60IN60 Day 18 - Thurs May 21

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

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 9 - Sometimes people struggle to believe that's what God is offering could be real because their current situation is so bad.

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: Exodus 5: Verse that spoke to me: "And they said to them, 'May the Lord look upon you and judge you, because you have made us repulsive in Pharaoh’s sight and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us!'”  Why: It’s so easy for us to judge or give into despair because we can’t see the end of things — the final working out of God’s plan. In this case, the Jews are taking out their anger on Moses and Aaron, and several times Moses is in danger of losing his life when he leads them through the wilderness to the Promised Land. At one point, Moses asks God to strike him dead because he can’t put up with his own people! I know I don’t understand unanswered prayer. I don’t understand evil. I don’t understand why some people suffer and others don’t. I often get angry at flagrant injustice or hopeless situations. I am not so different from the OT Jews. 

60IN60 Day 17 - Wed May 20

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

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 7 - Sometimes the first step toward God's deliverance looks like a step backward.  Things don't always immediately get better.

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:

- Exodus 4: "Verses 24-26 - could it be that Moses, after being chosen by God, had not circumcised his son as had been instructed through Abraham?" - The first thing that needs to be said is that this passage is difficult and obscure, so we can't be strongly confident in our interpretation. Having said that, what you shared is a solid interpretation of what was going on there. It may well have been that God was displeased at Moses for not maintaining what He had revealed through Abraham.

- Comment shared by a 60IN60 participant on Exodus 4: “'Do not come near here; remove your sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.' And He said, 'I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God." - This verse is one of many which references something that is often overlooked in our current culture. The Holiness of God. I hear (or read) of so many life after death experiences, and out of all, I believe only one. The majority of them talk about a loving presence, seeing the face of Jesus, being folded in God’s arms and the tunnel of light, there’s always a tunnel of light, yet  no one is struck with fear. Even when those in the OT saw angels, they were struck with fear. Our culture has stressed God is love to the point  where it now means, “God will let me do what I want because he loves me.” Yes,  God is love, but his first attribute is holiness. “Be ye holy because I am holy”, “Be holy for you are God’s temple”,  For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness” are only a few of the many verses referencing his holiness. 

60IN60 Day 16 - Tues May 19

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

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 1 - How many excuses can we come up with as to why we shouldn't do what God is calling us to do?

Help:

- Verse 21 - Does this mean that God was overriding Pharaoh's free will?  I think it was a combination of two things: Pharaoh was inclined to be hard-hearted toward Israel and God orchestrated the situation to accentuate that.

- Verses 24-26 - This is an obscure and weird passage that has stumped scholars for centuries.  I can't really say that I have a good answer to what's going on here.

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:

- "No line caught my eye, but the overall quickness of Moses's sister has always intrigued me. She was undoubtedly hidden, watching over the basket. When she realizes the Pharaoh's daughter wants him, she is quick to recommend her own mother as wet nurse. Weaning took 2-3 years then; meaning Moses spent his earliest years with his biological mother."

60IN60 Day 15 - Mon May 18

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

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 11 - I think we all have moments of doubting that God could do something significant through us.  Ultimately, though, it's about how big He is, not how great we are.

 

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

 

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

Your Questions and Comments:

- "Because the midwives feared God, He blessed them and established households for them. Family was the center of Jewish life.  Establishing a household was not merely  building a house.  A household in that world meant a multigenerational unit where the family is protected and nurtured physically and spiritually.  From the blessing in the text, we can assume that  God gave the midwives  godly husbands as well.  A happy life." 

- Where God spoke to me: "The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, and they said to them, 'Why did you not bring Him?' The officers answered, 'Never has a man spoken in this way!'" Why: Imagine this: the chief priests send officers to arrest Jesus — men who daily deal with criminals and use force— and the officers don’t return with Jesus because “Never has a man spoken in this way.” They departed  because of his words. His words had enough power to send the squad back empty-handed to face the Jews.  This causes me to wonder what Jesus said to them, but I would venture to guess they were awed rather than frightened. I don’t think Jesus used scare tactics. 

- What Verse Spoke to Me: "Jesus answered and said to them, 'This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.'" Why: No one can manufacture belief in Christ. True belief.  It is God given, and is backed up by Christ himself (John 15:16)  “You did not choose me. I chose you.”  

60IN60 Day 14 - Sun May 17

It's Day 14 and we're in Exodus 2.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 5 - Even in the midst of something intended for evil, God is able to work so that His chosen servant is raised both with a Hebrew heritage and with a knowledge of the inner workings of Pharaoh's household.

 

Help:

- Verse 12 - Moses' thoughts were in the right direction (protecting the Hebrews), but he went about it the wrong way (in his own power).

- Verse 25 - Not saying that God had been distracted, but rather that their cries and prayers finally were sufficient to merit His move.

 

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 16

It's Day 13 and we're in Exodus 1.

We'll come back to John.  We're going to visit different parts of the Bible during our 60 days: gospels, New Testament epistles, Old Testament stories, Psalms, Proverbs.  Each brings something different to the table.

 

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 8 - "who did not know Joseph" - You can't rest on the way things used to be.  It's a new day and you have to face what's in front of you.

 

Help:

- Verse 1 - The context of this, for those who don't know, is that Israel has long been in Egypt and now God is going to bring them up to the Promised Land.

- Verse 15 - Because there were so many Israelites, either (a) these were the two midwives in charge of all the others or (b) the Israelites didn't normally call on the midwives at birth.

 

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 15

It's Day 12 and we're in John 7.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 17 - Obedience has to come first, then assurance and confidence follows.

- Verse 38 - I love that image - God overflowing from within us.

 

Help:

- Verses 8, 10 - Jesus means, "I'm not going to go up at the start of the festival and be the big presence you want me to be."  Instead, He went up secretly, waited until later in the festival, and then did a little 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 May 14

It's Day 11 and we're in John 6.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 15 - Jesus didn't trust people's instincts to lead to the right thing.  Why do I sometimes?

 

Help:

- Verse 29 - This isn't saying that we just have to say we "believe" in Jesus and then we can go live our lives any way we want.  To truly believe in Jesus, I must then act on what He said to do (i.e. follow His teachings) because I believe that what He said is true is really true.  That's required to actually believe in Jesus.

- Verses 51-56, 60, 63 - This is the original "hard saying" from Jesus.  These are tough words.  The best way I think to understand it is that Jesus sacrificed His body and blood in my place, so therefore I have to receive that into my life in order to experience new spiritual life.  Obviously, we tie these words into what we celebrate at communion.

 

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:

- "Where God spoke to me: Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Why: Jesus made at least five trips to Jerusalem and, other than his baptism by John, most of the important events recorded in the Scriptures happened in Jerusalem. He made his triumphal entry in Jerusalem where he was hailed by palm branches and called the Messiah.  He cleansed the temple. He confronted the religious authorities in Jerusalem, the last supper was in Jerusalem, he was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane,  tried  and convicted in Jerusalem, and there he was crucified. It seems he was always going to Jerusalem, though he knew the final outcome.  One of my favorite songs is by Terry Talbot, brother of the very famous John Michael Talbot. However, non-famous Terry may be, one of the lines in a song is, “Don’t you know that you can find me on the road to Jerusalem?” That line has always stuck with me, for we all have our Jerusalems. It is there Jesus invites us to come and die to self." 

60IN60 Day 10 - Wed May 13

It's Day 10 and we're in John 5.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 13 - Most healers would gather a big crowd and publicize what they did.  Jesus quietly does it, then slips away without telling the man His name.  I like it.

 

Help:

- Verse 18 - We use the term "Father" so often in prayer that we take it for granted, but that was not something the Jews back then did.  They considered Jesus using that term to be provocative.

- Verse 29 - This is not saying that we're not saved by grace, but rather that our actions are going to reveal the true state of our heart - whether we've been changed or 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 9 - Tues May 12

It's Day 9 and we're in John 4.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 14 - "a well of water springing up to eternal life" - Nice image - I like the idea of God being within us and flowing out of us.

- Verse 34 - Is that what satisfies me?

 

Help:

- Verses 48, 50 - Jesus speaks those challenging words in verse 48, but then the man shows that he is willing to take Jesus by faith (and not by signs) by walking away without having seen the miracle.

 

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

 

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

Your Comments and Questions:

- John 2: "As I was reading verses 20-21 it occurred to me that this may be referencing our human aging? It takes us years to 'contaminate' or harm our bodies but Jesus can cleanse us and raise our temple back? Am I on the right track?" - The immediate context of the verses is that Jesus tells them He can raise up the Temple in three days (v. 19). They think He's referring to the Temple building so they reply in v. 20 that it's taken 46 years to build the Temple so there's no way one person could build it back in three days. But Jesus wasn't referring to the Temple building. He was referring to the "temple" of His body, which would be killed but then raised three days later. This is a proof that Jesus knew what was coming as He went through His ministry. He knew that death and resurrection were the ultimate goals. Now, regarding your questions, it is true that we as believers are called "God's temple" (1 Corinthians 3:16). This is because the Holy Spirit dwells within us. Although the John 2 verses are specifically referring to Jesus' body, it is also true that Jesus does intend to make us into places where the Holy Spirit can comfortably dwell by working within us to get rid of sin.

- John 1: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us ..." He's here and he likes us.

- Psalm 135: "Where the Scripture Spoke to Me: Verses 15-16. How: In this segment, Scripture is talking specifically about man made idols which shows what even the most hardened atheist knows: man is innately religious. You are going to worship something, like it or not, because we’re fashioned that way. Verse 18. This verse is short but shrewdly psychological: 'Those who make them will be like them.' If you worship money, you’ll become greedy. The 'there is never enough' through process will begin. If you’re after fame, generally scandal will follow. If you worship physical beauty, no matter how many face lifts or hair plugs you put in, no one is exempt from time.  I have never seen a beautiful corpse.  If you worship power, at some point others worshipping power, will take it away. Man, without God, trusts in these things but it’s futile because they have no everlasting qualities. Only God remains."

- Where God Spoke to Me: "17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through Him.18 The one who believes in Him is not judged; the one who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God." Comment: "This verse used to seem contradictory to me for several reasons despite what’s right before me in the above. We are judged. In Revelation, we’re told that the book will be opened and everyone will be judged according to his deeds. If it is for the Christian only, it’s what fruits have been produced since conversion. If it’s the Great White Throne Judgment, you’re sunk. In the above text, Jesus is not judging us, but God will. Jesus has not come to save us from hell but from God’s wrath. I don’t know all the Hebrew ramifications of the word “judged” but in Verse 18, I read this as “the one who believes in Him is not judged (condemned) but the one who does not believe has been condemned already. There’s a difference between judgement and condemnation.  Judgement has some leeway; condemnation is final."

60IN60 Day 8 - Mon May 11

It's Day 8 and we're in John 3.

Where God Spoke To Me:

- Verse 3 - "born again" - He's not offering a minor adjustment to our spiritual lives.  He's offering rebirth.

- Verse 20 - So true about why we shy away from God.  We have things we don't want to come to light.

Help:

- Verse 8 - The point here is that you can't see the wind but it still has an impact.  You can't see the Spirit, but he's still real and having an impact.

- Verse 14 - Moses raising up his staff (and people being saved by that from physical problems) is a picture of Christ being raised up on the cross (and us looking to that to be saved from our spiritual problems).

- Verse 25 - This question seemed to center around whether baptism was necessary for purification.

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 10

It's Day 7 and we're in John 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 9 - I love the fact that with all the big important guests there the only ones who see the miracle are the servants.  God's not impressed with our power and position.

Help:
- Verse 10 - Despite what some Baptists will tell you, there is no way to have this story make sense without the wine that was made by Jesus being alcoholic wine.

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 9

It's Day 6 and we're in John 1.

You are not reading the Bible to gain trivia knowledge. You're reading the Bible for life change. Father, change our hearts to look more like Your's.

Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 39 - "Come and you will see" - That's a pretty good summary of what Jesus calls us to.  Come and walk with me and I'll show you what you need to know as we walk along.

Help:
- Verse 1 - "the Word" - The Word is Jesus.  That's just another name/title for Him.
- Verse 15 - What's John's statement mean?  To paraphrase it: Jesus came after me, in that my ministry started before His, but He was before me, in that He is preexistent because He's God.
- Verse 16 - "grace in place of grace" - This seems to refer to the fact that even before the fuller grace that we've received through Jesus, we received grace in God withholding His judgment because we were stick under the Law.  See verse 17.

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

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

60IN60 Day 5 - Fri May 8

It's Day 5 and we are in Psalm 135.

Where God Spoke to Me:

- Verse 6 - This is an interesting idea to me. (See further commentary below.) To be morally pure (like God is) means that you can do what you please and it is still good. What a wonderful way to live: that what you want to do is what is good.

Help:

- Verse 5 - This does not mean "There are other gods but God is the biggest among them." What it means is "People have manufactured their own gods but God is the real one." See verses 15-18.

- Verse 6 - That God does what pleases Him doesn't mean that He's off running after selfish things. No, God is morally pure so when He does what pleases Him He is still doing that which is right and best for us. This points us to something that God is accomplishing in us: as God makes me into someone who is Christlike, He is making me into someone where what I want and what God wants are increasingly the same 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.

Your Comments and Questions:

- "If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?" - No one could stand, but for the grace of God. Sin is so deeply ingrained in us that without Christ as intercessor, we’d have no hope. And I think that if we could see Eden before the Fall of Man, we would weep. 

60IN60 Day 4 - Thurs May 7

It's Day 4 and we are in Psalm 130.

Where God Spoke to Me:

- Verse 5 - I've been there: my whole being waiting on God to come through for me. When there's something we want so badly and we have to wait on God to bring it about, we're in that moment. Unfortunately, His timetable isn't the same as ours; fortunately, He knows what's best.

Help:

- Verse 3-4 - Even in the Old Testament, there is the witness that we need God's forgiveness and that He is willing to forgive.

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

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

60IN60 Day 3 - Wed May 6

It's Day 3 and we are in Psalm 124.

Where God Spoke to Me:

- Verse 1 - "If the Lord had not been on our side . . ." - There are moments of my life I can look back on and wonder how differently things would have turned out if God hadn't been there to help me. It's a source of thankfulness and humility.

Help:

- Verses 2-4 - This is poetic language that Israel could not have stood in the face of the onslaught of their enemies. There are many Old Testament stories that emphasize that Israel wasn't strong enough on their own but only survived through the assistance of God on their behalf.

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

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

Your Comments and Questions:

- Verse 3: "He will not allow your foot to slip." Why: This is a very concrete visual, climbing a mountain mostly made of sand and shale. It would be impossible not to slip or slide; I’m thinking slip or slide doesn’t only mean the physical act, but that of the Holy Spirit  keeping me safe from heretical doctrines or  fantastical interpretations of the scriptures.  God will not allow me to err, will keep me on the right path in my spiritual journey. The Holy Spirit  will contend with the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil. In David’s case, it would have been the many, many baseless gods.

60IN60 Day 2 - Tues May 5

It's Day 2 and we are in Psalm 122.

Where God Spoke to Me:

- Verse 1 - This isn't always true - that we are joyful to go to the house of the Lord. Sometimes it seems like people go more out of a sense of obligation. When you are able to actually look forward to worshiping with your brothers and sisters in Christ, when you are eager to see what God is going to do in the worship, that's a wonderful feeling.

Help:

- Verse 6 - This is a statement that is often repeated around the world: "pray for the peace of Jerusalem." It becomes especially popular when there is another round of violence that breaks out in that region. That is a good thing to pray, but the ultimate hope of that prayer, though, is not just for a temporary cessation to the hostilities in the Middle East. As Christians we believe that the only lasting peace that will come to that region will be when Christ returns someday. So that prayer is both a call to God for the current violence to stop and for Christ to return to set this world right.

- Verses 7-9 - It is verses like these that lead toward the idea that we as Christians should be pro-Israel.

If you would like 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 4

It's Day 1 and we are in Psalm 121.

Where God Spoke to Me:

- Verses 1-2 - This is such a strong statement. God is on my side and I know He's there to help me.

Help:

- Verse 5 - This is lovely symbolic language of God placing His hands over us to protect 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 Next Round

The next round of 60IN60 will begin on Monday, May 4th.

60IN60 Next Round

The next round of 60IN60 will begin on Monday, May 4th.