Christian Devotional Journal – Ministry Resource Source
URGENT! GO MAKE DISCIPLES!
The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37) The Widow’s Offering (Luke 21:1-4) The Anointing of Jesus (Luke 7:36-38) Generosity of the Macedonians (2 Corinthians 8:1-7) Barnabas’ Gift (Acts 4:32-37) The Giving of Zacchaeus. (Luke 19:1-10)
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
COMMENTS: The world and every country is in crisis today. 2020 will be known for many things most of which will be filed under “crisis”. Covid 19 was not in our knowledge or vocabulary a year ago. A year ago we could not have imagined what was coming and consequences in lives and restrictions and destruction in businesses and employment that would follow. Yet, many families have been drawn together and are stronger as a result. But choosing how to respond and what and who are most important has been a positive outcome for many families, many of which lost a loved one to covid 19 in 2020.
I believe covid 19 is evidence that God’s protection has been removed from the world and specifically the USA and other countries that historically were governed and led by Christ followers and followed Christ’s commission and instruction. But II Chronicles 7:14 not only confirms God’s protection and blessing on countries that do so but a warning of judgment on those who don’t. Scripture is full of examples of God’s protection and blessing but also examples of God’s judgment and reasons for His judgment.
But people – individuals and countries continue to fail to learn from history. Failing to believe the overwhelming evidence of God’s existence and involvement in history and offers of mercy and redemption repeatedly before judgment implemented. Israel was supposed to be God’s people evangelizing and discipling the world but repeatedly let the world evangelize and disciple them into rebelling against God.
Well, there is increasingly overwhelming evidence in the world news and local news to believe God’s judgment is imminent and Christ’s return to remove His church and judge the world is also imminent. But even now we individually and the world’s leaders and people are being offered the choice and warning of II Chronicles 7:14 that is just as applicable today as it was when given by Solomon long ago when the first temple was completed and dedicated in Jerusalem.
That is the amazing thing about God’s Word – it is timeless and yet current and applicable as effectively today and in the future as it was long ago in ancient times. Well, it should be because it is God’s Words inspirited and conveyed to obedient and faithful individuals to record and share with mankind. No human could have invented or created or design such a Gospel and record of history or in such a way as to write and gather into one book from 40 different authors over a 1600-year period of time. No human could and no human did. These 40 writers had no idea what the impact and durability and collection or even the number of writers would result in. They had no idea of the level of impact and extent of what they wrote would be. BUT THEY EACH SIMPLY WERE OBEDIENT TO AND TRUSTED THE ONE AND ONLY GOD THEY LOVED AND WORSHIPPED AND OBEYED! But their writings were completed and gathered into one book, our Bible.
No other book has survived and been published and distributed and stayed as true to the original as the Bible. No other book has changed lives so positively and continues to do so now as it did in ancient times. And yet, stop and consider with the access of modern internet communication, the Bible above all other publications is more accessible and positively impacting lives now more than ever. Souls hungry to hear and read the Bible are more able to do so today than ever and access to scripture online is possible in nearly every known language is possible and happening today more than ever in the past.
In spite of all this and more being converted today than ever, because more people are living and population is growing faster globally than ever, more are also rejecting Christ and following satan’s evil influence and deceptions than ever too. The powers of darkness are working harder because they know their end is near. But God is working hard too to make sure everyone knows the choice they must make so they can choose wisely. For choose we all must do. Our eternal future is at stake, but not just ours alone. The eternal future of our families – our friends – our co-workers – our church family – our neighbors – even our enemies and those we have not met or known of yet.
As the writers of old and Christians of old and from past generations, we are not responsible to change the world, but to live out our faith and be obedient to share the reason for our hope and confidence when asked and ready to when God nudges. Then leave it to God to make our humble – meager words and actions do a good work and make a lasting positive impact. By doing that, past history and God’s promise is that our life impact will endure and be greater than you and I can hope for or imagine.
Writing this journal helps me be discipline to study God’s word and give Him more time each day in devotion and worship and prayer. Writing helps remind me to be faithful in example and witness and in seeking opportunity to share my faith each day. But writing this also is my act of faith and obedience believing God will use it beyond what I might imagine or hope for to reach those beyond my field of influence and beyond my voice or ability to travel to and even beyond my lifetime.
Well, it is hard to believe I’ve been writing and keeping this journal for approaching 8 years, 9 if include the first year of only keeping a paper journal. Those journals are saved and available at: “https://donsdevotions.wordpress.com”
Don McDaniel - Who am I?
Hello everyone and welcome to my devotional journal blog. In order to get acquainted and help you get to know me a bit better before considering following my blog, let me give you some background. I am a 69-year-old male and a retired engineer. I worked for a major supplier of underground mining equipment for nearly 40 years before retiring in 2012. Arlene and I have been happily married since April 1978 and have two grown – married children, one granddaughter and 2 step grandsons. I joined the local United Methodist church at age 12 after accepting Christ as my Savior at age 10 during revival services in that same church in 1961, so I have been a “Born Again” Christian all my teen years and adult life. Christ has helped and guided me all that time. He guided me in choosing my wife and life’s career. My life journey has included regrets and failures, but God has picked me up and protected and spared me from life threatening consequences and dangers more times than I can recall or count. But many I do recall and encourage and motivate me to trust and follow Christ with more passion than ever.
Christmas 2011 our daughter gave Arlene and I each a devotional journal. Journals were books with devotion for each day and space to give personal impressions and thoughts related to each devotion. Her desire was to have a lasting legacy she could refer back to and share with her children and grandchildren especially after we are gone. I was touched by that gesture. My parents and Arlene’s were devout Christians, so we would have greatly treasured having that from them, so we felt a sense of urgency to honor her request. I finished my journal first and returned it to our daughter the following Christmas. I’m glad I did it then because Parkinson’s has caused my hand writing to deteriorate since then. The exercise was such a blessing for me. Discipline of keeping journal helped me gain a deeper walk with Christ and greater discipline in honoring my time of prayer and devotion with Him each day. So, I decided to continue the practice but since I could not find a paper journal I liked, I decided to create my own. I had already been receiving electronic devotions by email every day from several sources, my favorite being “Turning Point” from Dr. David Jeremiah. What I decided to do was to include devotional scripture but add my own thoughts and comments only so there would be no issue of copyright infringement. Creating and maintaining journal by computer also addressed my deteriorating handwriting ability. I started an electronic devotion journal January 1, 2013 and have been faithful to that practice every day since. I prayed about method and level of distribution. My initial intent was to only share it with my two children by email, but quickly discovered others in my family, my church, and friends from work (both retired and still working) who knew me and wanted to be included in distribution when they learned what I was doing. I now distribute by email my daily journal at the beginning of each month to over 150 friends and relatives. God has richly blessed and encouraged me.
I am concerned with the state of our church and nation, and world for that matter, believing we are living in the end times the prophets of old and Christ have talked about in scripture, so time is short. I desire to be true to my Savior and a witness to help others come to a saving knowledge of Him and equipped to share His Good News too. If my journal can encourage and help others, I believe God wants me to share it. I struggled, for a time at first, because I know many others keep similar journals but only for their own edification and do not want to share them because they are private.
However, Christ has stirred my heart to share it as a witness tool.
Our son and daughter have a long-time friend who grew up with them who we also befriended nearly 25 years ago. He had a lot of family problems, so would gravitate to our family as a refuge and eventually thought of us as his adopted parents and he as our adopted son. We lost contact with him for some time when he grew up and left home. He traveled around the U.S. and eventually ended up in Ukraine where he resided for next 10 years. He had to return to the US 4 years ago to renew his visa and took opportunity to recommend I begin a blog of my devotions and helped me set it up. He is also an active blogger and has been an email subscriber to my journal for several months, so he has been suggesting I expand my distribution by starting a blog to get broader exposure. After reflection and prayer, I concluded God was in this, so he is helping me set up my blog site. This brief autobiography is my first entry.
He returned to Ukraine, then resided there until circumstanced made him decide to move back to US with his young son. This biography was my first post February 29, 2016 and have just updated December 28, 2019 for republishing. Thus far I have published 530 posts automatically sent to all my Facebook friends, published on WordPress to be accessible to anyone curious or seeking a deeper walk with God.
I hope and pray my devotions will continue to be a blessing for you. God certainly has become closer and more real to me during past 7 years I have spent time with Him studying scripture and praying and listening and writing this journal. I will continue seeking God’s help and will welcome your input to make this site as meaningful as I can and true to God, who is motivating me to create and maintain it. I will also welcome input in order to make format more meaningful going forward.
Don & Arlene McDaniel
In His Service,
Email: dmcdaniel12@zoominternet.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Don1951
If you wish, you can access my blog at “https://donsdevotions.wordpress.com“. There you will find 600+ blog posts I have made plus a link to my devotional journal material archives from 2013 to present (https://donsdevotions.wordpress.com/2016/03/02/link-to-dons-devotional-journal-entries-2013/ )
You may also access my Facebook page and request to be my friend and automatically receive my daily journal publications daily. My Facebook page is: https://www.facebook.com/Dondevotionals/ Many thanks to a pastor and dear brother in Christ in Nepal who set up the above Facebook page to help and encourage and give opportunity for more to explore and use my devotional blog materials. View all posts by donsdevotions
donsdevotions 