60IN60 Day 6 - Sat Sept 7

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 Sept 6

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 Sept 5

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 Sept 4

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.

Your Questions:
- "Matthew 15:19 - How do unwholesome thoughts get into the heart?" - I think there are times when thoughts are put before us by Satan, but the vast majority of times I think it's our fallen nature that put them there.  We struggle against the fleshly nature that we have within us that pushes us toward what it wrong. 

60IN60 Day 2 - Tues Sept 3

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 Sept 2

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

If you don't have all the readings and would like a sheet with them, just email at butcher@ymail.com.

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 - A New Round Starts Tomorrow

The new round of "60IN60" starts tomorrow.

Below are the readings.  If you'd like to have them on a one-page PDF, just email me at butcher@ymail.com.

The Next Round's Readings:

1: Matthew 15 (Monday, September 2)

2: Matthew 16
3: Matthew 17
4: Matthew 18
5: Matthew 19
6: Matthew 20
7: Matthew 21

8: Numbers 12 (Monday, September 9)

9: Numbers 13
10: Numbers 14
11: 2 Thessalonians 1
12: 2 Thessalonians 2
13: 2 Thessalonians 3
14: Acts 17

15: Acts 18 (Monday, September 16)

16: Acts 19
17: Acts 20
18: Acts 21
19: Acts 22
20: Psalm 56
21: Psalm 57

22: Revelation 4 (Monday, September 23)

23: Revelation 5
24: Revelation 6
25: Revelation 7
26: Proverbs 25
27: Proverbs 26
28: Proverbs 27

29: Matthew 22 (Monday, September 30)

30: Matthew 23
31: Matthew 24
32: Matthew 25
33: Matthew 26
34: Matthew 27
35: Matthew 28

36: 2 Kings 21 (Monday, October 7)

37: 2 Kings 22
38: 2 Kings 23
39: Philemon 1
40: 2 John 1
41: 3 John 1
42: Jude 1

43: Acts 23 (Monday, October 14)

44: Acts 24
45: Acts 25
46: Acts 26
47: Acts 27
48: Acts 28
49: Psalm 76

50: Psalm 77 (Monday, October 21)

51: Proverbs 31
52: Ezekiel 2
53: Ezekiel 13
54: Ezekiel 34
55: Ezekiel 37
56: Revelation 15

57: Revelation 16 (Monday, October 28)

58: Revelation 17
59: Revelation 18
60: Revelation 19