It's Day 33 and we're in Galatians 4.
Where God Spoke to Me:
- Nothing jumped out to me today. That's ok - we won't necessarily hear God speak every day.
Help:
- Verse 3 - Rough translation: before we became Christians (and therefore heirs of God) we were just (spiritually) children under the grip of sin.
- Verses 9-10 - Instead of living a life of grace, they had returned to trying to live by the rules and regulations that the Mosaic Law demanded. That's no way for a Christian to live.
- Verse 14 - Paul had some health problems while with them, but they were exceedingly kind to him anyway.
- Verse 15 - Many believe (although the Bible never says definitively) that Paul's health problems had to do with poor eyesight.
- Verse 27 - Rough translation: Even though Sarah was childless for so long, in the end she became a mother to countless children (both physical and spiritual) through the fulfilled promise from God.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Friday, August 7, 2020
Thursday, August 6, 2020
60IN60 Day 32 - Thurs Aug 6
It's Day 32 and we're in Galatians 3.
One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It cuts through the clutter. We are surrounded by tons of information, but so much of it is essentially irrelevant to a meaningful life. The Bible speaks to the issues that matter.
Where God Spoke to Me:
One reason to be in the Bible regularly? It cuts through the clutter. We are surrounded by tons of information, but so much of it is essentially irrelevant to a meaningful life. The Bible speaks to the issues that matter.
Where God Spoke to Me:
- Verse 27 - A good reminder that we need to "clothe" ourselves with Christ each day - that is, we choose to "put on" all that He has given us.
Help:
Help:
- Verses 1-3 - They had heard the gospel of grace from Paul: you can only be saved by grace through faith. Then others began to convince them that their righteousness came from obeying the Law, which is something that can never create righteousness within us because we're always going to fall short of perfectly fulfilling the Law. Paul is asking them why they allowed themselves to get fooled.
- Verses 5-14 - Paul is here arguing that even Abraham (who lived before the Mosaic Law was given) was justified by faith and not works. The purpose of the Mosaic Law was ultimately not to provide a way to God (because we can't live out the Law perfectly) but rather to make us aware of how far short of God's perfect standard we're falling.
- Verses 15-19 - This continues the point I just made about verses 5-14 and goes on to say that Christ is the One who was able to perfectly fulfill the Mosaic Law.
- Verse 22 - We are imprisoned (spiritually) by our sin and Christ has come to set us free.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
- Verses 5-14 - Paul is here arguing that even Abraham (who lived before the Mosaic Law was given) was justified by faith and not works. The purpose of the Mosaic Law was ultimately not to provide a way to God (because we can't live out the Law perfectly) but rather to make us aware of how far short of God's perfect standard we're falling.
- Verses 15-19 - This continues the point I just made about verses 5-14 and goes on to say that Christ is the One who was able to perfectly fulfill the Mosaic Law.
- Verse 22 - We are imprisoned (spiritually) by our sin and Christ has come to set us free.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Wednesday, August 5, 2020
60IN60 Day 31 - Wed Aug 5
It's Day 31 and we're in Galatians 2.
Where God Spoke To Me: - Verse 20 - This is an essential truth that most Christians don't grasp. The old person is dead.
Help: - Verses 2-3 - The first disciples were Jews. Jesus was a Jew. With the beginning of Christianity, there were questions about which parts of the Jewish faith were binding on the new Christians.
- Verse 11 - There were disagreements on these Jewish issues between Paul and Peter, with Peter arguing for more of the old Jewish things being held onto and Paul arguing for more freedom. Paul was right.
- Verses 15-17 - You cannot get to God through the Mosaic Law. The Law's primary purpose was to show us how far short of God's standard we are.
- Verse 20 - This is an important truth. My old self was crucified with Jesus on the cross. As a believer in Jesus, I am a new creation.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Where God Spoke To Me: - Verse 20 - This is an essential truth that most Christians don't grasp. The old person is dead.
Help: - Verses 2-3 - The first disciples were Jews. Jesus was a Jew. With the beginning of Christianity, there were questions about which parts of the Jewish faith were binding on the new Christians.
- Verse 11 - There were disagreements on these Jewish issues between Paul and Peter, with Peter arguing for more of the old Jewish things being held onto and Paul arguing for more freedom. Paul was right.
- Verses 15-17 - You cannot get to God through the Mosaic Law. The Law's primary purpose was to show us how far short of God's standard we are.
- Verse 20 - This is an important truth. My old self was crucified with Jesus on the cross. As a believer in Jesus, I am a new creation.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
60IN60 Day 30 - Tues Aug 4
It's Day 30 and we're in Galatians 1.
A little reminder from James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!"
Where God Spoke To Me: - Verses 8-9 - Truth matters. It's not enough that we're sincere in our belief - we need to sincerely believe something that's true.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
A little reminder from James 1:22 - "Do not merely listen to the Word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!"
Where God Spoke To Me: - Verses 8-9 - Truth matters. It's not enough that we're sincere in our belief - we need to sincerely believe something that's true.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Monday, August 3, 2020
60IN60 Day 29 - Mon Aug 3
It's Day 29 and we're in John 14.
One thing that's important as we read daily: being eager to hear Him speak to you. Go into your reading expectant that God desires to share something with you.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - I want to see "greater things" - I'm tired of only seeing small prayers answered. I want to see Him pour out His power to overflowing.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
One thing that's important as we read daily: being eager to hear Him speak to you. Go into your reading expectant that God desires to share something with you.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 12 - I want to see "greater things" - I'm tired of only seeing small prayers answered. I want to see Him pour out His power to overflowing.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Sunday, August 2, 2020
60IN60 Day 28 - Sun Aug 2
It's Day 28 and we're in John 13.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - In each of them wondering if they were the one that would betray, it reveals that each of us knows that we have a weak place within us where we're capable of terrible things.
Help:
- Verse 23 - Back in Jesus' day, you didn't sit in a chair at a table but instead you reclined, leaning on one of your arms at the low table.
- Verse 34 - It's not a new thing for God to command His people to love each other, but it's a new thing for Him to command us to love each other with the sacrificial love that Jesus had.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 22 - In each of them wondering if they were the one that would betray, it reveals that each of us knows that we have a weak place within us where we're capable of terrible things.
Help:
- Verse 23 - Back in Jesus' day, you didn't sit in a chair at a table but instead you reclined, leaning on one of your arms at the low table.
- Verse 34 - It's not a new thing for God to command His people to love each other, but it's a new thing for Him to command us to love each other with the sacrificial love that Jesus had.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Saturday, August 1, 2020
60IN60 Day 27 - Sat Aug 1
It's Day 27 and we're in John 12.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Rather than taking the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus as clear evidence of Jesus' divinity, the Pharisees instead plan to kill Lazarus. Crazy blindness. How often do I miss out on God's power and direction because I've decided ahead of time what I will do?
Help:
- Verses 7-8 - This is not an excuse to neglect the poor, but merely a statement that the present situation they found themselves in was an unusual one that merited the expensive sacrifice.
- Verses 20-26 - Jesus doesn't seem to directly answer their question. What's going on? If I had to summarize it, I would say that what Jesus had in mind is something like this: it's good that they want to talk to Me, but the time for talking is behind now and instead it's the time for My to pursue the action of going to the cross.
- Verse 25 - What does this mean? It means that rather than always pursuing what I want as the vision of my life, instead I need to be willing to pursue what God is calling me to do in order to see His abundant life. I have to "die to self" and instead of living for what I want, I live for what Jesus instructed.
- Verse 40 - This does not mean that God forced them into their blindness. It means that they were intentionally rejecting what He was saying (see verse 20-26) and so He gave them over to their desires, which resulted in spiritual blindness.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
Where God Spoke To Me:
- Verse 10 - Rather than taking the miraculous resurrection of Lazarus as clear evidence of Jesus' divinity, the Pharisees instead plan to kill Lazarus. Crazy blindness. How often do I miss out on God's power and direction because I've decided ahead of time what I will do?
Help:
- Verses 7-8 - This is not an excuse to neglect the poor, but merely a statement that the present situation they found themselves in was an unusual one that merited the expensive sacrifice.
- Verses 20-26 - Jesus doesn't seem to directly answer their question. What's going on? If I had to summarize it, I would say that what Jesus had in mind is something like this: it's good that they want to talk to Me, but the time for talking is behind now and instead it's the time for My to pursue the action of going to the cross.
- Verse 25 - What does this mean? It means that rather than always pursuing what I want as the vision of my life, instead I need to be willing to pursue what God is calling me to do in order to see His abundant life. I have to "die to self" and instead of living for what I want, I live for what Jesus instructed.
- Verse 40 - This does not mean that God forced them into their blindness. It means that they were intentionally rejecting what He was saying (see verse 20-26) and so He gave them over to their desires, which resulted in spiritual blindness.
If you want to read the chapter online, here's a link.
If you have a question or comment, email me at butcher@ymail.com.
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