This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Over 2500 Links!

Hello!

I hope you're having a super day.

Last night, I debated an atheist named Reggie Finley. He runs the "Infidel Guy" web site at http://www.infidelguy.com and has a radio show and webcast. Our conversation is on the web, so if you'd like to hear it, please click here. Please pray for him and the listeners to accept Christ.

Our topic was "The Middle East Situation In Light of Biblical Prophecy". However, we talked about numerous subjects for 90 minutes. The subjects debated include Creation, Messianic prophecies, prophecies regarding Israel, the Fall in the Garden of Eden, prayer and much more.

If you feel equipped and desire to debate some atheists, please email me. They are seeking and now is the time to give them the good news. If you've been studying your Bible and have the answers that they need, you can help in the forums, chat rooms and maybe even on the radio.

We have 2500 links, now! I'm sure you noticed the change in our header. We've been making a lot of new web pages and links, lately. If you haven't seen JCSM lately, now would be a great time to visit!

Are you interested in reading some wise quotes? I've compiled the quotes from my devotional messages (since January, 2000) and uploaded them to the web. You can read these by month and be encouraged. There are hundreds of pages of them! Link: http://quotes.jcsm.org.

This weekend, we sent the gospel to 73,000 people! Please pray for their salvation and for us as we continue to send the gospel to the world. Sending the gospel to 34 million people is a huge endeavor, but we're determined to complete it.

Have you ever used AOL? I've been doing internet ministry for five years and using AOL and it's been quite helpful and useful. There are chat rooms, easy-to-use email, a nice browser, fast connections and much more. If you'd like to try AOL, let me know and I'll have them send you the software for free. You'll get 1000 free hours in 45 days as a trial. If you decide to sign up, JCSM will get $25.

This week, I made a web page that you "scientific types" will enjoy. I've researched countless scientists, philosophers, biologists, physicists and other "science greats" and compiled a list of the ones that believe in Creation! You will probably be amazed at the well-known scientists that believe God created the Heavens and the Earth as it was stated in Genesis! Here is the link: http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/Famous.htm.

Do you need something supernatural in your life? How about something "soupernatural"? Kevin Max (from DC Talk) is starring in a new movie called Soupernatural. He's a miracle working soup kitchen worker. For the trailer and much more information, please go here: http://www.soupernaturalmovie.com.

Jeff Deyo, the lead singer of SonicFlood's first two albums (SonicFlood and SonicPraise), has released his first solo album called Saturate. If you've been listening to Christian music, you should instantly identify his voice and be inspired by his music. I know I was. You can listen to some samples of his music, here: http://www.gotee.com/studio/jeffdeyo.php (also, see http://www.jeffdeyo.com).

CreationFest has produced a live worship album from their latest music festival. It includes songs like "Above All", "God of Wonders", "Breathe", "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and more. If you'd like to investigate this new, worship album, please go here: http://www.gospelcom.net/creation/east/creationworships.php.

Have you ever been inside a Sharper Image store? They have a lot of cutting edge devices and new inventions. Recently, I bought a "Personal Cooling Device 2.0" and it works very nicely. Some of their things are a bit expensive, like the massaging chair, but these things are worth seeing. Here's their site: http://www.sharperimage.com.

I pray God blesses you richly as you grow in the knowledge of Him. Like Steven Curtis Chapman says, "There's no better place than the road that leads to Heaven. There's no place I'd rather be."

Please pray for my church's youth conference. Our high shoolers and junior highers are going to a conference called "The Elements" in Temecula. We are hoping and praying that they will return changed people, on-fire for God!

Tomorrow, Switchfoot, Pax217, Benjamin Gate, The Elms & DJ Andy Hunter are having a FREE concert in Hollywood. The Troubador is located at 9081 Santa Monica. Wristbands are given at 5pm, doors open at 6pm and the show starts at 7pm. All ages are welcome, but only the first 200 get in.

Are you getting this message every week? Are you receiving about twelve pages with this message? If this message isn't reaching you consistently or if it's shortened, you can always find these weekly devotions on our web site! Devotional archive: http://devos.jcsm.org. Plus, if www.jcsm.org isn't working, please try www.jcsm.net.

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 2500 links (pictures, midis, Bible lessons, humor, proverbial stories, links, devotions, poetry, prayer journals and much more!) and it has registered over 69,000 visits!

Would you like to support God's work on the web? If this ministry has touched you in a special way, please pray and consider sending a gift to JCSM. You can join us in our vision to reach people on the web with the good news! Either email me for more information or simply go here: http://vision.jcsm.org.

If you need to email me, please see the address below. Hitting "reply" to this message won't send an email to me. I'm sorry if this is an inconvenience to you, however, rest assured that I will answer all of the emails I receive.

Welcome to the new recipients of this message! Here are the devotions, challenge, moment of introspection, the Bible word of the week 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

ICQ#: 20731140

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "Be An Effective Communicator"

2 Corinthians 8:7 "But as you abound in everything--in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love for us--see that you abound in this grace also."

Colossians 4:6 "Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one."

Titus 2:6-8 "Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you."

Prayer: "Bless us, increase our ministry, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil. Praise You for being such a great God! Thank you for being able to communicate to us in a way we can understand. Forgive us for closing our ears or ignoring you. Help us to better communicators. Let us understand what it means to truly listen and to speak words of truth in love. Thank you for meeting us where we are and taking us where You want us to be! Let us have patience with ourselves and others. Increase our speaking skills and the improve the way we convey things; especially the gospel. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Careful Usage of Words"

Proverb 4:20 "My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings."

Proverb 8:8 "All the words of my mouth are with righteousness; Nothing crooked or perverse is in them."

Proverb 10:19 "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, But he who restrains his lips is wise."

Proverb 15:26 "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, But the words of the pure are pleasant."

Proverb 16:24 "Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones."

Proverb 17:27 "He who has knowledge spares his words, And a man of understanding is of a calm spirit."

James 1:19 "So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath."

James 3:5, 6 "Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things. See how great a forest a little fire kindles! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell."

Prayer: "Help us to use our words carefully and wisely, Lord. Thank you for giving us both warnings and exhortations about using our words. Thank you for creating speech to glorify You and to edify others. Let us understand how we need to have self-control. Please increase the control we have over our tongues. Thank you for giving us brains that think before we speak. Let us say what we mean and mean what we say. Forgive us for wasting words or using them to injure someone. Thank you for wanting our success and prosperity. Help us to want the same for others. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Breath of Life"

Genesis 2:7 "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

Ezekiel 37:5 "Thus says the Lord GOD to these bones: Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live."

Acts 17:25 "Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things."

Revelation 11:11 "Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them."

Prayer: "Praise You, God for having the ability to breathe life into us! Thank you for being the sole giver and taker of life. Praise You for having such awesome power in your very breath! There is no other God like You, Lord. Thank you for wanting us to have abundant life; not just life, but abundant life! Help us to understand that You are very good and loving to us. Praise You for giving us a better life than the life we had without You. Let the lukewarm fence-sitters come into a serious, life-changing relationship with You, Lord. Touch them and the ones who simply don't believe and let them know You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "A Fiery Exhortation"

Exodus 3:2-4 "And the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, 'I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.' So when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am.'

Exodus 13:21-22 "And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night."

Exodus 24:17 "The sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel."

Exodus 40:38 "For the cloud of the LORD was above the tabernacle by day, and fire was over it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys."

Acts 2:3, 4 "Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Hebrews 12:29 "For our God is a consuming fire."

Prayer: "Thank you for helping us understand You by being compared to a fire. Please refine us, Lord. Burn off the impurities in our lives and let us be pure like You. Thank you for consuming us. Let there be nothing left of us and only You. Thank you for helping us deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow You. We want to know you, Lord. Praise You for being powerful. Let us understand your power and use it for your glory. Thank you for wanting us to do incredible things; even greater than the things Jesus did. To You be all the glory, honor and praise! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "The Lord of Creation"

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
Genesis 1:3,4 "Then God said, 'Let there be light'; and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness."
Genesis 1:9 "Then God said, 'Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear'; and it was so."
Genesis 1:16 "Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also."
Genesis 1:21 "So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:25 "And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."
Genesis 1:27,28 "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, 'Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.'"
Isaiah 45:18: For thus says the LORD, who created the heavens, who is God, who formed the earth and made it, who has established it, who did not create it in vain, who formed it to be inhabited: 'I am the LORD, and there is no other.'"

Romans 1:20 "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse."

Prayer: "Thank you for so many awesome things, Lord! Help us to see your beautiful creation and stand in awe of You! Forgive us for being lethargic or prideful. Help us to see You how You truly are and even see ourselves how we truly are. Thank you for helping us to be like You and less like our old selves. Praise You for creating the solar system in such a magnificent way. Forgive the ones who see your awesome works and make another excuse or assumption about their whereabouts. Help the ones who find it hard to believe to believe in You, our awesome Creator and Redeemer. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "We Are His Ambassadors"

Ephesians 6:14-21 "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints--and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Proverb 13:17 "A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health."

2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching."

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to be your ambassadors, Lord. Thank you for accepting imperfect humans and letting us be on your winning team! Let us understand how awesome it is that You chose us and You love us. Give us great joy and lift us up, Lord! Help us to do what it takes to follow You as closely as we can. Give us boldness to weed the foolishness out of our lives. Thank you for giving us time to participate in the process of sanctification. Thank you for loving us more than we even love ourselves. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "We're His Little Children"

1 John 2:12, 18 "I write to you, little children, Because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake. Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour."

1 John 2:1 "My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

John 13:33-35 "Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

1 John 5:21 "Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

Prayer: "Thank you for calling us your little children, Lord. Thank you for adopting us into your awesome family. Let the world know that You are God. Let the people know that You have no grandchildren - only children. Encourage people in church to make a confession that You are God and not simply rely on the faith of their parents or pastor. Praise You for wanting us to have an awesome, unique and personal relationship with You! There is no other God like You in all of the universe! Thank you for taking the time to touch us with your grace. Praise You for being so worthy of our devotion and attention! Let us be just like You. Forgive us for the times when we spin our wheels at things that aren't worthy of our attention. Help us and give us discernment, so we can see what is right and wrong; better and best. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Go on a Pentecost Covenant with God!

I've decided that for the next 50 days, I'll pray for 30 minutes in my journal, play music and worship God for 60 minutes and eat only 2000 calories each day. This is a covenant I made with God because I want to draw closer to Him.

In Acts chapter two, God pours His Spirit on the believers at the Feast of Pentecost. Pentecost was 50 days after the Passover.

If you make a covenant (promise) to God, make sure you keep it. I firmly believe that God blesses and rewards the ones that make promises to Him and keep them. God is a covenant God - He has made numerous promises to us. We should make Him a promise and draw closer to Him.

You can tailor your covenant any way you wish. Pray and ask God what you need to change and do. He will show you. One thing is certain, after you complete your promise, God is surely going to bless you!

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

A Moment of Introspection

There's an atheistic forum that I've been introduced to and if you wish to do some thinking, it'd be wise to visit. These atheists have chosen to use their brains (some more than others) and they post messages here. Please check it out and make a logical, biblical post: http://www.thedeepdark.com/cgi-bin/ikonboard/topic.cgi?forum=8&topic=183

The Bible Word of the Week

calamity: an extraordinarily grave event marked by great loss and lasting distress and affliction

The Quotations of the Week

A lack of fear shows an influence of Christ in the believer.

The New Testament was written by Jesus and people who spoke in tongues.

Sometimes our logic is our biggest obstruction to our faith.

We need to eliminate too much silence from our relationships.

You can rank your happiness by how much you communicate with your mate.

Typically, people speak less and less as they get older in their marriage relationship.

We can easily make mistakes when we make assumptions.

Don't tire of trying to communicate with your spouse.

Men often communicate to find solutions.

Generally, ss men listen to their mate share, they look for ways to fix something.

Women usually communicate to share themselves.

Listen to all the details before demanding the bottom line.

If a person doesn't talk much, it may indicate they don't think much.

If men don't speak until they have something to say, then women don't know what to say until they've spoken.

Don't just eliminate silence, eliminate noise (internal and external) and distractions while conversing.

A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is still putting on it's shoes.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Mark Twain and David T. Moore.

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've written in the most beneficial way, try and trace them back to the scriptures 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 share the gospel over 2.5 million times each year! 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 email me and I'll give you our mailing address.

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! JCSM regularly gives to churches and needy people. Another function of this ministry is to do counseling. We are always answering questions about life, the Lord and everything in between. Lastly, we do a lot of research on religious topics on the internet and library. You will definitely see the results of our hard work and your loving support, in the web pages, and in the weekly devotions!

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 JCSM, please email us and we will send them to you, personally, each week. Don't worry. We don't send forwards or any other junk mail. Plus, we refrain from giving your name to anyone.

The devotions are sent on Mondays, our Bible lesson is sent on Thursdays, the gospel is sent on the 11^th of every month and the monthly newsletter is sent on the 20^th. These are the only messages we send, however, please email me us you wish to be removed from this list.

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 and 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". YDI pays for these calls and has helped over 1 million people! They are also looking for people to answer calls. Their web site is at www.1800hithome.com.

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

Go here to donate free Bibles to people: www.TheBibleSite.org. If you want to join a Christian organization that helps feed and clothe poor people, check into World Vision. You can see their site here: www.worldvision.com. Compassion International is another, great Christian organization that rivals World Vision. You can visit them here: www.ci.org.

Do you believe in evolution? If you can prove that the evolution of species has happened, Dr. Dino will give you $250,000. I know Kent Hovind and this is a legitimate offer. For more information, please see his web site: http://www.drdino.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 us 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 us know. We can 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. I recommend using either the King James Version or the New King James Version Bible.

JCSM operates in Oceanside, California, United States. This ministry has been certified by the Evangelical Ministries to New Religions. EMNR is an accrediting body for sound, Christian ministries that preach the true gospel of God to people in other religions and cults. Their web site is located here: http://www.emnr.org.

Since April of 1997, the weekly devotional message has been sent on the internet. This message currently reaches over 39,000 people in 99 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 2500 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."