This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Over 2500 Links!

Hello!

I hope you're having a great, Jesus-filled week!

This week, we'll be broadcasting our very first, audio webcast! On May 2^nd, our program will be one hour, from 6-7pm Pacific Standard Time (9-10pm Eastern). We'll be talking about a variety of subjects, playing some new, Christian music and even taking some callers! In addition to the live broadcast, we'll also be meeting in a chat room. Here are the links you'll need. Live Audio Broadcast: http://broadcast.jcsm.org and Chat Room: http://chat.jcsm.org.

In addition to this Thursday being our first, live webcast, it is also the National Day of Prayer in the United States! Please take a minute to pray or meet with others in your community to pray. We'll definitely take some time to pray during the webcast.

Would you like to hear my cd for free? I'm giving away a free copy of "Free Food: The Yummy Album" to the third person who emails me! I'll pay the shipping, too. This album has mostly original songs, with a couple well-known worship songs.

Speaking of music, I'm in the process of putting my songs on MP3.com! Right now, we have one song there and it's called "3 in 1". If you'd like to listen, just go here: http://www.mp3.com/Free_Food_Band.

Last Tuesday was the final lecture in Biola University's lecture series and Dr. Craig Hazen was awesome! He taught us about two entirely different subjects: how to choose a good book and Mormonism! The Mormonism half of his lecture was in the form of an incredible video. If you'd like to read about this groundbreaking video on the authenticity of the Mormon's "Book of Abraham", please go here: http://www.jcsm.org/Education/CraigHazen.htm.

I've been reading a great book called "Jesus Under Fire", by J.P. Moreland and Michael Wilkins. This is a great book and my favorite part is where they list the extra-biblical resources, written in Jesus' time, that speak about Jesus Christ! You can find this book at http://www.allbookstores.com.

Several years ago, I taught the book of Ecclesiastes to a group of recovering alcoholics and addicts. It was a great and meaningful experience. I've typed my notes and uploaded them to the web, so you can read about Solomon's amazing experiences and what we can learn from them. Link: http://members.tripod.com/~Jesus_Christ_Saves3/Ecclesiastes.htm.

You may have noticed that we are beginning to go through some technical changes at JCSM! We are extremely excited to have our very own web server, now. This means that I'll be moving all of my files from AOL and Tripod to jcsm.org. Please pray for this endeavor because it is going to take many hours of work.

ErnieandCompany.com <edit>. <edit> ernie@ernieandcompany.com. Due to fraud, Ernie Murry's endorsement has been revoked.  This includes ErnieandCompany.com and PromiseWeb.

In the beginning of June, I'm going to start writing my first book. The tentative name is: "The Internet Belongs To Jesus". Since I'm one of the internet ministry pioneers, and I've learned many things that work (and many things that don't), I'm feeling led to share this knowledge. Please pray for this endeavor! I really enjoy writing, but it will be quite a task. I'll release more details, soon.

I hope God is blessing your spiritual growth in a powerful way! The road may seem long and arduous, but keep your eyes on the prize! The finish line isn't that far off.

Semi-important info: Don't forget to vote for the new M&M color! It will either be purple, pink or aqua. I give aqua two thumbs up! You can vote here: http://www.mms.com.

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 71,000 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://donations.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 Real, Great Race"

Acts 20:21 "But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God."

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified."

2 Timothy 4:7, 8 "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing."

Hebrews 12:1, 2 "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for enlisting us in the race, Lord! Thank you for making this a real, spiritual race toward You and your holiness. Help us to run this race to win. Forgive us for being apathetic or lazy, Lord. Light our fire. Thank you for giving us a race worth running and worth winning. Let us see which things are valuable and which things should be left behind. Thank you for the many other people that are running this race with us. Encourage us and help us to be encouragers. Thank you for your awesome Word that guides us. Thank you for loving us and helping us. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "Which Gate Are You Approaching?"

Matthew 7:13, 14 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

Luke 13:24 "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."

John 10:7-9 "Then Jesus said to them again, Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture."

John 14:6 "Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about the wrong gate, Lord. Help us to have great, spiritual discernment and choose You, the righteous gate to Heaven. Thank you for giving us a choice. Help people understand You and the beauty of free will. Thank you for loving us more than we can understand. Thank you for wanting us to come to You, but not forcing us to do this. Thank you for knocking patiently at our door. Make the evil roads seem very obvious, Lord. Help us to distinguish between good and evil. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that You put inside of us! Thank you for leading us and guiding us. Help us to learn from people that are successful and from people that fail. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "You Reap What You Sow"

Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.

Prayer: "Thank you for being a just God. Let us appreciate your justness. Thank you for rewarding and blessing people that do things for the kingdom of God. Thank you for opening doors for people that seek You. Help the world and the believers to see and understand how You love your saints and are devoted to them. Thank you for answering my prayers, Lord! Thank you for being so much more than a safety net for the afterlife. Help people to understand what a friend and a God You are in this life and in the next. Thank you for leading me into incredible truths - as deep as I can get. Thank you for meeting everyone, simultaneously, where they are and taking them where You want them to be. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Vibrant Believer"

Acts 2:38 "Then Peter said to them, Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

John 10:10 "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

Nehemiah 8:10b "The joy of the LORD is your strength."

Romans 12:2 "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for making us vibrant, thriving believers! Thank you for lifting us up and giving us a spiritual boost. Thank you for wanting us to live extraordinary, successful lives! Do mighty miracles in our lives this week, Lord. Let us experience You in a powerful way. Thank you for making pure Christians glow with your light! Thank you for the love and purity of younger believers. Help them to stay pure and be fully devoted to You. Thank you for the way You can take people who sin and act foolishly and completely change their demeanor. Don't let us doubt You, Lord. Increase our faith and our love. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Spiritual Liberty"

Isaiah 61:1 "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;"
2 Corinthians 3:17 "Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."
Galatians 5:1 "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
Galatians 5:13 "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another."
James 1:25 "But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does."
Psalm 119:45 "And I will walk at liberty, for I seek Your precepts."
Psalm 146:7b "The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners."
1 Peter 2:15, 16 "For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men - as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us spiritual liberty and freedom, Lord! Thank you that for hundreds of years, You have been fully willing and able to give people inner freedom ever in the most heinous of circumstances. Praise You for making us free on the inside, transcending outward situations. Thank you for being all-powerful and all-knowing. Thank you for being a God for the rich and a God for the poor; a God for the weak and a God for the strong; a God for the intellectual and a God for the slow. Help us not to take advantage of our spiritual liberty, freedom and expertise. Thank you for the ways You have blessed us and given us answers that people have been seeking for their whole lives. Let us share your truth, Lord, so others can have the same freedom. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "The Relationship"

Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."

John 10:15a "As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father."

John 10:30 "I and My Father are one."

Matthew 28:19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

2 Corinthians 13:14 "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen."

Prayer: "Thank you for showing us that at the very core of your being is a relationship. Praise You for wanting us to have relationships with You and others. Thank you for creating us for the need for relationships. Help us to be godly and righteous. Thank you for loving us so much and helping us in our relationships. Thank you for being the perfect friend to us, even when we let You down or neglect to talk to You or listen to You. Mold us into better people, Lord. Help us to be there for our friends. Thank you for being there for us. Give us more faithfulness to You and others. Thank you for the intimate relationships that we have, like boyfriend-girlfriend and husband-wife. Bless us and help us to develop deep and meaningful relationships with the people You have put in our lives. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Our Number One Priority"

Deuteronomy 5:7,8 "You shall have no other gods before Me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image - any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man's all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil."

Micah 6:8 "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?"

Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus said to him, You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

Prayer: "Thank you for being our number one priority, Lord. Thank you for being so worthy of our time, energy and devotion. Thank you for showing us our priorities in your Word. Help us to accept the priorities You have for us and not demand our own. Forgive us for putting lame things in our lives and calling them good. Let us read the Bible, pray continually, worship You often and love You always. Help us to be the people You want us to be. Let us seize the moment and do your will! Let us forget about the past and how we've let You down and decide today that we will walk the narrow road that leads to You. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Make a list called "Amazing Things God Has Done"!

Several months ago, I made a document on my computer and named it "Amazing Things God Has Done!". On that day, there were only a couple things that I typed. However, there are tons on the list, now!

God does awesome things all the time. Are you seeing them? Are you remembering them? Try writing them down! You'll have an awesome record of the things God has done in your life.

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

A Moment of Introspection

On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being Jesus and 1 being a heathen, what are you?

The Bible Word of the Week

endurance: the ability to withstand hardship or adversity; the act or an instance of enduring suffering

The Quotations of the Week

Do you realize that you're in a race?

Make sure you're running the right way.

The road to Hell is a dead end.

Hedonism: Pleasure is your number one value.

We must be disciplined in our spiritual training.

Christianity is a waste of time without discipline.

If you see a characteristic of God and think you'll get it without having a plan of how to get it, you're in fantasy land.

A winner builds discipline into his or her life.

It's phenomenal how reading God's Word and praying molds us into Christ's image.

Never, never, never, never give up.

Decide that you're not going to give up.

When you think about giving up, remember that Jesus never did.

Trust your coach.

We must run with the right people.

Competition makes you rise to the occasion.

Achieve your dreams and stay out of trouble.

The books you read and the people you spend time with are a good indicator of where you'll be in five years.

Are you a thermometer or a thermostat?

If you compromise your beliefs with your friends, you probably need to find new friends.

Do you have a passion for God?

Quitters lose sight of the finish line.

Don't settle for the cheap imitations of God's gifts.

Everyone will go to Heaven, but after the judgment seat of Christ, many will be sent to Hell.

We must focus on the finish line.

Second place is the first loser.

How can giving to the Lord ever be wrong?

Givers are like anyone else, but they are generally happier people than ones that don't give.

Do you know which percentage of your community goes to church?

We need to do more than we ever did before.

Don't give up trying to hear from God.

God gives signs to make people wonder.

Are you leaving church with something to talk about?

When you're going the wrong way, God will confront you.

Praise God when His Holy Spirit confronts you.

Jesus will transform you by His power.

Being baptized with water is your first test, as a new believer, to see if you'll be obedient to God.

You never go wrong submitting to the Word of God.

Some people will not be able to be healed until they are baptized.

If you want the fruits of God, you have to be devoted to Him and His Word.

Ask your Christian friends what God is doing in their life.

If you're worried about making someone uncomfortable by telling them about Jesus Christ, remember that they'll be "eternally uncomfortable" if they don't accept Him.

Are you a history maker and a world shaker?

What is worse than living this life and doing nothing for God?

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Winston Churchill, 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://www.jcsm.org/Give2.htm.

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 Fridays, the gospel is sent in the middle of every month and the monthly newsletter is sent on the 1^st. 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."