This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

www.JCSM.org

Over 1500 Links!

Hello!

I hope you had a great weekend!

Mine was good. I've been making plans for the wedding, serving God on the web and doing everything in between.

Last week, I got my marriage license! There are only 47 days until I'm married! Praise the Lord. Please pray that Sarine and I don't get stressed as we finalize the wedding plans. Please pray that we continue to grow spiritually and have a great marriage.

Have you been receiving the full devotional message? There is typically between eleven and thirteen pages. Unfortunately, there had been a compatibility problem between AOL and several other internet email programs. I've spoken to AOL and I believe everything is working correctly. However, if you have a problem or get a truncated message, please let me know.

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God bless you in your spiritual growth! Keep running the race to win! There will be and end and the end of this life will begin your life in Heaven!

Have you visited the International Church Directory? Please take a moment to visit this site and tell us about your church! We've created a church directory, so people can learn about your church and visit it. Here's the address: http://pub.alxnet.com/guestbook?id=1321937

This is your ministry, so please feel free to link to JCSM and forward these devotions to your friends and family. On the JCSM website, there are over 1500 links (pictures, midis, Bible lessons, humor, proverbial stories, links, devotions, poetry, prayer journals and much more!) and it has registered over 41,000 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. We're also doing counseling on a regular basis. As we do full-time ministry on the web, love and help others, there is never a charge for our time and services.

Would you like to support God's work on the web? You can join us in our vision to reach people on the web with the good news! Please email me or see our address below.

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

Love in Christ,

Jason J. Gastrich

http://jcsm.org/contact.php

http://jcsm.org/contact.php

ICQ#: 20731140

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "Your World View"

2 Timothy 3:16 "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."

1 Corinthians 3:11 "For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. "

2 Corinthians 5:7, 8 "For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord."

Mark 9:35 "And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, 'If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.'"

1 Samuel 16:7 "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'"

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us an awesome world view. Let us see things like You do. Bless us and lift us up, Lord. Thank you for seeing things in the right way. Thank you for giving us your Word! Let us be transformed. Thank you for having a better system. Thank you for giving us a better way to live! Praise You for having genuine qualities and wanting us to have them. Thank you for making sense of this world. Give us more faith in You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "Take A Stand!"

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

Philippians 1:21 "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain."

Mark 8:38 "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

Daniel 3:15-18 "Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?' Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.'"

Prayer: "Thank you for helping us take a stand for You! Thank you for the awesome stories of faith in the Bible. Let us be found faithful, Lord. Thank you for giving us chances to be bold for You. Forgive us for the times when we were quiet or afraid. Give us great courage and boldness. Help us to consider how our courage could effect others. Remind us that You are not ashamed of us. Thank you for being an awesome God. Thank you for answering our prayers. Remove our worries and our fears. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Don't Look Back"

Exodus 16:2, 3 "Then the whole congregation of the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness. And the children of Israel said to them, 'Oh, that we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat and when we ate bread to the full! For you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.'"

Luke 9:59-62 "Then He said to another, 'Follow Me.' But he said, 'Lord, let me first go and bury my father.' Jesus said to him, 'Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.' And another also said, 'Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.' But Jesus said to him, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.'"

Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon."

Romans 6:22 "But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life."

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about returning to our old life. Help us to stay on the right path. Thank you for giving us wisdom and knowledge. Thank you for giving us a much better way. Remind us that our chains are gone and we should never return to them! Give us strength to look up and forward. Thank you for answering our prayers. Remind us that You are faithful. Let us pray to You all the time, Lord. Remind us of the problems that happen when we turn back and return to our old, sinful ways. Protect us, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Permanence of Marriage"

Genesis 2:4 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Malachi 2:15, 16 "But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth. For the LORD God of Israel says That He hates divorce, For it covers one's garment with violence, Says the LORD of hosts. Therefore take heed to your spirit, That you do not deal treacherously."

Matthew 19:3-6 "The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, 'Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?' And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate."

Prayer: "Thank you for the sanctity of marriage. Thank you for designing such an awesome relationship that You never want it broken. Help the married couples to work through their problems. Give them perseverance. Thank you for being the Prince of Peace. Give us all peace, joy and wisdom. Help couples to get wise counsel and work to a healthy conclusion to their problems, so they can stay together. Forgive the ones that have had divorces. Help them to follow You closely. Thank you for never giving up on us and always having an awesome plan! You are our great God! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Wait Until You're Married"

Romans 13:13 "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts."

Mark 7:21-23 "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

1 Thessalonians 4:3-7 "For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness."

Prayer: "Thank you for the exhortation to stay pure until marriage. Help the young ones to pray for purity and desire it. Help the married couples to pray for the unmarried ones. Give great spiritual strength to single people. Let them go against the culture when the culture pressures them to have sex before marriage. Thank you for being stronger than any temptation. Remind the young ones that they can wait and You will help them. Thank you for giving us laws that protect us! Let us love your laws and understand them. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Fight Temptation"

James 1:12-15 "Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death."

1 Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it."

Matthew 26:41 "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

1 Timothy 6:9 "But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition."

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about temptation. Let us rise above it and overcome it like You did! Thank you for giving us incredible strength. Thank you for being glorified in our weakness. Let us call to You for strength because we cannot win on our own. Thank you for working through us and empowering us to stay holy. Convict us and help us to respond to your Holy Spirit. Thank you for the awesome way You work! Let us listen to You and follow You, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Patience Produces Positive Results"

Psalm 37:8 "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass."

Proverb 14:17 "A quick-tempered man acts foolishly, And a man of wicked intentions is hated."

Ecclesiastes 7:9 "Do not hasten in your spirit to be angry, For anger rests in the bosom of fools."

Ephesians 4:26, 27 "'Be angry, and do not sin': do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil."

James 1:19, 20 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to be patient. Remove our anxiety. Remind us of the wonder of patience. Help us to stand strong and even be silent as we know You are doing a great work in us and around us. Praise You for always being right and always being on the side of godliness! Thank you for having greater hopes for us than we do. Let us know You and your purposes. Give us joy and patience, Lord. Thank you for hearing us and helping us. Bless the ones who read your Word and obey it. Keep us strong. Thank you for teaching us the hard lessons. Let us not despise them. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Put a cult member or lost friend on your buddy list and prayer list. Pray for them each time you see them online. Be ready to share the gospel with them, too. Pray fervently and see what God does!

God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

A Moment of Introspection

What if everything you made time for today is all you make time for tomorrow?

Some people are waiting for the perfect time to do something. This something could be giving to their church, doing some Christian service, making an important change in their life, sharing the gospel, etc. It's very hard to find the perfect time for these things. You have to make time for them.

We tend to make time for the things we love. Those who love watching a certain television show rarely miss it. Those who love to golf always seem to find time to golf.

Why is it so hard to find time to do things for the Lord? Perhaps it's because we don't see the eternal rewards or blessings that we'll receive. Perhaps it's because there is spiritual warfare and the enemy does his best to prevent us from doing things for Him.

At any rate, we need to fight the temptation to sit on our hands and do nothing for the Lord who saved us. God will give us strength to rise up and do His will. He will empower us and we will feel His Holy Spirit as we live and work for Him.

Many Christians have experienced the awesome feeling of making time for God in their lives. You can do this too! Pray and set your mind to it!

The Bible Trivia Question

When King David conquered Jerusalem, who was living there?

Last Week's Bible Trivia Answer

Paul was bitten by a snake. When he recovered from the poisonous bite, the indigenous people thought he was a god. See Acts 28:3.

Quotations

It's a blessing to know you're living in God's will.

It's a joy to be where God wants you.

Ask people why they believe in God.

We must show people that Christianity is not just personal, but interpersonal.

Are your eyes more focused on God or the blessings from God?

Do you pray more for godly characteristics or presents and gifts?

When things get tough, do you complain?

Don't let culture change the way God wants you to be and see Him and life.

If God isn't first in our lives, we are experiencing some form of idolatry.

When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He quoted from Deuteronomy more than any other book.

People who have questions generally either want an answer or an argument.

How you respond to Jesus' message of salvation will determine if you enter His kingdom.

Theories are not facts.

Imagine how your culture would be if people treated theories like facts.

If you don't know what God's Word says, how will you use it as a litmus test on the things in this world?

Only be consumed by God.

Pray to God for help to love the ones that are difficult to love.

God helps us love irritating people.

True and diligent followers of Christ don't fall for the messages that cults promise.

Accept your loved ones strengths and weaknesses.

If you don't cut the umbilical cords of dependency and allegiance to your parents, you'll undermine the interdependence you are to build as a husband and wife.

To cleave means to stick like glue.

It is your sacred and unconditional covenant, made in the presence of Almighty God, that will create a secure marriage relationship.

A partial commitment to your spouse will only create fear and guarantee failure of your marriage.

Love is to will another person's good.

Divorce not only causes terrible damage to you and to those you love, but it also brings shame upon the name of Christ.

In marriage, one plus one equals one!

Spiritually speaking, take a look in the mirror and analyze what you see.

The commitment to receive your mate as God's perfect provision for you must be based on faith in a God who can be trusted.

Marriage is an intensely spiritual relationship.

A Christian should not enter into a relationship with an unbeliever because it will be a relationship built on opposing values and goals.

What if everything you made time for today is all you make time for tomorrow?

If you and your spouse or loved one are growing in Christ, you will experience special joy and teamwork in your relationship.

We need to pray throughout the day and have times of extended prayer.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Elisabeth Elliot, Dennis Rainey and John Leeder.

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!

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Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

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