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Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

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Hello!

I pray that you had a great week and weekend!

I was really blessed at the Skillet concert! Meeting the band, I was really impressed. John and Korey are really sweet and godly musicians. Their concert was incredible, too! If you haven't heard their new album called "Invincible", I'd definitely recommend it. They are releasing a worship album in a couple weeks, too. Their web site is here: www.skillet.org. Please pray for them and their tour to impact the lives of many.

I've made it my goal to pray for 30 minutes, every day when I wake, and read two chapters of the Bible. If I do more than that, praise the Lord, but that is the minimum I'll be doing. Please hold me accountable. Either email me or send me an instant message to see if I'm praying and reading. I want to grow spiritually and know God more!

Monday is Labor Day in the United States! If you are in the U.S., happy Labor Day! I hope you enjoy it.

Last week, I learned my first worship song in Spanish! If you have any or know where to find them (with lyrics and chords), please let me know! Dios te bendiga!

To those who are sending five dollars a month, thank you very much! If you have pledged a donation, but haven't sent it yet, please do so. My address is at the bottom of this message.

Would you like to hear the newest Christian music and see live videos? Go to www.Acaza.com. Last week, I heard Rebecca St. James' new single, "Don't Worry" and it was great.

Please pray for a new believer named Courtney. She called the youth crisis hotline and wanted to accept Christ! Praise the Lord. I was excited to be the one to share the gospel with her and tell her about being saved. Pray that she seeks Christ every day.

Would you like to know how safe or unsafe your vehicle is? You can find out here: http://www.insure.com/auto/collision/

A friend of mine gave me a book called "Jesus Freaks" and it's great. It tells stories about Christian martyrs and how they stood up for Christ. DC Talk helped create it and I recommend it. There are some awesome stories of faith and perseverance.

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 34,580 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, I'm 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.

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: "Everyone Marveled!"

Matthew 27:14 "But He answered him not one word, so that the governor marveled greatly."

Matthew 8:27 "So the men marveled, saying, 'Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?'"

Matthew 9:6-8 "But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins' - then He said to the paralytic, 'Arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.' And he arose and departed to his house. Now when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power to men."

Matthew 9:33 "And when the demon was cast out, the mute spoke. And the multitudes marveled, saying, 'It was never seen like this in Israel!'"

Matthew 15:31 "So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel."

Mark 5:20 "And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled."

John 7:46 "The officers answered, 'No man ever spoke like this Man!'"

Prayer: "Thank you for being so awesome, Lord! Thank you for showing us how so many people marveled at your power and character. Let us stand in awe of you, too. Thank you for doing what is right, not what this world wants you to do. Praise You for your perfection! There's no other God like You. Thank you for your marvelous ways! Praise You for the miracles you do. Let us see You how you truly are, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "Flee From Lust"

1 Corinthians 6:18 "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body."

2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to stay pure. Forgive us for all our sins. Help us to desire purity and godliness. Give us strength to flee temptation. Thank you for overcoming all sins and giving us away to overcome or flee. Thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit! Remind us that we have your power within us. Let us be sensitive to your Holy Spirit and listen to your voice. Thank you for our convictions and your Word. Help us to read it and apply it. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Count It All Joy"

James 1:2-3 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience."

2 Timothy 3:12 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

Romans 8:35-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: 'For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.' Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Prayer: "Thank you for promising us persecution in this world. Let us prepare for it and expect it. Help us to consider it joy when we are persecuted. Thank you for all the awesome examples of persecution in the Bible and in other texts. Remind us that it is all right to suffer and even die for the cause of Christ. Remind us of the great people of faith who did not deny You. Give us great boldness and strength. Remove our worries and fears, Lord. You are our only God and salvation and we cannot deny You! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "More Money?"

Proverb 11:28 "He who trusts in his riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like foliage."

Proverb 13:7 "There is one who makes himself rich, yet has nothing; And one who makes himself poor, yet has great riches."

Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."

Prayer: "Thank you for money, Lord. Let us remember that money in itself isn't bad, but the love of money is. Forgive us for being materialistic and greedy. Reveal the terrible faults of our culture that boasts shows like "Greed" and "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire." Reveal the stories of the people who have become rich with money and lost their grip of reality and devotion to God. Thank you for letting us have a simple life. Thank you for freeing us from the clutches of the love of money. Praise You, Lord! Thank you for telling us there is so much more to this life than money! Thank you for taking care of us and giving us what we need. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Sow and Reap"

2 Corinthians 9:6 "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully."

Galatians 6:7-10 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith."

Prayer: "Let us understand the concept of reaping what we sow. Light a fire under us and cause us to serve You with all our heart. Praise You for being so worthy of our devotion. Let us remember that giving our entire life to You is what You require and deserve. Remove our half-hearted devotion and let us be fully devoted to You! Thank you for having patience and grace on us. Let us be brutally honest with ourselves when it comes to what we are sowing and reaping. Give us strength and discipline to do what YOU will, not what we will. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "The Spirit vs. The Flesh"

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

John 3:6 "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit."

John 6:63 "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life."

Romans 8:1, 5, 9, 13 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 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."

Galatians 5:16-25 "I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Prayer: "Thank you for teaching us about the Spirit and the flesh. Thank you for helping us control the urges of the flesh. Thank you for this unique battle that we have against the flesh. Remind us that we will have no more battle in Heaven! Give us great self-control, Lord. Show us what is best and let us cling to You with all we have. Forgive us for falling short of your glorious ideal. Let us forgive ourselves and stride toward You. Praise You for letting us worship You in spirit and in truth! Help us to crave the fruits of the Sprit. Make us like You, Jesus! We want nothing less. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "The God of Wrath"

John 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Romans 1:18-19 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them."

Romans 3:5, 6 "But if our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world?"

Psalm 110:5 "The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath."

Romans 12:19 "Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord."

Prayer: "Thank you for being a God of wrath. Let us understand your entire character and not alter it in our minds for our own purposes. Thank you for being our Lord and Savior. Thank you for saving us from your wrath! Let us be very motivated to share the gospel with unbelievers who are still under your wrath. Thank you for having so much mercy on everyone. Thank you for loving us and protecting us, Lord. Help us to hate sin. Help us to see like You do. Thank you for being completely perfect. Let us desire your ways and your truth. You are our God! Let us pray for unbelievers. Save more people, Lord. Draw them to You and pull them out of the pit. Thank you for delaying your return so more people can come into your kingdom. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Face your fears and do what you haven't done because of your fear. There is something in everyone's life that they haven't done because they've been afraid. What have you been afraid of doing? Pray about this and see what God wants you to do.

Miles gave us that challenge. Right after he gave it to us, I knew what I had to do. I've been convicted to witness to a person who works at 7-11. I see her all the time and we chat when the store is empty. I've been putting off witnessing to her for no good reason. Now, I'm determined to share the gospel with her!

Please accept God's strength this week and do something that you haven't done because you've been afraid. God will be with you. He will bless, protect and reward you! God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

A Moment of Introspection

"Take a minute to look through your checkbook. How do you spend your money?" The sermon at Horizon was on this subject.

Some people are good stewards of their money; they tithe it, pay their bills, save some, give some to needy people, etc. However, some people are poor stewards of their money; they waste it on gambling, they always buy the newest clothes and things, they have very expensive hobbies, they have huge debt and unnecessary bills, etc. Which steward are you?

Please take stock of how you are spending your money. We are required to be wise stewards of what God has given us. God is the one who gives and takes. If we are not doing what He wants with our money, He will judge us for it.

If you need any prayer or counsel about the stewardship of your money, please email me. God bless you!

Quotations

When you seek counsel, give all the details and accept scriptural advice.

God will bring you good friends if you choose to leave your sinful ones.

Hold the scriptures higher than what any human says.

If you are not in awe over the things of God, you must not be thinking about them.

Some people can be offended without you saying a word.

God will reveal things, that we previously didn't realize were sinful that we need to clean up in our lives.

Are you a slave to sin, which leads to death or a slave to obedience which leads to righteousness?

Are you wholeheartedly listening to God?

Sinful actions reap nothing good.

Your life should be drawing people to Christ without you even knowing it.

The law reveals to us our sins. The Lord reveals to us salvation and forgiveness.

Don't divorce God.

How convicted do you feel when you sin?

Do you realize how much God wants you to bear fruit?

The power of God's Word is phenomenal.

Satan shines a spotlight on our sins while God shines His grace on us.

Do positive things with your friends.

If Satan tried to tempt God, it would be like someone trying to stop a Sherman tank by throwing a rock at it.

Fighting spiritual battles in your own power is a great way to lose them.

Overcoming temptation requires a wholehearted desire to do so.

What you do in secret is an important part of your spiritual self.

Are you setting aside an hour for the Lord or are you setting aside your life for Him?

Make a date with Jesus Christ.

God loves people so much that He saved one while He was dying on the cross.

Some of the loudest sinners become the loudest believers in Christ.

The Bible teaches us how sinful we have become, but Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit provide the power to overcome sin.

Sometimes it seems like only God and I are smiling.

The world will wonder why you aren't succumbing to the demons they are.

God will increase your imagination.

Christians have an awesome opportunity and responsibility to be thankful in even the worst circumstances.

Being thankful in adverse circumstances will help you discover why you are experiencing them.

Christ will complete you if you let Him.

If you let Him, God will teach you things, even in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Are you acting like you know an amazing God or do you know Him?

Ask your friends to call and encourage you.

I want my fans to be God's fans.

I can't drive my truck for fifteen minutes without God teaching me something.

Some people don't talk about Jesus because they don't love Him that much.

Buying things can become addictive.

Ironically, being anxious can cause things to take longer than they should.

God knows exactly what the palms of my hands look like.

Unbelievers will never have the same smile that believers have.

Are you alone in a crowded world?

Many things in life are like waves with poor form - you have to pass on them and wait for the better ones. If you take the poor ones, you'll miss the best ones.

Is being accountable to someone desirable to you?

If Jesus Christ didn't exist, wouldn't Paul have been very bitter in the last days before his death?

Are you a nominal Christian?

Are you a CEO (Christmas/Easter Only) Christian?

It seems that it requires at least a little knowledge of a subject before one can stand in awe of it.

In the end, all I will have is my faith, but in the end, all I will need is my faith.

What the world thinks has nothing to do with what the Bible says.

Many of Jesus' parables and the verses in Proverbs are about money.

Every Christian is rich.

The question isn't, "Do you have money?," it's "Does money have you?"

The world's esteem won't make a person fulfilled.

Recognize where the devil has lied to you and tricked you.

Thinking that possessions will give you fulfillment is like thinking saltwater will quench your thirst.

Why do we imagine that the healthy things are unhealthy or unsatisfying?

Is your faith growing or dissolving? Maturing or disintegrating?

Hang onto the elements in your life that promote growth.

Cut off activities and relationships that cause you to sin and replace them with ones that help you grow.

Wealth and prosperity come from God.

Take a minute to look through your checkbook. How do you spend your money?

Over the next month, skip one extra expense and give the money to a Christian ministry.

Money is like manure. It doesn't do any good heaped in one pile.

Keep the highest standards for God in your thoughts and actions.

If you can't help or see them change, detach yourself from people with a negative attitude.

Put the brakes on gossip. Squash it like an intruding spider.

Prosperity doesn't come from the President. It comes from God.

What is more important than the condition of my love for God?

Why didn't someone tell me sooner that sarcasm was a sin?

Be careful how you tease others.

Replace wasted time with an activity that has value in the kingdom of God.

Learning to control the tongue is an important step in self-control.

When Jesus is all you have, you'll realize that Jesus is all you need.

Be good, God's way; not your way.

I wonder what happens in the spiritual world when we speak God's Word.

Everyone who is saved has a ministry.

You need to know the work He's called you to do and the work He hasn't called you to do.

I belong to God and nobody else.

Men have to deal with the great, physical beauty of some women.

Argue for your limitations and they'll be yours.

You will want some great "war stories" when you get to Heaven.

If you don't see the devil opposing you, you're probably walking with Him.

If the world stabs you in the bach, God will heal and bless you.

The nature of the killings of the apostles of Christ lends to the fact that they had walked and talked with the living God.

If your non-Christian friends are looking at you and saying you are exactly like them, there's a problem.

Draw new conclusions on how you will think and behave when you hear a sermon.

When you meet people in Heaven who had great faith on Earth, you will want to have had great faith, too.

The evolution of species is ridiculous.

Evolution is a theory that is based on the philosophy that there is no God.

If you are bold for Christ, people will oppose you, stir up others against you and persecute you.

The enemies of God will team up against you when you are making waves for Him.

Don't be consumed with arguing with someone when you can move on and share the gospel with others.

Look to the people who are receptive to God's Word. Don't worry about the people who aren't.

Face your fears and do what you haven't done because of your fear.

Do you want to get closer to the Lord? Start overcoming your obstacles.

Don't let your cool image keep you from accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.

What haven't you done because of your fear?

All the things we're scared of are so small through God's eyes.

The devil will try and scare you into not serving the Lord.

You can't imagine all the blessings God has for you.

Some things God asks you to do will make no sense to others, but will make perfect sense to Him.

Doing what's right supercedes how you feel.

If your words aren't real, you're not saying anything of value.

Someone can do ten wrong things to you and you can do one wrong thing to them and you'll need to apologize for it.

Don't demand reciprocity when you apologize to someone.

If people only knew a couple things about you, that will be your "Bible" to them.

If someone says they don't need prayer, that's probably a sign they need it.

Some people are wrongly yoked, not unequally yoked.

Staying in a wrong relationship too long can cause big problems.

Be active and compassionate to the people around you.

Jesus offers hope, healing and new life to all who come to Him in faith.

Boldly put your life in Christ's hands and let God do a miracle!

Believe in God, not the system.

Acting religious without God in the center of your life will produce an air of religiosity without God's power in your life.

How are we so arrogant to say when or how God's Spirit will move?

God is doing things we cannot see.

When His immediate family thought that Jesus was a lunatic, He expanded the concept of His family to include the kinship of people who love God.

Let Christ renew your love and let it flow freely again, as it once did.

Sometimes even those close to Jesus were slow to realize how much He loved them.

Consider the impact of stories that have taught you and tell them to others.

What stories of Jesus' love and ministry can you share with others?

Jesus experienced stressful, chaotic days like ours. He knows what the pace of our life is like.

If today starts to get hectic, take five minutes to be alone with God.

If your work gets interrupted, ask God for patience to deal with the interruption and for endurance to finish the task.

Jesus amazed the people by His teaching and dumbfounded them by His actions.

One sentence from God is better than a book from a human.

You can't have victory without confrontation.

You can't be purified without the fire.

Ministry is about being available to God and letting Him use you where you are.

God puts some people in our life, simply so we will pray for them.

Do you want to do something great for someone? Pray for them.

It feels like God loves me more and more each day, but I know He can't.

Satan uses false prophets to make false religions.

What is your Bible?

Ask the Lord to show you the areas of your negligence.

Unless you remove the roots, the weeds will sprout again.

When God opens a door, nobody can close it.

In the darkest times of our life, who can we turn to but Jesus?

Every time I look at You, I see something new.

I'm convinced that some people would die telling me that the color black was actually the color red.

There is no greater adventure than the pursuit of God!

Depression isn't of God.

Fools ask a multitude of questions, but want no answers.

If my goal in life was to convert you, I'd have a miserable life.

Read God's Word and you'll know why I believe it.

God will provide for all our needs - we just can exaggerate our needs to Him and expect Him to meet all our wants.

All roses have thorns and all thorns have a purpose.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Miles McPhearson, Mickey Stonier and my friends from New Venture.

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. 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 nearly 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.

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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. Also, email me if you wish to be removed from this list. If you prefer to receive the devotions in Spanish or French, please email me and I'll send you them each week in either Spanish or French!

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.

The weekly devotional message has been sent since April, of 1997. This message currently reaches 3815 people in 98 countries. To read a list of the 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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