This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

www.JCSM.org

Over 1500 Links!

Hello!

Lots of great info, lots of great stuff. Here comes this weeks devos!

I pray that you had a great weekend. I hope you had a time to relax and draw closer to Christ!

Sarine and I got a 25 gallon fish tank and filled it with three mollies and three tiger barbs. The black, lyre tail molly was pregnant and just had about ten, tiny mollies! We grabbed them and put them in another bowl and we'll raise them there. If you have the means, look into getting a fish tank! Watching one lowers your blood pressure and it's a fun hobby, too.

Have you visited the International Church Directory? We'd love to hear about your church! Go to the following site and share a few words about your place of worship: http://pub.alxnet.com/guestbook?id=1321937.

The San Diego Prayer Challenge ministry is trying to get every child in San Diego prayed for, individually! The Rock has decided to help this ministry and they've printed students from a local high school and junior high on book marks. They've offered these bookmarks to their members and asked them to pray for them. If you'd like to learn more about this awesome ministry, please go here: http://www.sandiegoprayerchallenge.org.

Please pray that Sarine finds a job, soon. She's been looking for one and is waiting for an employer to call her about a certain interview she had. She's seeking God's will in her life and wanting to find the best job for her.

Have you heard Sonic Flood's new album? Sonicpraise was released three weeks ago and I just got a copy of it. It's so awesome! I highly recommend this worship album, especially if you like guitar-driven worship!

Are you going to Spirit West Coast this year? The awesome, four day, Christian music festival will rock in July. The tickets are on sale now. Go to www.spiritwestcoast.org and discover who is playing and all the other details. Email me if you'll be there!

Right now, I'm reading an incredible book called, "The Magog Invasion." Chuck Missler has written this book that reveals awesome things about the end times. Of course there's no new biblical information, but Chuck reveals some of the armaments and agendas of the prophesied countries in Ezekiel 38 and 39. He is taking me through a history of Russia and showing me who will be aligned with her when she launches the attack on Israel.

Chuck Missler has a great ministry and you can read about it here: http://www.khouse.org. He shares his Personal Update message with over 100,000 Christians every month. It's a great update and I look forward to reading next month's issue! On the K-House web site, you can get it for free.

I've also been reading a great book by Bruce Wilkinson. He has written a one hundred page book called, "The Jabez Prayer." About four years ago, he came to my church and preached about this special prayer. He wanted us to pray it for 30 days and while I prayed it for 30 days, this ministry was birthed! I'm enjoying the book and I recommend it.

What does God say about abortion? Please see here: http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/abortioniswrong.htm.

The Institute for Creation Research is one of the greatest places in the world for proving biblical creation. This place began as a small building in Santee, California. Now, it's huge and even offers schooling to people who want to get degrees while they're learning about creation! It's only an hour from where I live, so I need to visit this place again! Here is their web site: http://www.icr.org.

In the month of April, our main web site received an average of 53 hits per day! This is about 50 more hits than last month (plus, last month had 31 days and this month had 30)! Praise God for this growth. I pray we keep reaching more and more people.

Please pray for this ministry! Since AOL has been harassing me, I keep praying that this account won't get a violation or warning. It's comforting to know that God is in control and His hand is on this ministry. I'm sure there will always be a way to spread the good news on the web.

Do you have a new email address? Would you like the devotions sent somewhere else? Whether it be a personal or work address, feel free to give me your new address or a friend's email address.

We've created a new page at JCSM. Would you like to see a list of all the important days and U.S. holidays on our calendar? I've compiled a nearly exhaustive list and uploaded it here: http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/WR.htm.

Did you know that Switchfoot is being played on MTV? If you'd like to continue seeing them (or having them) on there, please go to their site: http://www.mtv.com/nav/intro_mtv2.html. Click MTV2 Video Request and type in Switchfoot: You Already Take Me There (or any other Switchfoot video). Let's get Christian artists on the air!

Do you need someone to participate in a survey? Do you have any questions about God's Word? Feel free to email me! I'll respond as soon as possible.

Keep loving the Lord! Hide His Word in your heart, so you won't sin against Him! I pray that you persevere in your walk with the Lord. Everyone knows that you always make time for the things you love.

*** Are you receiving about twelve pages with this message? If this message is truncated, and perhaps you're only receiving half of it, you can always find these devotions on my web site! Simply go here: http://devos.jcsm.org.

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 45,000 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

ICQ#: 20731140

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "Do You Know the Word?"

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

Psalm 119:11 "Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You."

1 John 5:7 "For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one."

James 1:22 "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves."

John 1:1-3 "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to know You, Lord. Bless us and help us understand You, too. Thank you for revealing yourself to us through your Word. Thank you for actually being the living Word! Thank you for being supernatural and puzzling our minds. Let us be like You, Lord. Thank you for teaching us great things. Give us more faith in You. Increase our love for You and others. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Jabez Prayer"

1 Chronicles 4:10 "And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, 'Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!' So God granted him what he requested."

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us this brief passage of scripture. Show us how it can make a difference in our lives. Thank you for making a simple sentence a supernatural phenomenon. Praise You for being greater than anything we've ever seen or known. Let us experience times of refreshment from You! Help us to rest at your feet and know that You are God. Let us pray the Jabez prayer and see what You do. Thank you for always hearing us. Thank you for answering this prayer in very powerful ways! To You be all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "There's Definitely A Rapture - A Thief In The Night"

Matthew 24:40-42 "Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming."

1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord."

Revelation 3:3 "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you."

1 Corinthians 15:52 "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed."

Prayer: "Thank you for the verses on the rapture! Thank you that we are approaching the time when You take the believers from the Earth! Thank you for answering our prayers and fulfilling prohecies. Thank you for giving us so many signs of the end times. Help us to be faithful to You. Show us how You are preparing the entire world for your final plans. Thank you for showing us what will happen; literally giving us information about future events! Remind us that we have an awesome tool and weapon called the Bible. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Be Faithful To God"

Galatians 5:22 "But the fruit of the Spirit is.....faithfulness....."

Revelation 2:4 "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love."

1 John 4:19 "We love Him because He first loved us."

Psalm 31:23 "Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints! For the LORD preserves the faithful, And fully repays the proud person."

Proverb 20:6 "Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, But who can find a faithful man?"

Proverb 28:20 "A faithful man will abound with blessings, But he who hastens to be rich will not go unpunished."

Prayer: "Thank you for making us more faithful than we used to be. Thank you for showing us the benefits of faithfulness! Thank you for being so good to us. Thank you for protecting us when we are close to You. Thank you for making the world look at us like we are different. Thank you for calling us out of the world and putting our feet on a Rock. You are our awesome faithful God! Help us to follow your example and be faithful to You! Thank you for your patience and mercy. Forgive us for being distracted and chasing lesser things. Put us on the path and/or keep us on the path to You! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Rewards For Works"

Matthew 16:27 "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

Psalm 37:18 "The days of the blameless are known to the Lord, and their inheritance will endure forever."

Proverb 19:17 "He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will reward him for what he has done."

Jeremiah 17:10 "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

Matthew 6:20 "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal."

Prayer: "Thank you for rewarding the people who obey You! Thank you for giving them great things on Earth and in Heaven. Thank you for giving us awesome blessings and rewards. Thank you for the promises in your Word. Help us to remember them and cling to them. Forgive us for being forgetful or complacent. Put a fire in our hearts to do your will! Remind us of the joy of serving, loving and obeying You! Cause us to be your faithful servants. Put a smile on our faces and give us joy, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Christ's Authority and Power"

Luke 4:36 "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."

1 Corinthians 15:22-24 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming. Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power."

2 Corinthians 10:4-6 "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."

Ephesians 1:19-21 "And what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."

Colossians 2:9-12 "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead."

Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe."

Psalm 18:2, 3 "The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; So shall I be saved from my enemies."

Prayer: "Praise You for being stronger than all! Thank you for letting us have some of the power that You have/are. Thank you for working through us. Thank you for using your power for good and not for evil! Remind us that You have a perfect will and we need to walk in your Spirit and do your will. Change our hearts and let us know your will. Let there be less of us and more of You, Lord. Thank you for directing our paths and feet. Remind us that You are the greatest power in the universe and we have no need or business fearing any other things. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "We've Been Redeemed!"

Psalm 55:18 "He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me."

Psalm 71:23 "My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, And my soul, which You have redeemed."

1 Corithians 1:30 "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption."

Galatians 3:13, 14 "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."

Ephesians 1:7 "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace."

1 Peter 1:18, 19 "Know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."

Prayer: "Thank you for redeeming us! Thank you for dusting us off and putting us on the road to Heaven! Thank you for taking sinners and making them worth something. Thank you for accepting the ones that the world has rejected! Thank you for being color blind. Thank you for totally redeeming us with your love and not permitting your redemption to be earned. Thank you for completely redeeming us, so we don't have to worry about it. Thank you for making us new and whole! Thank you for putting your Holy Spirit inside of us! There is no other God like You in the whole universe! To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Get a piece of paper (or open a blank document on your computer). Write or type all the names of the people that you need to forgive. Take some time to brainstorm. Try and recall the people who have wronged you. Search your mind and your relationships.

Write as many things as you can. When you're all finished, pray and forgive these people for what they did against you. Tear up the paper and you'll feel like a big weight has been lifted off your shoulders!

Luke 6:37 "Forgive, and you will be forgiven."

Matthew 18:21, 22 "Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."

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

A Moment of Introspection

What bothers you about what the devil is doing to people?

Use this passion to serve God. If you are upset at a foothold the devil has in people's lives, you will fight to remove it. Pray against it. Find scriptures that show God can remove it.

Look for a ministry that you can join or begin. God will let you serve Him if you want to serve Him. He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called.

The Bible Trivia Question

How many lamp stands, seals, bowls and plagues are there in Revelation?

Last Week's Bible Trivia Answer

The last part of the gospel of Mark is not in some of the manuscripts that were used to canonize the Bible (Mark 16:9-20).

Quotations

Are you anxious for God's Word to pierce your heart?

Revelation is the only book of the Bible that promises a blessing if you read it.

Do you have any idea what kind of spiritual warfare godly, influential people face?

Let fulfilled prophecy increase your faith.

Jesus wants His followers to be busy in service and in sharing the good news right up to the day He returns.

Do you know the joy of being forgiven?

Remember Noah, when the world ridicules you for looking foolish to them while you take steps of faith for God. He built an enormous ark, on dry land, before it had ever rained, because God told Him to do it.

We're supposed to be salt and light, not pepper and hot sauce.

If you're not ashamed of Jesus, let others know about Him.

If your ears are being tickled at church, go to one where the message isn't watered down.

You're not a victim of your emotions.

Pray that you can share Christ with others.

The burden that God puts on your heart will be proof of your calling.

God's calling will drive you to do something you might not normally do.

The degree of your burden will reflect the degree of your action.

Find God's burden or calling for your life.

God has prepared you, throughout your life, to do something for Him.

God wants to know how you'll use your success for His glory.

There won't be Miss Heaven pageants in Heaven.

If you're wondering what your calling is, ask God.

Do you want to be rich in Heaven?

God uses pain.

What bothers you about what the devil is doing to people?

Are you so hung up on your own issues that you can't be bothered with anyone else?

What preoccupies your mind and heart?

Don't neglect answering God's calling in your life.

God's calling is irrevocable.

Every believer is the perfect person for at least one of God's jobs.

If God is against you, no one can be for you.

If you haven't been trusted to do the big things God has for you, then you probably haven't been faithful with the little things.

If you died in a month from now, would people say you were a godly person?

God isn't only a God of love and mercy, He's also a God of power and judgment.

Although evil may seem to reign now, it will be ended soon.

God figuratively forgets our confessed sins.

Nobody has a memory like God's.

If you want wisdom, truth or the right answer, look to God.

If you don't hear God speaking, you must be interrupting Him.

If someone else is content with their outward appearance, can't you be content with them, too?

Jesus is more powerful than we could ever imagine.

Fall at God's feet and worship Him.

Christ holds the keys to Heaven and Hell.

If we are being oppressed, we can remember that Jesus will judge the oppressors.

Without Christ, my works of righteousness fall far short of salvation.

Don't take God's grace for granted.

In Heaven, our insecurities will be gone.

Don't let worries keep you from God.

Nothing in God's Word is insignificant.

Will your works stand God's test of fire?

At the point of salvation, we can start storing treasures in Heaven.

The national powers that we see hell-bent for destruction, amassing weapons, killing and being killed, are not the ultimate power.

Mothers, fathers, teachers, pastors, counselors, politicians, diplomats, bankers, police officers, social workers, wardens and jailers, probation officers, tax collectors, dictators and their soldiers, kings and presidents will all one day stand powerless before this God of John's vision.

History teaches us that man learns nothing from history.

Assured victory empowers the army.

Christ shines from the church like light from a lamp stand.

Beautiful things should compliment hard work.

Behind the universe there is a power and a person worthy of our praise and of our trust.

Wise people learn from others' mistakes. Ordinary people learn from their own mistakes. Fools never learn.

Wise men love rebuke because it improves their lives.

What are you doing with what I've poured into you?

Silence me, so I can hear you.

Burden me with your plan.

Knowing the facts helps reveal the fiction.

How many times do you say in your mind, "I love you, God!" and "I hate you, Satan!"?

If someone wants to dissect their successful, Christian life for you, take a minute to watch the dissection.

Before we can ask for God's blessing with confidence, we need a clear understanding of what the word "blessing" means.

To bless in the biblical sense means to ask for or to impart spiritual favor.

Asking for God's blessing, instead of specific things, shows you trust Him to give you exactly what you need.

There's good and bad things about everyone and everywhere.

Christians know some future events.

God is not someone who has lots of time. He is outside the domain of time altogether.

Don't let your relationships become a tug-o-war of wants.

If life is like a parade, God is watching it from a helicopter and we are watching it from the street.

When was the last time God worked through you in such a way that you knew beyond doubt God had done it?

Great men of faith think differently than the rest of the world.

Is it possible that God wants you to be more selfish in your prayers?

When we ask God's blessing, we're not asking for more of what we could get for ourselves.

Godly people like godly people and godly messages.

God never wanted us to decide if a girl or guy should be our mate by judging how nice their butt or legs look.

It's sad when a girl or guy's best quality is their looks.

Beauty can fade, but godliness is attractive forever.

All must be washed, to be admitted into the gracious presence of God on earth, and his glorious presence in heaven.

All true believers wholly ascribe their redemption and conversion, their present privileges and future hopes, to the eternal and most holy God.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Matthew Henry, Chuck Missler, Bruce Wilkinson, Billy Graham, Dennis Morales, Kent Hildebrand, Jeremy Camp, George Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and Miles McPhearson.

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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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.

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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. Their motto is "help, not hassle". Hotline counselors 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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Go here to donate free Bibles to people: http://www.TheBibleSite.org. If you want to join an organization that helps feed and clothe poor people, check into World Vision. You can see their site here: www.worldvision.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. If you have internet access and need a great, online, study Bible, go here: www.biblestudytools.net

Since April of 1997, the weekly devotional message has been sent on the internet. This message currently reaches over 13,000 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.

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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."