This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

www.JCSM.org

Over 1500 Links!

Merry Christmas!

I hope you have a great Christmas! Are you going to a Christmas Eve service? I'll be attending The Rock's service. Miles McPhearson will be speaking and I'm sure the worship will be awesome!

Take some time to think about the true meaning of Christmas. Instead of criticizing the media or people who think it's about a tree and hot chocolate, discover what it means to you. Getting a glimpse of what God has given you can change your life.

The election is over! George W. Bush has officially been elected. I'm glad the situation is over and there was no rioting or fighting. I pray that "Dubya" does a fantastic job in the White House and leads our country into godliness and truth.

I'm using (email changed) to send the ministry's messages, now. If you have AOL, please add MrJasonGastrich to your AIM buddy list. I will be splitting time with that address and the old one (email changed).

Are you wondering how to find great Christian music? There is a great web site that shows the well known, secular musician and the Christian musician equivalent. I've seen this chart and it's pretty accurate. For example, if you like Alanis Morissette, you will probably like Rebecca St. James. The list is very long and you can find it here, http://www.diamante.com

My soccer team won on Wednesday! It was a great game as we beat Bishop's, 4-1. Please pray that my team doesn't get lazy over the Christmas break. I'm excited about coaching the remaining 3/4 of the season and want to see them do their best.

Have you ever fasted? On Sunday, Miles McPhearson's message was about fasting. Fasting is such an awesome way to obey God and draw closer to Him! If you wish to learn more about fasting, please see this Bible lesson (http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/fasting.htm) or my 40 Day Fast sites (http://www.jcsm.org/Fasting/40DayFast.htm and http://www.jcsm.org/Fasting/2nd40DayFast.htm).

You don't have to fast for 40 days. Simply pray about fasting and see what God wants. The scriptures are obvious about God's command to fast, so try and determine what kind of fast you should do (length, water only or fruit juices only, etc.). The more planning you do, the better your fast will be. God will reveal Himself to you and it will be an awesome time.

Last week, I got a gym membership! I've been there twice and I'm excited about staying in shape. If you aren't exercising, please pray and consider making an exercise program for yourself. Do something you enjoy. I don't like running, but I like riding a bike, so I do the exercise bike. You'll find yourself doing your routine longer and happier if you choose activities you enjoy.

Please pray that we find the right people for our band. Wally and I are auditioning drummers and bassists. This process is taking awhile, but we are going to persist. Tuesday, a drummer named Reuben is suppose to play with us. I pray that God will give us wisdom, so we can choose the best person.

Have you ever talked to a cult member? Have you wondered what their church really believes? Please visit my World Religions, Sects, Cults and Movements site. This is a long list of links that will reveal what these people believe. Simply go here: http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/WorldReligions.htm

Would you like to know more about Oceanside, California? I'm currently living in a great, beach town. Here's an online essay about Oceanside: http://www.sandiegohomes4u.com/Oceanside-City-Information.htm

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 39,500 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, challenge, moment of introspection and the 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: "Always Hate Evil"

Proverb 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate."

Proverb 6:16-19 "These six things the LORD hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him: A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil, A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren."

Psalm 97:10 "You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked."

Prayer: "Thank you for hating evil and having us do the same. Show us what is good and what is evil. Praise You for giving us your awesome Word! There's no other book like it. Help us see things like You do. Thank you for never being evil. Thank you for being the best thing that has ever happened to humankind. Let us know what it means to hate evil. Help us to avoid entertaining evil. Thank you for having patience on us when we disobey You. Forgive us and let us obey You, now. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Power of a Couple Words"

Luke 4:35-37 "But Jesus rebuked him, saying, 'Be quiet, and come out of him!' And when the demon had thrown him in their midst, it came out of him and did not hurt him. Then they were all amazed and spoke among themselves, saying, 'What a word this is! For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits, and they come out.'"

Mark 4:39 "Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, 'Peace, be still!' And the wind ceased and there was a great calm."

John 5:8 "Jesus said to him, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk.' And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked."

John 11:43, 44 "Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth!' And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Loose him, and let him go.'"

Prayer: "Thank you for showing us what can be done with a few words! Remind us that prayers aren't answered when we simply say a lot of words. Give us the right words to say. Help us to obey You closely, too. Let us have wisdom and make our words perfect. Give us self-control, so we don't talk all the time or say foolish things. Let us use our words to encourage and edify people. Forgive us for wasting words and using them to hurt others. Teach us your ways, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Should I Be Good? No, Be Holy!"

Leviticus 11:44a "For I am the LORD your God. You shall therefore consecrate yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy."

1 Peter 1:15, 16 "But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy.'"

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

1 Thessalonians 4:7 "For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."

Ephesians 4:24 "Put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

2 Corinthians 7:1 "Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God."

Romans 6:19b "Present your members as slaves of righteousness for holiness."

Hebrews 12:14 "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord."

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us a charge to be holy! Cleanse and purify us, Lord. Make us like You. Thank you for giving us your laws. Help us follow them. Thank you for wanting us to be sanctified and holy. Reveal to us our sins, so we can confess, repent and be holy. Thank you for promising to complete the work that You begin in us! Give us perseverance as we continue this life-long process of sanctification. Keep drawing us closer and closer to You, Lord. Let us crave holiness and let us be unsatisfied until we get it. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Let's Fast"

Matthew 6:16-18 "Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

1 Corinthians 9:27 "But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

Psalm 35:13b "I humbled myself with fasting;"

2 Corinthians 6:4, 5 "But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings;"

Mark 2:18-20 "The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, 'Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?' And Jesus said to them, 'Can the friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.'"

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us the opportunity to fast, Lord. Help us to fast often. Thank you for revealing awesome things to us when we fast. Help people who have never fasted see what You can and will do. Cause them to obey You. Let the people who have fasted persevere with their pursuit of You. Thank you for always rewarding and blessing us! There's no other God like You. Thank you for making old things new. Thank you for making this life exciting! Help us to obey You and love You more and more. Remind us what You have done when we've obeyed you in the past. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Fleshly Desires Must Die"

Luke 9:23 "Then He said to them all, 'If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.'"

Matthew 10:38 "And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me."

Romans 6:11 "Likewise you also, reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:13 "For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live."

Prayer: "Thank you for helping us die to fleshly desires! Thank you for the power that only You give. Remind us that you're power is always available to us. Praise You for your faithfulness! Thank you for blessing us when we overcome fleshly desires. Remind us how awesome it is to obey You and overcome evil. Thank you for helping us overcome temptation. Help us to continually obey You and consistently overcome evil. Thank you for loving us so much! Give us more love for You, Lord. Thank you for protecting us with your laws. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Christmas Eve Thoughts"

John 3:16-21 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

Prayer: "Thank you for coming to Earth and giving us salvation, Jesus! There is nobody like You. Thank you for being perfect and dying on the cross for our sins. Praise You for rising from the dead and ascending to Heaven! Help us understand who You are and what You did for us. Forgive us for our sins. Save the ones who are seeking You. Draw the saved ones into a deeper relationship with You. Have mercy on the unbelievers who do not care about You. To You be the praise, honor and glory. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Jesus' Birth"

Isaiah 7:14 "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel."

Matthew 1:18-23 "Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not wanting to make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly. But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, 'Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.' So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying: 'Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,' which is translated, 'God with us.'"

Luke 1:26-35 "Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin's name was Mary. And having come in, the angel said to her, 'Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!' But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. Then the angel said to her, 'Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.' Then Mary said to the angel, 'How can this be, since I do not know a man?' And the angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for being born in such an awesome way, Lord. Thank you for sending the prophet Isaiah to tell the world about your birth before it happened. Praise You for knowing the beginning and the end, like it has already happened. Thank you for having so much patience, mercy and grace with humankind. You are an awesome God. Thank you for coming to Earth and showing us the way! There is no other God like You! Thank you for leaving Heaven and becoming flesh. Thank you for doing exactly what was right, despite what people wanted you to do. Let us follow your perfect example, Lord. Help us be like You and not like the world. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Fast! If you aren't suffering from medical problems, then you can fast. I've written about fasting in the first page of the devotions. You can read those links for great information on fasting.

"God's Chosen Fast" is an excellent book on fasting. It explains the scriptural importance of fasting, the different kinds of fasts, how to begin and end, etc. It is the best book on the subject.

I've seen an illustration about fasting. It had a very large circle. In this circle, there was a smaller circle. The smaller circle represented what you can receive by praying to God. The very large circle represented what you can receive by praying and fasting.

This was a great illustration because God wants to give us great things, but we must obey Him. Praying and fasting our incredible ways to become like God and receive the things He wants to give us. Besides obedience and worship, there isn't much else you can do to draw close to God, feel His presence and experience Him on a supernatural level.

Since I have experience fasting, I can tell you that it is totally worth it. You won't regret it. God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

A Moment of Introspection

The quote "Touch me and take me to that other place" is from Bono. Bono is the lead singer for U2. He's a Christian and has many thought-provoking lyrics. Instead of thinking about U2, let's think about this quote for a minute.

What does it mean to be touched by God? Have you ever felt His touch?

Being touched by God can be like being touched, emotionally. Reading about God's love for us and Jesus' death on the cross will make us emotional and touch us. It will take us to another place, too. I'm not talking about a literal place, but another spiritual and mental place.

Have you ever dreamed about God and His Words? Or have you seen spiritual growth in your life that would prove you are in another place, now? If anything can take us to another place, God can.

As I'm thinking about God's touch, I must include the touch I feel during worshiping God. Have you felt this, too? When I'm singing and worshiping God with all my heart, soul, mind and body, I feel God's touch. It's usually on my upper body - shoulders, arms, head and chest. It's an awesome feeling!

I pray that everyone can experience the touch from God that takes them to another place!

Quotations

It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away.

Touch me and take me to that other place.

Teach me. I know I'm not a helpless case.

I'm still enchanted by the light You brought to me.

You elevate my soul and I need You to elevate me now.

I believe in you, so tell me something true.

What you have, they can't steal; they can't even feel it.

What can't you leave behind?

Who's to say where the wind will take you?

I don't know which way the wind will blow.

I'll be with You in a little while.

We need Heaven on Earth.

You don't have to become evil, just so evil people won't hurt you.

Jesus, could you take the time to throw a drowning man a line?

When you look at the world, what do you see?

People find all kinds of things that bring them to their knees.

Jesus' expression is so clear and true it changes the atmosphere.

I can't see what You see when I look at the world.

I can't wait any longer to see what You see when I look at the world.

Tell me what's wrong with me.

Without You, it's no use.

Grace removes the stain.

Grace finds goodness in everything.

Grace makes beauty out of ugly things.

Why take anything for granted?

I just want to know if the door is open or shut.

If I let Him, God can make my problems and worries seem silly.

Do you know how the people around you are living?

Dream things that never have been and ask, "Why not?"

Are you too busy or too lazy to obey God?

What would be hard for you to give up for God? Why?

The more you pray, the more you will be prepared for life.

Our God doesn't go to the bathroom or on vacation.

You're not gonna get Holy by simply, occasionally reading the Bible and attending church.

Only God can fix us right.

I want to think and talk like God.

Why is it so easy to remember to eat and forget to pray?

You'll die quicker from what you eat than from what you don't eat.

People who trust in worldly things worry about worldly things.

Seek God's control in your life.

Your reasons for disobeying God are usually based on fear and pride.

When food isn't your number one priority, your number two and three priorities don't seem so important.

Fasting with the wrong motive will either cause you to eat or change your motive.

Since when does eating cure someone?

When you fast, you will sense God's presence in your life like you haven't before.

You don't need to be a slave to your stomach.

Your flesh doesn't need to be retrained. It needs to die.

Pride will keep you away from a lot of free things.

Next time you have the chance to worship God with others, remember that many people in this world are dying for corporately worshiping God.

When you want something so badly you'll do anything it takes to get it, you must stop and seek God's will.

What won't you give to God and why?

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Miles McPhearson, Bono and The Edge.

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? We have sent over 500,000 emails, encouraging people with God's Word! Please join us in the great commission. We're 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.

You can join our vision and help this ministry! Your donations will keep these ministries running and further our visions for evangelism. Hundreds of web pages have been created to lead people to the Lord. Frequently, we make new ones and they are used to bring more and more people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. We're certain there will be more ways to reach people in the future. Along with getting support, we 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 library. You will definitely see the results of our work and your support, in the web pages, and in the weekly devotional 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

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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 7353 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."