 - Sometimes we don't just want God to move - we want Him to do things the way that we want Him to do it.  Of course, He has the right to do it however He wants.

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:

- 2 Kings 4:1-7. "I heard in a sermon once that 'Christians will be surprised to know of all the things that God wanted to give us that we didn't receive because we simply didn't ask.' Is supported by James 4:2?  Even if this statement isn't scriptural, I think of children (even adult children) who could obtain so much from older-and-wiser parents, but just never ask. Or take the time to listen or see or learn. Like with our Heavenly Father, we so often don't take the time (actually stepping on my own toes here)." -  I do think there is something to that. Not in the sense that God is just waiting to make us all millionaires if we just prayed for more but I think often churches have low expectations on what God is going to do in their midst or an individual lacks the faith to ask for the overwhelming answer to their prayer. God is often willing to do more than we ask for.

- Jeremiah 18. "How should we best interpret this passage? Only in the context of idolatrous Israel or as God relates to each individual, molding us for His service? Does God still mold nations? Does He still harden the hearts of rulers, as He did Pharoah's or was that a one-off used to fulfill His divine purpose for the Hebrews?" - The statements have a particular significance to what was Israel was going through in that moment. But that truth of God's molding is true in many other contexts as well. He obviously is working in individual lives and we believe that He is also working in the larger world among the nations as well. He is guiding history toward the prophesied conclusions that we read about in Revelation, so I believe He is working among nations and rulers.

- Luke 13. "In regard to the synagogue leader who criticized Jesus for healing the woman who'd been bent double for 18 years, this is a voice coming from someone who has never suffered."

60IN60 Day 35 - Sun Oct 11

It's Day 35 and we're in 2 Kings 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 6 - It's interesting to me that God was willing to fill as many vessels as she brought.  Sometimes how much God gives depends on how much we ask for.

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 Oct 10

It's Day 34 and we're in Jeremiah 38.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 3-4 - How often do we only want to hear God's truth if it's something we want to hear and how often do we want to hear God's truth no matter what?

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

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

60IN60 Day 33 - Fri Oct 9

It's Day 33 and we're in Jeremiah 31.

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

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 33 - What we have today is vastly superior to the way things operated in the Old Testament.

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 Oct 8

It's Day 32 and we're in Jeremiah 23.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 16 - I wonder how much of what gets attributed to God is actually from 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 31 - Wed Oct 7

It's Day 31 and we're in Jeremiah 18.

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 6 - Am I willing to be molded as He desires or do I want to be the one calling the shots?

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 Oct 6

It's Day 30 and we're in Luke 16.

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

Help:
- Verses 1-9 - This is an unusual story.  The point I take from it is this: use what you control to accomplish your goal.  The manager wanted to have someone to help him after he was fired and so he used the resources still under his control to accomplish that.  In our lives, we need to figure out what our life's goal is (exalt Christ?  make my life easier?) and then use the resources I have to accomplish that.
- Verse 16 - "forcing his way" - Probably simply an expression of the zealous interest that many were showing in Christ's teaching.
- Verse 18 - There are other passages that give a more nuanced understanding of Jesus' stand on divorce.  This is merely a statement of the general principle.

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 Oct 5

It's Day 29 and we're in Luke 15.

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 32 - "had to celebrate" - There is something so wonderful about a lost child coming home that you're compelled to celebrate.

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 Oct 4

It's Day 28 and we're in Luke 14.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 12-14 - This is a command from Jesus, and yet I can't say I know of anyone ever actually doing that.

Help:
- Verse 26 - This means "hate by comparison to your overwhelming love for God."  Obviously Jesus said the second greatest commandment was to love those around you, so He clearly doesn't want us to be mean to folks.  What He's getting at here is that our love and devotion to Him needs to above and beyond anyone else.
- Verse 33 - This doesn't mean that we have to sell all we have and become homeless, but it does mean that we have to be willing to make whatever financial sacrifices Christ asks us to.

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 Oct 3

It's Day 27 and we're in Luke 13.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 34 - Many times these days Christians complain (justifiably) about the moral state of America.  I wonder if our attitude should be more like this verse - pained longing, rather than our usual righteous finger-pointing.

Help:
- Verse 24 - This is not saying there are many who want to enter the Kingdom and have done everything they should have but God will not let them in.  Rather, it's saying there are many who will presume that they're ok with God only to have God confront them with the fact that they haven't done what God said was necessary to enter the Kingdom.  See Matthew 7:13-14 for a similar passage.  Those Matthew verses are then followed by a lot of talk about how essential it is to actually obey the teaching of Christ.  I think a similar idea is at play here: there are a lot of people who claim to love God, but who are not obeying the teaching of Christ in their lives.  They will "seek to enter" when they get to heaven, but "will not be able" because they didn't do what Jesus said to 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 26 - Fri Oct 2

It's Day 26 and we're in Luke 12.

An encouragement as you read today: "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God stands forever" (Isaiah 40:8). 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 31 - I love this verse (and its parallel in Matthew 6:33).  Put God first, seek His Kingdom, and He'll take care of all this other stuff.

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 Oct 1

It's Day 25 and we're in Luke 11.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - For all of us who aren't particularly good at prayer or find prayer difficult, it's encouraging to know that the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray and He didn't rebuke them for that.

Help:
- Verses 49-51 - This is tough to understand, but I take it to say something like, "You all are in an advantaged position - you have all the history of Israel to look back on and learn from.  Yet, rather than learning, you're every bit the hypocrites that your forefathers were.  Therefore the guilt just continues to pour out on you."
- Verse 52 - What is the "key to knowledge"?  He doesn't say here.  One obvious explanation would be that the key is Jesus.  Another possibility, given the Pharisees' habits, was that the key is avoiding hypocrisy.

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 Sept 30

It's Day 24 and we're in Luke 10.

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:
- Verses 41-42 - How many of us need to heed this?  There are so many things to get done in a day, but "only one thing is needed."

Help:
- Verses 4-11 - These are instructions for the disciples when Jesus sent them out.  These are not instructions for all disciples at all times.
- Verse 18 - I take this to mean that Satan was accusing the disciples before God for their unworthiness for the mission that Jesus had sent them on, but the power of God overwhelmed their inadequacies.  Angry, Satan came back down to earth ("fall from heaven like lightning").
- Verse 19 - This is, like verses 4-11, only true for the disciples at that time and not all disciples for all 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 23 - Tues Sept 29

It's Day 23 and we're in Luke 9.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 1 - "He. . . gave them power" - God desires to give us power that we might be able to make a difference in the world.

Help:
- Verse 18 - That's oddly phrased.  I think it means, "Jesus went away with His disciples to get some time praying alone.  While on that retreat, the disciples asked. . ."
- Verse 23 - What does that mean?  It means that put aside our desires and pursue where He's leading us.  "Taking up your cross" means being willing to make sacrifices for the Kingdom.
- Verse 24 - What does this mean?  It means that we need to pursue what God is calling us to do, even when it causes us to have to make sacrifices we'd rather not make.  We do this presuming that His leading will take us to real life.
- Verse 59 - The best explanation of this I've read is that the phrase used by the man was one that meant that that his father was not yet dead but that he wanted to wait until that had happened and was taken care of.

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:

- A comment from a 60IN60 participant: "Ecclesiastes certainly isn't my favorite books but it does hammer home the one essential truth: when we attach ourselves to things of impermanence (even high- minded pursuits) without godliness there's no rest, there's never closure.  As St Augustine wrote, 'Our hearts are not at rest until we find our rest in you.'"

60IN60 Day 22 - Mon Sept 28

It's Day 22 and we're in Ecclesiastes 3.

What's the Bible say about the book you're reading today? We have the Word so that as believers we can be "equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:17). Read the Word so you're ready for what life throws at you. 

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 11 - He has "set eternity in their hearts."  There is something within each of us that longs for life beyond this life.  I think it's there because there is life beyond this life.

Help:
- Verse 1-22 - Remember that Ecclesiastes is written from the perspective of someone trying to make sense of life without a vibrant relationship with God in their life.  Understanding that helps passages like verses 17-22 to make more sense - those are not the words of someone who deeply understands 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 Questions and Comments:

- "Did Solomon write the book of Ecclesiastes?" - Although the text does not explicitly name him, there is every reason to believe he did. He fits all the identifying remarks made within the book. 

60IN60 Day 21 - Sun Sept 27

It's Day 21 and we're in Ecclesiastes 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 18 - Without the hope of eternal life, there is a bitterness in knowing our only legacy is left to those who may mistreat it.

Help:
- Verse 1-26 - It's essential to understand the purpose of Ecclesiastes.  It is a wise man who is not following God describing how the world seems to him.  What is why it references all these wonderful things of life that the writer (almost certainly Solomon) ultimately finds "vanity" (i.e. meaningless).  The point of Ecclesiastes is this: no matter how much of the wonders and glory of this earth you experience, if you don't have God in your life, you will ultimately find it meaningless.  Ecclesiastes is my favorite Old Testament book because it speaks so clearly to 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 20 - Sat Sept 26

It's Day 20 and we're in Ecclesiastes 1.

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 18 - More knowledge often makes your life more difficult.

Help:
- Verses 1-18 - It's essential to understand the purpose of Ecclesiastes.  It is a wise man who is not following God describing how the world seems to him.  What is why it references all these wonderful things of life that the writer (almost certainly Solomon) ultimately finds "vanity" (i.e. meaningless).  The point of Ecclesiastes is this: no matter how much of the wonders and glory of this earth you experience, if you don't have God in your life, you will ultimately find it meaningless.  Ecclesiastes is my favorite Old Testament book because it speaks so clearly to 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 19 - Fri Sept 25

It's Day 19 and we're in Colossians 4.

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 2 - I like the idea he puts out here about "keeping alert" (NASB) in our prayers. I think too often we pray without diligently watching for and expecting an answer.

Help:
- Verse 1 - On the difficult subject of slavery, there are some passages (like this one) where Paul addresses how they should live while in bondage and other passages where he encourages them to get their freedom if they are able.

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 Sept 24

It's Day 18 and we're in Colossians 3.

Occasionally email providers route 60IN60 into spam folders. If your 60IN60 email doesn't show up one morning, check your spam to see if it got put there.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verses 9-10 - Fully enjoying the spiritual power that God offers us requires a daily choice to "put off" our old self and "put on" our new self. The resources are there, but we have to choose to use them.

Help:
- Verse 3 - "For you died" - This means we died spiritually. In becoming a Christian, we are spiritually "buried" with Him and then spiritually "raised to life." We are a new creation. The old (spiritual) person is dead.

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 Sept 23

It's Day 17 and we're in Colossians 2.

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 5 - It is a great encouragement when you see fellow Christians making substantive spiritual progress.

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 Sept 22

It's Day 16 and we're in Colossians 1.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 29 - What a great phrase: "struggling with all His energy." We work forward with His power, even when (or maybe "especially when") it's a struggle.

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 Sept 21

It's Day 15 and we're in Isaiah 61.

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 1 - These are the verses Jesus quoted as He began His ministry.  They tell us so much about the kind of Kingdom He intended: one for the brokenhearted, the poor, the captive.

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:

- Isaiah 11:1--5. "I read a commentary that this is talking about the Messiah when he reigns in the New Earth after the tribulation. You said we have this same Spirit. Do we have this Spirit now, as in the Holy Spirit who comes to reside with us when we're saved? Or the Spirit we will have in our glorified eternal body? 

If this is the Spirit we have now,  a lost world should see believers who:

are wise (by God's word not worldly wisdom),

are understanding (we can't understand someone if we don't take time to listen)

are counselors (not my own ideas or opinions but direct people to the Word)

fear the Lord (not follow a bunch of rules but know that God loves us)

aren't judgmental (we don't draw conclusions on what we see or hear)

use words wisely (know scripture to slay the wicked and to speak life)

And the result if we exhibit this Spirit now?  A belt of righteousness and a sash of faithfulness (vs. 6). Accessories that go with everything!" - It's the same Holy Spirit in each case.

- A comment from a 60IN60 participant. "There’s a hymn connected with this passage in Isaiah, called 'Here I am, Lord,' and every time I hear it I either cry or hold back tears. Here’s why: Years ago, I attended  a large Methodist Church in which the left front rows had been sanctioned off for handicapped children.  Some had Down’s syndrome, others had cerebral palsy, one child was in a wheelchair, etc. The church provided special helpers to get them in and out of the pews.  One Sunday, I was in the balcony and 'Here I am, Lord' was the closing hymn. I looked down just as  the song entered 'Here I am, Lord. Is it I, Lord?',  and saw that  every one of those children had their hands up, waving,  but for the  little girl in the wheelchair who could raise only one. I started crying because it made me feel like a hypocrite. Still does."