This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

www.JCSM.org

Over 1500 Links!

Hello!

Are you ready to be encouraged?  Let God's Word lift you up!

I hope you had a great week and weekend.  Mine was very good.

Yesterday, I began coaching a new soccer team!  The junior high boys, at Santa Fe Christian, were great.  I'm looking forward to a successful season.  Please pray that the boys meet my three objectives: 1) come off the field sweating, 2) play to glorify the Lord and 3) never give up.

The Grand Canyon was beautiful.  I'm really glad I could visit it.  The drive was awesome, too.  I wrote many things I learned from God.  He showed me some ideas for my ministry, things I needed to do and things I should change in my life.  I'll be considering those things in the days to come.

Today is the 37th day of my fast!  Praise the Lord.  Before He called me to do this, I never thought I could.  Thanks for your prayers and encouragement!  Feel free to read my fasting journals and see what I've discovered during this fast (http://www.jcsm.org/Fasting/Days1-10.htm).  I'll finish on Friday and break it slowly, so my digestive organs have time to wake up.

Please visit The Encouraging Song Site and tell us about a song that has lifted you up!  This is a new site, so we need lots of visitors to share songs.  You'll be encouraging the world by telling us a song that has encouraged you!

What do you think about the recounts?  Undoubtedly, you've heard about the presidential elections and the recounting of the votes in Florida.  Please pray that the godliest candidate wins.  We really need more Jesus in this country.  God is in control and He whichever candidate He chooses will fit perfectly into His plan.

Don't forget to visit The Hungersite and the Stop the Hunger site.  Every day, you can click and donate free food to hungry people!  It only takes you a second and costs you nothing.  Just go here: www.thehungersite.com and www.stopthehunger.com

My truck broke down, yesterday.  I blew a head gasket and it will take $2-300 to fix.  Please pray that I can get it fixed soon.  I was surprised to have this happen, but will deal with it in the best way possible.  A special thanks goes to my friends and family, who have already helped.

Last week, I got a silver, purity ring from The Rock Church.  Miles McPhearson is encouraging us to remain pure until marriage.  I'm wearing this ring and meeting the challenge.  Please pray that I stay pure and cling to God.  Also, please consider getting a purity ring and letting it remind you of your promise of purity.

Please visit my web page!  There's over 1500 links (pictures, midis, Bible lessons, humor, proverbial stories, links, devotions, poetry, prayer journals and much more!) and it has registered over 38,011 hits!

If this ministry has touched you in a special way, please pray and consider sending a gift to Jesus Christ Saves Ministries.  On the web, we're encouraging the believers and sharing the gospel with unbelievers.  I'm also doing counseling on a regular basis.  As I do full-time ministry on the web, love and help others, I never charge them anything for my time or services.

Would you like to support God's work on the web?  You can become a Super Supporter of JCSM by sending only $5 a month.  You'll be joining us in our vision to reach people on the web with the good news!  Of course, a gift of any size will be appreciated!  My address and more information is at the bottom of this message.

Welcome to the new screen names or recipients of this message!  Here are the devotions, moment of introspection, challenge and quotations for the week.  Have a fantastic week and God bless you!

Love in Christ,

Jason J. Gastrich

ICQ#: 20731140

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1:   "Peace On Earth?"

Luke 12:51-53   "Do you suppose that I came to give peace on earth? I tell you, not at all, but rather division. For from now on five in one house will be divided: three against two, and two against three. Father will be divided against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

Zechariah 12:3   "And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it."

2 Timothy 3:12, 13   "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived."

Prayer:   "Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit, Lord. Remind us that there won't be total peace on Earth. Thank you for giving us moments of awesome peace, even though the world is in chaos. Bless us and make us like You, Jesus. Forgive us for all our sins. Give us strength and godliness in an ungodly world. Let us see things as You do. Remove our frustration and fill us with peace. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2:   "Pray About Your Worries"

Psalm 118:5, 6   "I called on the LORD in distress; The LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.  The LORD is on my side; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?"

Matthew 6:31   ""Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?'"

Matthew 11:29, 30 "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Philippians 4:6, 7   "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

Prayer:   "Thank you for removing our worries when we give them to You. Thank you for always listening to our prayers. Remind us to continually pray to You. Thank you for wanting us to be free from anxiety. Thank you for being such an awesome God who gives us what we need. Praise You for being God Almighty! There is no other God like You. Show us how to deal with the things we worry about. Remind us that they are put into proper perspective when we pray about them. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3:   "Desire the Gifts"

1 Corinthians 14:1, 2, 12, 13   "Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.  For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.  Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.  Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret."

1 Corinthians 12:29-31   "Are all apostles?  Are all prophets?  Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles?  Do all have gifts of healings?  Do all speak with tongues?  Do all interpret?  But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way."

Prayer:   "Thank you for your command to desire the spiritual gifts. Help every believer to pray and ask for the spiritual gifts. Thank you for giving to me when I prayed for them! Praise You for being a God of your Word. Only You keep every promise You've ever made. Let us know You and Your Word and memorize the things You've said. Thank you for edifying us and other believers with our spiritual gifts! Teach us your ways, Lord, and keep us from bad theology and lies. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4:   "Listen Very Closely"

Proverbs 19:20, 21, 27   "Listen to counsel and receive instruction, That you may be wise in your latter days.  There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the LORD'S counsel--that will stand.  Cease listening to instruction, my son, And you will stray from the words of knowledge."

Proverbs 8:32-34   "Now therefore, listen to me, my children, For blessed are those who keep my ways.  Hear instruction and be wise, And do not disdain it.  Blessed is the man who listens to me, Watching daily at my gates, Waiting at the posts of my doors."

Prayer:   "Dear Lord, help us to listen closer. Thank you for speaking to us and sending godly people to give us words. Let us concentrate and not be distracted. Thank you for caring enough to speak to us. Thank you for everyone who has invested in our lives. Praise You for helping us and giving us direction. Increase our listening skills. Help us to obey the truths that we hear. Let us go places and do things that will help us listen better. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5:   "Keep Worshiping the Lord"

Psalm 29:2 "Give unto the LORD the glory due to His name; Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness."

Psalm 45:11 "So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him."

Psalm 95:6, 7 "Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, And we are the people of His pasture, And the sheep of His hand."

Psalm 99:5 "Exalt the LORD our God, And worship at His footstool - He is holy."

Luke 4:8 "And Jesus answered and said to him, "Get behind Me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.'"

Prayer:   "Thank you for acceptint our worship, Lord! Help us to always worship and praise You. Thank you for loving our singing and obedience, even if we don't sing well and even if we aren't perfect. Praise You for being so worthy of our praise and worship! Give us strength and dedication to keep worshipping You. Give us visions of You and the things You have done. Help us to see You how You really are. Remind us the of the therapeutic value of worship! Thank you for wanting us to do something that is very good for us and important for You to hear. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6:   "Give Godly Advice"

Proverb 25:11   "A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver."

Proverb 27:9 "Ointment and perfume delight the heart, And the sweetness of a man's friend gives delight by hearty counsel."

Proverb 20:5 "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, But a man of understanding will draw it out."

Proverb 11:14 "Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety."

Proverbs 15:22 "Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established."

Prayer:   "Thank you for the times when we can lend godly advice. Give us more wisdom, Lord. Praise You for being the author of wisdom! Thank you for teaching us so much. Let us take the time to speak Your truths to people in need. Thank you for our friends and family members. Help us to pray for them and love them. Let our words be in the truth, Lord. Remind us that we should take a few minutes to encourage and guide people who are in need. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7:   "They'll Try to Stop Us"

Matthew 10:17-20 "But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to councils and scourge you in their synagogues. You will be brought before governors and kings for My sake, as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up, do not worry about how or what you should speak. For it will be given to you in that hour what you should speak; for it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you."

Matthew 24:9-13 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

Prayer:   "Thank you for warning us about the persecutions we will face. Give us great strength, Lord. Help us not to worry about evil people or evil powers of darkness. Praise You for being stronger than all! Praise You for living inside of us and giving us Your power! Help us to persevere in the difficult times. Let us cling to You and Your promises. Thank you for making persecution pass. Thank you for giving us eternal life in Heaven! Remind us that death on this Earth simply means the beginning of our life in Heaven! In all seasons, remove our worries and fears and let us be a strong witness for You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Bring a pen and notepad to church and Bible study!  Haven't you heard something great and wished you could remember it?  You can!  

I've been bringing a pen and journal for years and I have never regretted it.  It helps me to keep concentrating, learn more and remember more.  Also, God reveals things that I need to do and they don't always correlate with church.  I jot them down and keep listening to the pastor.

You can do it.  Try and see what happens!  God bless you as you meet this week's challenge.

A Moment of Introspection

What makes you smile?  Have you ever thought about it?

Thank God for the things and people that make you smile!

Quotations

Your version of a house may be different than a person's view who lives in a different culture.

Do you realize how much you contribute to or distract from the worship and worshipers in your church service?

A "lot of money" could mean something different to everyone.

In Bible times, 300 denarii was equal to 300 days of wages.

If we want all the blessings of God, we need to stop asking, "What do we have to do?" and start asking, "What can we do?"

Don't only do what you have to do, or the very minimum requirements, do more!

Where will you find blessings if they are not at the feet of Jesus?

The more we know Jesus, the more we will want to give Him anything and everything.

When you get a picture of who Jesus Christ really is, your priorities will be changed.

Do your heroes and heroines live for the Lord?

If you were to die, who would come to your funeral?  Why?

People need faithful, godly friends.

You may be surprised where criticism arises when you dedicate your life to Jesus Christ.

What's the story people will tell about you?

In Heaven, we'll probably find that the people who had very little gave more than many people who had a lot.

Jesus cannot and will not forget the things you do for Him and His people.

I've never heard any elderly person say, "I regret living my life for God."

How do you feel when you look back at your life?  How do you want to feel?  Make any necessary changes.

There is always danger that any spiritual exercise that is done habitually becomes an empty form, a ritual devoid of any spiritual content.

We are not holy because we are enthusiasts, looking for the ends without the means.

Ultimately, trials of faith are permitted by God for our blessing.

I forgot what "normal" was a long time ago.

The honest things done in secret will turn into lies when the Holy Spirit leaves this world.

If you know where God speaks to you the loudest, remember that Satan does too.

Who do you see in your mind's eye?

The critics, doubters and haters can say what they want about me.  I'll be busy, since I'll be busy running a race.

Fleshly dreams turn into disappointments.

Pray on a falling star!

God is the divine mechanic.

Are you choosing the way you look over comfort?  If yes or no, why?

Don't abuse your power or ask God to abuse His.

God doesn't have any special grandpa or veteran clauses in His plan of salvation.

I'm a tumbleweed without Christ.

A new church service doesn't automatically make people more godly.  

Satan tries to make us think time spent with God is a waste.

When I'm running from You, I need You to rescue me.

Know which details are necessary and unnecessary.

This race doesn't end until I'm raptured or dead.

I only want what's Yours!

I'm in the truth and I believe.

Consider that slips of the tongue may not simply be slips of the tongue.

Some people want to say yes so badly, they have a hard time saying no.

Don't simply ignore your worries.  Correct them and pray.

It's human to repress our worries.

In the times of screaming and pouring your heart out to God, He will meet you and direct you; during and afterwards.

You'll suffer by avoiding prayer time.

Jesus is the bright side.

All the spiritual gifts and people with them have been abused.

Fear is what stops many great things from happening.

If you're quiet for a few minutes, you may find exactly what your body needs or what God wants.

The cross must work in us if the life is to be centered in God.

God is not merely concerned with what we do, but why we do it.

Don't let your religious practices be only self-seeking.

The acceptable fast is the one God chooses for you.

If God didn't love you, you would die, immediately.

I don't think God could put a bigger smile on my face than the one He's given me!

When we tithe, God gives much better odds that when we gamble with our money.

Are you trampling on God's grace?

When you're fasting, you realize you don't have to ignore feelings.

I'm getting more and more pieces of this puzzle called potential.

Paul had a thorn in his side.  My thorn is more like a scratch.

Imagine, just for a moment, that God could hate you.  Isn't that a scary thought?  Praise God He doesn't.

We'll see what tomorrow holds, since we know Who holds tomorrow.

If we never had to eat, I think we'd rely on God more.  Without eating when we were tired, happy, sad, bored, restless, curious, stimulated and hungry we would have to rely on God to restore us and make us better.

You don't stop playing because you grow old.  You grow old because you stop playing.

Unbelievers would feel insecure if they were in my shoes, but I feel secure because I am in Christ.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), God's Chosen Fast (by Arthur Wallis), John Wesley and John Hilton.

These quotes can be used for sanctification and fun.  Most of them are directly based on scripture and scriptural principles.  Some of my quotes are humorous or rhetorical.  Some are written from sermons and Bible studies.  Others are lyrics from songs.  If you'd like me to go into more detail on any of them, please email me.

Like most verses in the Bible, they can be debated.  To use what I have written in the most beneficial way, try and trace them back to the scriptures they were derived from and apply the true principles to your life in a meaningful way!  Please don't sell my quotes or publish them for profit.  If English is not your first language, you may not understand some of the quotes.  I'm sorry, but some of them are English metaphors and deal with multiple word meanings.  God bless you all!  

Please make a commitment to pray for this ministry.  As every believer is tempted and tried, this ministry faces trials also.  God has blessed me, JCSM and the people who have been reached!  Unfortunately, the enemy knows this and spiritual warfare is the result.  Please, at least pray that the devotions continue to be sent religiously, the web pages stay on the www and the subscribers are blessed, sanctified and protected from evil.  Thank you very much in advance!

Do you want to help people receive the good news?  I have sent over 500,000 emails, encouraging people with God's Word!  Please join me in the great commission.  I'm reaching new people every day with God's awesome Word!  If God has blessed you and you wish to send a love offering to me and my ministry, please send it to the address below.

Oceanside, Ca   92054

You can help this ministry!  Your donations will keep my ministries running and they further my visions for evangelism.  The internet, the telephone (volunteering time for the Youth Crisis hotline), the guitar, singing and gospel tracts are some ways that I encourage people and lead them to Christ.  I'm certain there will be more ways to reach people in the future.  Along with getting support, I also give support!  I regularly give to my church and frequently give to needy people.  Lastly, I do a lot of research on religious topics on the internet and at the library.  You will definitely see the results of my work on my web page and in the weekly messages!

For more about me and my service history, go to http://resume.jcsm.org.  For what I do, my ministries and giving, go to http://vision.jcsm.org

If you have received these devotions from someone other than I, please email me and I will send them to you, personally, each week.  Don't worry.  I don't send forwards or any other junk mail.  I also refrain from giving your name to anyone.  

The devotions are sent on Monday nights.  The gospel is sent on the 11th of every month and the monthly newsletter is sent on the 20th.  These are the only messages I send, however, please email me if you wish to be removed from this list.  If you prefer to receive the devotions in Spanish, send me a request because the devotions have been reaching the Spanish speaking community for over a year!

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please email me!  I would love to share the gospel with you.  The Bible is very straightforward when it speaks about Heaven, Hell and eternal life.  If there is any doubt that you are going to Heaven when you die, please let me know today!

Are you having trouble in life?  Do you need someone to talk to?  You can call the youth crisis hotline at 1-800-HIT-HOME, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  I'm currently volunteering time for this hotline. Our motto is "help, not hassle".  We will listen to you and encourage you.  If you are hurting and need someone to talk to, please feel free to call.  YDI pays for these calls and has helped over 1 million people!  They are also looking for people to answer calls.  Their web site is at www.1800hithome.com

Would you like to feed starving people by simply clicking a button and paying absolutely nothing?  Sponsors pay to donate food to hungry people all over the world.  I click these nearly every day.  It takes about 10 seconds and it donates food to needy people!  Go here: www.thehungersite.com and here www.stopthehunger.com

JCSM now does regular mailings!  If you are getting rid of your email or know someone who wants the devotions, but doesn't have email, please give me their address and we'll send them the devotions.  If you don't have internet access, but want to read a certain web page or Bible lesson, let me know.  I could copy and paste something into an email message for you.

 Since April of 1997, the weekly devotional message has been sent on the internet.   This message currently reaches 5447 people in 98 countries.  To read a list of these countries, go here: http://www.jcsm.org/misc/countries.htm.  To read the archived devotions online, go here: http://devos.jcsm.org.  

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

http://www.jcsm.org

Over 1500 Links!

Jesus loves you!  

John 3:16   "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should have everlasting life."