May Reading Notes for 2013

If you are interested, you can find the May Reading Notes in one document at https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/posts

Lord bless you as you follow Him in the harvest.

In Christ,

Dan

The April Reading Notes

If you’re interested, Thanks to Laura’s diligence, the April Reading Notes are in one document at https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/posts

May the Lord bless you as you follow our Lord in the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples who make disciples.

In Christ,

Dan

The March 2013 Reading Notes are ready

If you go to https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/posts you will find all of March's Reading Notes in one convenient document.

May the Lord bless you in your reading of His Word as you follow Him in the harvest.

Dan

Addition & Revision for February 5 Reading Notes

Matthew 24:4-8 As I think this through, these events have described many times and wars in past history, or so it would seem. Wars and unrest and earthquakes have led many people to speculate about the coming of Christ. Jesus appears to be saying these will be normal, yet, just before the beginning of the tribulation these things will also be present. Sometimes the "birth pangs" are a false alarm. They still make us alert and keep us ready. As advanced as we think we are as humans with indoor plumbing and blue-tooth technology hanging on our ears, wars are still raging on this planet. This should remind us that we need the answer that only the Lord can bring and it should keep us in a state of readiness - not readiness to flee, but to do our work in the harvest.

Matthew 24:9-14 This will actually be in the Tribulation. Verse 10 is important. Because of the persecution of believers, many false believers will fall away and become bitter and traitorous. It will actually show who is in this for Christ, to bear their cross to their death, working to get His message out to save the lost.

Matthew 24:28 I think my comment in the reading notes is wrong. The focus of what Jesus is saying here is the sign in the heavens of His coming. Notice that this is the focus of the next verses too. This expression "wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather" simply meant, "look up." Looking up was the answer to finding the corpse. Looking up will be the answer to finding Jesus. False Christs and false prophets will say, "look here or look there;" but the only place to look will be up, and it will be evident to the entire world at the same time.

February Reading Notes are ready

Laura has completed putting the February Reading Notes into one document just as she did with January. If that is a help for you, they are available at https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/posts You'll see the document for the February there.

Laura and I have been using the January notes and I really like having a hard copy with me when I'm reading my Bible.

Lord bless,

Dan

Following as a Destination

Following as a Destination

The thought of following the Lord seems like a lot of other "requirements." The simple way to follow is just to obey. In a way it seems like the fulfilling of other commands, such as being righteous or being holy, is just to obey. Then, to obey becomes defined as staying out of trouble. If you don't lie or mess up in any big way you're OK. If we're not careful, simply being moral becomes what it means to be a follower of Christ.

So I was reading in John 12 where the Greeks showed up seeking Jesus. Jesus understood their arrival as a signal that the time of His glorification/death/sacrifice had come. Then Jesus became very somber and not only restated what He had said about being a disciple, He intensified it. It was an interesting moment. Here is what Jesus said about following.

John 12:26 RSV - If any one serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there shall my servant be also; if any one serves me, the Father will honor him.

When I read this it struck me. Following isn't just obedience; it is a destination. It means that Jesus is Himself present, walking into a situation in front of us, expecting us to come in right behind Him. What an interesting thought. It means that when we notice a person and have that thought that maybe we should say something to them, the Lord is standing next to them, waving at us to come over. It means that when a hard situation develops that puts us on the spot, Jesus has already gone into the discussion before us.

I know we know this, at least theoretically, but it is truly true. Jesus' presence is seen in these verses and adds a sense of depth to them.

Phil. 4:5 RSV - Let all men know your forbearance. The Lord is at hand.

Mark 16:20 RSV - And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen.

Luke 10:16 RSV - He who hears you hears me, and he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent me.

Following is actually following. He is doing His work and going before us. He just needs us to follow Him. When people respond, they are responding to Him. If it is rejection, rather than feeling sorry for ourselves, we should think, "Lord, I feel so bad they they threw egg on your head. They have no clue who you are." I think you get the picture.

So, that is what the Spirit nudged me with and it not only makes sense to me as I follow Him in the harvest, it might have also opened my eyes to what it means to walk by faith.

Written on, and sent with great effort from my iPad.

A Word of Reminder

A Word of Reminder

If you are interested, all the January reading notes are in one Word document at https://sites.google.com/site/dlkachikis/posts

Laura and I are reading our January notes--hard copy--enjoying them and I'm making revisions for 2014.

Thank you for all the prayers for me and Laura. I was happy to think that this was my last assignment. In some of you who are reading, I feel I may have made my contribution to the harvest. That would be more than enough for me.

I think of Noah seeing all the people who rejected God for 100 years while building the ark. Then after the flood I'll bet he was disillusioned seeing that virtually no one was interested in the promise. One day in Noah's last few years a new man stepped into the community. He not only listened to the stories, but Noah could see him grasp the promise in faith. This man was Abraham, who was born 50 years before Noah's death. I have to think that Abraham's interaction with Noah was used by God to develop Abe's faith and to show Noah that his labor was not in vain.

In all of our work in following and making disciples, the Lord will bring people who will love Christ and follow Him into the harvest, reaching the lost and making disciples who make disciples. That makes it all worth it.

And it looks like the Lord has another assignment for me. So I guess I'll stick around.