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This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Over 2500 Links!

Hello!

You've got mail!

Come and see the JCSM site! With over 2500 links, there is something for everyone!

This week marks 5 years of ministry through JCSM! In 1997, we began ministering to a few people in a chat room. Now, we're sending these emails around the world to tens of thousands of people! Plus, our site is now over the 70,000 visit mark! Thanks for your prayers, encouragement and support. Please continue to seek God with us.

Would you like to, "Recommend A Book!"? I've written 10 book reviews and will be writing a new one each week. If you'd like to read these (which cover books on prophecy, creation, Islam, demons and more) or add your own, please go here: http://pub.alxnet.com/forum?id=1006059.

My Pentecost Covenant is going very well. Today is day 8 and I've kept my covenant with God. Please pray that the remaining 42 days go really well and I experience God like never before. I'll be uploading my journal and more information on the Pentecost Covenant, soon. Basically, I've decided to worship God on my guitar for an hour each day, read the Word each day, journal prayers for 30 minutes a day, fast with no food once a week and eat a smaller diet for 50 days. Similar to the 40 day fasts that I've done, this covenant is awesome and challenging in it's own way.

If you missed my debate with Reggie, I can send you the cd for $5. We debated for 103 minutes and discussed all kinds of issues. If you'd like to increase your faith and learn how to defend God's Word, this cd is for you. I answer his questions on Creation, sin, prophecy, free will, predestination and much more. Email me for details.

This week, I began reading an awesome book called, "The Prophets Still Speak: Messiah In Both Testaments", by Fred John Meldau. If you've ever wondered if Jesus was the Messiah or if you've simply wanted to see the prophecies He fulfilled, you'll love this book. Mr. Meldau has went into great detail to show how Jesus is the only one that could ever qualify as the promised Messiah.

A "spotless" red heifer has been born in Israel. According to Numbers 19, this red heifer must be present in order to have temple sacrifices. I've heard rumors about this animal being presented to the Jewish authorities, but these articles show it has definitely happened. Here are two links (with some pictures, too): http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=21491 and http://www.templeinstitute.org/current-events/RedHeifer/index.html.

Applied Digital Solutions has made the VeriChip. This chip is the first one that can be legally placed beneath the skin, holding medical information and other pertinent facts. This technology is undoubtedly the precursor to the "beast technology" that will be implemented to give people the mark of the best (the one in Revelation). ADS has even circumvented the FDA, so it can be used immediately. See these two links for more information: http://www.adsx.com/prodservpart/verichip.html and http://wired.com/news/technology/0,1282,51575,00.html.

Quickly, I should interject that when the social security number was first implemented, the government swore it would be used in very limited and specific capacity. Now, it is widely used for a variety of reasons. The same will be true with this chip. It will start being used as a medical device and ultimately be used to track people (it can already be hooked up to a Global Positioning System - just in case someone with a medical problem gets lost or passes out).

On a lighter note, Chinese characters were found to echo the events in Genesis. I've already commented on the book about this (if you've missed it, you can read my book review). However, the following web site has the same information, in a brief presentation. If you'd like to see these Chinese characters and how they tell the ancient Bible stories, go here: http://www.morgenster.org/signs.htm.

The European Union (also known as the Revived Roman Empire) has their own web page. You can see it here: http://www.europa.eu.int/index_en.htm.

Do you need to increase your Christian music library? Christiandiscs.com has some great music, plus they have some live and rare albums. Recently, I found a very rare Larry Norman called "To White Blossoms From Black Roots"! Link: http://christiandiscs.com/cgi/fperl86.cgi.

Do you know someone who claims to have psychic powers? Did you know that they don't? If they claim they do, please forward them the following site because a non-Christian organization called the James Randi Foundation has $1,000,000 for anyone who can prove they know the future. Here's their link: http://www.randi.org/research/index.html.

Please pray for President Bush as he stands against cloning. I'm sure you've imagined the problems involved with cloning. Plus, legalized cloning reinforces abortion because scientists want to use the fetal tissues of aborted babies in order to clone and experiment.

Did you remember to mail in your tax returns? If you forgot, this is your reminder!

Tuesday, April 16^th, Dr. J.P. Moreland is speaking at Biola University at 7pm. He's a well-respected, Christian apologist who has taught at countless institutions and has written and edited several, great books. I'll be there and I'll tell you what I learned in my next devotional message!

Penthouse founder Bob Guccioni is losing tons of money and probably going to declare bankruptcy. According to him, internet porn is running him out of business. I never thought I'd be happy about internet porn. Well, I'm still not happy about it. Let's pray Bob finds Jesus Christ as he loses his earthly fortunes.

Do you want to know how fast your computer connects to the internet? Go to the following site and in a matter of seconds, it will tell you: http://www.summitcomputer.net/speedtest/unlisted/speedtest50.asp.

Priceline.com is currently offering free 60 minute phone cards after you've tried their service. I'm not sure how long this offer will last, but it's legitimate. I have received my free 60 minutes, instantly.

This Christmas, my wife and I are going to be visiting Britain and Ireland! We have some friends near London, so we'll be staying with them for part of our trip. If you live in those areas or know about them, please email me! I'd love to hear some travel tips and information. (I know I need to dress warm and use English pounds. *smile*)

I pray God is blessing you and you are living an abundant life! If you need more of God, He is always there for You. He promises to reveal Himself when you search for Him.

This Friday, Miles McPhearson is having a Crusade called Crash 2002 at the El Cajon Speedway! The Kry and Switchfoot will be there, too. It begins at 5:30pm. I'll be there, so email me if you want more info.

This week, P.O.D. will be performing on Saturday Night Live. Let's pray that they are a light in the darkness and share the gospel with conviction. Praise God a Christian band is playing on a much-watched, secular television show.

The Newsboys are playing at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday. It is "live on tape" at 7pm PST and 10pm EST. It will be on PAX TV.

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 70,000 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: "The Need For Knowledge"

Proverb 19:2 "Also it is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, And he sins who hastens with his feet."

Jeremiah 10:14a "Everyone is dull-hearted, without knowledge."

Romans 11:33 "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!"

Colossians 1:10 "Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for creating us with a need for knowledge. Help us to seek You for biblical knowledge. Thank you for giving us awesome knowledge and showing us things we didn't know. Praise You for holding all of the knowledge in the universe. Help us to understand how we need You and how we need to know what You know. Thank you for loving us and wanting to teach humankind. Bless us and make us like You! Thank you for wanting to be #1 in our lives and being so worthy of that position. Help us to read your Word and grow in the knowledge of You. Help us to rightly divide the Word of truth. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "God's Perfect Protection"

Psalm 18:2, 10 "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. The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous run to it and are safe."

Psalm 18:30 "As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him."

Psalm 84:11 "For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD will give grace and glory; No good thing will He withhold From those who walk uprightly."

Proverb 30:5 "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him."

Psalm 46:1 "God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble."

Prayer: "Thank you for protecting us, Lord. Help us to see how much You protect us and not take your protection for granted. Thank you for being greater than any other source of protection. Thank you for being more powerful than Satan and all the demons! Help us to remember You in our time of need. Thank you for protecting us from the things we think about and the things we don't think about. Thank you for knowing the future and helping us get through the present. Praise You for having an awesome plan for us. Help us to remember to run to You and call to You in our time of need. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Be Filled With the Spirit"

Acts 2:4 "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance."

Acts 8:14-17 "Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them, who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit. For as yet He had fallen upon none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. Then they laid hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."

Acts 9:17 "And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

Acts 19:6 "And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied."

Prayer: "Thank you for the examples of people being filled with the Holy Spirit in the Scriptures. Thank you for giving us the Holy Spirit when we accept You as our Lord and Savior! Thank you for filling us with the Holy Spirit when we come to You in sincere need. Praise You for being a changeless God of promises. Help us to understand your promises and understand what you've done, so we can understand what You are doing and what You want to do. Touch us with your awesome Spirit, Lord. Lift us up and help us to do awesome things in your name. Encourage and edify us. Let us be just like You. Fill us with your Spirit! Lay your awesome hand on us. Help us to find people who want to pray for us and lay hands on us, so we can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Let us seek You first, though, and want a deep relationship with You, not just an experience or a warm fuzzy feeling. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Unknown Hour"

Matthew 24:36, 42, 44 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

Matthew 25:13 "Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming."

Mark 13:32-33, 35-37 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is. Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming--in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning--lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!"

Luke 12:37, 38, 40 "Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, will find watching. Assuredly, I say to you that he will gird himself and have them sit down to eat, and will come and serve them. And if he should come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect."

1 John 2:28 "And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming."

Prayer: "Thank you for telling us that You are coming in an hour we do not know or expect. Thank you for this mystery and the other mysteries of your Word. Let us have great faith that You will do what You have said. Forgive the ones who have grown weary and are no longer watching for You. Let us be diligent watchers. Thank you for giving us awesome signs and wonders and fulfilling prophecies. Let people understand how these things indicate that You are true, the Bible is your Word and you are coming soon. Thank you for doing things in this generation which seemed impossible, yet had to happen in order for the end times to come. Praise You for being a God of order and perfection. To You be all the glory, honor and praise. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "The Prophesied, Messianic Son of David"

Matthew 1:1 "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham."

Matthew 9:27 "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, Son of David, have mercy on us!"

Matthew 15:22 "And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."

Matthew 20:30 "And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!"

Matthew 21:19 "Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!"

Matthew 21:15 "But when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David! they were indignant."

Matthew 22:42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, The Son of David."

Prayer: "Thank you for taking the awesome title, 'Son of David'. Help us to understand what that means. Thank you for being born from a virgin and in the line of King David. Thank you for telling us the Messianic lineage far before You fulfilled it. Thank you for the New Testament scriptures that recorded You being called the Son of David. Praise You for being the Messiah! Thank you for the people who realized and realize now that You are Him. Thank you for forgiving our sins. Thank you for being the only way to God. Thank you for being the only one who could ever be the Messiah, partially because nobody knows the Jewish lineages any more. Let the Jews and Gentiles understand how You fulfilled all of the extensive and exclusive criteria to be the Messiah. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "You Call, He'll Answer"

Jeremiah 33:3 "Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

Matthew 7:7, 8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

James 4:2b "You do not have because you do not ask."

Prayer: "Thank you for promising to hear us and come when You call! Thank you for always listening to us and for us. Help us to remember that You are everywhere. Praise You for being such an awesome God. Thank you for being able to listen longer than anyone else can. Thank you for wanting to give us awesome things when we ask. Help us to be seekers and askers. Help people to understand that one day we'll die and maybe we'll see everything that You would have given us, only if we would have asked. Praise You for being a God of your Word. Let us claim your promises and see You do wonders. Thank you for being righteous and true. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Shout To the Lord!"

Psalm 100:1 "Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!"

Psalm 81:1 "Sing aloud to God our strength; Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob."

Psalm 66:1 "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!"

Psalm 47:1 "Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!"

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to shout to You! Thank you for endorsing loud praise. Help us to praise You like You want to be praised. Forgive us for being too timid or quiet. Thank you for accepting our sincere worship. Thank you for the ones who unashamedly shout to You. Let us shout in joy, daily. Let us shout to You and see what You will do. Thank you for wanting us to be honest and tell You our feelings. Help us to understand how we feel. Thank you for requiring us to do things that will help us and prosper us. Let us understand how your laws and commands serve many different purposes. Forgive our sins and help us to live for You. Let us be wholeheartedly devoted to You, Lord. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Shout to the Lord!

It's not just a song, but it's also a command. Whether you want to sing loudly or literally shout, it's up to you. Pray about this and see where God leads you.

I like worship God in my car or van. While I'm driving, I'll sing and shout to the Lord! It's easy and it's fun.

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

A Moment of Introspection

Do you realize how your sin ruins others' lives?

Sin doesn't just effect You. If it only effected you, that should be enough to want to stop sinning. However, your sins effect others.

For instance, if you steal something, it not only effects your character, but it effects the people who suffered the loss. It could also effect someone who was going to buy or use the item you stole.

If you honestly think about sinful behavior, you will understand and see how it effects others, and not just yourself.

The Bible Word of the Week

preach: to deliver a sermon, to share the gospel and Word of God

The Quotations of the Week

If you really believe in your heart that Jesus is alive, you will live your life differently.

Before He gives it to you, God wants to make sure you are ready for His power.

A commitment to obedience leads to power.

Our success depends on our hearing and following God's instructions.

Most problems in your life can be traced to an instruction you didn't follow.

God may leave something in your life and you'll have to decide if it'll be your tombstone or stepping stone.

Commitment to prayer leads to power.

The more you pray, the more miracles you'll see.

Our friends and even our families don't care about all our problems, but God cares about all of them.

God has left His will for you to read and claim.

Quoting scripture is one of the greatest prayers you can pray.

If you haven't read God's will, you don't get the promises in it.

Commitment to read the Word leads to power.

Do you realize how your sin ruins others' lives?

Poor leadership becomes a stumbling block to others.

If you don't know God's power in your life, you need to check it out.

Some people get just enough Christianity to be miserable.

God's Word isn't just rules and regulations, it's His personal promises to us!

Power doesn't always come automatically for Christians.

Giving money and assets to God can bring blessings even to unbelievers.

The Holy Spirit isn't reserved for the holy, but it is given to the hungry.

Don't simply wait for God to touch You! Go and touch Him!

Is it hard for you to receive a gift?

Not everybody will be filled with the Holy Spirit because not everyone wants to be.

You don't get love, miracles, faith, et cetera, without the Holy Spirit.

If you're going to witness, you should be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Are you being obedient to everything you can understand in the Bible?

Being baptized with water, after salvation, makes you an excellent candidate for being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Nobody can earn the Holy Spirit.

Three things that keep people from being filled with the Holy Spirit: 1) Trying to work for it, 2) unbelief and 3) being unyielding to God.

Don't be paralyzed by analyzing things too much.

Pray for the things that you think God wants you to have.

Every illustration of the trinity wears thin at some point; some quicker than others.

If you are a Christian and don't know why you believe something, find out.

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

Our opinions must bow down to the Bible.

If tongues isn't from God, then why don't we hear unbelievers using them?

God wants to fill up your gas tank.

God is handing you His credit card when you pray.

Pray to be filled with God's Spirit.

Worldly things drain our Spirit.

We leak, so we need to be filled.

While speaking in tongues, you can either speak to God or to the church.

More than anything else, we need God.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Troy Lewis and Mike Robertson.

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.

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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."